YOUNG people in Craven are being given the chance to see their writing and art published in a 'zine-making' (fanzine) competition being run at Skipton Library.

All they have to do is put pen to paper on any subject that inspires them, including difficult issues like discrimination, bullying, sexuality, racism and politics.

The Project Zine competition is being run by the library’s Reading Hack young volunteers and members of Team Ketchup - a kids’ comic collective that is based at the library and has already published five issues of its own comic.

Funding for the competition has come from the Reading Hack Call for Ideas - a Reading Agency project that supports young people to get creative with reading and encourage their peers to read more.

Project Zine is open to anyone between 13 and 24 years old, who either lives or who goes to school or college in Craven.

'Zines' can be in the form of a comic or a diary, short story, poetry or text-free illustration.

To help the young people create their zines, there will be two free workshops with Eisner Award-nominated artist Kristyna Baczynski at the library in May.

The winners will be announced at the library on Small Press Day on July 8, when all entries will go on display. The winning entries will be published in a small print run and copies will be for sale on the Team Ketchup table at the Thought Bubble Sequential Art Festival in Leeds in September.

Chrys Mellor, North Yorkshire County Council's general libraries manager, said: “This is a great opportunity and we’re grateful to the support of the Reading Agency. Comics offer people an alternative route into reading, and by taking part in Project Zine young people will also be learning storytelling skills.

“The zines can be about anything and will be judged by young members of Team Ketchup, who have years of publishing experience. So come on, write and draw your zine your way. Whether you’re interested in fashion, fan fiction, football, music, comedy or social issues, this competition is an opportunity to have your voice heard.”

Sue Wilkinson, chief executive of The Reading Agency, said: “We received almost 50 applications for the Reading Hack Call for Ideas, all of which were imaginative, original and led entirely by young people. There are six projects across the country that were chosen to receive funding, ranging from themed film nights and loyalty card schemes to a workshop and recording session ran by young people who are blind or partially sighted. We’re really looking forward to seeing how these projects reach out to other young people and engage them with the joy of reading.”

'Zines' can be in the form of a comic or a diary, short story, poetry or text-free illustration.

They must be black and white, no bigger than A5 and no more than 12 pages, including the covers.

They must be submitted by June 24 along with a completed entry form, available from Skipton Library and the Team Ketchup Facebook page. Pen names are acceptable.

The free workshops will take place on May 13 and on May 20, from 2pm. Booking is essential.