Write Your Own Historical Fiction competition winners 2025

Take time, a place and a character or two, and you can create some of the most exciting stories ever told – and by telling a story you unleash a desire to seek knowledge, to entertain, to inform and to enrich the lives of others. Storytelling is one of the oldest traditions of humankind and has always been a vehicle for communicating the experiences of communities of the past. Which is why we enjoy promoting and recognising those skills from an early age.

That is why every year we hold the Young Historical Fiction competition. The competition allows children from primary age to mid-teens to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of history in a creative way. There is even an award for best character as well as the overall winners – that is how much we believe in a creative love of storytelling in the historical fiction tradition.

This year the stories we received continued to meet our now expected high standard. The stories ranged across the millennia: from Ancient Greece and Rome; to tales of Anglo-Saxon battles and the Norman Conquest; through the gory details of the Black Death; via the Tudors; caught up by witch conspiracies; into the industrial ages; peering into the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; tackling injustice; and reporting on the agony of war and conflict in the twentieth century. That meant lots of great stories to read with an abundance of breadth and imagery, but it also meant it was a really hard job for the judges who had to select the winners. So it was helpful that we have a guest judge each year who is a professional fiction author to help make some of the final hard decisions!

After much note taking, the occasional fact checking and the frequent pause to take breath at the incredible range of knowledge and talent that our entries represented, decisions were finally made. All the winning entries are available to download and read via the links at the bottom of this page.

We are delighted to announce that the winners for 2025 are:

Primary

• Rineya Surendran, Wings of Hope – Newbury Park Primary school, Ilford
• Nina Litwa, Spartacus – The Free School, Norwich
• Haaniya Khan, The Hidden Truth – Finton House, Surrey

Secondary

• Johnny Nguyen, What kept me from having those luxuries? – Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School,
• Annabel Convy, Villain – Haybridge High School and Sixth Form, Hagley
• Avika Yadav, A few minutes before... – The Peterborough School, Cambridgeshire

Character

• Ella Kitton, The Celtic Rebellion – Tadcaster Grammar School, West Yorkshire
• Artemy Poliakov, For my family and friends – The British School, Tokyo
• Morgan Addman, Death is upon us all – Brooklands School, Leighton Buzzard

Young Quills Shortlisted author Matthew Wainwright was the head judge and described the winners as:

Primary

Wings of Hope by Rineya Surendran of Newbury Park Primary School

"A charming and inspiring story about the bravery of British carrier pigeons during the Second World War, packed with historical detail - I especially loved the fact that it included pigeons being at risk from enemy birds of prey (they were also at risk of 'friendly fire' from British falcons!). There were clear and engaging stakes, and I was rooting for Wing Commander Percy the whole way through!"

Spartacus by Nina Litwa of The Free School Norwich

"This story picked me up and slammed me down into the sand of a gladiatorial arena. I could taste the dust and feel the heat, as well as the fear and determination of Spartacus as he searches for a way to escape his sudden slavery and imprisonment. Good historical fiction brings the past to life - this story sent a lightning bolt through it."

The Hidden Truth by Haaniya Khan of Finton House

"Great historical fiction manages to teach you about something you didn't know before, through the eyes of characters you can relate to. Through the eyes of Halima I learned about Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire, in a story that had a clear arc for the main character and a pleasing thread of mystery that was resolved in a very satisfying way by the end. A very confident and competent storyteller."

Secondary

What kept me from having those luxuries? by Johnny Nguyen of Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School

"A reflective and mature meditation on the long-term effects of war, which helps the reader to appreciate the connection between a historical period and the present day. Very informative and clearly well-researched, and the style was unique amongst the other entries."

Villain by Annabel Convy of Haybridge High School and Sixth Form

"A challenging story, which raises the question of how 'human' we allow ourselves to think of such people. However, the very last line of the story brings it home: no soldier ever thought the problem was something they did. A complex and unsettling story, and one that, above all, makes you think about and engage with history."

A few minutes before... by Avika Yadav of The Peterborough School

"I was overwhelmed by the power of this story. The separate but interconnected narratives built on each other to stunning effect, and the prose was lyrical and confidently constructed, showing a clear command of language. The story brought home the horror of nuclear weapons with sharp and immediate clarity. One to watch."

Character

The Celtic Rebellion by Ella Kitton of Tadcaster Grammar School

"The central character of Iona was a likeable, relatable character with a real sense of an inner life. The period details added to her character rather than seeming tagged on. Her arc was simple and clear, and had me rooting for her up to the end"

For my family and friends by Artemy Poliakov of British School in Tokyo

"The central character is very strong psychological portrait of a person caught in a dramatic event from recent history. This story illustrates two things: history is constantly being made (it's not just the distant past), and history is about human experience. History is history because of the impact it has on people."

Death is upon us all by Morgan Addman of Brooklands School

"An immediate and immersive description of one boy's response to an air-raid leads to a gripping story. This character led tale accurately captures a range of emotions, from confusion to fear to desperation to acceptance."

If you would like your students or school to enter the Historical Fiction Competition 2026, it will be launched in December.