This morning (Monday 19 January) Chris Evans announced on his BBC Radio 2 programme that the wonderful 500 WORDS children’s short story writing competition is back for 2015. What’s more, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall is going to get involved and will be attending a special 500 WORDS Story Laboratory in Weston Park Primary School, London on Wednesday 21 January and hosting the final of the competition at St James's Palace in May.
Chris Evans explains the rules of 500 WORDS
This is how the competition works: entrants must be aged 13 and under and they have to write an original work of fiction no longer than 500 words. That done, they’ve got to submit it at the Radio 2 website by the deadline of 26 February at 7pm. Then, the writers of the judges’ favourite 50 stories will be invited to attend a live broadcast of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Friday 29 May, 2015 from St James’s Palace, and that’s when the six winners will be announced live on air and their stories read out by a famous narrator.
The people to impress this year (ie the judging panel) are Richard Hammond (head judge), the highly acclaimed author of the Horrid Henry series, Francesca Simon, best-selling authors Charlie Higson, Frank Cottrell Boyce and Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman.
For writers in search of inspiration there’s the All Star Story Laboratory which will be on the 500 WORDS website from 8.15am on Thursday 22 January. Here you’ll find top tips from three of this year’s competition judges - Frank Cottrell Boyce, Malorie Blackman and Francesca Simon.
Last year our Editor Jon attended the winners announcement at Hay and even met Benedict Cumberbatch and Hugh Bonneville who were reading out some of the winning entries. We’re crossing our fingers that we get an invite to the final at the Palace this year and we really hope to see you (or a mini writer in the making you know) there too.
Hopeful entrants can apply at the Radio 2 website.
Hannah Khalil is Digital Content Producer, About the BBC website and blog.
• Find out more at the 500 WORDS website
• Read more in the press release on the Media Centre
