MAIDSTONE LITFEST YOUNG AUTHORS COMPETITION
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
GENERAL INFORMATION
​a) The Maidstone LitFest Young Authors Competition is open to children and young people between the ages of 5 and 18.
b) To be eligible to enter, children and young people must currently attend school in the Maidstone area (or be based in the Maidstone area if home-schooled).
c) The story must be the original work of the child.
d) Use of AI tools such as ChatGPT or Co-pilot is not permitted and will result in disqualification from the competition.
e) Each writer may submit only one story. If more than one story is submitted, only the first story received will be considered.
f) An adult is allowed to review the submission to ensure it does not contain any violence, explicit language or defamatory terms but they must not change or edit the story in any other way.
g) The winners and shortlisted writers agree to being a part of the publicity and promotion of the Maidstone literary festival before, during and after the festival. This may include photos of the children.
h) Shortlisted and winning writers must not announce the competition outcome before the official announcement by Maidstone LitFest. If they do, they will risk disqualification.
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SUBMITTING AN ENTRY
Individual entries (Years 1-11)
a) Parents/carers must make the entry on behalf of their child using the online entry form.
b) If you are unable to access the online entry form, please email us at info@maidstonelitfest.org
c) The entry form will ask for the parent’s/carer’s name and contact details.
d) We will also ask for the first name and year group of the child who has written the story. These details will be used to enter the story into the right age category.
e) If the child’s story is shortlisted, the parent/carer will be contacted for additional details.
f) The personal data provided will be used for the purposes of administering the award as outlined in the Privacy Notice (please see below).
g) Complete the entry form online at www.maidstonelitfest.org and upload the file.
h) The deadline is final and submissions must be received by midnight on Friday 25 July 2025.
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Individual entries (Years 12-13)
a) Young people in Years 12 and 13 can submit their own entries via the website.
b) If you are unable to access the online entry form, please email us at info@maidstonelitfest.org
c) The entry form will ask for your name, year group and school/college email address.
d) The personal data provided will be used for the purposes of administering the award as outlined in the Privacy Notice (please see below).
e) Complete the entry form online at www.maidstonelitfest.org and upload the file.
f) The deadline is final and submissions must be received by midnight on Friday 25 July 2025.
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Class entries
Teachers submitting whole class entries should contact us at info@maidstonelitfest.org for more information.
FORMAT
a) All entries should be typed in Arial 12pt black font. (Where a child does not have access to a computer, please email us at info@maidstonelitfest.org for further advice.)
b) The document should be saved as a PDF file. When saving the document in Word, click File > Save As and select PDF from the dropdown menu.
c) Include the title of the story and the word count at the top of the first page.
CATEGORIES
a) The competition is grouped by age to ensure fairness for all entrants:
Years 1–2 (up to 400 words)
Years 3–4 (up to 500 words)
Years 5–6 (up to 500 words)
Years 7–8 (up to 750 words)
Years 9–11 (up to 1000 words)
Years 12–13 (up to 1000 words)
b) A winner will be chosen in each age category, meaning there will be six winners overall.
JUDGING
a) All entries will be judged against the following criteria:
Quality of writing
Originality, imagination and creativity
Sentence structure and language
The writer’s ability to tell a story, capture the reader and hold their attention.
b) The competition is judged in two stages:
Stage 1: All entries will be read and judged anonymously by at least two readers. The best five stories in each age category will be selected to form a shortlist.
Stage 2: Shortlisted stories will be passed to the official judging panel who will select a winning story in each age category.
c) The judging panel will be announced in due course.
d) Judging will be fair and independent.
e) The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
PRIZES
a) All entrants will receive a certificate and a VIP family ticket to our children’s and young people's author events where the winners will be announced.
b) Shortlisted entries will be presented with a festival goody bag.
c) The winner in each category will have their story published on the Maidstone LitFest website and read out by an author at the children’s and young people's author events at the festival. Winners will also receive a festival goody bag and a £25 Waterstones voucher.
Shortlisted writers are invited to attend the relevant children’s and young people's author events and awards ceremony on 4 October 2025.
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COPYRIGHT AND TERMS OF USE
Writers retain the copyright in their stories but grant the Maidstone LitFest permission for all uses in all media including but not limited to public performance, public display, publishing, broadcasting, reproduction, newsprint, podcast, website and on any other platforms yet to be envisaged.
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MAIDSTONE LITFEST YOUNG AUTHORS COMPETITION
PRIVACY NOTICE
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GENERAL INFORMATION
a) This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal data about you and/or your child during and after the competition, in accordance with data protection law.
b) Your personal data will be collected via an online form. You have the right to request for this data to be deleted at any point by contacting us at info@maidstonelitfest.org
c) Individuals who are shortlisted will be invited to participate in activities to promote and share their story.
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WHAT PERSONAL DATA WILL MAIDSTONE LITFEST COLLECT AND HOW WILL WE USE IT?
a) We will use the personal data listed below to:
— administer the awards
— obtain the relevant permissions
— communicate with you on matters relating to the awards
— publish information about shortlisted entrants and their stories on our website
b) Shortlisted entrants’ names, ages and story titles may be published online and on the Maidstone LitFest website.
c) Your personal data will not be shared with any other third parties unless required or permitted by the law.
RETAINING YOUR PERSONAL DATA
The personal data of the successful authors and, where applicable, their parent/guardian/teacher will be stored by the Maidstone LitFest for a period of two (2) years for regulatory and compliance purposes.