ASPIRING young authors can follow in the footsteps of the country’s most revered female novellist, thanks to the launch of a competition setting a Jane Austen-inspired creative writing challenge.

Organised by Hampshire Cultural Trust and Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton, the competition invites entrants to pen a short story of no more than 500 words using the title ‘Persuasion’.

Persuasion was Austen’s last complete novel and was published six months after her death, the 200th anniversary of which is being commemorated this year with a programme of events countywide.

The writing competition is open to young people who live or study in Hampshire in two age categories – 7-11 and 12-16.

Free to enter, the competition closes on February 28 and will be judged by Hampshire writers Rebecca Smith and Neal Layton. They will be looking for imagination, fun characters, maybe humour or adventure, whatever the word ‘persuasion’ inspires people to write.

The winner and runner-up in each category will receive national book tokens and an invitation to an awards ceremony at Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton village, where they will be joined by highly-commended writers.

Entries can be submitted online or by post.

For more details, visit janeausten200.co.uk/competitions.