Events

Young writers send us an original story in Arabic or English — and see it published in a beautifully illustrated bilingual book.

Torba Children's Short Story Competition 2027

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.

The story must be entirely your original work. Helpers may type, but the words are yours — and no AI.

Set it in your neighbourhood or on the far side of the moon — 300, 800 or 1,500 words by age group.

A panel of authors, illustrators and booksellers reads every entry, looking for a story told in your own voice.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Open to children aged 4–15. One entry per child; the judges' decision is final. Copyright in each story stays with its young author. Personal information is used only to run the competition and contact winners, and is never shared or used for anything else. Keep a copy of your story — we can't send entries back.

Write to us at {contact_email}, or ask at the till at Torba Market, Education City — we're always happy to talk about stories.

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Torba Children's Short Story Competition 2027