Submissions are invited for The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition 2025 by Chaucer Heritage Trust. The last date of submission is February 28, 2025.
About the Trust
The Chaucer Heritage Trust was established in 1992 by Martin Starkie, an actor, director and playwright. Long before The Chaucer Heritage Trust came into being Martin pursued its objectives – promoting among the general public interest, understanding and appreciation of the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, his life and times and influence, and his position in English and world literature.
Competition Details
The Chaucer Heritage Trust has launched its eighth annual writing competition for schools inspired by the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, considered by many England’s greatest medieval poet.
The special theme of the competition this year is ‘Surprise, Surprise!’.
Eligibility
The competition is open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities, but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations.
The three age groups are:
- Junior – 5-10 years old.
- Intermediate – 11-14 years old.
- Senior – 15-18 years old.
Age on 28 February 2025. Competitors must include their date of birth on the entry form.
Categories
Choose ONE of the following:
- Write a poem or story about a surprise.
- Write a poem or story with a twist in the tail.
- Write a description of a character who was not what they appeared to be.
Guidelines
- Your writing should invoke the spirit of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
- All entries must be in English.
- The maximum word count is 500 words. There is no minimum word count.
- Think carefully about the language – choosing the words which best convey your intended meaning and message.
- You are encouraged to use everyday language and colloquialisms but if appropriate please include explanations in brackets.
- Think carefully about the characters in your writing and what they say about the world you live in.
- All entries must be original and entirely that of the student (however, rewritings of existing stories are acceptable if sufficiently original in presentation and content).
- Only one entry may be submitted per person.
- The school portion of each prize is available only to schools in the United Kingdom.
Prizes
| Category | Prize for the Winning Entrant(s) | Prize for the Winning Entrant’s School Library |
| Junior (5-10 years old) | 1st £300 2nd £150 3rd £100 | 1st £1000 2nd £500 3rd £250 |
| Intermediate (11-14 years old) | 1st £300 2nd £150 3rd £100 | 1st £1000 2nd £500 3rd £250 |
| Senior (15-18 years old) | 1st £300 2nd £150 3rd £100 | 1st £1000 2nd £500 3rd £250 |
How to Submit?
Interested participants can submit online via this link.
Submission Deadline
The last date of submission is February 28, 2025.
Contact
Email: admin[at]chaucer[dot]org[dot]uk
Click here to view the official notification of The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition 2025 by Chaucer Heritage Trust.
