Greenpeace - Poems for the Planet competition

Greenpeace’s first Poems for the Planet competition, in collaboration with National Poetry Day, invites you to put your poetry hat on. We want your lively limericks, heartful haikus and polished prose on the theme of hope and the environment.

For this year’s National Poetry Day on 6 October, explore the beauty of the natural world around us and the need to protect the planet. Maybe you love whale song and want to capture it as poetry. Or maybe you felt moved at an environmental protest. We’d love to read about whatever inspires you to write a poem for the planet.

The competition is open to all ages from 7 and above. Click here for more details and to enter. Closing date for entries is 1st December 2022.

Unsolved Writing Competition

500 words competition

500 Words is the world’s largest story-writing competition for kids. You need to be between 5 and 13 years old and a full time resident of the UK. To enter you need to write an original story that is no more than 500 words long. Once you've written your story, you can enter it into the competition using the entry form on the website.

Follow this link for more information and to enter.

Goldsmith's Young Writer Competitions

Become the next Young Writer (a short story writing competition for creative writers), Young Columnist (for journalists with an historical angle), or Young Anthropologist (for writing about identity and culture). These competitions are aimed at students aged 16-18 and there is a £1000 prize for all three awards. Closed for 2022. It will return in 2023.

Follow the link for more information and to enter.

eMagazine Close Reading Competition 2021

This year's competition gives Year 12 and Year 13 students the opportunity to read and respond to an extract from Yaa Gyasi's epic novel Homecoming. There is a monetary prize of £200 for the winner and £50 for runners up. Closed for entries.

Follow this link for more information and to enter.

The Plough 2021 Poetry Prize

This is an international open (anyone can enter) poetry competition for a poem up to 40 lines on any subject. 1st prize = £1000, 2nd prize = £500 and third prize = £250.

Follow this link for more information and to enter. Closed for entry this year.

Gould Prize for Essays in English Literature

A competition run by Trinity College, Cambridge, for Year 12 students. Entrants need to submit an 1500-2500 word essay on a topic chosen from a list of questions (available on the website). First prize = £600 and Second prize = £400 (to be split between the winner and their school). Closed for entry this year.

Follow this link for more information and to enter.

The Young Romantics Prize

Students aged 16-18 are encouraged to respond to the work of the Romantics by writing their own original poem or essay. Total prizes are worth over £5000.

Follow the link for more information and to enter.

Poetry By Heart

Poetry by Heart is a national poetry recital competition where students aged 7-18 from schools and colleges across England compete by performing poems they have learned by heart. Prizes include trophies and certificates, and for the winners of the national competition, a celebration recital at the Globe Theatre. One lucky winner will even get to represent England at a poetry recital in Canada.

Follow this link for more information and to enter. (Closed to entries for this year)