The Big Writing Challenge
By encouraging students to unleash their imaginations and wield the power of words, this initiative cultivates a profound love for literature and creative expression.
Why enter?
The Big Writing Challenge is an opportunity for aspiring authors and storytellers aged 5-16 to showcase their creativity and literary talents. By encouraging students to unleash their imaginations and wield the power of the pen, this initiative cultivates a profound love for literature and creative expression. Participating in the challenge enhances students’ writing abilities, boosts self-confidence, and opens up new avenues for communication and self-expression.
To enter you will need to
- Write or record a piece of creative writing in 500 words or less – based on the subject “Curious Creatures”
- Your creative piece can explore real animals, mythical beasts, alien life forms, or creatures of your own imagination! Whether it’s a mysterious being from the depths of the ocean, a mischievous pet with a secret, or an undiscovered species on a faraway planet – the choice is yours!
- It can be a traditional story format, a poem, a comic strip, or any other way you’d like to express your creativity. Let your imagination run wild and introduce us to your Curious Creatures!
It can be work completed in school as part of a classroom exercise, homework, or something worked on independently at home. We can’t wait to see what our young writers create!
Entries for The Big Writing Challenge 2026 have now closed
The Big Writing Challenge Winners
The work of the Big Writing Challenge winners will be brought to life in a printed book! All winners will be invited to a VIP launch of the Big Writing Challenge 2026 book, where they will get to meet fellow authors and receive an award together with copies of the book to share with their families and friends.
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Printed Entries should be posted to:
SEK Schools
22 Bank Street, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1BE
Photo Gallery
Our young authors are in the spotlight! Experience the excitement of the book launch event through our exclusive photo gallery. Don’t miss these incredible moments!
Big Writing Challenge 2025
The winners of the Big Writing Challenge 2025 were celebrated in style at the historic Canterbury Cathedral Lodge.
These talented young writers saw their stories and poems come to life in print, enjoyed afternoon tea with their families, and even met local authors! Each child proudly took to the stage to receive a certificate and their very own copy of the Big Writing Challenge book – a keepsake to treasure forever.
Join us in celebrating the imagination and creativity of tomorrow’s authors!
Words from our sponsor
When people think of construction, they think of bricklayers and mucky building sites…but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We have over 180 different roles in the construction industry and a handful of those need skilled and talented writers in order to make Morgan Sindall stand out from the crowd. We’re talking creative thinkers and writers who can translate buildings we’ve delivered into something magical on the page. We think our buildings are full of magic but not everyone has the talent to put that into written word. Our designers too; they have to think big and bold, dreaming up state-of-the-art hospitals where miracles take place, right the way to breathing life back into youth centres – it’s all about using that creative part of your brain!
By supporting this challenge, we’re hoping to support young writers, nurturing their talent so they can see just how far their creative minds can take them.
Click through to our website: If you want to see for yourselves the wonderful world of construction and all of the incredible buildings we deliver, plus the breadth of careers, click below….
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