With tomorrow’s deadline fast approaching, Specsavers has issued a final call for aspiring young Donegal authors to get creative and enter its short story competition.
The nationwide competition celebrates Specsavers’ sponsorship of the Junior and Senior Irish Children’s Book of the Year categories at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022.
To enter, simply create a short story *- no longer than 500 words – and send it in before tomorrow’s deadline.
All entries should be posted to, Specsavers Short Story Competition, c/o WHPR, 6 Ely Place, Dublin 2, or submitted online at www.specsavers.ie/irish-book-awards.
The ask is to write a short story inspired by the below picture: Looking into the crystal ball, the fortune teller was excited about the future…
To support the campaign, author and musician Niall Breslin (Bressie) has teamed up with Specsavers to encourage budding authors to get creative and enter its nationwide short story competition.
“This competition is a brilliant way for children to get creative by thinking outside the box,” he said.
“Writing is an amazing way to build confidence in children as it allows them to communicate their own viewpoint, thoughts, and feelings. Writing isn’t about having the best grammar or spelling; it’s about encouraging self – expression through a safe space. I would encourage all parents and guardians to get their children involved in this competition as it’s a great way for children to use their imagination and they might even win something for their school too.”
Specsavers Ireland chairman, Kerril Hickey, says: “We are delighted to continue in our sponsorship of the children’s categories at the An Post Irish Book Awards this year and host our annual short story competition. This competition is a fantastic way for children to explore their imagination, bolster their literacy learnings and put their reading skills into practice. We are very excited to read the wonderful and fascinating stories these young authors conjure up.”
Bressie’s top tips for writing a short story:
- My number one tip to all budding authors is to believe in yourself and trust the process. If you believe in yourself and your story, then someone else will too. Too often we can shy away from a challenge. But if you believe you can succeed then that’s half the battle.
- Write about something you know and love. Think of moments, people or things in your life that make you happy; is it the trip to the beach, a memory with a grandparent or the day your new puppy arrived home. Often the best stories are inspired by real life moments.
- Read, read, read. Reading from a wide variety of genres (from fairy tale to action books) is an excellent way to see how different authors introduce characters, set scenes, and develop plotlines which will help you get inspiration for your own story.
The competition is open to children and teenagers up to 14 years of age, with a closing date of 25 November 2022.
The winner of each category will win €500 for their school library along with all the shortlisted children’s titles for 2022. Entry details can be found online at Specsavers.ie.
All entries should be posted to, Specsavers Short Story Competition, c/o WHPR, 6 Ely Place, Dublin 2, or submitted online at www.specsavers.ie/irish-book-awards.
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