CompetitionsJunior Writers Bootcamp
● Submissions Open
Bootcamp · 2026

Junior Writers Bootcamp

Theme: "My Nigeria, My Story"

Nigeria's biggest writing competition for secondary school students – write, compete, earn real money and get discovered.

Submissions close in

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1,247 entries
Top prize: ₦500K

How It Works

1

Submissions Open

Enter your work during the submission window

2

Community Review

Readers vote for their favourite entries (30% weight)

3

Panel Judging

Published Nigerian authors judge quality and theme fit (70% weight)

4

Winners Announced

Top 25 authors revealed and prizes credited

Prize Table

Top 25 authors win cash prizes credited to their PenEarn wallet. All winners also receive a Featured Author badge and 1 year free Premium.

PositionCash PrizeWallet Credits
1st500,0003.7 Sapphires
2nd200,00014.81 Rubies
3rd120,0008.89 Rubies
4th80,0005.93 Rubies
5th50,0003.7 Rubies
6th–10th30,00022.22 Gold Coins each
11th–25th18,00013.33 Gold Coins each

Gold Coins = ₦1,350/ea · Rubies = ₦13,500/ea · Sapphires = ₦135,000/ea

Rules & Eligibility

Open to students in Senior Secondary School (SS1–SS3) only.
Minimum of 5 chapters submitted. Maximum 50,000 words total.
All work must be original — no plagiarism.
Entries must be uploaded to your PenEarn profile during the submission window.
One entry per author. Genre is open (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc.).
Authors must agree to PenEarn's competition terms before submitting.
Winners will be announced on October 15, 2026.

Judging Criteria

Entries are judged on a 70/30 split between a panel of published Nigerian authors and community reader votes.

Panel Judges

70%

Published Nigerian authors assess writing quality, originality, theme relevance, and commercial potential.

Reader Votes

30%

PenEarn readers vote for their favourite entries once per day. Engagement and readership directly impact your score.

Originality & Creativity
Language & Style
Story Structure
Theme Relevance
Reader Engagement

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to write your Nigeria story?

Join 1,247 writers competing for ₦1.3M+ in prizes and national recognition.