Goldfinch MINI WRITER Award 2024

Thank You to all entrants to the 2024 Goldfinch Mini Writer Award, the Shortlist and Winners are published below.

WINNERS

Tempest: The School in the Sky (by Eada Grant-Turton) - WINNER

A stunning tale with Star Leapers, Storm Spinners, and Cloud Readers – it is accomplished, a story that shows great imagination and potential.

The Cat and the Dragon (by Adeline Walters) - WINNER

Wonderful story with fabulous characters, including Mallory the bully and Purdy the missing cat - the writing was engaging and beautifully entertaining.

Runners Up

The Colour Case by Aubree Turnbull

Fabulous! The School of Colours where students are assigned cases, mysteries to solve, and this time, for Hazel, an actual murder!

Courtroom Despair by Seren Wevill

A tale full of tension, anguish and morality. Beautifully written and so much potential to develop into a witchy adventure.

Goldfinch Mini Writer Award 2025

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Submissions invited until 31st May 2025

How long to go….?

Overview

  • The Goldfinch Books Mini Writer Award is a £50 book token local prize for story manuscripts by children, hosted by Goldfinch in partnership with the Alton Arts Festival.

  • Submissions are Open

  • Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm on 31st May 2025.

  • For writers aged up to 12 years, resident in the GU34 postcode area and/or attending a school in Alton and/or within a ten mile radius of Goldfinch.

  • One submission per person.

  • Submissions are the opening 500 to 1,000 words plus a short ½ page summary of the entire story for any age which may or may not be complete.

  • Entry is free.

Judges

The Mini Writer Award will be judged by a pool of writers from the Goldfinch and AAF teams - more details to follow

Submissions

For full details, please read the TERMS.

  • Submission is required of 500 to 1,000 words of your story plus a short ½ page summary of the entire story.

  • Submission should be by email to submissions@goldfinch-books.com.

  • In the subject field of the email submission it should state “Mini Writer Award”

  • Submissions should be a single Word file or PDF with the synopsis at the end of the document.

  • Submissions should be double-line spaced in a size 12 font (Arial or Times New Roman), followed by a 1/2 page synopsis which should be single-line spaced in the same font.

  • Submissions are ‘blind’. Your name should NOT be seen anywhere on the document. Each entry will be assigned a reference number which will be linked to applicant details only by the submissions team, not by the judging team.

  • Submissions should be delivered by email by 23:59 on 31st May.

  • There is no entry fee.

  • A submission comprises:

  • A confirmation email will be sent. If no confirmation email is received, you should contact gary@goldfinch-books.com.

  • Submissions which do not comply with the TERMS may be disqualified.

TERMS

  • The Goldfinch Books Mini Writer Award, in partnership with Alton Arts Festival is a prize for emerging authors who are unagented writers yet to accept an offer of publication for a novel (for any age of readers), chapter book or picture book which includes an advance / pre-publication payment from the publisher.

  • Entries may be submitted until 23:59 GMT on May 31st 2025.

  • The prize is open locally to writers aged under 12 on the closing date.

  • Locally is defined as those living within the GU34 postcode, or those living within a 10-mile radius of Goldfinch Books, or those attending school in these zones.

  • Books should be unpublished. Previously published or self-published books are not eligible.

  • Entries should be your text only without any photographs, maps or artwork.

  • Entries must be between 500 and 1,000 words.

  • Books must be submitted in English and must be the author’s own work.

  • The winner of The Goldfinch Books Mini Writer Award will receive £50 in Goldfinch Book Tokens. In the event of a joint win, the prize will be shared equally between winners.

  • Submissions should include one document including 500 to 1,000 of your story, double-spaced in a size 12 font (Arial or Times) followed by a 1/2 page synopsis which should be single-spaced in a size 12 font.

  • Submissions should be made by email to submissions@goldfinch-books.com with a single attachment (synopsis at the end) and we accept Word docs, docx and pdf

  • As entries are read blind, your name should NOT appear anywhere in the document. The submission email will be used to link the attached submission with the entry in a process not visible to the judges.

  • Only one entry is allowed per person.

  • There is no entry fee.

  • The winner agrees to an interview which may be published on our site and in any media for publicity purposes, including that of the Alton Arts Festival.

  • Entrants retain full copyright, however, by entering, all shortlisted entrants give permission for us to post the story on our site and that of the Alton Arts Festival.

  • Entries which do not comply with the competition rules may be disqualified.

  • The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into concerning this decision.

  • By submitting, you are agreeing to all contest rules.

  • Contest rules may be subject to change.