Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival’s 2025 creative writing competition is open for entries

Anyone who enjoys getting lost in a good book might like to enter a creative writing competition with a prize haul valued at £1,000.

Writers of all ages and experience are invited to put pen to paper for the Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival creative writing competition, which welcomes entries from writers of all ages and experience with any forms of creative writing – be it short story, micro fiction, play, haiku, poem, television script, a song, rap or radio play.

Bury Literature Festival runs its annual creative writing competition not just to foster creativity but to raise funds and awareness about its free programme of events for children and schools.

Entries must be 800 words or less and inspired by the phrase ‘getting lost in a book’. Other than that, they are limited only by the author’s imagination.

The competition categories are: children aged five-eight, children aged nine-12, young people aged 13-17 (all free to enter) and adults aged 18-plus (£7.50 entry fee).

The prize haul is worth more than £1,000 and includes: tickets to festival events; goody bags full of bookish treats; the opportunity for winning work to be published in the Bury Free Press newspaper and at www.burylitfest.co.uk; author events for schools; ​and a full day’s writing workshop and getting published event with Gold Dust Writers.

Author, poet and creative writing lecturer Ashley Hickson-Lovence, who is judging the young people age 13-17 category, said: “The best and most important part of what I do as a writer is to champion the next generation of writers.

“I’m hoping to be wowed by the magic that happens when young minds are given space to roam, reflect and reimagine the world on their own terms.

“Poetry, prose, genre-blurring experiments, I can’t wait to get stuck in and visit the winning school in October to meet the talent behind the words.”

Serena Patel, author of the Anisha, Accidental Detective series, is judging the nine-12 years category.

She said: “I always encourage young writers to enter competitions. It’s a great way to practice your writing, get your creative brain working and to share your work with the possibility of a prize is always exciting.”

Peggy Hughes, champion of the National Centre for Writing, is judging the children aged five-eight category. She said: “I hope all who enter the competition will enjoy the process and know how much we love encountering their imaginations, curiosity, voices and spirit.”

And author and creative writing teacher and mentor Jill Dawon, who is judging the adults category, said: “I know we have some fabulous writing talent in this region.

“I am honoured to be judging the creative writing competition and excited to help discover the new writers of the future.”

Bury’s literature festival was established in 2017. Since then – with a short pause for the pandemic – the festival has grown and last year became a registered charity.

This year, organisers are hoping to reach even more children and young people than ever before to share the joy of reading and creative writing and show them how books and writing can open up new ideas, worlds and points of view.

Competition entries must be submitted by midnight on July 20. Go to www.burylitfest.co.uk for more information.