The small print

Terms, refunds and privacy

For the Bukmuk Inter-School Short Story Writing Championship 2026. Last updated 1 August 2026.

01  Terms of entry

• ·Open to children aged 6 to 17, by age on 15 September 2026.
• ·The child enters the theme that matches their age. We move nothing between themes.
• ·A parent or guardian must submit the entry and give consent.
• ·Entry is ₹299 per story, or free with a valid school registration code.
• ·A child may enter more than one story, but each must be in a different theme, and each public entry carries its own fee.
• ·The story must be the child's own work. No AI tools may be used to write or edit it. We may ask to see drafts or to speak with the child.
• ·Keep to the word count for the theme. Entries outside it may be disqualified.
• ·Send one file per story, as a Word document or a PDF, up to 10 MB.
• ·Entries close 15 September 2026, 12 pm IST.
• ·The jury's decision is final.
• ·Ten stories from each age group are selected for the anthology.
• ·The child keeps copyright. By entering, you grant Bukmuk Publishing a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to publish the story in the anthology, in print and digitally, and to use the child's first name, age and school in the book and in related promotion.
• ·Published authors receive two free copies. No royalty is paid on the anthology.
• ·We may lightly copy-edit a selected story. We will not rewrite the child's voice.
• ·Indian law applies, and the courts at Delhi have jurisdiction.

02  School registration codes

Partner schools receive a registration code that removes the entry fee for their students. The code belongs to the school. It is meant for that school’s families, and we may switch it off if it is shared publicly.

When a code is used, we record which school the entry came from, so the school can be credited beside its published authors and counted for the Bukmuk Shield. Free entries are confirmed by a code sent to the parent’s email address. This is how we keep the free route honest, and it makes sure the eCertificate can reach you.

03  Refunds and cancellation

We refund in full when:

• ·You paid twice for the same entry.
• ·Money left your account but no entry was recorded and we cannot reconstruct it.
• ·You ask to cancel before the story goes to the jury.
• ·We cancel the championship.

We do not refund when:

• ·The story has already gone to the jury.
• ·The entry is disqualified for plagiarism, AI use, the wrong age category, or a word count well outside the band.
• ·The story is simply not selected. The fee pays for reading and judging, not for a result.

To ask for a refund, write to [email protected] or WhatsApp +91 81302 86286 with your payment reference. We acknowledge within 2 working days and refund to the original payment method within 5 to 7 working days.

04  Certificates and delivery

• ·Every child who enters receives an eCertificate by email.
• ·Published authors receive a physical certificate of international publication, two author copies of the anthology, and literary gifts.
• ·Physical items are dispatched 30 to 45 days after the results, to the address given on the entry form.
• ·We ship within India. Entrants outside India receive digital certificates, and we will discuss book delivery individually.
• ·Delivery is included in the entry fee. There is no separate charge.
• ·Tell us within 15 days if anything arrives damaged or does not arrive, and we will replace it free.

05  Privacy

We collect the child’s name, age, school, class, story title, word count and story file, and the parent’s name, email, mobile number, postal address and optional Instagram handle. We also record the IP address the entry came from, to stop abuse of the free school route.

We never see your card, UPI or bank details. Payments are handled entirely by Razorpay.

Story files are held in private storage with no public address. They can be opened only by our editorial team, through an authenticated dashboard, or through a signed link that expires. Stories are shared with jury members individually and are never posted publicly.

We publish a selected child’s first name, age and school in the anthology and in related promotion, and nothing more. We do not publish surnames, addresses, contact details or photographs without asking you separately.

We keep entry records for 24 months, then delete unselected story files. To see, correct or delete what we hold, write to [email protected] and we will respond within 30 days. Withdrawing an entry after judging has begun does not earn a refund.

06  Contact

Bukmuk Library and Bukmuk Publishing are brands of iKitaab Web, BW31A, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi.

Email [email protected] · WhatsApp +91 81302 86286

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