Young Author Award Winner 2026

In May 2026, Atom Learning launched the fifth annual Young Author Award to celebrate the UK’s newest young writers.

Children aged 7–11 were invited to respond to a single prompt:

"It wasn't what I expected..."

Thousands of entries came in, each one a completely original story sparked by those five words. Our team of education specialists carefully reviewed the strongest entries, judging each one on four criteria: quality of writing and story structure, creativity and imagination, use of language, and the writer's ability to engage the reader.

Winner of the Young Author Award 2025: Akarsh

After much deliberation, one entry stood out. Akarsh's story moved our judges from the very first read, not through dramatic twists or elaborate plotting, but through something far harder to teach: genuine emotional honesty. Here's what the judging team had to say:

“What makes the story so special is how relatable and warm it is. It is a real moment and the moment speaks for itself in each of the messages in the envelope.

There's a mix of funny elements and moving ones, taking the reader on the same journey the writer goes through while reading each piece of paper.

But the best part is what happens at the end. The story is not just about receiving a lovely gift, but how that gift multiplies itself through giving the same feeling to other people. This is a story that, very much life the unexpected gift, makes everyone's day better!”

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Akarsh’s entry:

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The Unforgettable Gift 

It wasn’t what I expected… 
When people talk about gifts, they usually mean something you can open. A phone, a bike, or maybe money. Mine wasn’t anything like that. It happened on the last day of Year 6. 
Our teacher gave everyone an envelope with their name on it. She told us not to open them until we got home. I thought it would just be our reports or some certificates. 
When I opened mine later that day, it was full of little pieces of paper. Every person in my class had written something nice about me. 
At first, I laughed because it felt a bit awkward. Then I started reading them. Some were funny. 
"You’re the only person who laughs at my terrible jokes.” 
Some were about things I didn’t even remember doing. 
“Thanks for helping me when I got stuck in maths.” 
“You always let people join in.” 
One message just said, “You make school feel safer.” 
I read that one again and again. 
I had no idea who wrote it, but it stayed in my head. 
I never thought people noticed the little things I did. I wasn’t the loudest person in class or the smartest. I wasn’t captain of a team or someone everyone wanted to be. I was just… me.
But those notes made me realise that small things matter. 
Holding a door open. 
Sitting next to someone who looked lonely. 
Helping with homework. 
Smiling at someone having a bad day. 
I never expected anyone to remember those moments. 
I still have the envelope in my desk drawer. The paper is creased now, and some of the writing has faded, but I can’t throw it away. 
Whenever I’m having a bad day or feel like I’m not good enough, I read a few of the notes again. Somehow, they always make me smile. 
The people who wrote them probably don’t even remember doing it. That’s the strange thing about the best gifts. Sometimes the person giving them has no idea how much they mean.
That envelope didn’t change the world. 
It didn’t make me richer or more successful. 
But it changed the way I see myself. 
Now I try to tell people when they’ve helped me or made my day better, because I know how powerful a few honest words can be. You never know when someone needs to hear them. 
The most unforgettable gift I have ever received wasn’t something I could play with or wear. It was the feeling that I mattered. 
And that’s a gift I’ll never outgrow.

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Congratulations to our winner and runners-up, and well done to all the young writers who entered the Atom Learning Young Author Award 2026!

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