Goldfinch YOUNG WRITER Award

2024 WINNER

(in alphabetical order).

Thank You to all entrants to the 2024 Goldfinch Young Writer Award, the Shortlist and winner is published below.

[Those shortlisted have been contacted by email]

  1. The clock struck midnight

  2. The Ghost At Willow Tree

  3. Things that go bump (by Eva Hallam)

  4. You know what to do, 152

Goldfinch Young Writer Award 2025

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Submissions invited until 31st May 2025

How long to go….?

Overview

  • The Goldfinch Books Young Writer Award is a £100 book token local prize for fiction manuscripts by children, hosted by Goldfinch in partnership with the Alton Arts Festival.

  • The winner will also earn a place worth £195 on the Goldfinch Creative Writing course, and be offered Goldfinch Membership.

  • Submissions are Open

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

  • For ages 12 to 16 writers 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 3,000 words plus a 1-page synopsis of novel manuscripts for any age which may or may not be complete.

  • Shortlisted novels will be judged and the winner announced in July.

  • Entry is free.

Judges

The Young 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 up to 3,000 words (max) of your novel plus a 1-page synopsis.

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

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

  • Submissions should be a single Word file or PDF with the 1-page 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 one 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 2025.

  • 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 Young 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.

  • The prize is open locally to writers aged between 12 and 16 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.

  • Full manuscripts may be of any length, but entries must be no longer than 3,000 words.

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

  • The winner of The Goldfinch Books Young Writer Award will receive £100 in Goldfinch Book Tokens. In the event of a joint win, the prize will be shared equally between winners.

  • The winner will also receive a free place on the next available Goldfinch Creative Writing course that the winner is able to attend. The value of this prize is £195. The course is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative to this prize.

  • Submissions should include one document including (up to) the first 3,000 words of your book, double-spaced in a size 12 font (Arial or Times) followed by a one 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.

  • 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 an extract of up to 3,000 words 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.