The Letter
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Brief
Your Write Stuff Challenge for 2026 is to write an imaginative 300-word story called The Letter.
A letter can start a story in all kinds of exciting ways. It might be a letter your character receives, one they send, or even a letter that gets lost along the way. It could be magical, mysterious, funny, surprising or even life-changing.
You might be inspired by a real letter from history, a message from the future, a magical note that does something unexpected, or a meaningful exchange between characters.
The title can take your story in all sorts of directions. The possibilities really are endless.
The only rule: the letter must play an important role in the story.
Try to use imaginative descriptions as you create your characters and bring your setting to life. The judges will be looking for creative ideas, clear language and stories that really grab their attention.
Good luck! We can’t wait to see what adventures your story will send us on this year!
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What we are looking for
- Originality and imagination — we are looking for students to produce an original piece of writing that focuses on story and plot.
- Creativity, clarity, style and accuracy of language that draw the reader into the world of your writing.
- The ability to create a story or episode which is vivid, original and memorable to impress the judges.
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Prizes
First Prize
£50
Plus the 2026 trophy, a certificate, a signed book, an original illustration and your story published on the website.
Primary / Intermediate / Senior
Second Prize
£25
Plus a certificate, a signed book, an original illustration and your story published on the website.
Primary / Intermediate / Senior
Third Prize
£25
Plus a certificate, a signed book, an original illustration and your story published on the website.
Primary / Intermediate / Senior
Additional Learning Needs
£50
Plus a certificate, a signed book, an original illustration and your story published on the website.
Primary / Secondary
Highly Commended Prizes
£10 book tokens
Plus a certificate and your story published on the website.
Plus a certificate and your story published on the website.
The Categories
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Primary
Years 3/4/5/6
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Intermediate
Years 7/8/9
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Senior
Years 10+
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Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
Primary & Secondary
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Judges
Jarvis
Primary Judge
Jarvis previously worked as a Bingo caller, a bouncy castle painter, record sleeve designer, and an animation director before becoming a children’s author and illustrator. Jarvis has sold over 1 million of his award-winning picture books including Mrs Mole, I’m Home! and Alan’s Big, Scary Teeth, which won the 2017 V&A Best Illustrated Book. About his picture book inspiration, he explains that his process is always visual: he starts with an image or character in mind and then “doodles and doodles and doodles” until he gets it right. Jarvis lives in Manchester with his wife and their dog and cat.
Lauren Child
Intermediate Judge
Lauren Child is an award-winning artist and writer. She is the creator of many much-loved characters, including Clarice Bean Charlie and Lola and Ruby Redfort, along with several stand-alone picture books. She was awarded a CBE for Services to Literature in 2020; and was the 10th Waterstones’ Children’s Laureate from 2017-2019.
Lauren is a champion for the importance of illustration as an art form. She has been a trustee of the House of Illustration for ten years, and at the forefront of innovation, raising the profile of illustration as a sophisticated art form for all ages. She works with mixed media, has pioneered text as an integral part of illustration and collaborates with artists across different fields including music, film, and design. Lauren is a Foundling Museum Fellow and an UNESCO Artist for Peace and her work has always championed the importance of childhood.
Nathanael Lessore
Senior Judge
Nathanael Lessore was born in Camberwell, London, as one of eight children to French and Madagascan parents. Although he has spent most of his life in Peckham, Nathanael has also lived in Paris, Strasbourg and Singapore. His debut book Steady For This was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024 and won the Branford Boase Award 2024. His second book King of Nothing won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Older Readers 2025, the Carnegie Shadowers' Choice Medal for Writing 2025 and the Jhalak Children's & Young Adult Prize 2025. He is also the author of What Happens Online, which was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards 2025, and Against All Odds, a World Book Day 2026 selection. He writes stories that show his South East London childhood as the funny, warm, adventurous world that wasn't always represented as such.
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Huw Lewis-Jones
ALN judge
Huw Lewis-Jones has voyaged many times to Antarctica, meeting all kinds of penguins. He is now a professor at Falmouth University teaching natural history and other creative things.
Huw has written books about photography, mountains, and maps, but these days his stories are mostly about annoying apples and befuddled badgers. He lives in Cornwall.
Filter Judges
Filter judges this year include Julia Bichard and Adam Bayfield from the Guille Allès Library, retired English teachers Maz Campbell and Sue Williams-Smith and Suzie Almond, a creative education specialist with experience of first round judging for the BBC 500 Words and Settle Stories competitions.
The Illustrator
The illustrations of the winning entries will be designed by Tim Gaudion.