The competition has been launched by The River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, (www.rrm.co.uk) - home to the UK’s only permanent exhibition on The Wind in the Willows.

The challenge is to re-frame Kenneth Grahame’s famous book for the 21st Century by creating a short story (under 4,000 words) in a contemporary riverside setting which reflects a drastically changing world.

The winner will receive an assessment from top fiction consultancy Real Writers as well as £500. Second and third places will also receive cash prizes. Full competition entry details are available at www.rrm.co.uk.

The judging panel will be made up of award-winning writers for children and young adults - Beverley Birch (Rift), S.I. Martin (Jupiter Williams), Paul Bryers (Kobal from The Mysteries of the Septogram), and Sarah Mussi (The Door of No Return).

Paul Mainds, Trustee and Chief Executive, River & Rowing Museum said: “The Wind In The Willows is one of the great treasures of children's fiction. Kenneth Grahame knew all about the power of the river on the imagination, and on our real lives. This competition gives authors the opportunity to re-animate these themes and make them more relevant for today's young readers, especially in light of the environmental issues that now affect our rivers and the wildlife that lives in and around them. Entries don't have to be about the River Thames, they can be about World Rivers and even mythical and fictional rivers. The brief is wide open for interpretation.”

The three winning stories will be published on the Museum’s website and will be available to readers online for 12 months. Entrants must be over 16 years old. Competition closes on 15 March 2009. For full terms and conditions visit www.rrm.co.uk.

If you're thinking of entering the competition, why not seek inspiration at the The River & Rowing Museum’s Wind in the Willows exhibition? The museum is one of the UK’s leading regional and sporting museums, boasting over 100,000 visitors a year. And at just £5.00 (£7.00 for adults) for admission for a whole year – it’s a bargain.

The Museum galleries also explore the ecological, environmental and leisure uses of the River Thames as well as the international sport of rowing – areas close to hearts of the characters in Wind in the Willows.