2020 marks the 20^th anniversary of Stormbreaker, the first mission in Anthony Horowitz’s bestselling Alex Rider series. To celebrate, we’re inviting you to  enter our Alex Rider short story competition, now with an extended entry date until Friday 24th July 2020.

This competition was originally open to schools only, but in the current circumstances we have changed our Terms & Conditions. Please read them carefully. Entries to this competition may now be submitted on behalf of a child aged between 8 – 11 years at the time of entry who is resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland by the child’s parent/carer or the child’s teacher or school.

The prizes

The winner’s school will get the winner’s story appearing on the Alex Rider website, as well as receiving ten signed copies of the brand new mission in the Alex Rider series, Nightshade, out April 2020, and a class set of Alex Rider secret message pens, bookmarks and stickers!

Five runner-up schools will each receive a signed copy of Nightshade, plus a class set of Alex Rider secret message pens, bookmarks and stickers.

Please note that prizes will be fulfilled in September 2020 when we hope to have returned to the Walker Books offices.

Your story

For your chance to win, please submit your child or class’s short stories here! We’re looking for a short story packed with action, adrenaline and adventure, inspired by Alex Rider’s adventures. Check out the Alex Rider School Resource Pack for creative writing inspiration.

To help your child/pupils, we’ve provided the first line from Stormbreaker as a story starter for each short story. Stories should be a maximum of 500 words. You can submit individual or class entries in the form below, please ensure each story is marked with the first name and age of the child/pupil!

Your story starter:

 “When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it’s never good news.” 

Closing date: 24/07/2020. Terms & Conditions apply. Entries to this competition may only be submitted on behalf of a child aged between 8 – 11 years at the time of entry who is resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland by the child’s teacher or school, or parent/carer.

This competition has now closed.

Alex Rider Short Story Competition Terms and Conditions

• This competition is promoted by Walker Books Ltd., a company incorporated in England under registered number 1378601 and having its registered office at 87 Vauxhall Walk, London, SE11 5HJ (the “Promoter”) and is not open to employees of the Promoter, their families and anyone else professionally connected to this competition

• Please ask your teacher, parent or carer to submit your competition entry for you and DO NOT submit your entry yourself

• Entries to this competition may only be submitted on behalf of a child aged between 8 – 11 years at the time of entry  who is resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland by the child’s teacher or school, or parent/carer

• You must follow the entry instructions given, providing all the information requested.

• Only one entry is permitted per child.

• The competition will run from Thursday 13^th February 2020 until Friday 24^th July 2020

• Closing date for entries is 6 p.m. on Friday 24^th July 2020

• Entries must be submitted via the Alex Rider website www.alexrider.com/story online entry form before the closing date.

• The competition entry must be a short story packed with action, adrenaline and adventure, inspired by Alex Rider’s adventures and using the story starter provided

• The entry must include the name and age of the entrant at the date of entry, the name of their school and an email address for the teacher/school/parent or carer who submits the entry.

• Entries containing invalid e-mail addresses will be automatically disqualified

• Entries received after the closing date for this competition as stated will not be considered

• No purchase necessary

• The prizes offered for this competition are non-transferable and there is no cash alternative; in the event a prize offered is unavailable a similar prize of greater or equal value will be substituted. Please note that prizes can only be fulfilled from September 2020 when we hope to return to the Walker Books offices

• There will be one main prize winner and five runner up prize winners selected from all qualifying and valid entries received by the closing date

• The judges will include Walker Books editorial, marketing and publicity staff and independent judge Jenny Baldwin from Shapes for Schools. They will be looking for a piece of engaging and exciting writing, packed with action, adventure and adrenaline, and inspired by Alex Rider’s adventures

• The winner’s school will get the winner’s story appearing on the Alex Rider website, as well as receiving ten signed copies of the brand new mission in the Alex Rider series, Nightshade, out April 2020, and a class set of Alex Rider secret message pens, bookmarks and stickers!

• Five runner-up schools will each receive a signed copy of Nightshade, plus a class set of Alex Rider secret message pens, bookmarks and stickers.

• The winners will be notified within 30 days after the closing date. Entries will not be returned

• The Promoter accepts no responsibility for entries that are late, lost, damaged, illegible or corrupted in transit

• The judges’  decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into

• The winners must claim their prize within 30 days of notification by the Promoter otherwise they will forfeit their prize

• By entering, all entrants grant the Promoter a worldwide, royalty-free perpetual, non-exclusive licence to edit, publish and use their entries in any and all media (including print and online).

• By entering, the main prize winner  consents to the use of their first name, school name, photograph and/or image for publicity purposes in all media carried out by the Promoter without payment or compensation

• By entering this competition, entrants agree they hold the necessary consents to do so and to be bound by these terms and conditions which may be amended at any time by the Promoter

• The rules of this competition shall be governed by UK law

• All personal details submitted with each entry will be held in accordance with the Promoter’s Privacy Policy and all applicable laws relating to the protection of Personal Data or privacy which have effect in the United Kingdom from time to time, including (but not limited to) the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulations

• By entering this competition, an entrant is providing his/her personal data to the Promoter as “data controller”. Any data submitted by entrants will be used by the Promoter only for the purposes of administering this competition and will not be shared with other companies except to the extent necessary to provide the prize and to exercise the publicity rights granted above and all data will be deleted following completion of the competition, unless otherwise stated in the entry details