Drum roll please… It’s time to announce the final results for the Best Children’s Bedtime Story Competition 2021. A huge thank you to everyone who entered – we absolutely loved your stories. Thanks also to our highly dedicated reading team and to our amazing judge, Finbar Hawkins. With such well-crafted and brilliant stories to choose from, their task was exceptionally difficult.
Finbar said, ‘The stories on the shortlist each demonstrate an imaginative and unique approach to the bedtime story. There’s playful language and characters, fun and family relationships, there’s attention to detail and a good visual understanding – I could see their illustrations, the layout of their words. Good bedtime stories become firm favourites, to be repeated and learnt by heart, or some detail to be seen afresh, and I was pleased the writers paid attention to this. Most importantly they take us on a journey with simplicity, wit and warmth – congratulations to the shortlisted authors, and I look forward to turning the pages one day on their published books.’
Here are the results.
Best Children’s Bedtime Story Competition 2021
Winner
The Witch Who Couldn’t Spell by Abby Voss
Shortlisted Entries
Charlie and the Dark by Beverley Sutton
Counting Sheep to go to Sleep by Kathryn Boyes
Detective D by Matt Cuyes
How to Spot a Gweegle by Jude Campanella
Legs by Peter Frederick
Little Bear’s Winter Wish by Harriet Howe
Pirate O’Clock by Hannah Laing
The Sun Lantern by Jason Lang
There’s a Growling in the Freezer by Eleanor McPhail
Many congratulations to our final ten, your marvellous stories were chosen from hundreds of outstanding submissions. Congratulations as well to everyone who entered. You should be very proud of what you’ve achieved. Please keep writing and we hope to read more of your stories in the future.