The competition uniting hundreds of communities and thousands of writers to make a million-dollar difference

From big city sites to small regional schools and from public classrooms to independent colleges; from primary school students discovering the joy of storytelling to senior students, one thing continues to unite tens of thousands of young Australians every year – The Kids’ Cancer Project’s Write a Book in a Day competition. 

Since its beginnings in 2002, Write a Book in a Day has grown into one of Australia's most unique school challenges. Teams of students are tasked with writing, illustrating and publishing an original book in just 12 hours, while raising vital funds for childhood cancer research.

Every book is also shared with children in hospitals across Australia, bringing moments of joy during some of their toughest days. 

In 2025, over 16,000 writers took part in the competition with more than 2,200 teams put together from 569 schools and writing groups nationwide. Participants represented every corner of the country, with schools from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT all contributing. 

What makes these numbers even more remarkable, however, is the diversity they represent. Across the competition, 374 primary teams, 1,397 middle school teams and 516 upper school teams came together around a shared purpose while students attended from more than 150 public schools and 120 private schools. Those numbers don’t even include the various independent public or religious schools which take part. 

A regional school in rural Australia may spend months preparing for its writing day while big Sydney private schools may field numerous teams across multiple age groups. Some schools transform libraries into creative hubs, while others spread writers across classrooms and halls.

Every school brings something different to the challenge, but all become part of the same story – a story that’s more than just writing. 

Every team that participates helps fund groundbreaking childhood cancer research through The Kids' Cancer Project.

While survival rates have improved significantly over recent decades, cancer remains the leading disease-related cause of death for Australian children.

Funds raised through Write a Book in a Day help support researchers working to develop kinder, more effective treatments and ultimately find cures for childhood cancers. 

Former participant and now teacher coordinator Clare Landon has seen the impact of the challenge from both sides. 

"Write a Book in a Day has always meant a lot to me, and the opportunity to give back to children in need is something I value deeply," she said. 

"The fact that students are creating a story that could bring joy to a child in hospital adds a powerful sense of purpose to the task." 

That sense of purpose is what continues to drive the competition's growth. 

Different backgrounds, different communities and different experiences all come together through creativity, collaboration and compassion and united by a common goal – improving outcomes for children with cancer while proving the extraordinary impact young people can have when they write for something bigger than themselves.