Solstice Nature Prize 2026 Creative Writing Competition with Cash Prizes
Applicant criteria
- 7 - 25
- Both
Opportunity criteria
Opportunity description
Writing East Midlands has opened submissions for the Solstice Nature Prize for Young Writers 2026, a creative writing competition and award that gives young writers the opportunity to showcase their talent and compete for prizes with original literary works focused on nature, the environment, and climate-related themes.
The competition is open to children and young people aged 7 to 25 who live in the United Kingdom. Participants may submit a short story, poem, or creative blog post inspired by nature, the relationship between people and the natural world, or the environmental and climate challenges facing communities today.
The competition aims to support the next generation of writers and encourage them to express their ideas and concerns through literary and creative forms. Winning entries may also receive cash prizes, recognition, and publication opportunities through Writing East Midlands activities.
Benefits
The Solstice Nature Prize for Young Writers 2026 offers participants a range of benefits, including:
- Participation in a free creative writing competition with no entry fee.
- The opportunity to compete across different age categories for participants aged 7 to 25.
- A £100 Amazon voucher for the first-place winner in each age category.
- Additional prizes for selected outstanding entries.
- Regional awards specifically for participants from the East Midlands.
- The possibility for selected works to be published or featured through Writing East Midlands activities and publications.
- An opportunity for participants to showcase their talent in short story writing, poetry, and creative blogging.
- Encouragement to explore themes related to nature, the environment, and climate through literary and creative expression.
Eligibility criteria
To enter the competition, applicants must:
- Be between 7 and 25 years old.
- Be resident in the United Kingdom.
- Submit a work that is entirely original and written by the applicant.
- Ensure the submission relates to themes such as:
- Nature.
- The environment.
- Climate change.
- The relationship between people and the natural world.
- Submit the work in English.
- Submit only one entry per participant.
- Ensure the work has not been previously published in print or online.
- Ensure the work has not previously placed in another national writing competition.
- Participants under 18 years old must obtain permission from a parent or guardian.
- The submitted document must not include the writer’s name, as entries are judged anonymously.
- The text must not be created or edited using ChatGPT or any other generative AI tool.
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