The BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University 2026 is now open! – closing 23 Mar

Can you help us to inspire young people to get writing and enter the 2026 BBC Young Writers Award?

The BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University gives people in the UK aged between 14 -18 years the opportunity to submit short stories of up to 1,000 words.

This award gives young people a chance to flex their creativity and skills outside the classroom. It’s an exciting collaboration between BBC Radio1 and Cambridge University. For a start this year’s judging panel is stellar, chaired by Radio 1’s Life Hacks very own Lauren Layfield, alongside Lily Fontaine, front woman of the Mercury prize winning The English Teacher; the multi-award winning David Almond, best known for his debut novel Skellig, and last year’s recipient of the Carnegie Medal, Margaret McDonald.

There are amazing prizes and opportunities to be won. The five shortlisted writers will:

• have their story printed in an anthology
• have their story recorded by a professional actor, and available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
• receive experience days at Cambridge University and at BBC Broadcasting House including workshops with published authors.
• attend the award ceremony at the BBC’s Radio Theatre in London, where the overall winner of the 2026 BBC Young Writers Award and the 2026 BBC National Short Story Award will be announced live on Radio 4
• the winner of the 2026 BBC Young Writers’ Award will also receive one-to-one writing support from one of the judges and have the chance to pitch a short story idea to a BBC radio producer.

You can find out more information on the YWA Website www.bbc.co.uk/ywa and find lots of great tips and hints here www.bbc.co.uk/teach/articles/z8phm39

BBC_YWA_2026_Poster (pdf)