Inside Write Awards

These awards are for internal government documents. This means civil servants writing for other civil servants. The awards are supported by the Cabinet Office, for which we are very grateful.

To enter a document, please send a copy to:

Inside Write Awards
Plain English Campaign
PO Box 3
New Mills
High Peak
SK22 4QP.

We do not allow entries of documents that our own staff have worked on in any way. The closing date for entries for the 2008 awards is 30 September. We will contact the winners in November.

There were six winners in this category for 2007. Please click on any of the document titles for more details on why it won.

• Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (MOD) for the 'Distil' newspaper
• Department for Children, Schools and Families for 'feedback' magazine
• National School of Government for their 'Joining the Civil Service' handbook
• Forestry Commission for the 'Operational Guidance Booklets'
• DVLA for 'Licence' magazine
• Driving Standards Agency for the 'Make a difference conferences 2007' booklet

You may also be interested in a list of previous winners.

Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (MOD) for the 'Distil' newspaper

A very attractive series of magazines drew our judges’ attention to a worthy winner. The journalistic style makes this newspaper very easy to read. A mixture of interesting articles, crosswords and cartoons means the newspaper appeals to a wide audience. As with all our award winners, short sentences, an active voice and clear paragraphing add to the clarity. Plenty of white space and interesting graphics all make Distil an attractive read.

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Department for Children, Schools and Families for 'feedback' magazine

Another example of a very high-quality magazine is our second winner of the Inside Write awards. A glossy colourful format with plenty of pictures and graphics make this magazine very appealing to the reader. Some of the articles have a question and answer format, which is always a good way of clarifying information. Short sentences, personal references, a good layout and clear signposting mean the publication displays many of the essential elements of plain English.

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National School of Government for their 'Joining the Civil Service' handbook

‘An extremely helpful and informative little booklet’ was a quote from one of our judges about this contribution from the National School of Government. A clear black and white format with concise paragraphs makes this document easy to read. Good use of lists, a helpful glossary and simple charts and diagrams  all add together to make this a clear winner in the eyes of our judging panel. This booklet is a ‘must have’ for anyone considering a job working for government.

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Forestry Commission for the 'Operational Guidance Booklets'

These guidance booklets are an excellent example of this genre. The layout has been thought through very thoroughly and clear signposting and plenty of white space make them visually appealing. Plenty of lists break up the information and clear sectioning are just some of the tools used to produce another worthy award winner. Colour has been used to good effect in each booklet with headings,  narrative and warnings in consistent colours.

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DVLA for 'Licence' magazine

We see another superb example of a well-written magazine from the DVLA. A glossy finish, plenty of colourful graphics and photographs, clearly laid-out articles and a very friendly tone of voice are used effectively to produce an interesting and thought-provoking magazine. The magazine is highly personalised with many articles dedicated to members of staff and the section ‘retirement round up’ is a particularly nice touch; honouring those who have put in many years’ work for the organisation.

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Driving Standards Agency for the 'Make a difference conferences 2007' booklet

This document has a very specific audience for those attending management conferences. It is clearly written and employs many of the techniques of plain English we advocate, namely short sentences, clear paragraphing, active voice and an effective design. The use of photographs and quotes from those attending conferences helps to break up the text and the concise nature means the booklet is a perfect length to hold the reader’s attention.

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