The Friends of the Turnbull Library (FoTL) have announced a creative writing competition open to all secondary school students in New Zealand and the South Pacific.

The aim is to celebrate the centenary of Alexander Turnbull and his remarkable legacy.

Entry is free and comes with more than $2,000 in prize money.

Students need to produce a piece of creative writing where they personally respond to, or interpret, an item in the collections of the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Submissions can be prose, poetry, or a combination of text and illustrations such as a cartoon strip or graphic story.

Entry details:

For Years 9–10, the word limit is 250 words, or up to 3 A4 pages if including illustrations. The winner will receive $500, the runner-up $200. The winner’s school library also receives a $150 book token.

For Years 11–13, the word limit is 500 words, or up to 6 A4 pages if including illustrations. The winner receives $1000, the runner-up $300. The winner’s school library also receives a $150 book token.

Entries must be received no later than 5pm 22 July 2018.

For more details and an entry form, visit the FoTL website.