2026 Henrietta Branford Writing Competition

Children and teenagers aged up to 19 years who enjoy writing are challenged to enter the 2026 Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, with a story about a place or person they know well.

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, aims to find and encourage writers of the future, something author Henrietta Branford was always keen to do. The closing date is Friday 29 May 2026. 

Competition theme

This year's theme, to write about a place or person the entrants know well, is inspired by 2025 Branford Boase Award winner Margaret McDonald and her book, Glasgow Boys, about two boys growing up in the care system.

The judges are asking for writing - which can be a story, poem or song lyrics - set in a place the entrants know well or love; or writing about or inspired by someone they know very well. The judges will be looking for writing that brings the place or person alive, and which holds their attention, too.

Use your own voice

Margaret McDonald uses the Scots dialect in Glasgow Boys and this year's entrants are encouraged to write in their own local dialect, and to use their own voice. Margaret McDonald advises them: "Writing about the places you've seen and the people you know gives authenticity and authority to your words, and it can bring to life your own experiences. Your life and your world are important, unique, and worthy of being written about. Write what feels true to you, what instantly comes to mind, in the style of your own voice - whether that has its own dialect, its own vocabulary, its own style. It's yours, and that is special."

Prizes

Six winners will receive signed copies of each of the books shortlisted for the 2026 Branford Boase Award. Their stories, poems and songs will be published on the Branford Boase Award website.

Chairing the Award is Ruth Knowles, publisher at Walker Books - which has supported the Branford Boase Award since its inception in 2000. Ruth Knowles said: "We are so excited to read this year's entries, especially because writing about a person or place you already know well allows you to play with detail that will truly bring them to life on the page."

Visit the website for full entry instructions.