Wicked Young Writers' Award enters fifth year

Entries are now open for the fifth annual Wicked Young Writers' Award, which recognises excellence in writing in young people from 5-25.

The author of How To Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell, has also joined the judging panel for the prize, which is separated into five age categories, plus the new Sugarscape Fan Fiction Award. She joins Michael McCabe, UK executive producer of Wicked and Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust on the panel.

The award was set up in 2010, spearheaded by Michael Morpurgo, and has to date seen over 20,000 people enter their work.

A shortlist of 100 entrants will see their poem or story published in the Wicked Young Writers’ Award Anthology and will be invited to a prize ceremony at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in July 2015. The overall winners from each category will win a VIP family experience to Wicked.

Pieces of writing can be submitted either individually or as part of a school group until 18 April 2015.