Write STEM Stories, Make Money — A Contest
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a writing contest for kids.
The new literary competition, the IET 150 Award, is intended to celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM). The prize is part of the annual Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition for unpublished and unagented writers with fiction manuscripts written for children aged seven up to Young Adult with an exploration of STEM topics.
IET President Professor Danielle George MBE said, “The IET 150 Award celebrates the endless possibilities Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths present. Coupled with the creative minds of some of the very best undiscovered writing talent in the UK, I think we are going to have some exceptional stories that push the boundaries of innovation and adventure.”
A short list of three manuscripts will be judged by a panel including George, Chicken House Publisher Barry Cunningham OBE, and a “star author” yet to be announced. The winning author will be awarded a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House and a royalty advance of £10,000 ($13,350 US), along with an offer of representation by a “top literary agent” according to the press release.
Cunningham said, “I’m truly excited to welcome the IET 150 prize to this year’s Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition. I’ve always loved Agatha Christie’s famous quote ‘the supernatural is only the natural of which the laws are not yet understood’ – as so much of creative fiction is about where Technology, Engineering or Maths will take us, and our world. This new prize is therefore a perfectly inspiring opportunity to show the magic of imagination in new ways.”
The competition is now open, and the judges are looking for original ideas and a diverse range of stories that will appeal to children. Entrants must have written a complete full-length (30,000 to 80,000 words or thereabouts) suitable for children or young adults, aged seven to eighteen. The competition closes on February 1, 2021 at 11:59pm GMT (6:45pm Eastern). For more information, check the Chicken House website: www.chickenhousebooks.com/submissions.
