Wolverhampton Literature Festival writing competition

Wolverhampton Literature Festival in collaboration with Wolverhampton Libraries Service and Go Write are looking for the best young flash-fiction writers in the city.

Young people aged between 7 and 18 can write a thrilling, gripping exciting story and be in with a chance of winning £50 in vouchers. The only rule is that the story must be no more than 500 words.

The competition opens on Monday, November 2 and closes Wednesday, December 2. Winners from each age category, 7-11, 12-15 & 16-18, will get a £25 gift voucher with the overall winner receiving an additional £25 voucher.

Children must have parent or guardian permission to take part in the competition. By registering, you are granting permission to the Libraries Service to share your details with any external partners involved in the running of the competition. The work must be original to the child entering. All entries must be completed by the closing date, late entries will not be considered. Libraries reserve the right to not publish any works that they deem to be offensive to specific individuals or groups.

Those who think they are up to the challenge need to register by visiting https://bit.ly/343pO6Q.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: “We are looking forward to the next literature festival and while our libraries are currently closed, we are ensuring that we can provide captivating ways for young people to get involved in writing, reading and storytelling.

“I wish everyone taking part in the competition the best of luck.”

Wolverhampton Literature Festival returns in February 2021 from Friday 12 to Sunday 14. Hosted by City of Wolverhampton Council the festival aims to amplify the voice of authors, poets, writers, storytellers, puppeteers, podcasters, vloggers and publishers across the UK, as well as celebrate creative communities in the Black Country and further. More information can be found at www.wolvesliteraturefestival.co.uk.

Though all 16 council-run libraries are currently closed, there are still plenty of ways in which people can access services virtually.

Library members can get hold of the latest collection of bestselling eBooks and eAudiobooks – for free – via the BorrowBox library on any Apple iOS and Google Android phone, tablet or computer. Titles can be borrowed for free for a period of three weeks, at which point they can be renewed or will automatically be deleted from people’s devices, meaning customers won’t be fined for forgetting to return books on time. To sign up, visit Libraries. 

Anyone missing their reading groups can join in book discussions online through the library service’s Facebook and Twitter pages using the hashtag #StayingInReadingClub. 

‘Virtual’ librarians can answer people’s queries online using the hashtag #virtuallibrarian on Facebook and Twitter, while anyone looking for recommendations can find staff reviews using the hashtag #LibrarySmashHits.

Meanwhile, the ever-popular story times for babies and children have moved online, with a new story posted every week on social media. Go to the Facebook playlist at or search #OnlineStoryTime to view the latest video.

It's free to join Wolverhampton’s libraries and people can sign up online. Please visit Librariesor follow on social media at Facebook and Twitter for more information.