Blog

The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition is open for entries!

Are you an aspiring author dreaming of seeing your children’s or young adult novel in print? The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition is the UK’s biggest writing contest for children’s books, offering two incredible prizes: two worldwide publishing contracts, each with a £10,000 advance, and the discussion of representation with a top literary agent. If you’ve written a full-length manuscript for readers aged 7 to 18, this could be your chance to launch your writing career. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to enter successfully.

Why Enter This Competition?

We have two fantastic prizes on offer this year: The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Prize: A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House (including film and TV rights) with a £10,000 royalty advance, plus a discussion about representation with agent judge Callen Martin of Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency. The Broken Binding Prize: For YA sci-fi, fantasy, and speculative fiction. Includes a publishing contract with a £10,000 advance, and a representation discussion with agent judge Stevie Finegan of the Zeno Agency.

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

Before you start, make sure you meet the requirements:

• • You must be over 18 years old.
• • You must be unpublished and unagented.
• • Your manuscript must be written in English and be original content.
• • Your manuscript must be suitable for readers somewhere between 7 and 18 – no picture books, graphic novels or stories for adults

Step 2: Prepare Your Manuscript

Your novel should:

• • Be complete – no partial drafts, please!
• • Be between approximately 30,000 and 80,000 words.
• • Aimed at readers somewhere between 7 and 18 (middle grade, teen, or young adult).

Step 3: Create Your Submission Package

You’ll need to include:

• • Cover Letter: Briefly introduce yourself and your story. Please include word count and where you think it sits in today’s market.
• • Synopsis: A clear summary of your plot (around one page).
• • Manuscript: Your full novel.

Combine these into one document before uploading.

Step 4: Submit Online

To submit, you'll need to:

• • Visit the official Times/Chicken House Competition page.
• • Upload your combined document.
• • Pay the entry fee.
• • Double-check your details before hitting submit – but don’t worry, we’ll be in touch if anything’s missing.

Please note: you don’t need to do anything differently to enter the Broken Binding Prize - we’ll make sure your manuscript ends up in the right category. 

Step 5: Mark Your Calendar

You have until 1st June 2026 to submit. The submission portal will close at this point – please don’t leave it until the last minute!

Follow us on social media for updates. Winners will be announced later in the year!

Ready to take the leap? Enter the UK’s biggest children’s writing competition today and give your manuscript the chance to shine. Submit your entry now!