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As there’s less than a month left to enter The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2026 – and be in with a chance of winning a £10,000 book deal – we thought it was about time we quizzed Shalu Vallepur – an Editor at Chicken House and reader for The Times / Chicken House Fiction Competition. Primarily a devourer of fantasy, sci-fi and spec fic, Shalu’s reading tastes have no boundaries and she adores everything from horror and heroes, to mythology and manga.

Still have questions? Don’t panic – you can find our FAQs here.

Can you tell us a bit about the prize?

We are over the moon to offer The Broken Binding Prize this year, for YA fantasy, sci-fi or speculative fiction. Our competition is the largest of its kind in the UK and accepts entries from writers all over the world who are unpublished and unagented, with two writers winning a £10,000 book deal. The competition has kickstarted the careers of many bestselling writers; previous entrants have gone on to win the Costa Book Award, have been shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Prize and the Branford Boase Award, and have been chosen for the Indie Book of the Month.

What excites you the most about reading for the TBB prize?

Simply put, finding new creative new stories and characters from writers all over the globe! SFF stories are some of my personal favourites – I love how nothing is off limits. I can’t wait to see what creatures, premises and worlds the submissions take me to. We’ve already had hundreds of submissions and it is genuinely amazing to see the breadth of creativity and diversity from all corners of the globe.

What are you hoping to discover?

It’s hard to pick anything specific as sometimes you don’t know what you’re after until you read it! Broadly, I’m hoping to discover a fresh premise – for example, a fantasy novel inspired by a lesser-known myth, or a sci-fi story which explores contemporary issues that teens face today.

How broad is the prize’s definition of SFF? Is there room for genre-blending?

Fairly broad – there are so many sub-genres and tropes that fall under SFF and we welcome them all, even ones we haven’t heard of! Writers are free to be creative and we welcome genre-blending. Cosy sci-fi, historical fantasy, steampunk, cyberpunk, solarpunk – writers are free to explore within the genres as long as it’s YA!

What immediately grabs your attention in YA SFF submissions?

A great hook, something that is not afraid to ask big questions. Then, of course, a strong voice. I want to feel the protagonist come alive from the get-go – live and breathe in their world.

What do you think is more important – great idea or great writing?

Both are equally important. A great idea grabs our attention, but the execution and writing have to keep us turning the page!

What would you say to someone considering entering?

Go for it! Entry closes at midday on the 1st June, so there’s still time. If you’re on the fence about entering because you think the story needs another edit, or you’ll wait till next year because you don’t feel ready, then you should definitely enter. Stories don’t have to be perfectly polished. Anyone who reaches the longlist will receive a reader’s report with feedback on their story, and shortlisted authors will get a detailed report with the judge’s feedback. The winners, of course, will work with Chicken House to edit and get their story ready for publication!

Keen to find out more? Discover all the information you'll need to enter here. Good luck!