Book for Children Competition
A good story will always captivate a youngster’s imagination, so if you have an entertaining tale to tell then enter our Book for Children Competition. The winning entry will receive the top prize of £750. Prizes of £300 and £200 will go to second and third-placed authors, along with £100 in the category for best local entry.
Competitions open on 1 April and close on 30 June.
Book for Children Judge 2026
Catherine Bruton
Catherine Bruton is a multi-award winning author of books for children and young adults. Her critically acclaimed No Ballet Shoes in Syria won the National Book Tokens #BooksAreMyBag Awards 2019 and the Middle East Book Award, amongst others.
Her most recent title Bird Boy was shortlisted for the prestigious Nero Award, and We Can be Heroes was adapted into a film, starring Alison Steadman and Phil Davies.
Under the pen name Cate Shearwater, Catherine also writes the much loved Somersaults and Dreams series.
She also juggles life as an English teacher and was recently awarded a Fellowship of the English Association and a Teacher Trailblazer Award from the Poetry Society.
Competitions open 1 April 2026
Competitions open 1 April and close on 30 June 2026.
Prize Giving and Poetry Reading will take place on Monday 19 October starting at 2pm as part of the Festival.
Please read the rules and terms and conditions before submitting your entry.