The competition closes at 23.59 BST on Saturday 18th May 2019
The Orwell Youth Prize 2019 is now open, and this year’s theme is ‘A Fair Society?’. Subscribe to our mailing list for the latest updates!
About the prize
The Prize is open to anyone aged 13 – 18 who is at school or college, from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. You don’t need to have participated in an Orwell Youth Prize Workshop to enter.
WHO CAN ENTER?
The Prize is open to anyone aged 13 – 18 who is at school or college, from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. You don’t need to have participated in an Orwell Youth Prize Workshop to enter.
WHAT IS THE THEME?
Every year, the Youth Prize takes a theme from Orwell’s work to inspire your responses to the world around you. This year’s theme is ‘A Fair Society?’, previous themes have included ‘Identity’ and ‘Truth vs. Lies’.
The Orwell Youth Prize takes its inspiration from George Orwell. Orwell wrote from his own experiences, and observed the social injustices and political happenings of the world around him. He also wrote in language that was clear, concise and compelling for his audience.
We encourage you to follow George Orwell’s example: write about something that matters to you, and that you want to draw to the attention of others.
WHAT SHOULD I WRITE?
You can write in any form you like: journalism, essays, short stories, blog posts, poems and even plays are all welcome. We want to hear what you’ve got to say! The word limit is 1000 for the junior category (if you’re in Years 9-11) and 1500 in the senior category (sixth-formers).
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Uniquely, we help our entrants by offering feedback on a first draft.
Everyone who is longlisted as an Orwell Youth Prize Finalist is invited to the Celebratory Prize Event at Pembroke College, Oxford in the summer. Orwell Youth Prize Winners receive ALL George Orwell’s novels and full-length non-fiction works, as well as a selection of essays and a cash prize.
The Orwell Youth Prize uses the writing of George Orwell as a starting point to inspire you to write about your own ideas and experiences, thinking about the world you live in.
Uniquely, we help our entrants by offering feedback. If you want to receive individual feedback on your entry to the Writing Prize, you’ll want to submit by 13 April 2019. The deadline for all final entries is midnight 18 May 2019.