Write an animal story for the Mumsnet and Walker Books writing competition

[RachelMumsnet]

Do you secretly have a book inside you? Would you like to see it published?

Do you love making up stories for children? Why not enter this year's Mumsnet, Gransnet and Walker Books writing competition and see your story published in a beautifully illustrated gift book?

Last year we ran an incredibly successful writing competition to find 10 inspiring and original bedtime stories. Hundreds of people entered and the 10 winning stories were chosen by former Children's Laureate, Michael Rosen, and published in The Book of Bedtime Stories. The book was recently listed first in The Independent's top children's books for 2013, described as "beautifully produced ... could be a collector's item".

Mumsnet, Gransnet and Walker Books are now very excited to be launching the competition for its second year. This year, the theme will be animal stories. We want you to submit your stories before Monday 6 January. This year we have a judging panel - full details yet to be revealed but this will include previous Children's Laureate, Anthony Browne.

Find out how to enter this fabulous competition. For inspiration and to read winning stories, get your hands on a copy of The Mumsnet Book of Bedtime Stories.

@NotAFeminist

I'm curious, RachelMumsnet, how many entries did you receive for the first competition?!

There were around 350 entries for the first competition.

Do post if you have any further questions about the comp and we'll use this thread to post updates (about the judging panel etc.) Happy writing

The terms and conditions say only one entry per person.

Has that changed?

So when does rhyming prose become poetry, if that's not too philosophical a question?

Wow! 350! That is a lot of reading for you guys lol I'm excited to give this a go :D

This must have one of the highest proportion of deleted messages of any thread I've been on.

Lol, I know DeWe I'm so curious as to what was in the comments for them to be deleted!! o.O

They were just spam messages. All along the lines of:

My step-mother's cousin's neighbour's parrot earns $500 an hour removing elastic from old saggy knickers. You could join him too if you go to www.scammywebsite.com

haha thanks coppertop, the mystery is solved!

Hello
Great idea for a comp
Clause 8 and 9 on the terms and conditions - even if the story doesn't win, do you still own it once we enter it? i.e. you own copywrite and get all royalties if it is published?
Have I read this right?

Many thanks

Hi, I just wanted to check if I should have an email to let me know that my entry has been received? I am the type of person that frets about such things. Sorry!

I've wrote a small story but not sure it will be any good. Just hope they can picture it. Am also worried about the word count as it was only 371 words.

Read it was only one story per person on the terms and conditions.

number 6 on terms and conditions says one per person

That’s really great news! Hope this exciting competition will inculcate creativity in mom’s. I’m despirately waiting for the result to get top ten best stories inspiring the kids.

@Fletch049

number 6 on terms and conditions says one per person

We are sorry for the confusion here. You are allowed to send in more than one entry. We'll amend the Ts and Cs.