Budding writers have until July 5 to enter our story competition for a chance to be included in a special keepsake magazine.
Children, young people and adults across the region are being invited to unleash their imaginations and take part in the Born & Read in Suffolk creative writing competition.
Entrants in the four age categories are challenged to create their own ending to a story that has already begun.
The beginning of the story has been expanded for each age category, building on the narrative to create a starting point from which the story can be taken in endless directions.
One hundred of the most inventive, exciting and original entries will be chosen by our panel of judges from the University of Suffolk, and published in a special keepsake magazine: The Story with 100 Endings.
“This is such a fantastic opportunity to share your creativity with others,” said Amanda Hodgkinson from University of Suffolk.
“The judges at the University of Suffolk are looking for memorable tales that stay with the reader long after reading. Good luck!”
The Born & Read in Suffolk campaign celebrates 2026 as the Year of Reading, championing creativity and a lifelong love of books for readers of all ages.
The deadline for entries is midnight on Sunday, July 5, 2026. All entries must be submitted online, where you can also find all the entry details, word counts, terms and conditions.
How the story starts...
Age 5-10
Sam had read almost every book in the library. One day, Sam found a dusty old book at the back of the tallest shelf. It looked like it had never been opened.
When Sam lifted the cover, something strange slipped out from between its pages and began to move.
Age 11-15
Sam had read almost every book in the library. One day, Sam found a dusty old book at the back of the tallest shelf. It looked like it had never been opened.
When Sam lifted the cover, something strange slipped out from between its pages and began to move.
It darted across the floor and disappeared between the shelves, leaving behind a colourful trail of smudged ink.
Wherever it brushed the spines of other books, the pages inside flickered and rippled.
Sam ran after it, knocking books to the floor as it disappeared deeper into the library. Where was it going?
Age 16-18
Sam had read almost every book in the library. One day, Sam found a dusty old book at the back of the tallest shelf. It looked like it had never been opened.
When Sam lifted the cover, something strange slipped out from between its pages and began to move.
It darted across the floor and disappeared between the shelves, leaving behind a colourful trail of smudged ink.
Wherever it brushed the spines of other books, the pages inside flickered and rippled.
Sam ran after it, knocking books to the floor as it disappeared deeper into the library. Where was it going?
Just as Sam caught up, it stopped beside a great leather-bound volume lying open on the ground. It folded itself into the pages – and vanished.
Sam reached out to touch the book and felt something pull. With one foot already dissolving into the paper, Sam wondered what kind of world was about to appear.
Age 19+
Sam had read almost every book in the library. One day, Sam found a dusty old book at the back of the tallest shelf. It looked like it had never been opened.
When Sam lifted the cover, something strange slipped out from between its pages and began to move.
It darted across the floor and disappeared between the shelves, leaving behind a colourful trail of smudged ink.
Wherever it brushed the spines of other books, the pages inside flickered and rippled.
Sam ran after it, knocking books to the floor as it disappeared deeper into the library. Where was it going?
Just as Sam caught up, it stopped beside a great leather-bound volume lying open on the ground. It folded itself into the pages – and vanished.
Sam reached out to touch the book and felt something pull. With one foot already dissolving into the paper, Sam wondered what kind of world was about to appear.
The library had always seemed a place of quiet order, yet it held thousands of alternate universes between its walls: histories, mythologies, futures. Maps from civilisations that no longer existed. Technologies from alien empires. Visions from forbidden dreamscapes.
Sam had always known these worlds as pictures in the mind, as the private experience of a story coming alive behind the eyes.
Words on the page were inert until a reader opened the book; only then did those lost worlds come back to life – but always inside the imagination, always at a safe distance.
Something had changed. Sam looked down at the foot melting into the page and felt the boundary giving way.
Now it’s over to you to tell us how the story ends...
This story is published as part of Born & Read in Suffolk, a year-long initiative highlighting the importance of reading and writing, delivered in partnership with the National Centre for Writing and Suffolk Community Libraries, headline sponsor Sizewell C and sponsor Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority, and supported by Ipswich Town Football Club.
Follow the campaign throughout the year in our coverage and on social media using #BornAndRead2026 or get in touch at readingmatters@newsquest.co.uk
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