Atom Learning
Young Author Award 2026
An Unforgettable Gift
"It wasn't what I expected..."
This year, Atom Learning's Young Author Award invites children aged 7–11 to write about the moment they received a gift they'll never forget.
It might not have looked like a gift at all. Maybe they could feel it but not hold it. Maybe it came from someone they knew well, or from someone they'd barely noticed before. Maybe the person who gave it didn't even know how much it meant.
Wherever the story takes them, we want to hear it. In just 500 words, children can bring their gift to life and share what made it unforgettable.
We're looking for aspiring writers, not perfect wordsmiths. All voices are welcome.
Key dates
Competition opens
Competition closes
Winners announced
How It Works (New for 2026)
How it works:
1️⃣ Log into Atom Home
2️⃣ Go to the Tests page
3️⃣ Select Creative Writing tests
4️⃣ The Young Author Award test will be included as an option in this list. Click to add to your child’s to-do list
5️⃣ Head to the Learn page and select the Young Author Award test from your to-do list to open the entry page
6️⃣ Your child has an hour to write their 500-word story in one sitting and submits it when they're done. They will not be able to copy and paste their work from elsewhere
Not yet on Atom Home? Start your free trial to take part.
This year's change is about more than convenience. With AI tools easily accessible, we want to make sure every story in this competition is truly a child's own. Writing directly in the app, in one sitting, with no option to paste in outside text, is our way of making that happen.
Every word you read in a winning entry will have been written by the child who submitted it. Those are the stories worth reading.
Prizes
1st Place Winner
- A 4-night stay in a lodge for a family of four at a UK Center Parcs village of their choice, subject to availability.
- £500 towards activities and food during the stay.
- A custom-illustrated cover of their winning story, printed and shipped to the address provided on the entry form.
- A 6-month free subscription to Atom Learning (or a 6-month extension for existing subscribers).
Age Group Winners
Ages 7–9 and Ages 10–11, one winner per group:
- A custom-illustrated digital cover of their story
- £50 book voucher
- 3 months free Atom Home subscription
Help your child get started
There's no right or wrong answer. Just their story, in their own words.
Here are some questions to help them think it through before they begin writing:
- What was the gift? It could be something you can hold, or something you can only feel. Like a moment, a memory, or an act of kindness you didn't see coming.
- Who did it come from? Was it someone close to you, someone you barely knew, or someone who had no idea how much they'd helped?
- Why was it unexpected? Was it the gift itself, the timing, or the person who gave it?
- How did it change things for you, or for someone else?
Inspire your child with a free writer’s kit
To help every young author get started, wwe're offering a free downloadable writer's kit! Simply fill out the form links below to receive:
- Story structure guide
- Vocabulary builder list
- Writing checklist (including key dates)
- Examples from previous winning entries
- Top tips for planning and writing a story
Why enter?
Celebrate their talents.
Strengthen their writing skills.
Unleash their creativity.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. About the Award
The Atom Learning Young Author Award is an annual creative writing competition for children aged 7–11 resident in the United Kingdom. Prizes are awarded for the overall winning entry and for the winner of each age category (7–9 and 10–11).
The Award is open from Wednesday 27 May 2026 until 23:59 BST on Thursday 9 July 2026. Winners are announced on Monday 13 July 2026.
The Award is run by Atom Learning Ltd, company number 10867907, registered office Fox Court, 14 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8HN. For any questions, contact competition@atomlearning.co.uk.
2. Eligibility
Open to children aged 7–11 on 9 July 2026 who are UK residents. One entry per child, in English. Entries must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian, or by the child with their permission. Employees of Atom Learning Ltd and their immediate families may not enter. Proof of age, identity, and UK residency may be requested before a prize is awarded.
3. How to enter
There are three ways to enter. No purchase is necessary and entry is free.
- Atom subscribers submit their entry directly in the Atom Learning app.
- Families new to Atom can start a free 5-day trial and submit their entry from within the app during the trial. See clause 4 for full trial terms.
- Families no longer eligible for a free trial can submit via our standalone competition page, free and with no sign-up required. Request your submission link here.
All entries are judged together on equal terms regardless of route.
4. Free trial — important information
The free trial lasts 5 days from sign-up. At the end of the trial, the account converts to a paid Atom Learning subscription at the standard rate unless cancelled. Cancellation is completed from the account settings page.
If you are charged after your trial ends and change your mind, contact competition@atomlearning.co.uk within 9 days of the charge and we will refund you in full — no questions asked, regardless of whether your child submitted an entry.
5. The writing tool
Entries are written and submitted through Atom's timed creative writing tool — in the app, or on the standalone competition page. The tool is timed and does not allow copy-and-paste, to keep the competition fair. Children have 60 minutes from the moment they begin to complete and submit their entry. Entries must not exceed 500 words; judges score only the first 500 words.
If the tool crashes or the connection drops through no fault of the child, contact competition@atomlearning.co.uk within 48 hours and we will, at our discretion, allow a fresh attempt.
6. Originality and AI policy
Entries must be the child's own original work and a piece of fiction not published elsewhere. Entries must not be written with the help of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini). Adults may help with ideas, encouragement, and verbal proofreading, but the writing itself must be the child's own.
Entries that we reasonably believe to have been generated by AI, copied from another source, or written substantially by an adult or another child will be disqualified. Our decision is final.
By submitting, the parent or guardian confirms the entry meets these requirements.
7. Judging
Entries are judged anonymously on quality of writing and story structure; creativity and imagination; use of language; and ability to engage the reader. The entry route is not visible to judges.
Stage 1: at least two readers from Atom's education team and wider literary network score every entry. The strongest go to Stage 2. Stage 2: three judges agree the overall winner and the two age-category winners.
Judges' decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winners are contacted by email or phone via the parent or guardian. If a winner cannot be reached within 14 days of the announcement date, we may award the prize to the next-ranked entry.
A selection of commended stories may be published on the Atom website, in our newsletters, or on our social channels. By entering, the writer and parent or guardian agree to this.
8. Prizes
Overall winner:
- 4-night stay in a lodge for a family of four at a UK Center Parcs village of their choice, subject to availability
- £500 towards activities and food during the stay
- Printed custom-illustrated cover of their story, shipped to the address provided
- 6-month free Atom Learning subscription (or 6-month extension for existing subscribers)
The Center Parcs stay must be redeemed before 27 June 2027, excluding 15 December 2026 – 2 January 2027. Bookings must be made at least 12 weeks in advance and are subject to Center Parcs availability. Travel is not included. The prize is non-transferable. No cash alternative.
Age-category winners (7–9 and 10–11):
- Digital custom-illustrated cover of their story (subject to capacity)
- £50 book voucher
- 3-month free Atom Learning subscription
General: no cash alternative for any prize; prizes non-transferable. We may substitute any prize element with one of equal or greater value if necessary. Free subscription prizes do not auto-renew unless the family chooses to continue.
9. Disqualification
We may disqualify entries that breach clause 6 (originality/AI); contain indecent, defamatory, or otherwise inappropriate content; breach third-party copyright; come from outside the eligible age range or UK residency requirement; or have incomplete or false entry information. We may reclaim any prize awarded in such circumstances.
If an entry raises a safeguarding concern, we will handle it under the Atom Learning Safeguarding Policy and may seek advice from the NSPCC.
10. Copyright
Writers retain copyright. By submitting, the writer and parent or guardian grant Atom Learning a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, publish, and share the entry in any media for the purposes of promoting the Award and celebrating winners.
11. Data protection
Personal data (child's first name and age; parent or guardian's name, email, and phone number; postal address where needed for prize delivery) is processed by Atom Learning Ltd as data controller under our Privacy Policy. Data is used for administering the Award, awarding prizes, and (with consent) marketing. Entry data is retained for 1 month after the Award closes and then deleted, except for winning entries retained under the licence in clause 10.
You can withdraw consent or request deletion at any time at competition@atomlearning.co.uk.
12. Liability and general
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Atom Learning is not responsible for any loss or damage in connection with the Award. Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud.
We may refuse entry, or cancel, suspend, or amend the Award, if circumstances outside our reasonable control require it or the integrity of the Award is materially compromised.
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. By submitting, the parent or guardian confirms they have read and agree to these terms on behalf of the child.