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Hot on the tail of our 2020 winner announcement, we’re so excited to declare the new Times Competition OPEN!

This year, we’re introducing a brand new prize in partnership with the wonderful Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Here are the basics about the two prizes on offer in 2021…

The Times/Chicken House Prize

The prize you already know and love – a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a £10,000 advance (subject to contract) for a complete fiction manuscript of any genre for children aged 7 up to YA. The winning entry will be the novel that, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest entertainment value, quality, originality and suitability for children.

The IET 150 Award

A brand new prize to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the IET in 2021! The IET 150 Award will be awarded to a complete fiction manuscript for children aged 7 up to Young Adult that broadly explores or celebrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a £10,000 advance (subject to contract).

The good news is, you don’t need to do anything extra to be considered for the IET 150 Award; simply enter the competition as normal and our expert team of readers will do the rest. Simple!

The deadline is 14th May 2021 at 11.59pm GMT. Time enough to polish off that manuscript you’ve got languishing in the bottom drawer… or maybe even to write a new one…

For more details on the competition, both prizes, and instructions on how to enter, please visit our submissions page. We can’t wait to read your novel – good luck!