This year we welcome back the Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition! Open to unpublished women novelists, this competition welcomes books written for children (who are able to read for themselves) and young adults – in every genre imaginable.

1st prize: £5,000

Five finalists will receive an invitation to a special networking event with literary agents.

Entry fee: £25 per novel

To enter, please submit the first 3,000 words of your completed children’s novel. To qualify, your book must total at least 15,000 words.

Judges: Anne Fine (award-winning novelist), Claire Wilson (literary agent), Charlotte Eyre (Children’s Editor, Bookseller)

Please read the competition rules and FAQs below before entering. For any questions about your entry, email novel@mslexia.co.uk or call 0191 204 8860 to chat to a real person.

‘I’ve found that there’s a huge amount of respect out there for Mslexia, and being a Mslexia competition winner really means something.’

Lu Hersey, winner of our 2012 Children’s Novel Competition