If you or your teenager are enthusiastic about writing and are full of refreshing ideas that you think would make for a fascinating read, then this is the prefect opportunity to get your ideas seen and heard.
Parenting on Female First
The Big Idea Competition is on the hunt for the nation’s next big story idea for children.
Britain has created some of the greatest children’s stories in history; from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
The Big Idea Competition is looking for six winning story ideas. The judges include Tess Daly, Neil Blair, Barry Cunningham OBE, Debra Hayward, Sonia Friedman and Philip Ardagh. The winners will each receive £1000 plus the chance to see their idea come to life, with one overall winner offered a publishing contract and the promise of their idea being nurtured, developed and written by a well-known author.
To encourage people to get inspired and come up with their own story idea, The Big Idea has compiled a list of the top holiday destinations in the UK, which inspired some of the best literary classics loved by children worldwide.
Yorkshire
Nicknamed "God's Own County", Yorkshire has provided the setting of many classic stories, including The Railway Children and The Secret Garden, the moors beautifully described by Frances Hodgson Burnett as “miles and miles of wild land that nothing grows on but heather and gorse and broom, and nothing lives on but wild ponies and sheep”.
Oxford
Oxford has been home to many literary geniuses, why not soak up the atmosphere at The Eagle and Child pub, the meeting point for the Inklings writers group that included JRR Tolkien and C.S.Lewis. Then row up the River Isis like Lewis Carroll, who on one trip began threading the story of a bored girl named Alice looking for adventure. Lyra’s Oxford as described by Philip Pullman in Northern Lights is a place to inspire anyone.
London
London has inspired countless authors throughout history, the city providing a backdrop for a host of classic children’s novels. Fly a kite in the park like Mary Poppins, or shop for a new bear that will inspire a beloved character like Michael Bond.
Scotland
It is the dream of every child to receive their letter to Hogwarts, so why not visit the locations that have inspired millions of young minds, or head to Edinburgh and sit in the same spot in The Elephant House as JK Rowling created Harry. Cressida Cowell has revealed that holidaying on an uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland as a child lead to the fantastic world created in ‘How to Train Your Dragon” – why not do the same!?
Lake District
An undoubtedly beautiful location for any story, it was in the Lake District that Beatrix Potter developed characters like Peter Rabbit, based on her love of the local wildlife. Or take inspiration from the vast stretches of water, and start your own adventures out on boat, like the Walkers and the Blacketts in Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons.
Wales
Travel to Wales and signs of Welsh mythology are all around you. Books like The Owl Service and Howl’s Moving Castle have captured the imagination of children around the world, the backdrop of the valleys inspiring minds everywhere! Dylan Thomas’ descriptions in ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’; “when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the colour of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills, when we sang and wallowed all night and day in caves that smelt like Sunday afternoons in damp front farmhouse parlours” is enough to inspire nostalgia for Christmases past and longing for the Welsh countryside in any audience.
Sussex
Who hasn’t dreamed of visiting the Hundred Acre Wood? A.A.Milne based Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh’s adventures in Ashdown Forest – a great place for walking and enjoying the spectacular views over the Sussex countryside.
Cornwall
If fighting pirates and hunting for treasure is more your idea of a good adventure, why not venture to Cornwall, where the Admiral Benbow in Penzance claims to be the inspiration for the famous inn from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.
Devon
Head to Devon to visit the Parsonage Farm, which inspired Michael Morpurgo’s masterpiece War Horse. They have recently opened a museum at the site where you can learn about World War One and how the horses were used. Follow this with an adventure across the Devonshire Moors, an area which has thrilled children for years as they read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Barkervilles, or a trip to the beautiful village of Clovelly, which was an inspiration for Charles Kingsley’s The Water Babies.
Hampshire
Watership Down is a hill in the Hampshire countryside, best known for Richard Adam’s famous novel - It is said that Richard was inspired by the rabbits on the hills as he drove his daughters on long journeys. Now it is a popular cycling area, so why not take an active trip and see if a big idea hits you.
The overall winner of The Big Idea Competition’s publishing contract will be in line with industry standards, with a shared royalty on every copy sold. The six winners could additionally see their idea work across a variety of media platforms, including film, TV, gaming, websites, apps and stage, with a commensurate royalty share.
Competition closing date: 2nd September 2014
For more information and to download an entry form visit www.thebigideacompetition.co.uk