Theme: Common Ground: Better Together<\/p>\n
The Commonwealth is one of the most diverse communities on earth. It stretches across continents and oceans, linking bustling cities, remote villages, small island states and vast nations. It encompasses countless languages, cultures, climates and lived experiences.<\/p>\n
And yet, despite these differences, there is common ground.<\/p>\n
The 2026 theme, Common Ground: Better Together, invites young writers to explore what unites us across the Commonwealth and how collaboration, understanding and shared purpose help us move forward together.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s about the connections that surprise us. The values that anchor us. The shared challenges that call us to act. And the hopes for the future.<\/p>\n
The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition Launch Video 2026<\/p>\n
The launch video includes inspiring individuals from across the Commonwealth. Included in this video is Dame Jacqueline Wilson DBE (Bestselling Children’s book Author), Zoe Prinsloo (Founder of Save a Fishie and Children’s Book Author), Pandora Onyedire (The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition 2025 Winner), Monica Galetti (Chef and MasterChef judge), Angellah Manda (Royal Commonwealth Society Commonwealth Youth and Gender Network Coordinator) and Keiran Healy (Royal Commonwealth Society Regional Coordinator for Europe).<\/p>\n
We are honoured to have a special message from Her Majesty The Queen, the Royal Commonwealth Society\u2019s Vice-Patron, on the launch of the competition:<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we usher in a new chapter of this brilliant competition, I encourage you to join in and to reflect on the powerful bonds that unite us across the world. <\/p>\n
Please pick up your pens and share your ideas. Good luck and I look forward to reading the winning entries from every region of our Commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
The competition offers young writers a range of imaginative and thought-provoking prompts, grouped into five key areas:<\/p>\n
\u00a02. Culture: Food, Music & Hobbies<\/p>\n
3. Protecting the Environment & Our Natural World<\/p>\n
4. Shared Identity, Responsibility & Common Ground<\/p>\n
5. Language, Human Connection & Understanding<\/p>\n
In a world that can often feel divided, Common Ground: Better Together\u00a0is a reminder that difference does not prevent unity, it strengthens it. This competition isn\u2019t just about writing. It\u2019s about listening. It\u2019s about imagining new futures. It\u2019s about recognising that across continents and cultures, we are stronger together.<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re inspired by sport, storytelling, sustainability, shared identity or the power of language, this is your moment.<\/p>\n
Pick up your pen. Find your common ground. And write about how we are better together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Theme: Common Ground: Better Together The Commonwealth is one of the most diverse communities on earth. It stretches…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152318,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-152317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}