This year, we received almost 900 adventure stories from young writers across the globe. Over the last couple of months, our team of reviewers have embarked on a literary odyssey as they immersed themselves in the enchanting worlds woven by these aspiring writers, and today we are proud to unveil the shortlisted and commended authors.

These remarkable writers have taken us on extraordinary journeys. We have come face-to-face with bears, spied on enemy territory and had a cup of tea with the Grim Reaper. We've escaped from prison, a forest fire and even travelled into space. Our ten-strong shortlist truly represents the power and breadth of the adventure writing genre.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the talented writers who entered the 2023 Author of Tomorrow Award and to our incredible team of reviewers, we'd like to say a huge thank you for volunteering your time. 

11 and Under | Up to 500 words: 

12-15 years | 1500-5000 words:

16-21 years | 1500-5000 words:

You can read more about the writers here. 

Our shortlisted authors will be working with a professional editor over the summer, before having their work published. These ten stories will be read by our young judging panel who are responsible for deciding the final winner of each category, to be announced at our Awards Ceremony on 18th October 2023.

Commended Entries:

Eighty further submissions are awarded a commendation, owing to the high quality of the entries. Each young writer will receive a certificate of commendation in October and feedback on their manuscripts over the summer months. The following were chosen for the writer's technical skill, the sense of place and the 'unputdownability' of the finished story: 

To everyone who entered, we'd like to thank you for your participation. One of our reviewers, an author herself, said, "I was blown away by the depth of imagination every entry showed. Finishing a short story is an incredible achievement on its own, and every entrant should be incredibly proud of themselves. 

It is often said that creative writing is a muscle, and the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes. And that is often said because it is true! Every word, sentence and story that you write makes you a better writer. The great thing about writing stories, creating characters and scenarios, is that nothing is ever wasted; those stories, characters and settings can appear again and again in other stories. So keep going!

From the stories that I have read, I am left very excited for the future of adventure writing. Every one of you has much to offer the world. Very well done!"

The winners of the Author of Tomorrow award will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 18th October 2023.