BBC has begun accepting submissions for its 500 Words creative writing competition for children across the U.K.<\/p>\n
The competition, supported by BBC Teach, encourages children of all abilities to dive deep into their imagination and write the story they would love to read in 500 words or less, without fear of spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. This year\u2019s winners will have the chance to meet the Queen, with the grand final taking place at Buckingham Palace in February 2025.<\/p>\n
Open to ages 5 to 7 years and 8 to 11 years, the competition is being launched by Children\u2019s Laureate and 500 Words judge Frank Cottrell-Boyce.<\/p>\n
At the event, the bronze, silver and gold winners of both age groups will receive a selection of exciting prizes, including having their stories read by famous faces and a bundle of books to help continue their love of the written word.<\/p>\n
Cottrell-Boyce commented, \u201cThe thing I most love about 500 Words is how unpredictable it is. When I open the envelope of stories I never know whether I\u2019m going to laugh, cry or shiver with horror. The best feeling is when a child has put something of themselves into the story. Then it\u2019s like meeting a new person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Helen Foulkes, head of BBC Education, said, \u201cSince 500 Words began, it has inspired over a million children across the U.K. to write their own short stories. This year we want to hear from even more children, no matter what their ability. It\u2019s all about telling great stories with no need to worry about spelling, punctuation or grammar. We can\u2019t wait to read what children come up with and celebrate the best homegrown storytelling from all across the U.K.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BBC has begun accepting submissions for its 500 Words creative writing competition for children across the U.K.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3087,"featured_media":28308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[7404,1641,7406],"class_list":["post-28307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-500-words","tag-bbc","tag-bbc-teach","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n