The 2025 Pen to Print writing competition winners were announced on Thursday 24 July 2025 at Barking Learning Centre.
All of the winners received a trophy and a tablet PC. The winner of the Audio Play competition will get their play fully produced & recorded by our partner Alternative Stories and we will make that available when it is ready.
The Book Challenger shortlisted authors will each have their novel published and have been gifted free copies of their book in 2026 so they are all winners already! You can buy all but one book now, we hope to have the winning book released soon.
New for 2025 was The first Pen to Print Adventurous Voices Competition in conjunction with Oddizzi and The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation where we were looking for writing that combines adventure and environmental themes, which we are hoping to expand on in 2026.
This year we have also included some audio recordings provided by Alternative Stories, played at our Awards.
The Book Challenge 2025/26 Shortlist
The Shortlisted Authors for 2025/26
The Revenge Pact
by
Yana Yanović
Misery Loves Company
by
Gulnaz Abdullah
Vigilantes Anonymous
by
Nick Burdett
The Fisherman’s Daughter
by
Lee James Broadwood
Elderwood
by
Ruth Frendo
Pen to Print Speech and Drama Festival 2025
Poem Winner and
Overall Speech & Drama Festival Winner
A Walk in The Woods
by
Liyana Abhram
Monologue Winner
News from France
by
Julian Walker
The Michael Feld Writing Competition for Young People 2025
Key Stage 3 Winner
and
Overall Winner of the Michael Feld Memorial Salver
Chaos
by
Lurmaya Mathews
Key Stage 2 Winner
Rumble and Grumble
by
Sanjana Arunkumar
The Pen to Print Short Story Competition 2025
Winner
Mouse
by
Lianne Warr
Runner-Up
Stranger On A Train
by
Julian Walker
Runner-Up
The One
by
Sarah Weise
The Pen to Print Poetry Competition 2025
Winner
When the Streetlights Blinked to Life
by
Gillian Davies
Runner-Up
FROM A(sk) TO Z(en)
by
Lucia Morciano
Runner-Up
Threads
by
Elaine Gardner
The Pen to Print Audio Play Competition 2025 in Association with Alternative Stories
Winner
The Angry House
by
Thomas Wrightson
The Pen to Print Adventurous Voices in Association with Oddizzi and The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation
Primary Winner
Elara and the Enchanted Rainforest!
by
Daisy Higgins
Primary Runner up
Who Said That?
by
David Virlan
Primary Runner up
Welcome to the Rainforest – I’ve Been Waiting for You
by
Aaliyah Ahmed
Secondary Winner
Who Am I?
by
Musfira Sharif
Adult Winner
Off The Beaten Path
by
Patrick Blosse
Adult Runner up
The Green Veil
by
Anna Ziolkowska
Adult Runner up
Forest Flaw
by
Elaine Waterhouse
Adult Runner up
The Advertisement
by
Karan Sanghera
The Pen to Print Barking and Dagenham Staff Competition 2025
Winner
Seasons of Life
by
Mazeda Bellevue
Runner up
Echoes of Gaza
by
Samiul Kayes