We recognise it has been a challenging year for teachers, parents, and pupils. To continue our support in nurturing young writers, we have taken our writing workshops online and have extended the closing the date of the Young Muslim Writers Awards to 30th September to allow teachers additional time to enter their pupils’ work in the nationwide competition.
- Pupils aged 5 to 11 can submit a short story and a poem
- Pupils aged 11 to 16 can submit a short story, poem, article, screenplay, and a play script.
A panel of acclaimed judges will be selecting the winners over autumn, to be announced at the awards ceremony later this year. Shortlisted writers will be invited to the awards ceremony, receive a certificate to mark their achievement, and be awarded a gift bag filled with books to further encourage their love for reading and writing. Extracts from the shortlisted entries will also be featured in our annual anthology, past copies of which are available at www.issuu.com/ymwawards.
The Young Muslim Writers Awards has provided a platform for young writers, and new opportunities can lie ahead for them; 7-year-old Umar and 15-year-old Lamees were invited to speak at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival in the UAE, Safeerah read her poem at TEDxTeen at The O2 and was the youngest finalist at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards 2016, and Mina published her debut novel at the age of just 16. Last year we travelled with the 2018 Writer of the Year, Sabir, on a unique trip to Pakistan where he learned more about charity’s global projects there.
For the third year we are proud to be partnering with the Institute of English Studies at the School of Advanced Study (University of London), and are supported by our Official Media Partner, Islam Channel who broadcast our awards ceremonies to millions around the world.
Teachers and parents can make submissions at www.ymwa.org.uk. If you have any queries, I will be more than happy to help. You may also be interested with a poetry workshop this Sunday 13th September, and a catch-up with some of last year’s winners on Saturday 19th September.
