Barfoot & Thompson is proud to announce our support again this year for the 2026 Young Authors Challenge (YAC)!
A great story can surprise you in the best way. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen… everything changes!
Maybe a secret is revealed. Maybe a character makes a shocking choice. Maybe the story takes a turn you never saw coming. That’s called a plot twist. This year, we want YOU to write a story with an amazing plot twist. Make us gasp, surprise us, and keep us guessing all the way to the end!
Enter the 2026 Barfoot & Thompson Young Authors Challenge with the theme “Twisting the Plot” and tell your story in any way you like — whether it’s a thrilling adventure, a funny tale, a suspenseful mystery, or a true story that even you didn’t see coming.
Tell your story and be in to win some amazing prizes for yourself and your school.
If you’re looking for inspiration, try Andy Griffiths’ The Treehouse series, which takes readers on many hilarious and unexpected turns; the (almost shocking!) picture book I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen; or, for older readers, E. Lockhart’s unforgettable We Were Liars or Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, which is packed with secrets and surprising twists.
Submissions open in Term Two on 12 May - 7 Aug 2026
Winners will be announced on Friday, 25 September 2026
Primary (up to 250 words)
Intermediate (up to 500 words)
Secondary (up to 750 words)
Each category winner receives a $500 cash prize and a $250 book voucher, with their schools receiving $1,000 cash and $1,000 worth of books.
View full terms and conditions here.
"Barfoot & Thompson proudly supports the Young Authors Challenge because it inspires creativity and gives young writers a platform to share their stories. Encouraging the imagination and talent of future generations is part of our ongoing commitment to the community." -– Nick Simmers, Head of Sponsorships & Events
If you have any questions or inquiries, please email youngauthorschallenge@barfoot.co.nz.
In 2025, the competition invited writers to create a piece for the theme, My Time Machine. We received well over 1,000 entries - the highest number in YAC history - with students submitting imaginative and thoughtful stories inspired by the theme.
Winners by category:
Primary (up to 250 words)
Winner: Anthony Tong, Silverdale Primary
Story: Try to stop racism with my time machine
Intermediate (up to 500 words)
Winner: Libbie Brooke Menzies, Green Bay Intermediate
Story: The House of Time
Secondary (up to 750 words)
Winner: Chetana Surpaneni, Queen Margaret College (Wellington)
Story: The Nine Lives of Sable
Find our 2025 winners and read their short stories HERE!
Do you want to be an author? Here are some videos on our socials from the Auckland Writer's Festival 2025. Happy Writing!
Watch past winner Josh with some wise words of encouragement for new writers here.
Here's Anneliese with her winning advice.