Every child has a story to tell
Sun, 25 April 2027 · 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm · Torba Market, Education City
Young writers send us an original story in Arabic or English — and see it published in a beautifully illustrated bilingual book.
Who can enter?
Entries are judged within your own age group, so the youngest writers are never up against the oldest. One entry per child, in the language you love to write in — up to 300, 800 or 1,500 words by age group.
Up to 300 words — a grown-up may type your words for you.
Up to 800 words. Real or imagined, funny or fearless — any story goes.
Up to 1,500 words to make us laugh, gasp, or think.
What the judges are looking for
Your own words
The story must be entirely your original work. Helpers may type, but the words are yours — and no AI.
Any subject at all
Set it in your neighbourhood or on the far side of the moon — 300, 800 or 1,500 words by age group.
Imagination over spelling
A panel of authors, illustrators and booksellers reads every entry, looking for a story told in your own voice.
Winners become a book
Winning and highly commended stories are published in an illustrated bilingual anthology, and every published writer joins us for the awards afternoon at Torba Market, Education City.
Mark the calendar
Send us your story
Fill in the form below and send it — type the story into the form, or attach it as a file or a photo of the handwritten page. Entries are taken online only, and we email a confirmation straight away.
Entries open on 15 January 2027. Come back then to send yours.
Teachers
You can enter your whole class. Submit each pupil's story through the form above, one entry per child, using the school's email address — there is no limit on how many entries a school sends.
It takes a village to make a book
The competition is run by Torba Market with friends who care as much about young writers as we do — reading the entries, printing the anthology and handing out the prizes.
Want to sponsor a print run or a school's entries? Talk to us.