Budding young authors in Calderdale are being encouraged to show off their creative flair as Calderdale Council launches its own local writing competition to coincide with the BBC’s 500 words contest.
BBC Radio 2 has recently launched its national competition to encourage young people to write a fictional story of no more than 500 words, for the chance to win great prizes for themselves and their local library.
This is the third year of the competition, and as well as the national version, Calderdale Council is encouraging children aged 7 – 11 to get involved and take part in an exciting local version.
The idea of 500 Words is to write a creative short story about any chosen subject. The Calderdale version of the competition will be split into two age groups 7-9 year olds and 10-11, with a winner being chosen from each group.
Winners will be invited to an event at Halifax Town Hall, where they will receive a certificate and a prize for their fantastic work.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Cllr Colin Raistrick, said:
“The 500 words competition is a great way for young people to engage with creative writing. I know that there is a lot of talent in Calderdale schools, so I encourage as many children as possible to enter both the local and national competition.
“Other than the word limit there really are no rules, so it’s a great opportunity to get the creative juices flowing and write about whatever you like!”
To enter the local competition, ask at your local school or send your story directly to sue.goulden@calderdale.gov.uk, please include your name, age and which Calderdale school you attend. We will then pass stories onto our judging panel, and pupils will be contacted at school by letter to let them know how well they have done.
The final submission date is Friday 13 March at 7pm, and any submissions after this time cannot be accepted.
For more information about the national competition and for top writing tips visit www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00rfvk1(external link)