Welsh-language Writing Competition 2026
Aled Hughes’ BBC Radio Cymru programme hosts a competition for pupils in Welsh primary and secondary schools.
We call on pupils to write a story in Welsh of no more than 500 words starting with one of the paragraphs below.
There are three categories –
Years 2, 3 and 4 (primary)
Years 5 and 6 (primary)
Years 7, 8 and 9 (secondary)
The competition was officially be launched on the Aled Hughes programme on 13 January 2026.
The Adjudicators of the categories will be Ani Llŷn (secondary) a Siôn Tomos Owen (primary).
Applications will be judged based on the following criteria:
- originality
- plot
- characterisation
- Language
- enjoyment
The competition will close at 5pm on Tuesday 5 March 2026.
Please note that the winners will be announced on the Aled Hughes programme on 28 April 2026. The winners themselves will receive a gift from the Book Council of Wales, along with an author visit to the school.
To enter, the pupil must send their short stories through the school (along with an application form found on the Radio Cymru website – Sgwennu Stori Aled Hughes 2026) to Radio Cymru by the deadline.
The address is:
Sgwennu Stori Aled Hughes
BBC Radio Cymru
Bryn Meirion
Bangor
LL57 2BY
Please state clearly the pupil’s pseudonym, category, and school name at the top of each story. The school will need to keep a list of the pupils’ names and matching pseudonyms.
Make sure that you have read the terms, the privacy notice, and the privacy notice for young people before competing.
For more information contact the Aled Hughes programme on aled@bbc.co.uk
GOOD LUCK!
