UK & Ireland Poetry Competition 10-13 yrs. old

The John Betjeman poetry competition for young people 2012 on Young Authors and Artists Group. The competition is open to 10-13 year-olds in the UK and the Republic of Ireland until a closing date of 31st July.

The judges are the poet Grace Nichols and the author and journalist Andrew Martin.

The first prize is £1000 (£500 to the winner and £500 to the English department of his or her school or local library).

The winning school and the school that generates the most number of entries will win poet visits.  There are also Eurostar tickets and book tokens for winning entries.  Each child is invited to send in (by post or online) one poem on the theme of ‘place’.  They can choose anywhere that is important to them – from their bedroom to somewhere they visited on holiday, from their favourite park to their favourite building.   The subject of their poem could be a city or a garden or a beach or a street.  We are asking them to capture in words what that place means to them.

Winners of the poetry competition are invited to read their poems aloud to an audience of judges, entrants, teachers and parents as well as sponsors and press, at a prize giving held on National Poetry Day, Thursday 4th October, on the upper concourse of St Pancras International, next to the bronze statue of Sir John Betjeman by Martin Jennings.  This year the prize of £1000 will be presented by an emcee (to be announced shortly) and Grace Nichols will read some of her poems.

Winners of the poetry competition are invited to read their poems aloud to an audience at an awards ceremony held on National Poetry Day, Thursday 4th October,  on the upper concourse of St Pancras International, next to the bronze statue of Sir John Betjeman.

The competition is free to enter and online entry form can be found at our website http://www.betjemanpoetrycompetition.com . Poems can also be sent via the post and should be addressed to: The John Betjeman children’s poetry competition, PO BOX3770, Royal Mail, Swan Lane, Faringdon, Oxfordshire, SN7 7JB.

Good Luck,

Kathy

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University of Chicago International Science Essay Contest

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO’S NEW COSMIC FRONTIERS INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE ESSAY COMPETITION
http://www.newfrontiersinastronomy.org/

The New Cosmic Frontiers International Science Essay Competition On the Nature of our Universe and its Habitats is open to high school and college students. Its purpose is to inspire students to consider careers in science and to nurture their enthusiasm for the subject, and to engage young minds in creative, intellectual activities essential in scientific endeavors.

Winners will be awarded significant monetary prizes to support their education and given an extraordinary opportunity to meet today’s world-renowned scientists and scholars at a conference and award ceremony, held in Philadelphia, on October 12-13, 2012.

Deadline June 15, 2012.

CATEGORY 1: ESSAY THEME FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Are we alone in the Universe? Or, are there other life and intelligence beyond the solar system?

First Prize – $25,000 cash prize.
Second Prizes – Two essays will be chosen for $10,000.
Third Prizes – Five essays will be chosen for $5,000.

CATEGORY 2: ESSAY THEME FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

What is the origin of complexity in the universe?

First Prize – $50,000 cash prize.
Second Prizes – Two essays will be chosen for $25,000.
Third Prizes – Five essays will be chosen for $10,000.

In addition, up to 10 honorable mentions of $3,000 each will be awarded in either category.

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WICKED Young Writers Award – UK only

WICKED YOUNG WRITERS AWARD
http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/about_the_award.html

There will be the opportunity to enter into five different age categories:

5-7 years old
8-10 years old
11-14 years old
15-17 years old
18-25 years old

WICKED Young Writers Award Competition Rules 2012 1. These rules (the “Rules”) relate to the competition (the “Competition”) for the WICKED Young Writers’ Award (the “Award”). PLEASE READ THESE RULES CAREFULLY BEFORE ENTERING THE COMPETITION.  YOU MUST HAVE YOUR PARENT’S OR GUARDIAN’S CONSENT TO ENTER IF YOU ARE UNDER 18. 2. Further information on the Award can be found on the website at www.WickedYoungWriters.com (the “Website”). 3. The Competition is run by WICKED London Production Limited (“WLPL”). 4. By entering the Competition entrants will be deemed to have accepted the Rules and be bound by them. 5. The Competition opens on Tuesday 6 December 2011. 6. Entries must be received by no later than 17:00 BST on Sunday 22 July 2012. Late, illegible, damaged, incorrect or illegal entries will be disqualified. WLPL cannot take any responsibility for any such entries. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt by WLPL. 7. Entry to the Competition is free. 8. The Competition is open to young people between the ages of 5 and 25 years of age as at the Competition closing date who are resident in the UK excluding employees of WLPL or Competition judges (or members of their immediate families).  There are 5 age categories for entry:  5-7 years old, 8-10 years old, 11-14 years old, 15-17 years old and 18-25 years old.  WLPL reserves the right to ask for proof of age from entrants. 9. Entrants under 18 years of age must have permission to enter the Competition from a parent or guardian who will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by the Rules.  WLPL reserves the right to ask for proof of permission.  Entries without permission will be disqualified. 10. Entries may comprise stories, poems or drama.  Each entry must be the entrant’s own original work.  Entries must be typewritten and no longer than 750 words.  Entries may be accompanied by illustrations, but these will not be taken into account by the Competition judges. 11. It is not necessary to have good spelling or grammatical skills to enter the Competition.  Entries will be judged on originality and creativity, rather than how they are executed. The decision of the Competition judges is final. 12. Entries may be made by post or submitted online via the Website.  Entries submitted online must be in Microsoft Word .doc or .dox format and the maximum file is 2MB.  Entries cannot be returned. 13. Entries must be accompanied by a completed entry form.  The entry forms for both postal and online entries are available on the Website. Entries may be made by individual entrants or by teachers on behalf of their pupils. There are different entry forms for individual and teacher entries made by post, and two online entry forms. Where multiple entries are made by a teacher all entrants must be in the same age category. 14. Each piece of work entered into the Competition must be marked with the entrant’s name and age.  Where multiple pieces of work are submitted by a teacher, each individual piece of work must also be marked with the school name and address. 15. A panel of teachers selected by WLPL (the “Panel”) will review all entries and select the Competition finalists (the “Finalists”).  There will be 5 Finalists from each age category. 16. The Finalists will be notified by Monday 1 October 2012 using the contact details on their entry form. If WLPL is unable to contact any Finalist by Sunday 7 October 2012, WLPL may select another entrant as a substitute Finalist. 17. Each Finalist’s entry will be published in a WICKED Young Writers Award 2012 anthology (the “Anthology”), the proceeds from the sale of which may be put towards the continuation of the Award annually. 18. Finalists will be invited to attend an Award ceremony (the “Ceremony”), the date, time and location of which will be notified in advance.  Failure to attend the Ceremony will not affect an entry’s eligibility for the Award.  Finalists must confirm whether or not they will attend the Ceremony by the date specified on the invitation.  Failure to respond to the invitation will be treated as an inability to attend. 19. The date, time and location of the Ceremony may be subject to change at the discretion of WLPL. 20. The Finalists’ entries will be judged by the Panel with the addition of Michael Morpurgo as chair.  One winner will be chosen from each age category. 21. The 5 winners (the “Winners”) selected by the judges will each receive the following prize: Four tickets to see the London production of WICKED at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, London and an opportunity to meet cast members after the show.  Prize tickets are strictly subject to availability and are valid for a Monday to Friday 7.30 pm or Wednesday and Saturday 2:30 pm performance excluding school holidays. A writing master-class from one of the Award judges. 22. The two schools that submit the most entries as decided by the Competition judges will receive a range of books selected by WLPL for their school libraries. 23. All prizes are not transferable.  No cash alternative is available for any prize. 24. WLPL reserves the right to cancel the Competition, to offer alternative prizes and to change the Rules at any stage. 25. In consideration for WLPL’s acceptance of an entry and by submitting an entry to the Competition: each entrant and (if an entrant is under 18) his or her parent or guardian gives WLPL permission to use and publish his or her entry to the Competition in any media and format throughout the world, including in the Anthology and in a gallery on the Website. each entrant and (if an entrant is under 18) his or her parent or guardian waives all moral rights in his or her entry to the Competition; and each entrant and (if an entrant is under 18) his or her parent or guardian warrants that nothing in his or her entry will infringe the copyright or any other intellectual property right of any third party or defame any third party. 26. Each Finalist agrees to sign a release form assigning copyright in his or her entry to WLPL and confirming the permissions, waivers and warranties given above.  Finalists under the age of 18 will be required to obtain the signature of a parent or guardian on the release form. 27. WLPL’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use of the Website are on the Website.  Entrants will be deemed to have accepted the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and be bound by them. 28. Entrants to the Competition consent to the use by WLPL of their name, age and town of residence to announce the winners of the Competition and to identify entrants in any publication of an entry in accordance with the Rules.  Entrants also consent to the use of their personal information by WLPL to contact Finalists and prize winners, to verify compliance with the Rules and for administration of the Competition.  Finalists and Winners may be required to take part in publicity for the Award and the Competition. 29. Any questions concerning the Rules or the Competition may be directed to info@WickedYoungWriters.com. 30. These Rules are governed by English law and the Courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes arising out of the Rules.

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TEEN WRITING CLASSES

TEEN WRITING CLASSES – NY AND ONLINE http://www.writingclasses.com/CourseDescriptionPages/Teen.php/ClassTypeCode/T

Gotham teen classes are designed to foster creativity and self- expression in a supportive atmosphere. There are no grades, no exams, no wrong answers–just creative writing. Each class is taught by a faculty member adept at helping young writers discover and develop their unique voices. These classes are fun and pressure-free, but students will develop thinking and writing skills that will prove valuable in school and beyond.

Better writers produce stronger college applications, and an extracurricular writing class is an impressive addition to any profile. Teen classes are open to ages 13-17. They are offered in New York City and online.

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Chance For K-8 Student to Get Published

This contest is open to students in grades K-8 in United States and U.S. International schools. Students must develop their entries in groups of three or more under the supervision of an adult who acts as the Project Coordinator. The Project Coordinator assures that the entry adheres to the rules and regulations and provides constructive criticism and general guidance. The story and illustrations must be the students’ work.

Each entry must fit into one of the following categories:
• Fiction 21-29 pages, in picture book format

• Nonfiction 21-29 pages, in picture book format

Text on illustration page equals one page. Text facing illustration equals two pages.

There will be one grand-prize winner selected from each category. A total of twenty-five Honorable Mentions will be named as well.

Idea Starters – Use questions to get your students thinking about ideas for their story.

Who? Discuss possible characters to include in the story.

Where? In what setting does the story take place? Are there a variety of settings involved?

When? What is the time period of your story: present day, the future, the past, or a combination?

What? What is going to happen in their story? What is the problem or conflict?

Why? What is the purpose of the story: to educate and inform, to entertain, or a combination? What response do you want from the reader: to make them laugh, cry, understand a different view point or opinion?

How? How is the problem or conflict resolved?

Deadline: Postmarked by March 15 2012

Entry Form: http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/contest/kaa/downloads/kaa_entryform.pdf

More Info: http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/contest/kaa_about.asp

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Writing For Peace Contest

Writing for Peace is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating empathy through creative writing, and developing a foundation of compassion on which to build a more peaceful world. Through their annual creative writing contest, they invite writers to research a new culture, write a poem or short story in the voice of a character from that culture, and to reflect upon the lessons learned in the form of a short essay. While they encourage writers of all ages to accept this writing challenge and share their results with them, their writing contest is only open to students in grades 9 through 12.

There is no fee and all contest contributors will receive a certificate of participation. Submit an original unpublished short story of 800-1,000 words, or one to three poems totaling no more than 100 lines in the voice of a character from another country or culture.

First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded in both short fiction and poetry categories.

First place winners will receive a $100 Amazon gift card and a $100 donation will be made to their charity of choice.

Second and third place winners will receive a $50 Amazon gift cad and a $50 donation will be made to their charity of choice.

Winners and honorable mentions will be published online. Deadline postmark March 1, 2012.

http://writingforpeace.org/

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NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program

NaNoWriMo YOUNG WRITERS PROGRAM
http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/whatis

National Novel Writing Month happens every November!

It is a fun, seat-of-your-pants novel writing event where the  challenge is to write an entire novel in just 30 days. That  means participants begin writing November 1 and must finish by midnight, November 30. The word-count goal for our adult  program is 50,000 words, but our Young Writers Program allows
participants who are 17 years old and younger to set reasonable, yet challenging, word-count goals. You will be able to enter your chosen word-count goal in your profile starting October 1. You should sign up on the Young Writers Program site if you are:

=17 years old or younger participating on your own.
=In a K-12 teacher-led class that is participating in NaNoWriMo.
=An educator facilitating NaNoWriMo in your classroom.

If you are 13 or older, you can sign up on the main site at www.nanowrimo.org . Just know that you will have to write 50,000 words since the adult site doesn’t allow you to set your own word-count goal. You can sign up whenever you’d like to add your name to the roster of budding young authors and participate in the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach your  word-count goal by November 30 at midnight.

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The John Marsden Prize

THE JOHN MARSDEN PRIZE
http://express-media.tumblr.com/johnmarsdenprize

Young writers under the age of 24 are urged to enter the competition to share in $5,500 in prize money and have the opportunity to be published online and in the December issue of Voiceworks, Express Media’s literary quarterly.  The first place winner of the Short Story prize will receive $3,000 (18-24) and the winner of the poetry prize wins $1,500 (18-24). First place winners of both the Poetry and the Short story prize (under 18) receive $500 each.

Deadline August 31, 2011.

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FOYLE YOUNG POETS OF THE YEAR AWARD

FOYLE YOUNG POETS OF THE YEAR AWARD
http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/fyp/rules/
Deadline July 31, 2011. Open to 11-17 year olds. Each year 100 winners (85 Commendations and 15 Overall Winners) are selected by a team of high profile judges, and receive their awards at an annual prize-giving event on National Poetry Day.  Open to all young writers internationally, but entries must be in English.

The 15 Overall Winners aged 11-17 will have their poems printed in the winners’ anthology and all Commended Poets will have their names published inside.

 15-17 year olds in the Overall Winners category will attend a week-long residential course at one of the prestigious Arvon Centres.

 11-14 year olds in the Overall Winners category will win a short residency in their school by a leading poet followed by distance mentoring.

All 100 winners (Overall and Commended) receive a year’s Youth Membership and the opportunity to contribute to our brand new YM magazine.

 All 100 winners (Overall and Commended) will be invited to a prestigious Awards Ceremony in London in October 2011.

All 100 winners (Overall and Commended) will receive prizes including books published by Faber & Faber, Bloodaxe Books, Picador, Salt Publishing, Seren, and tall-lighthouse.

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16 Writing Contests For Kids

WHITE COUNTY CREATIVE WRITERS CONTESTS FOR KIDS
http://www.whitecountycreativewriters.org/id78.html

DEADLINES: JULY 25TH

1. JEAN GIPSON MEMORIAL AWARD – PRIZES: 1^st place $50, 2^nd place
$30, 3^rd place $20. Contemporary Fiction Short Story, 1500 word max. Sponsored by White County Creative Writers.

2. WRITERS’ CHOICE – Short Story, fiction, any genre, 1500 words max. No sex, profanity, excessive violence or porn. Sponsored by Fiction Writers of Central Arkansas.

3. THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT –  poetry, any form – no verse or special structure, 30-40 lines.  Sponsored by The PenPoint Group.

4. CENTRAL ARKANSAS WRITERS AWARD – Creative nonfiction story based on a childhood memory, 1500 word max. Sponsored by Central Arkansas Writers.

5.  WESTWARD HO! Award – Western , First Chapter or Short Story. Sponsored by Dusty Richards.

6. DID YOU LISTEN?  1 page poem or 500 word prose piece using 5 poetic devices/techniques. $5 HM awards.  Sponsored by Pat Laster.

7. BAKER-NICHOLS AWARD – Short Story, Fiction, 2000 words max.  Sponsored by Freeda Baker Nichols.

8. TWEAKING THE MYTH – retelling of a myth or fairy tale from a secondary character’s perspective.  2000 words max. Name original piece below title.  Brief critique given if requested on cover sheet.  Sponsored by Carole Hodges.

9. FOUR LEAF CLOVER Award – Poem praising Ireland or the Irish People, blank verse in two stanzas – first 8 lines, second 14 lines, in Iambic Pentameter.  Sponsored by Del Garrett.

10. FIRST CHAPTER – First Chapter of a Romance Novel. Must be clean –  no off-color, cursing, or bedroom scenes. Sponsored by Shannon Vannatter.

11. THAT’S WHAT YOU GET – Short story, 1500 words. Subject – That’s what you get for $1.79!  Sponsored by Peggy Sanders.

12. IT COULD BE VERSE– Lyric Poem, 50  lines max.  Sponsored by Glassworks Ink.

13. NEW WRITER CONTEST – for writers who have never won money in a contest.  Short story or essay, Fiction or Non fiction, 1500 words max. Award given in memory of WCCW member Lois Clay. Sponsored by Dorothy Hatfield.

14. HOW’D THEY DO THAT? – non-fiction, ‘How To’ article on any subject, 800 words max. Sponsored by Christine Henderson.

15. FAMILY MATTERS – Essay about someone in your family that’s important to you, 1500 words max.  Sponsored by Debra Middleton.

16. FOR KIDS –  for grades 1-8.  Short story, any subject, 1500 words max.
Specify grade level below title.  Sponsored by RobertsFamilyArk. There has been some confusion on this contest, so we will be
accepting entries from both student and adult writers.  Awards will be made for both.

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