HSDC is proud to announce the launch of the 2026 Portsmouth Multilingual Writing Competition, a flagship celebration of the language heritage, cultural identity and creativity of the city’s young people.
Developed as part of the Portsmouth 100 celebrations and the City of Languages mission, this competition underscores HSDC’s longstanding commitment to nurturing talent, strengthening educational partnerships and championing the diverse communities served by the College.
The 2026 Portsmouth Multilingual Writing Competition invites pupils from across Portsmouth’s primary and secondary schools to submit an original poem or short story (maximum of 250 words) in any language other than English, accompanied by an English translation, responding to the theme ‘Sharing and Belonging’.
These entries will reflect the rich tapestry of languages spoken in and around Portsmouth, honouring pupils’ cultural identities while encouraging pride, creativity and connection. The competition is open to any young person who is multilingual, or learning another language at home or in school.
Entries may be written in any home, community or heritage language, and will be judged on creativity, expression of the theme, quality of writing and cultural richness. All entries will then be published in a professionally collated anthology created by HSDC and shared with participating schools.
Pete Budd, HSDC Havant’s Assistant Principal for Curriculum, said:
“Portsmouth is wonderfully diverse, reflected in the range of languages spoken by school pupils. We’re really looking forward to receiving competition entries from schools to celebrate pupils’ multilingual skills.”
As Portsmouth prepares to celebrate its centenary year of being a city, HSDC is delighted to honour the stories, identities and heritage that makes it such a vibrant place to learn and live. This competition also directly meets two of Portsmouth 100’s core priorities – ‘Our Community & Culture’ and ‘Honouring the Local Community’.
HSDC is incredibly proud to stand at the heart of the Portsmouth community, offering young people the chance to showcase their writing and linguistic skills, whilst celebrating what makes the city a truly great place to be.