Calling all budding writers! Let your imagination run wild and get scribbling for Nene Park Trust’s Storytelling Competition 2024, open to children aged 5-14.

The competition ties in with the National Literacy Trust’s National Storytelling Week and is open for two weeks, closing on Saturday 10th February. We're inviting children between the ages of 5 and 14 to put pen to paper, finger to keyboard - or even voice to voice recorder - to come up with a story inspired by Nene Park.

Can you come up with an engaging story about our wonderful wildlife? A tale about our dedicated rangers? Step back in time to retell our Roman history? Or perhaps you’d like to use the Park setting to write about a day out with your family or share a happy Park memory? The sky’s the limit when it comes to the subject matter, as long as it’s inspired by the Park in some way, is no longer than 500 words and is something you think Park visitors would love to read or hear.

There are three age categories for the competition – 5-8 yrs, 9-11 yrs and 12-14 yrs and thanks to the generosity of local book seller, Reading Monster’s Bookshop, a £20 book voucher will be awarded to the winning storyteller in each age category. Winners will also see their stories feature here on the Nene Park website and shared on our social media channels. 

So, what are you waiting for? Get creative and get storytelling. Just email your entries to [email protected]. Find additional terms and conditions below.

To tie in with National Storytelling week, we will also be sharing the poems written by poets from the Syntax Poetry Collective as part of the Nene Park Winter Festival in December. These poems each tell stories inspired by woodland creatures. You can read or listen to them by clicking the poet's names below:

Mark Grist

Charley Genever

Lauren Kendrick

Sandy Wardrop

Competition terms and conditions

• The competition runs from Saturday 27 January - Saturday 24 February (midnight)
• Enter in one of three age categories: 5-8 yrs, 9-11 yrs and 12-14 yrs
• Stories can be about anything inspired by Nene Park.
• Stories should be no longer than 500 words.
• Email [email protected] with a word document or a voice recording.
• Please state clearly your name, your age and the title of your story.
• A winner from each age category will be notified following the closing date and will receive a £20 book voucher from Reading Monster's Bookshop to spend with them.
• Stories will be shared on the Nene Park website or on social media channels.