2026 Young Authors Challenge has been announced!Barfoot & Thompson is proud to announce our support again this year for the 2026 Young Authors Challenge (YAC)! This is our short story competition open to primary, intermediate, and secondary school students nationwide.
Submissions open in Term Two on 12 May - 7 Aug 2026.
Winners will be announced on Friday, 4 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.
Watch this space for more info!
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!
"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.
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.