ASPIRING authors can put their creativity to the test in a contest to find the JK Rowlings and Malorie Blackmans of the future.

Entries are now open for the local heats of the Rotary International Young Writers Competition, organised by Watford Rotary Club and sponsored by the Watford Observer.

This year’s competition theme is A Different Perspective. Entries should be around 500 words long and can be fiction or non-fiction, a story or a poem, as long as the piece relates to the theme.

Watford Rotary youth services chairman Rabi Martins said: "This is an opportunity for you to put their writing skills to the test and show off your imagination and creativity. You could even end up winning a prize."

The competition is open all schools and college communities, as well as young people who are home educated and any other young people’s community organisations, for example, community organisations, Scout Groups, Girl Guides.

In previous years some schools have built the competition into their class work or held their own internal competitions to select the piece to enter into this competition.

The competition is open to three age groups: Junior - 7 to 10 years old by August 31, 2017; intermediate - 11 to 13 years old; and senior - 14 to 17 years old.

Winning entries will be published in the Watford Observer

In addition the winner of the senior section will get the opportunity to spend a day with a Watford Observer reporter.

All entrants will receive a certificate and the winner in each category will be put forward to the district final and be presented with a trophy.

The winning entries of the national stage are usually published in the Rotary International magazine and also carry a prize which in previous years has been as much as £500.

The closing date to enter the Watford heat is March 5, 2018.

Entries should be emailed in PDF form to Rabi@rabimartins.org.uk

For further details of this or the Young Chef and Young Photographer Rotary Competitions visit the Watford Rotary Website www.watfordrotary.org or email Rabi Martins at Rabi@rabimartins.org.uk