The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition

1. Eligibility

The competition is open to students who are 18 years or younger. The competition is open to nationals or residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories.

2. Prompts

Sport & Community

• With the Commonwealth Games returning to Glasgow in 2026, write about how sport brings people together across communities, cultures, or generations.

• You move to a new place and join a sports team or volunteer group to meet new people. What happens next, who do you meet, and what common ground do you share?

Culture: Food, Music & Hobbies

• Someone from another Commonwealth country knocks on your door. They ask you to share one food or song that represents where you come from. What do you choose, how do you share it, and what happens between you?
• Write about a hobby, creative interest, or passion of your own. How does it connect you to other people, either locally or across the Commonwealth.

Protecting the Environment & Our Natural World

• Think of a place in nature that is important to your community. Write about why it matters to people and how caring for it together helps create common ground.
• From plastic clean-ups to tree planting, people all over the Commonwealth are working for the common good of our natural environment. Imagine a time where sustainable choices shape every part of daily life. Describe a day in this world.

Shared Identity, Responsibility & Common Ground

• One night, students from all Commonwealth countries find themselves trapped inside an enormous library. The books will only let them leave if they create a new Commonwealth Charter. What would this charter say, and how would it help countries work together in the future?
• Write about a time, either real or imagined, when you realised you had far more in common with another living being (could be human, animal, plant) than you previously thought.

Language, Human Connection & Understanding

• Across the Commonwealth, recent advances in digital technology have created new opportunities for connection, while also highlighting what remains uniquely human. What can people contribute that technology can never replace, and why is human connection still vital within diverse Commonwealth communities?
• Within the Commonwealth, shared languages exist alongside and intermingled with many other national languages and local dialects. How does shared language create connection while still allowing space for difference and creativity?

3. Theme

Common Ground: Better Together. The theme encourages young writers to explore what connects people across the Commonwealth and how cooperation, understanding, and shared goals can help communities move forward.

4. Scholarships and Prizes

The competition awards a regional winner from each Commonwealth region (The Americas, The Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Europe), with one overall winner selected from those five.

Regional winners are invited to London for cultural and educational events, while other participants receive certificates.