Author Anthony Horowitz is supporting Arts Richmond's annual Young Writer's Festival 2023/24, as the organisation announced the launch of its young writer's competition last week.  

The author of the 'Alex Rider' series and 'I know what you did last Wednesday' and 'Magpie Murders', has recently moved to Richmond and says his next book is set here.  

Mr Horowitz said: "I'm always keen to encourage young people to develop their creative skills and if they're living in this area, there's plenty to inspire them.  

"Just walking along the river, in the park or on the green, we're surrounded by history and enchantment and there are stories everywhere." 

Arts Richmond Young Writers' Festival is open to all young people who either live or attend school/clubs in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames. 

It is a chance to demonstrate writing skills of any form: stories, descriptive writing, poems, playlets, lyrics for songs-whatever the imagination can devise. 

Entries are judged in four age groups with prizes for all winning entries. In addition, all shortlisted entrants will be invited to a gala awards event in a prestigious venue Spring 2024. 

To enter, applicants may write about any subject of their choosing, in any format (e.g. a poem, story, play script, news item etc.) but MUST be in typed format as handwritten entries will be disqualified.  

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It should not exceed 500 words or 25 lines for a poem. 

Extracts from longer pieces will be accepted. All entries must be exclusively the entrant's own work, and only one entry per person allowed.  

Entries will be judges in the following Categories:

· School Years 4 and under 

· School Years 5 and 6 

· School Years 7 and 9 

· School Years 10 and over. 

Applicants should send their entry to:  

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Arts Richmond Young Writers Festival 

ETNA Community Centre Room 21, 13 Rosslyn Road, Twickenham, TW1 2AR. 

Or email: [email protected]  

Please give full name, address, telephone number, email, date of birth, school year, and school or club you are attending in a covering letter/email or form provided by your school. (Names entered directly onto work will be disqualified). 

Deadline: Friday 1st December 2023