Ongoing writing opportunities for children
Aquila: Resource: http://www.aquila.co.uk/ is “a magazine for kids who enjoy challenges” and aimed at gifted and talented children aged 8-13. Each month’s issue features a particular topic (past topics include Irish myths and legends, Native Americans, the history of glass, Stars and Time) and presents cross-subject challenges to readers in every issue.
Bookheads: Teenage reading groups around the UK are taking part in an online reading diary project organised by The Reading Agency and Booktrust. See here for examples of their thoughts on books they’ve read and get inspiration for running your own class book review diary project.
Fans of Anthony Horowitz: can sign up to a free newsletter at http://www.powerof5.co.uk and be kept up-to-date with all the latest news on Anthony Horowitz and his books, plus competitions and giveaways
Film Education: Are celebrating National Schools Film Week with lots of free downloads and resources.Matt Poyton (Film Education’s Primary Education Officer) offers some ideas as to how teachers can best use film in the classroom; also see http://www.filmeducation.org for lots more tips.
Forward Press Teen Poets: Poems can be on any subject and up to a maximum of 30 lines. Successful entries will be published in an annual anthology. Send poems to: Forward Press Teen Poets, Remus House, Peterborough, PE2 9JX or email entries and details (full name, address, postcode, date of birth) to . See http://www.forwardpress.co.uk for more details.
In The Picture Online Stories: Resource: free online books for children aged 4-10 from In the Picture, a campaign run by Scope to encourage the inclusion of disabled children in illustrations and story lines in books for young readers. View the stories
Kids On The Net (KOTN): Website that encourages children’s writing. Publishes writing from children aged 6-15 at home and at school all over the world. Also includes a teacher’s portal. http://www.kidsonthenet.org.uk/index.htm
Kids Zone Reading: groups can request free books and proofs to read in exchange for reviewing titles for the site. Go to http://www.faberkids.co.uk and click on Kids Zone for more details. For the opportunity to receive free books to review email your name and age to and let them know the type of books you like. The star review each month will win a £25 book token.
Kids’ Review: a website that enables students to express their opinions on books they have read; provides a purpose for writing and an audience to write for. http://www.kidsreview.org.uk/
Man in the Moon: This is a children’s poetry website with information for parents and teachers. Children can send in their own poems for publication on the site. The website can be used to provide a wider audience for children’s writing. http://www.maninthemoon.co.uk
National Year of Reading resources: The National Year of Reading links to opportunities for children to write sports reports and get them published online. http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/index.php?id=82&nech_chal=118 for more details.
Resource: free downloadable pages from a new comedy magazine aimed at teenagers that includes first chapters from unfinished novels and comics.
Resource: Download a free copy of the “Vern and Lettuce Garden of Reading” worksheet produced by the crew behind the DFC comic especially for the National Year of Reading show garden at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
Resource: Download audiobooks for free on the National Year of Reading website. First chapters are available for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Life of Pi and others. See here http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/index.php?id=audiosamples for more details.
National Year of Reading’s Personal Best: Targeting 11-14 year old boys, this project asks well known and up and coming sports personalities to reveal the reads that inspired them to success. More details.
Random House Children’s Books: produce a bi-monthly e-newsletter for librarians packed with information about their new books, competitions to win proofs, photos, author event updates and much more. To sign up to receive the newsletter contact Mimi Umpleby on
Reading is Fundamental: website run by the National Literacy Trust that publishes children’s poems, stories and book reviews. Ages open to children and young people aged 0-19. Anyone who has work put on the site is sent a book as a prize. Send work by email to: or by post to RIF, 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL. More details >
Seven Times Me: Friday 31 October, 8.30pm, Barbican Theatre, Castle Street, Plymouth PL1 2NJ. Seven Times Me is a powerful autobiographical one-woman play that melds storytelling, movement, poetry and visual art into a singular explosive and unique theatrical experience. Performed and written by Kat Francois, BBC3 Slam Poets Winner and Word Slam Poetry Champion 2005. Book: 01752 267131
Smudge: An exciting magazine produced by and for young people in the Bristol area. To download a free copy or to get involved as part of the editorial team please see http://www.smudgestuff.com
Spinebreakers: is an online magazine written by and for young writers. There are lots of competitions and opportunities to upload poetry, short stories, songs and alternative endings for books. See http://www.spinebreakers.com for more details.
Stories from the Web: To encourage children to write stories and provide an online space for their publication. Stories from the Web has a ‘join in’ facility which allows young readers to write stories, poems and reviews, with writing tips. http://www.storiesfromtheweb.org/sfwhomepage.htm
The Bodmin Bookworm: Aimed at children aged 4-18 years in the Cornwall area. It promotes creative writing with the emphasis on imagination, creativity and community. The Bookworm offers the chance for children to have their work published online as well as to read and comment on other pupils’s work in a positive way. Visit http://www.bodminbookworm.blogspot.com to see more.
The Poetry Zone: website for children’s writing. Children and teens can submit poems to be published online in the Poetry Gallery on a variety of subjects. There are also regular competitions. See http://www.poetryzone.ndirect.co.uk/index2.htm for more details.
txtlit.co.uk: is based on texting micro stories- stories that contain no more than 160 characters (the maximum for one text message). The theme changes monthly and texts cost £1 plus the standard network charge for a text. For more information visit http://www.txtlit.co.uk
Underground Magazine: New Writing Without Limits - Online and print magazine for young writers from Sussex and Hampshire. Submit poetry, short stories, articles, cartoons and more as word documents to: . See http://www.undermagz.co.uk/contributors.htm for more details.
Write Like An Author: a website that provides ideas for a writing project which children can write in response to, and submit their entries by email to be published on the site. More details >
Writers Online: The Writers Online website encourages children to write pieces of their own in response to, and in the style of, an extract from a well-known writer. These can then be submitted for inclusion on the site. See http://www.englishonline.co.uk/writers/
www.brevitything.co.uk: offers monthly flash fiction competitions, centred around a given theme. Entry is £2.50 per story, and first prize is £50. There’s no restriction on genre or intended audience for stories, just on quality and creative use of the theme. The word limit is 250 words. Full entry details are on the website.
Young Writer website: Children and young people can submit their writing - poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction and book reviews - for publication on the Young Writer website by emailing submissions in Word (no longer than 2000 words) to: . For more details go to: http://www.young-writer.co.uk
Young Writers website: The Young Writers website promotes poetry and creative writing through running annual nationwide competitions. Each competition results in the publication of a collection of regional anthologies showcasing the work of today’s schoolchildren. The website also has a range of inspirational ideas and a downloadable lesson plan to promote poetry in the classroom - http://www.youngwriters.co.uk/