Premier Inn is offering under 15s the chance to become a published author

Premier Inn is launching the UK’s first-ever ‘wake up-time’ story book for children. Inspiring children to start the day in the best way possible.

The UK’s largest hotel company – which helps millions of people get a great night’s sleep each year – is searching for young UK literary talent to help it publish a children’s short story book packed with original tales.

Part of the book will be dedicated to bedtime stories to help encourage a great night’s sleep, while uniquely the other part will be dedicated to stories designed to be read in the morning – to inspire young people to get their day off to the best possible start.

The budget hotel chain is encouraging children and young people 15 and under to submit an original 500-word short story – either round the theme of relaxation or inspiration. Young people are invited to let their imaginations run riot – and stories can be inspired from their own real-life experiences or something from the depths of their imaginations. The hotel company will publish a diverse collection of tales, so stories revolving around friendship, families, animals or even science fiction are all welcome, providing they slot into the themes above.

The competition will run from Tuesday 24th December 2019 through to early 2020.

Premier Inn experts and an esteemed panel of judges will crown national prize-winners in two categories: under 10s and ages 11-15. In addition, there will be twelve regional runners-up, celebrating the UK’s literary brilliance all the way from the South West to Scotland.

To launch the nationwide competition in the lead up to Christmas, children being cared for at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) were treated to story readings by Father Christmas and his festive elves. Premier Inn is a longstanding supporter of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity) and the winning stories will be available for a donation, with all proceeds donated to GOSH.

Simon Ewins, Managing Director at Premier Inn UK said: “We help millions of people to have a great night’s sleep and wake up ready for whatever the day holds, so we’re thrilled to launch our young people’s short story competition which will uncover exciting new stories to help encourage a restful night’s sleep – and get their day off to the best possible start. We’re all a huge fan of the traditional bedtime story and as a great night’s sleep is also all about setting you up for the day ahead, we thought it would be a fun twist to launch the UK’s first ‘wake up-time’ story collection. The UK is bursting with talented young people and we can’t wait to start receiving the stories”.

Amit Aggarwal, of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity said: “It’s brilliant that money raised through Premier Inn’s short story writing competition will benefit children and young people treated at GOSH, as stories that dive into the imagination can be a useful distraction for patients at the hospital. Writing and reading can help entertain children and young people during their treatment and empower them to express themselves too. We look forward to reading the fantastic entries to this competition.”

The winning wordsmiths work will then be published and the prize also includes a two-night stay at a Premier Inn of the winner’s choice.

Premier Inn, the UK’s top-rated hotel chain*, has proudly been supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity since 2012, when it pledged to raise £7.5 million towards a brand new medical facility at the hospital. The Premier Inn Clinical Building, named in honour of the partnership, officially opened in January 2018, and provides state of the art facilities including new in-patient wards, operating theatres and a day case unit, to match the hospital’s world-class care. Most recently, Premier Inn pledged to raise a further £10 million to help fund a new Sight and Sound Centre, a specialist outpatient centre tailored to the needs of children with sight and hearing loss, which is due to open in 2020.

To submit a 500-word short story, young authors can submit their masterpieces by emailing StoryPremierInn@golin.com

Premier Inn has value rooms available across the festive period. Book direct and choose the right rate; Non-Flex is the best value rate – or those preferring more flexibility, can opt for the Flex rate. Only bookable on premierinn.com or on the Premier Inn app.

For more information and how to donate to GOSH, visit: https://www.gosh.org/donate

For full Ts&Cs on the competition visit: https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/terms/email/short-story-competition.html