In 2022 the Reading Force charity for military families launched their first ever writing competition – to an incredible response from the military community.
Now many of the entries can be read by all.
The shared reading charity invited children and teens of all ages – as well as adults – to submit a piece of writing in any format into the competition. Reading Force were bowled over by the quality of the entries and the creative spirit displayed. Children as young as five, military spouses, serving personnel, and veterans picked up their pens and entered work, including poems, diary entries, personal reflections, and fiction.
The anthology unites the broad range of entrants and perspectives on military life, celebrating the highs and lows of what it means to be part of the Forces community, and the immense creative talent within it. Winners from each age category are in the anthology, alongside entries that were highly commended, totalling 50 pieces of writing.
Also included are comments from the award-winning authors who were judges for the competition, Meg Rosoff, Vivian French, Tom Palmer, and Amanda Prowse. BFPS Radio Presenter Mark McKenzie was also a judge:
“I read the first story, it was exceptional, it had me close to tears (OK I was actually crying but don’t tell anyone). It was going to be the winner, easy…then I read the next one and realised that I was wrong, far from easy. Writers, well done and thank you! I hope you enjoyed writing your words as much as I, and I’m sure everyone else, enjoyed reading them.”
Mark McKenzie
Every published entrant has received two copies of the anthology along with their prize. Copies are available to the military community and Reading Force suggest a donation is made towards costs. To obtain a copy of the anthology please email hattie@readingforce.org.uk
Reading Force will be sharing the entries throughout April, the Month of the Military Child, on their Facebook page and blog page.
Reading Force would like to thank and acknowledge the generous sponsors who made this competition possible and supported the endeavour: Bolt Burdon Kemp and Hachette Children’s Books.
