🎉 Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Barfoot & Thompson Young Authors Challenge!

We’re delighted to announce this year’s three talented young writers:

🏆 Primary Winner: Henry Alan Toy – A Bird Who Can’t Fly | Kohimarama School

🏆 Intermediate Winner: Mia Fernandes – Pursued | St Cuthbert’s College

🏆 Secondary Winner: Ngakau-Humarie Tukua – Kahukura | Broadwood Area School

Each winner receives $500 cash and $250 in book tokens, while their schools receive $1,000 cash and $1,000 worth of books for their libraries.

A huge thank you to Barfoot & Thompson for their generous support and commitment to inspiring the next generation of readers and writers in Aotearoa New Zealand.

📖 Read the winning stories here.

Thanks to all the young authors that entered and special thank you to Barfoot & Thompson

Find the 2025 winners and read their short stories HERE !

"Barfoot & Thompson proudly supports the Young Authors Challenge because it inspires creativity and gives young writers a platform to share their stories. Encouraging the imagination and talent of future generations is part of our ongoing commitment to the community." – Nick Simmers, Head of Sponsorship and Events, Barfoot & Thompson