FCR Young Writers
Competition 2026
FCR are pleased to announce our first-ever writing competition!
We want to read your best short stories. Stun us with incredible characters, unique plots, picture-perfect scene-setting and pristine prose. The Theme is:
'How do you see Plymouth City in the Future?'
The competition is open to children in two age categories:
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Under 11 years (up to 600 words)
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12 to 16 (up to 1000 words)
Your stories will be read by a panel of experienced writers, with the top stories judged by Plymouth Laureate of Words 2025-2027 R.C. Thomas & Mimi (FCR Radio Presenter, Plymouth). Prizes will be awarded to the First, Second, and Third place winners chosen from each category. Prizes for the Competition sponsored by Clarion Futures.
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Click here for full guidelines and to enter your story.
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Deadline for entries: 28th February 2026, 12PM
Rules at a Glance
Theme
The theme for our first-ever writing competition is:
'How do you see Plymouth City in the Future?'.
You can take that theme and run with it however you'd like, as long as the answer to that question is told through your story.
Get creative!
Story Length
To be fair to other entrants, please ensure your story is within your age group's limit!
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​Young writers aged 11 and below may write a short story up to 600 words long.
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Young writers aged 12-16 years old may write a short story up to 1,000 words long.
Deadline
Submissions for this competition close at
12PM midday on the 28th of February 2026.
Guidelines for how your story should be presented can be found in the submission form.
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Please give yourself enough time to fill out the form and submit your piece!