Rail Tales Creative Writing Competition

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED FOR ENTRIES

It's the 200th anniversary of the modern railway in 2025 and we've partnered with the Heart of England Community Rail Partnership on a very special competition to celebrate this landmark.

Trains and railways have always inspired stories - from The Railway Children to MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman's Adventures on Trains, and this is your chance to create a short story inspired by trains or a railway journey.

Who can enter?

Anyone in the following age categories on 30th Sept 2024:

6-11 years
12-16 years
17-21 years

How many words?

Maximum of 1000

What could you win?

• Shopping vouchers
• A bundle of books worth £50
• A travel journal and backpack
• Train merchandise inc.water bottles, and pens
• Your story read by an actor and displayed at railway stations in the region

What’s the deadline?

Entries should be emailed as a Word document by 30th September 2024

How to enter

Submit your entry as a Word document attachment only. The file name must be your name and age. Please also include your name and address at the top of the document and email it to Heart CRP here.
Please read the entry guidelines below before submitting your story.

The Small Print

Please read this very carefully:

1. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
2. All entries must be in English, original and must not have been published or have won competitions elsewhere.
3. Stories must be a maximum of 1000 words and must have a theme relating to trains and/or rail travel in the UK.
4. The competition is open to all ages, professions and nationalities from 6 years to 21 years at date of competition deadline who are living in the UK.
5. Stories must not be offensive, inflammatory or defamatory.
6. We accept only one submission per entry and per person. All entries must comply with entry requirements and entries must be submitted by email to [email protected] by the deadline of 23.59 on 30^th September 2024. Entries submitted after this time will not be considered.
7. Please name the file with your name and age as of 30^th September 2024, and all entries must include your name, address, and your age as of 30^th September 2024 at the top of the page. Please note we DO NOT accept jpg images of stories, submissions via Google Doc links, pdfs or odt files or similar. Any submitted in this form will not be considered.
8. Entries will not be acknowledged on submission and will not be accepted after the closing date.
9. Writers will be notified by 25^th October 2024. Winning entries in each category will be featured on the Stratford Literary Festival website, will be available as audio files read by an actor, and will be displayed at stations in the region. Excerpts may also appear on our social media channels. By entering you are giving your permission for this.
10. If you do not hear from us, then your entry has not been successful.
11. By entering and supplying your email address you are allowing us to notify you about the Stratford Literary Festival. Your information will not be shared with any third parties.
12. Stratford Literary Festival is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England: 1164662