Creative Writing Competition 2025

A collaboration between the Outreach Team in the Faculty of Classics
and our friends at the Ashmolean Museum

 

ashmolean

Choose one of the four objects below and use it to inspire you to create one of the following:

Poem

Short story

Dialogue

Dramatic monologue

Creative description

Object 1

Red figure cup

Object 2

Archaic relief

Object 3

Gem

Object 4

figurine
 

Click on each image for info about the object or a larger, zoomable photo. 

Each object has been chosen by one of four special guest judges from the Ashmolean Museum:
 

Ilaria Perzia - Administrator of the Department of Antiquities

Andrew Shapland - Curator of Bronze Age and Classical Greece

Peter Thompson - Assistant Curator of Classical Archaeology

Frédérique Durat - Director of Collections
 

Winners will be selected in each of the following categories:

Ages 11-13

Ages 14-16

Ages 17-18

The first prize winner (plus a parent or guardian) in each age category will be invited to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (we'll pay travel expenses within the UK). There you'll take part in an exclusive handling session using artefacts from the Ashmolean's Antiquities collection. You'll also receive a £50 gift token.

The second, third and fourth places in each category will each win a £50 gift token.
 

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

Make sure that your entry is no more than 500 words and email it to us at outreachcompetition@classics.ox.ac.uk.
You can attach it to your email as a Word or PDF file, or simply send us a good, clear photo of your creation.
We won't be able to open anything that needs a password or is stored on your Sharepoint or Onedrive.
Only include your name, age and object number in the email. Don't write your name on your entry because these will be judged anonymously.
The last day for entry is Sunday 4 May and entries absolutely, definitely won't be accepted after this date.