The winner and runners-up will receive a framed illustrated cover of their story created by top illustrators Leigh Hodgkinson, Harriet Muncaster, Korky Paul, Rochelle Falconer, Ken Wilson-Max, and our amazingly talented Plum Paula Bowles!
The BBC’s 500 Words is a creative writing competition held by the BBC, partnered with Oxford University Press. The competition is open to two age groups, 5-7 years and 8-11 years, and children are encouraged to write a fictional story about whatever they like, as long as the story is 500 words or less.
Since 500 Words began in 2011, almost a million stories have been collected. 84% of teachers who submitted stories on behalf of students in 2024/25 felt their students were more engaged with literacy and writing as a result of taking part in the competition.
from: BBC
About Paula:
Paula had this to say about being asked to be a 500 Words illustrator:
“I feel incredibly honoured and very excited to be one of the chosen illustrators for this year's BBC 500 Words competition. I can't wait to read the winning entries, and I can't wait to find out which one I will be illustrating!”
Click here for more details on the BBC 500 words competition, including rules, prizes and entry deadlines!
50 finalists will be chosen from the entries, with the grand final taking place at Windsor Castle in February 2026, hosted by Queen Camilla. The winners of the competition -chosen by a panel of celebrity judges made up of Sir Lenny Henry, Malorie Blackman, Francesca Simon, Charlie Higson and Frank Cottrell-Boyce- will have their stories read out on television by a celebrity on TV, which will air on The One Show in March as part of a special 500 Words programme.
On their website, the BBC explain the importance of 500 words, saying,
"These stories help them to understand the language children are using and how it's developing over time. It helps them work out what kids are interested in: from politics to world events, celebrities to football, and it informs the creation of their dictionaries and learning resources for children. The results from this are taught in seminars and lectures around the world and help leading figures in education to improve the way English is taught in schools." - BBC
Paula is based in Bristol, UK, and she has worked as an illustrator for over 10 years. She loves using her imagination, and creating fun and colourful worlds for children’s books. She also enjoys writing and thinking up stories, and has her own author-illustrator books published including Tiny Crab is a Tidy Crab. As well as drawing, she loves being outside, watching and learning about wildlife, where she can while away many hours with a pair of binoculars and her DSLR camera. She also likes being snuggled indoors with a good book or a movie, and discovering new music and podcasts.
