The third year of the Martha Mills young writers’ prize is now open for entries.
Eleven- to 14-year-olds living in the UK are invited to submit pieces on the theme of “A New World”. Current children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce will help judge this year’s prize.
The award was established in 2023 in memory of the daughter of Merope Mills, editor of the Guardian’s Saturday magazine, and Paul Laity, an editor at the London Review of Books. Martha, an enthusiastic writer, died in 2021 aged 13.
Entrants are asked to submit up to 500 words of prose – such as a diary entry, a fictional story or a piece of schoolwork – by 6 June.
Young writers can take the theme in any direction they would like – the “new world” could be “a physical place, a past or future community or simply a different or novel experience”, say the organisers. “You might write about something that has affected your life, or the life of someone you know. Or your ideas could be purely imaginative.”
Three winning writers will each receive £200 along with a selection of books and a “special souvenir”. Their awards will be presented at the London Review Bookshop, which administers the prize. A selection of entries, including the three winners, will be published in a pamphlet available at the shop.
Joining Cottrell-Boyce on this year’s judging panel are Mills, Laity and the London Review Bookshop’s Gayle Lazda.
“We are looking for writing that is lively and original,” said Mills and Laity. “It doesn’t have to be perfect or finished – we want to see the work that you’re most proud of or most excited about. Don’t worry if you haven’t written much before or don’t know if you’re a ‘writer’.”
Last year’s prize, which Philip Pullman helped judge, was won by Sophia Austin, Isla Barrack and Noa Spencer-Brown for their entries on the theme of “A Secret”.
Pullman, Cottrell-Boyce, Malorie Blackman and Katherine Rundell – who featured on the inaugural judging panel – were among the writers Martha was inspired by. “We weren’t able to witness her grow as a reader and writer, but we hope the Martha Mills prize will inspire other young writers,” said Mills and Laity.
Further details on how to enter can be found on the London Review Bookshop’s website.