Attention all budding artists and designers, our annual kids’ bookmark competition is back.

Forget lively debate about which new release should be our Book of the Month, one of the more fiercely fought “discussions” we have each year is which design from our kids’ bookmark competition should be the winner.

Do we choose the simple, understated typographical design, do we go all out with a riot of colours and monsters or do we choose a more abstract route? Once all the entries are in, the office wall resembles the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.

We love running this competition as it gives our younger customers the chance to be creative and be part of Backstory. The winner receives three months of books chosen just for them and the chance to see their design as Backstory’s kids’ bookmark for the next year. We’ll be printing thousands of copies just in time for the Christmas rush.

And, as the competition runs over the summer, we hope that it gives parents and carers a moment’s peace while their mini Picassos, Hockneys and Emins spend a few minutes (hours if you are lucky) coming up with their designs.

All you need to do is download the form below or pick up a copy in the shop. You can submit as many entries as you like to us by Sunday 6th September (just drop them back at the bookshop, or you can post them to us). We’ll announce the winner by the end of September.

Click here to download the entry form