Enter the Prize

The Orwell Youth Prize 2023 is now open for entries. This year’s theme is “Who’s in Control?”

You’re ready to enter the Prize – brilliant! Before you fill out the entry form below, please make sure you have read the Orwell Youth Prize Terms and Conditions, paying particular attention to:

  • The word count for your entry (up to 1000 words for years 8-11, and 1500 words for years 12-13).
  • Ensuring that your entry is anonymous and that your name does not appear anywhere on your entry or in the document title.
  • Ensuring that your entry is saved as a PDF document, with the title of your entry as the document name (e.g. if my entry was called Animal Farm, my document name would be AnimalFarm.pdf).

We also ask all entrants to answer the following question: If you were the leader of your country, what is the first change you would make?

If you would like personalised feedback on a draft entry, make sure to enter by the deadline of Monday 24th April 2023. If you would prefer not to receive feedback, you can also specify this on the form below.

The final deadline for entries is Wednesday 7th June 2023.

Useful information can also be found in our Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have any other queries, please get in touch at admin@orwellyouthprize.co.uk

Enter the Orwell Youth Prize 2023

  • About You

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY

  • Your Entry

    The word limit is 1,000 words for junior entries and 1,500 for senior entries. Please submit your entry as a PDF. Your submission must not include your name in the document OR the file name, and the file should be named as the title, eg "Animal Farm"
    The deadline for feedback is 24th April 2023. If you submit after this deadline, please indicate that this is your final entry.
  • Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB.
    Attach your entry below in a single PDF file. Please do not include your name anywhere in your piece OR in your file name. Your piece will need a title: use this title to name your document. For example, if my piece was called 'Animal Farm', my entry would be: AnimalFarm.pdf

  • A Question For All Entrants: If you were the leader of your country, what is the first change you would make?

    The Orwell Youth Prize believes wholeheartedly in the power of great political writing. But we also support ideas and the potential of the collective voice of our entrants. As a result, we are asking every entrant this year to submit a short response (up to 1000 characters) to the following question alongside their individual entry: If you were the leader of your country, what is the first change you would make?

  • Safeguarding

    To comply with safeguarding guidelines, we require the contact details of a parent, legal guardian or teacher.
  • If the entrant is aged 12 or younger on 7 June 2023, we require a signature from a parent/guardian giving their permission for the entrant's work to be considered. • I give permission for my child to enter the Orwell Youth Prize 2023. • I confirm that my child understands the competition rules and that they are submitting their own original unpublished work. • I confirm that my child is happy to be contacted by The Orwell Youth Prize. • I give permission for my child’s details to be kept by The Orwell Youth Prize to be anonymised for reporting purposes, and to be offered further opportunities.

  • Equal Opportunities

    The Orwell Youth Prize is open to all students in years 8 - 13 (or equivalent) based in the UK and strives to reach young people from diverse backgrounds and geographic locations. The collection of information on your background and geography allows us to monitor our progress and improve our offer for young people. Should you have any questions on how your data is used or stored please see our data protection policy or email admin@orwellyouthprize.co.uk.
  • Ethnic origin is not about nationality, place of birth or citizenship. It is about the group to which you perceive you belong.

  • Your School or College

    Please enter the name, address and contact details for your school or college. The Orwell Youth Prize is open to all students in years 8 - 13 (or equivalent) in the United Kingdom.
  • • I give permission for my work to be entered into the Orwell Youth Prize 2023. • I confirm that I understand the competition rules and that I am submitting my own original unpublished work. • I confirm that I am happy to be contacted by The Orwell Youth Prize. • I give permission for my details to be kept by The Orwell Youth Prize to be anonymised for reporting purposes, and to be offered further opportunities.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.