2025 Scribblebibble writing competition results
Read the winning entries from our 2025 worldwide creative writing competition for children aged 7-18
2025 Scribblebibble Writing Competition Results
2025 Results
We’re delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Scribblebibble Writing Competition, celebrating the remarkable flair and literary talent of young writers from around the world.
This new annual contest, open to ages 7 to 18, attracted hundreds of entries submitted by parents, teachers, teaching assistants and tutors on behalf of young writers. Submissions came in from 18 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea, the UK, the US, and Vietnam.
Entrants were tasked with writing up to 500 words, in any genre or form, based on one of Scribblebibble’s prompts. Stories, poems and nonfiction pieces were judged by a panel of writers and educators, who were on the lookout for originality, imagination, use of language, and the ability to engage the chosen theme.
The 2025 competition drew an extraordinary range of writing topics. Entries included vivid descriptions of tropical places, the frozen north, fantastic lands and life inside a cell; tales woven with dark secrets and revealing phone calls; accounts of betrayal and mistrust; and even the startling rehabilitation of the big bad wolf. Students tackled themes of war, injustice, survival, and hope. There were poems about the state of the planet, the state of world politics, the state of social media, and the state of your school halls. Some writers delivered forceful arguments for and against homework, while others imagined a day in the life of a dejected marble. This remarkable diversity of ideas and voices truly brought the competition to life.
The 2025 Winning Entries
7-10 Age Group: “I See Scaly Dragons” (UK)
Taking top honours in the youngest category is “I See Scaly Dragons”, a wonderful poem from the UK created using the Tropical Paradise writing prompt. The judges praised its “vivid sensory detail and imaginative power.” One panellist added, “The writing is confident and instantly transports you to an another world.”
I See Scaly Dragons
I see scaly dragons soaring through the sky
11-13 Age Group: Everything that Almost Was (UK)
The winning entry for ages 11-13 – inspired by the Life in 150 seconds writing prompt, was also from the UK and stood out for its power and creativity. “This entry moved us with its powerful depiction of regret, longing, and the weight of choices left unmade”, noted the judges. “The writing is both raw and poetic, capturing the fragility of ordinary moments.”
Everything that Almost Was
It was an ordinary day on the construction site. This man – mid forties, calloused hands – had climbed the ladder maybe a million times before. This time, halfway up, the world tilted. Knees buckled, balance lost.
Dizzy.
Weightless.
As his body hit the ground, his vision blurred. You could say his life flashed before his eyes, but it wasn’t the life he recognised. Not really, not quite. It was everything that could have been.
The first image: sterile white rooms, soft with sunlight, surround a five-year-old boy who stares in wonder at the posters on the clinic’s walls. Human anatomy, “The magic of medicine,” they say. Fascination in young eyes is always pure, undiluted. If only he had spoken up, engaged with the doctors who noticed his curiosity – today? His path could have led to becoming a world-renowned diagnostic physician. Respected. Making a difference.
The room spun.
Filled with laughter and lights, a pulsing crowded room appears before him. To his right, a woman with a smile that could hush even the mightiest of storms. They’d locked eyes in a boring lecture once, but neither ever said a word. Never dared to. If only he had, they would’ve married seven years later. Three children; a home full of music and warmth. Who would have thought that interaction between tipsy sixteen-year-olds at a house party would lead to years of happiness? It’s better than being numb and alone.
Again, the world twisted.
This time: he’s twenty-six in his mother’s kitchen. She’d got his take-out order wrong – onions. It was always no onions, no matter the universe. Words flew. Too sharp. Too harsh. Keys in hand, she left to fix it. If only he had forgiven her, she wouldn’t have been in the car crash that took her life away from him.
For a final time, the world reeled.
This time, the man sees opportunities he hasn’t even been given a chance to take. Feeding ducks with trembling, wrinkled, liver-spotted hands that would, in thirty years from now, belong to him. A peaceful cottage with a pond that would belong to him. Because he had taken the savings to retire early, he was able to enjoy the bit of life he had left.
Finally, the man regained consciousness – and control. He dusted the dirt from his clothes, stumbled into the building’s bathroom, gripped the sink, heart racing, and stared at his reflection.
A five-year-old. A sixteen-year-old. A twenty-six-year-old. And then, a seventy-year-old man.
Each one stared back at him – flickering ghosts in a mirror. A haunting reminder of everything that could have been. Till they vanished.
All that remained was the man himself – dark circles under his eyes, tousled hair, an unshaven stubble. He met his own hollow brown gaze.
Everything that almost was.
Almost.
What a cruel word.
14-18 Age Group: “To the girl who will climb a mountain” (UK)
In the oldest age group, “To the girl who will climb a mountain”, inspired by the Letter to your 10 year old self writing prompt, was selected as the standout submission. “We were particularly impressed with the emotion, power, and hope in this sparkling piece of writing,” said the judges. “It’s uplifting and beautifully composed – a letter that encourages and inspires.”
To the girl who will climb a mountain,
Right now, life is amazing for you. You’re so excited to start senior school, to leap into the world and squeeze out every drop of delight.
Things are going to change around here; life gets tough, but you’re tougher. I know you cringe at those types of inspirational quotes, but I find a lot of hope in them.
In a few months, you’ll be diagnosed with a condition that catapults you oceans away from the life you have now. Don’t panic! It’s a little scary sometimes, but you learn how to love this messy, wonderful world. It’s chaotic and dizzyingly unpredictable, but beautiful.
You’re going to get a wheelchair with orange stripes, and you’ll laugh until you snort water out your nose when Dad faceplants into the mud trying to push you up Willow Hill. The boys will take a handle each and sprint along the seafront; you’ll soar with outstretched arms.
You’ll string fairy lights around your wheels, bringing smiles to strangers’ faces.
You won’t spend much time in school anymore; instead, you’ll grow up learning from someone who dedicates her life to standing by you. Mum gives up her dreams to help you chase yours. She plans lessons, marks papers, and frantically flicks through textbooks, but the most important lessons you learn aren’t found in a syllabus; she teaches you how to find humour where someone else might cry, how to dance without leaving your bed. Give her a hug from me.
This illness seeps into every crevice of your life and it doesn’t always leave much room. A few friends might be lost along the way, but it’s okay – new friends will come along: one who doesn’t try and brighten your world when everything is grey, but brings an umbrella and sits with you in the rain; one who will burst into your life with a grin and make you laugh on days you didn’t think you’d manage a smile.
You change a lot, but the fire inside you is never extinguished. It’s blazing and it burns brighter every day. Some days you leap into battle with a roar and other days you can’t. But the people around you will hold you steady. They’ll fight through wars to protect you. They’re next to you, filling you with enough love to illuminate every corner.
So keep on laughing, keep on dreaming, and remember that you’ll be okay. Actually, you’ll be better than okay – you’ll be incredible.
Love,
The girl who’s reached the view.
A Truly Global Debut
The international scope of the competition was clear, with entries arriving from across five continents. “It was wonderful to see so many voices, perspectives, and cultures represented in one competition,” said the Scribblebibble panel. “The range of topics, characters, and settings made judging both a challenge and a joy.”
Honouring Every Writer
While only three written entries could be selected as overall winners, several entries were highly commended, and every participant received a certificate to mark their achievement. Parents and schools are encouraged to celebrate locally in line with their school’s privacy and data protection requirements.
“Entering a writing competition takes courage at any age,” said a judge. “We hope every young writer will continue to dream, imagine, and share their words with the world.”
Looking Ahead
Scribblebibble has confirmed that the writing competition will return as an annual event. Entries for the 2026 competition will open on February 1st. For more information, contact the Scribblebibble team.
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