The Peregrine Prize
for Young Writers
The Peregrine Prize for Young Writers (ages 8-18) encourages creative writing in Oxfordshire schools and beyond!
We are currently welcoming stories on the theme of Dreams.
Please find submissions instructions below. Best of luck!
The Peregrine PRIZE FOR YOUNG WRITERS
Let your words take wing!
What is the Peregrine Prize, you ask?
Oxford Writers’ House presents The Peregrine Prize for Young Writers, 2025. To encourage creativity and literacy in schools, we invite stories from young writers all over the world! This year our theme is DREAMS. Young writers between the ages of 8 and 18 are invited to submit a piece of writing of 50 - 1,500 words. There will be one winner for each age category. Each winner will be named Oxford Writers’ House Young Author 2025. Winners from each category will receive £100 each, and will be published in Peregrine’s Curious Collection Volume 2! Runners up may also be considered for publication. The winner from the final category will receive the title of Oxford City Young Writer 2025-2026. This title is given by the Lord Mayor of Oxford.
Dates and Details
This prize is open to young writers of all and any experience. Our judges for each category will be well-known and respected writers in Oxford, who look for imaginative and well-crafted work. The Peregrine Prize for Young Writers will encourage teachers to introduce creative writing into their English curriculum. We encourage students to think critically about their writing, and to consider elements of authorship that make stories come alive. Submissions will be open from 17 October 2024, and will close 8 April, 2025. Our Award Giving Ceremony will take place in Oxford Town Hall on 12 May, 2025.
Prizes Age Categories
Age 8-11 - Hatchling (£100) + publication
Age 12-15 - Nestling (£100) + publication
Age 16-18 - Fledgeling (£100) + publication
Entry Guidelines
£10 entry per person
Entries can span any genre, but must be under 1,500 words. Contestants are encouraged to experiment, and to try new styles of writing in their application.
AUTHOR INSTRUCTIONS:
1: WRITE your story! Stories must be under 1,500 words in length.
2: WRITE your name on the top of the story and give your story a brilliant title! Write the age category on the document.
3: SEND 10£! We request a reading fee of 10£. You can send this via bank transfer or PayPal. Details are below.
4: SEND us your story! Email your story to: OWHstories@gmail.com, or snail mail your story to:
Oxford Writers’ House Readers
12 Ferrard Close, Ascot
United Kingdom
SL5 8LN
Reading Fee Payment details:
Send 10.00 GBP to:
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/UBN9PDUMKYELU
Or:
Oxford Writers House
Sort Code: 82-19-74
Account Number: 20120151
* Please ensure the payment reference matches the name on the top of your story!
Best of Luck!
*Please note that by entering the prize you agree to the Terms and Conditions of the prize, as outlined below.
Oxford Writers' House Young Writers Prize: Terms and Conditions
1. Eligibility 1.1. The competition is open to young Writers aged 8 to 18 years old at the time of submission. 1.2. Participants must submit their entries individually; group submissions are not allowed. 1.3. The competition is open to residents of all countries. However, entries must be submitted in English.
2. Submission Guidelines 2.1. All entries must be original works of fiction, created solely by the entrant. 2.2. The submitted story should not exceed 1,5000 words in length. 2.3. Each entrant may submit only one story. 2.4. Entries must be submitted in PDF format and sent to OWHstories@gmail.com by the specified deadline: 8 April, 2025. 2.5. Stories must not have been previously published or submitted to other competitions. 2.6 A reading fee of 10£ is required to process the story. The reading fee must be submitted with the same name as found on the first page of the submitted story.
3. Judging and Prizes 3.1. Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, style, and adherence to the theme of “DREAMS”. 3.2. The judging panel's decisions are final, and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into regarding the selection of the winners. 3.3. Prizes will be awarded in three categories: 8-12 years, 13-15 years, 16-18 years. 3.4. The winners will be notified via email and announced on the Oxford Writers' House website and social media channels.
4. Rights and Ownership 4.1. By submitting an entry, participants agree that all intellectual property rights, including copyright, in the submitted stories are transferred to Oxford Writers' House upon submission. 4.2. Oxford Writers' House reserves the exclusive right to publish, reproduce, distribute, display, and otherwise use the stories in any format or medium, including print, digital, and audio formats, without further compensation to the author. 4.3. Oxford Writers' House reserves the right to edit or modify the stories as deemed necessary for publication or other uses. 4.4. Oxford Writers' House may commission illustrations or other artistic representations of the stories, at its sole discretion.
5. Use of Personal Information 5.1. Personal information collected during the submission process will be used solely for the purposes of administering the competition and will not be shared with third parties without the entrant’s consent. 5.2. Winners agree to the use of their names, ages, and photographs in connection with publicity for the competition.
6. Disqualification 6.1. Entries that do not comply with these Terms and Conditions will be disqualified. 6.2. Oxford Writers' House reserves the right to disqualify any entrant found to be in breach of these Terms and Conditions.
7. General 7.1. Oxford Writers' House reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time, and any changes will be posted on the competition website. 7.2. By entering this competition, participants agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
8. Contact Information For any inquiries regarding the competition, please contact oxfordwritershouse@gmail.com
This document was last updated on 19 August, 2024.