Exciting New Opportunity: The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition Reimagined
- Kate McNab
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Calling all young writers across the Commonwealth! The Royal Commonwealth Society is thrilled to announce a major evolution of its iconic youth initiative. Formerly known as the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, this globally celebrated programme now has a fresh new identity: The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition.
This exciting rebrand signals a broader, more inclusive approach to writing, embracing creativity in all forms. From essays to poetry, storytelling, and beyond, young people under 18 can now share their ideas, experiences, and imagination on a global stage.
A Competition for Every Corner of the Commonwealth
The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition has also redesigned its structure to encourage even wider participation. For the first time, winners will be celebrated not only globally but also regionally. Each of the Commonwealth’s five regions will have a dedicated winner, and drawn from those winners will be an overall competition winner. This ensures that exceptional young voices from every corner of the Commonwealth are recognised.
Whether you’re in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, or the Pacific, this is your chance to shine. The competition is open to all Commonwealth nationals or residents under 18, as well as participants in Hong Kong, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and certain non-Commonwealth countries through local RCS branches.
Creativity Meets Iconic Symbolism
The rebrand goes beyond the name. The competition’s new visual identity reflects its mission to unite young voices through creativity. The refreshed logo incorporates the Royal Commonwealth Society’s five brand colours, with a crown made of five pen nibs, symbolising both creativity and the Commonwealth’s five regions coming together in celebration of young writers.
Why Enter?
Since 2010, the competition has engaged over 278,000 young people from more than 5,700 schools, making it the world’s oldest international youth writing contest. Last year saw a record breaking number of entries, with over 53,000 entries!
Entering the Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition gives young writers a unique platform to:
Share their voice with a global audience
Join a community of creative peers across the Commonwealth
Gain recognition at both regional and international levels
Contribute to discussions on ideas and issues that matter
Key Dates
The competition opens for entries on 4th March 2026, giving young people a chance to prepare and submit their best work.
To keep up to date with all updates on the Competition, follow @RoyalCWSociety on X, Instagram, and Facebook.