The presentation of awards for the shortlisted submissions to the Young Writers Competition 2026 took place on Saturday 10th October at The Old Court.
The evening started with WWG member and published poet, Jenny Simnett, having an engaging conversation with our guest published poet Elizabeth Barton, followed by an active Q&A session.
The evening was very well attended and the standard of entries extremely impressive. We had twenty-three prizes to award to our prize winners, who were accompanied by their friends and family. Stories and poems that were awarded first or second prize were read out.
Prizes and certificates were awarded by Elizabeth and our sponsors’ representatives – Mr Andrew Try, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, representing the Prince Philip Trust Fund, and Mr Jon Davey representing Tesco.
Here are the details of all the prize winners in the order they were presented on the night:
Y6/7 Story Awards – Sponsored by Legoland and Chiltern Bookshops
| First | Tharuli Ratnayaka | Take a Breath for Me |
| Second | Phoebe Sall | The Hamster Detective Squad |
| Commended | Daisie Weller | Turtle Island |
| Commended | Thea Chapman | The Evil Paradise |
Y6/7 Poem Awards – Sponsored by Legoland and Chiltern Bookshops
| First | Ruby Moudrak | Insert Title |
| Second | Grace Lemon | Away with the Fairies |
| Commended | Nora Murray Cusati | The Underworld |
| Commended | Charlotte Lewis | What Really Happens on Inset Days |
| Commended | Gabriella Viljoen | The Grand Tree |
Years 8-10 Story Award – Sponsored and Awarded by Tesco
| First | Milo Downing | The Last Thing He Saw |
| Second | Eva Farley | Beyond Chernobyl |
| Highly Commended | Rosie Middleton | The Patient |
| Highly Commended | Darcey Kelsall | Irrational Fear |
| Commended | Ellie Heron | The Princess |
Y8-10 Poem Award – Sponsored and Awarded by Tesco
| First | Soham Kumar | Soham |
| Second | Aditi Arora | The Silence Before Dawn |
| Commended | Orla Creswell | Countdown |
Y11+ Story Award – Sponsored and Awarded by The Prince Philip Trust Fund
| First | Abbas Al-sadiq | Missing Her Twice |
| Second | Charlie Chadwick | The Beau |
| Highly Commended | Constantine Nur Shah | The Storm’s Warning |
Year 11+ Poem Award – Sponsored and Awarded by The Prince Philip Trust Fund
| First = | Anna Devito | The Hope That Sunk Me |
| First = | Saad Aziz | The Boy Who Played the Harp |
Congratulations to everyone.
Enjoy These Photos From the Night
Thank you to our sponsors
Without your assistance, we couldn’t have given our young writers this opportunity.
Prince Philip Trust Fund – the fund makes a real difference to the quality of life of people from communities across the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. It focuses support towards disability, health, the elderly, families, children and young people, those in social need and the arts.
Chiltern Bookshops, not only for being brilliant independent bookshops, but also for their generous donation towards our prizes.
You can visit their shops in Gerrards Cross or Chorleywood for a unique bookshop experience including some fantastic author events.
LEGOLAND® – their Windsor Resort is a unique family theme park where visitors can take to the road, soar through the skies, and sail the seas in complete safety. With interactive rides, attractions, live shows, building workshops, and driving schools, not to mention a staggering 80 million LEGO®bricks, all set in 150 acres of beautiful parkland.
Tesco – one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, offering groceries, clothing, electronics, and more. Tesco operates various store formats, including Express and Extra, catering to diverse customer needs. It also emphasizes sustainability and community support initiatives.
