In partnership with The Grammar School at Leeds and supported by a grant from Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, Leeds Lit Fest is calling all young writers to get involved in their ‘400 Words for Leeds 400’ competition.
Bronagh Daly, Partnerships’ Director at Leeds Lit Fest: “This is our first ever Citywide creative writing competition for children and young people from Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to Sixth Form. It’s time for our young people to get creative and help Leeds Lit Fest to celebrate 400 years of Leeds receiving its Royal Charter from King Charles I back in 1626.
Bronagh continued: “The young people of Leeds have so much talent and it is only right that we shine a light on their capacity for radical imagination, especially for the children who might think that creative writing is not for them. All we ask is to see heaps of creativity in every submission!”
“When I approached The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) and Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society with my original idea, I was delighted by their enthusiasm to back this competition. We are so excited to see what ideas the children share about Leeds’ significant 400-year milestone.”
Michael Hall, Principal of The Grammar School at Leeds: “Leeds has a long and proud literary tradition, and we are delighted to partner with Leeds Lit Fest to launch a new writing competition for young people across the City region. The theme of this inaugural competition is ‘400’, marking the quatercentenary of Leeds receiving its first Royal Charter from King Charles I. We will be inviting children and young people to reflect on the City’s first 400 years and be inspired to put pen to paper, writing stories and creating poems.”
The competition challenge is to write an original story, poem, monologue or piece of creative non-fiction, up to a maximum of 400 words. Writers can write about Leeds or the number 400.
There are prizes for winners in every age category, including book tokens for winners and their schools. Winning stories will be published online with an invitation to a special awards event at a popular Leeds-based venue.
Bronagh Daly concluded: “The National Literacy Trust research tells us that when children and young people enjoy writing and write daily in their free time, their critical thinking skills, confidence, creativity and wellbeing benefit. Leeds Lit Fest would love to play our part by encouraging every child in Leeds to use their imagination and great creative.”
Entries must be submitted before 12pm midday on Friday 8th May 2026 – submit your 400 words using this link.
For full information on the Festival, including programme updates and ticket information head to its website or social media pages below:
http://www.leedslitfest.co.uk | Instagram: leeds_lit_fest | Facebook: @LeedsLitFest | Bluesky: @leedslitfest.bsky.social | X: @LeedsLit | #LLF26 | LinkedIn: @LeedsLitFestCIC | TikTok:leeds.lit.fest
Photography by Zoe Cooper.
