The BBC is holding its annual short story competition and here is how your child can enter.

Zoe Ball has urged children to "delve deep into their imaginations" for the competition, which was set up by Ball's Radio 2 predecessor Chris Evans in 2011.

The competition for children aged between five and 13 features the Duchess of Cornwall as an honorary judge.

Ball, the first female host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, said Roald Dahl classic The Magic Finger had been one of her favourite books growing up.

Full details at bbc.co.uk/500words

She said: "I just thought the idea of that story and the power that the young lass has in it was always brilliant."

And she spoke of her love of libraries as she launched this year's prize, saying: "The idea that you can go in and find any book that you might like to read and then have a read of it, and then take it back for somebody else to read, they're so important... it's really important that we look after our libraries."

An analysis of Government figures previously revealed that libraries in England have had their funding slashed for the fifth year in a row.

Ball said she wanted to "encourage all of our younger listeners to delve deep into their imaginations" for the competition, which will hold a live final at Windsor Castle in June.