The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition 2026

The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition 2026 is now open for submissions. The theme for this year’s competition is Common Ground: Better Together!  

​The Commonwealth is one of the world’s most diverse global communities, spanning continents, cultures, climates, and generations. From small island states to vast nations, its members differ in language, geography and lived experience. Yet across this diversity lies powerful common ground: shared values, shared challenges, and shared hopes for the Future.

The theme for the 2026 Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition, Common Ground: Better Together, invites young writers to explore what unites individuals and communities across the Commonwealth, and how collaboration and connection enable progress.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools, which has been proudly delivered by the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883.  The competition is completely free to enter and is open to all under 18s residing in or holding nationality of a Commonwealth country. All successful entrants will receive a certificate, and five regional winners from each region of the Commonwealth, including one overall winner, will be invited to come to London for a week of cultural and literary activities arranged by the Royal Commonwealth Society. The week culminates with an Award Ceremony at a Royal Palace, kindly hosted by Her Majesty The Queen.

Enter the competition by 30th April!

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