Victoria Collins MP Launches World Book Day Competition

Victoria Collins, Liberal Democrat MP for Harpenden & Berkhamsted, has launched a competition for World Book Day open to students in Year 5 and 6 across the constituency.

Victoria is asking pupils to write a short story about the environment, with hopes that the competition will encourage young people to tap into their creativity, highlight the importance of looking after our planet, and celebrate the joy of storytelling.

This year, World Book Day is taking place on Thursday 6 March. Research shows that reading for fun is the single biggest indicator that a child will grow up to enjoy a happier and more successful life. That’s why World Book Day is so important in promoting reading for pleasure, and offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.

The competition, which closes at 5pm on Sunday 9 March, asks pupils to use their imagination to write a short story of no more than one side of A4. The only prompt is that the story be centred around the theme of the environment.

The winner of the competition will receive a copy of the award-winning The Last Bear by Hannah Gold (who grew up and attended school in Tring), a certificate and a surprise gift from Parliament.

On announcing the competition, Victoria Collins, MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted said: ‘I’m thrilled to announce my short story competition for World Book Day 2025! It is so important for children to enjoy reading for pleasure, and I hope this encourages young people across Harpenden & Berkhamsted to think creatively about how we can protect our environment. I can’t wait to read what students come up with – good luck!’

Parents and carers can upload their child’s entry here: https://forms.gle/3u3riRiavxfLUKbh7