JERSEY Post is encouraging youngsters aged five to eleven to hand-write a letter to an imaginary recipient in ‘Once Upon a Letter’, where participants can write to anything from a dragon, to a best friend from the future, or a pet.
Young Islanders are being challenged to pen an imaginative letter that tells a story in 500 words or less.
The winners will be selected by a panel of judges, chaired by local author Penny Byrne, who will be joined by Nicola Mackereth from the children’s charity Every Child Our Future, and representatives from Jersey Post.
The company said the judges will be marking creativity, plot, and originality. Spelling and grammar will not be taken into account.
Entries will be judged in age-group categories: five to six-year-olds, seven to nine-year-olds, and ten to eleven-year-olds. The winner in each category will receive a writing bundle.
The deadline for entries is Friday 31 October at 5pm. Children must have permission from a parent or guardian to enter.
Entry forms can be downloaded via the Jersey Post website or collected at any island post office or Jersey Library.
Dedicated ‘Once Upon a Letter’ post boxes are also located at Broad Street, Rue des Prés, and the library for entries to be posted into. Entries can also be posted free of charge at any post box in Jersey until the deadline.
Chief executive of the company, Mark Siviter, said the aim of the contest is to encourage children who have been born into a digital age to “put pen to paper and make more meaningful connections”.
Author and judge Ms Byrne added that the creative writing competition will help children build confidence in communication and expression.
“As a child, I loved letter writing; I wrote letters to pen pals around the world,” she said.
“Hopefully [the competition] will be huge fun for those entering—children can just let their imaginations run wild.”
“I can’t wait to read everyone’s entries.”
To enter or find out more about the ‘Once Upon a Letter’ competition, visit www.jerseypost.com/write
