Young Country Diary Writers Sought for Latest Issue
The Guardian is now accepting submissions from children aged 8-14 to write about their recent encounters with nature. The Young Country Diary series, which runs every three months, aims to inspire a love of the natural world in young people and encourage them to develop their writing skills.
To get involved, simply step out into nature – whether it's your local woods, beach, or garden – and observe what you see, hear, smell, touch, and feel. Take notes as you go and think about how you can describe what happened in 200-250 words.
As a parent or guardian, you'll need to complete the submission form on behalf of your child. The deadline for winter submissions is noon on Monday, February 2nd, and four successful entries will be published in the newspaper and online – two in January and two in February.
If you're struggling to get started, here are a few tips from experienced YCD writers: pay attention to your senses, note down any interesting details, and think about how your encounter with nature has made you feel.
Recent winners of the Young Country Diary series have shared their stories, including an 11-year-old who discovered a fairytale fungus and an eight-year-old who spotted a rare bird. This is your chance to share your own nature-inspired writing with the world – don't miss out!
To get started, simply complete the submission form by Sunday, February 2nd, at 10pm. The Guardian will then contact you as the parent or guardian of the successful entrant and pay them on their behalf.
Good luck, and we look forward to reading your child's nature-inspired writing!
The Guardian is now accepting submissions from children aged 8-14 to write about their recent encounters with nature. The Young Country Diary series, which runs every three months, aims to inspire a love of the natural world in young people and encourage them to develop their writing skills.
To get involved, simply step out into nature – whether it's your local woods, beach, or garden – and observe what you see, hear, smell, touch, and feel. Take notes as you go and think about how you can describe what happened in 200-250 words.
As a parent or guardian, you'll need to complete the submission form on behalf of your child. The deadline for winter submissions is noon on Monday, February 2nd, and four successful entries will be published in the newspaper and online – two in January and two in February.
If you're struggling to get started, here are a few tips from experienced YCD writers: pay attention to your senses, note down any interesting details, and think about how your encounter with nature has made you feel.
Recent winners of the Young Country Diary series have shared their stories, including an 11-year-old who discovered a fairytale fungus and an eight-year-old who spotted a rare bird. This is your chance to share your own nature-inspired writing with the world – don't miss out!
To get started, simply complete the submission form by Sunday, February 2nd, at 10pm. The Guardian will then contact you as the parent or guardian of the successful entrant and pay them on their behalf.
Good luck, and we look forward to reading your child's nature-inspired writing!
It's great that The Guardian is doing this but come on, 200-250 words? That's like trying to write a novel in one sitting! Give the kids some space and let them run with it. And what's with the deadline? Can't we just enjoy the process of writing without the pressure of a specific date? 
It's like, the perfect way for them to express themselves and develop their writing skills at the same time. And who knows, maybe one of our young diarists will discover something new and exciting that'll inspire others too! 
Like, can you imagine reading about a rare bird sighting or a magical fungus discovery? Mind blown, right?! 
Anyway, I'm super excited to see what all the kids come up with this winter. Good luck to everyone who submits their entries! 
can you imagine getting published in the guardian?!
I'm all for encouraging kids to get out there and appreciate Mother Nature, but let's not pretend like this is just a feel-good exercise. This is an opportunity for the government to show some support for STEM education and getting kids outdoors in a meaningful way. The fact that we need to rely on private publications like The Guardian to make it happen is a bit of a red flag.
, getting kids to write about their time in nature is such a great way to encourage them to appreciate the world around us. My niece did something similar last summer and wrote an amazing story about the bees she met in her garden, it was so well done! 
! It's amazing that The Guardian is encouraging kids to get outside and explore the natural world. I think it's so important for our young people to develop a love of nature and learn about the importance of conservation. The fact that they're offering tips from experienced writers to help them get started is brilliant 
.
so yeah, i know what you're thinking... how is she doing this? but seriously, it's been ages since i've written something that doesn't involve my cat or last night's pizza 
. anyway, i did notice these gorgeous wildflowers and the sound of the river was literally soothing my soul 
. fingers crossed we make the cut!!! 
- encouraging kids to get out into nature and express themselves through writing. its like, the more we can inspire young minds to appreciate the world around them, the better off were gonna be 
. My journal entry was all about how amazed I was by its agility! Nowadays, kids are so glued to their screens, this is just what they need – some fresh air and a chance to express themselves.
can't just put it off till next month! 
according to stats from last year's YCD series, 75% of submissions were made within a week of the submission period... so maybe they should extend the deadline? 
), go for it! Maybe you'll discover some hidden talent. But I'm not holding my breath...
.
anyway, definitely gonna check it out with my kiddo and see if they can submit something! 
. writing about their experiences can be a wonderful way for them to process what they've seen, heard, and felt in nature 
. let's get those kids outside and inspired by nature! 
! Can't wait to see what some of these young writers come up with