This writing competitions list will give you a huge number of competitions for authors to enter. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or an aspiring author eager to showcase your literary prowess, then you are in the right place. I have curated a list of the best writing competitions that offer authors the perfect platform to shine. Whether you’re into crafting compelling short stories, weaving enchanting poetry, or diving into novel-length narratives, there’s something for everyone.
Winning a writing competition is a fantastic way to get your novel, short stories or poetry noticed by a wider audience. Here you will find a link on how to win writing contests, and free poetry competitions, free short story contests and a list of other UK writing competitions.
It gives a great feeling of validation that you are on the right path and your hard work is worth it, whether you win a writing contest, get shortlisted, or even an honourable mention in a respected author contest.
One of the things I love most about writing competitions is that it provides me with focus and motivation to not only write a story, but to edit it to my highest ability. Win or lose, I always gain some of my best work and creative writing competitions can be a great way to get motivated.
BOOKMARK this huge writing competitions list and enter contests at your leisure. Regularly updated, this big list is a fantastic author resource!
This BIG list of writing competitions for authors and poets features writing contests accepting submissions, organised by month. Submit your poetry, short stories, flash fiction and book chapters to be in with a chance of becoming a prize-winning writer. The regularly updated contests on this list cater for unpublished authors, self-published writers and other creative individuals and their manuscripts.
My advice would be to simply pick a UK or worldwide writing competition that you like the sound of and enter it. And to help you do that, I have compiled a list of my favourite writing contests, most of which are based in the UK. Most of these creative writing competitions are generally run annually, have prestigious awards or great prizes, and most are open to international authors too.
If you’d like a few tips on how to win writing competitions, then have a look at my guide on How To Win Writing Competitions.
I have ordered the fiction writing contests by their usual closing date months, or where I think it might be best to look at them, but these sometimes change, so please double-check. You’re now ready to dive into the opportunities available with these writing competitions. From prestigious literary awards to niche-specific contests, these contests celebrate creativity and provide a stage for emerging and established authors alike. See each individual literary contests website for specific details:
January Writing Competitions
Mogford Prize
Prizes: 1st: £10,000
Entry fee: £10
Looking for: Short stories up to 2,500 words about food
Website: www.mogfordprize.co.uk
The Darling Axe: Clash of the Query Letters
Prizes: 1st: $700, 2nd: $200, 3rd: $100 CAD
Entry fee: $5 CAD
Looking for: A contest for querying novelists and memoirists.
Website: www.darlingaxe.com
New England Romance Writers
Prizes: 1st: Free class of their choice from the Write Better Faster Academy
Entry fee: $25 to $30
Looking for: Published short and long fiction in a number of romance categories
Website: www.nerw.org
February Writing Competitions
WOW! Women on Writing Competitions (Various)
Prizes: $$$, publication, interview and Amazon Gift Certificates (Prizes and entry fees for their competitions vary, please see their website for regular competitions).
Entry fee: Varies
Looking for: Short Fiction (250-750 words) or Creative Non-Fiction (200-1,000 words)
Website: www.wow-womenonwriting.com
Green Stories: Adult Short Stories Competition
Prizes: 1st: £200
Entry fee: Free (submission survey requires you to have read an extract)
Looking for: Short story between 2,000 and 5,000 words (green issues/sustainability)
Website: www.greenstories.org.uk
ChipLitFest Short Story Competition
Top 3 stories read by professional at the ChipLitFest awards evening in April.
Prizes: 1st: £500, 2nd: £100, 3rd: £50.
Entry Fee: £5 up to 3,000 words, £8 up to 5,000 words.
Looking for: Short stories up to 5,000 words
Website: www.chiplitfest.com
Flash Fiction Award
Prizes: 1st: £1,000, 2nd: £300, 3rd: £100. Two commendations £30 each.
50 long-listed entrants offered publication in end of year print and digital anthology.
Entry fee: £9.00 for one entry; £15.00 for two entries; £18.00 for three entries.
Looking for: Short Stories up to 300 words.
Website: www.bathflashfictionaward.com
Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook Annual Short Story Competition
Prizes: Place on a retreat at Arvon Clockhouse.
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Stories up to 2,000 words on any theme.
Website: www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions
The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction
Prizes: €1,000 plus residency and consultancy prizesa. Plus: 2 x €250.
Entry fee: €20 for first entry, €10 for each further entry, maximum of five entries.
Looking for: Fiction short story up to 2,000 words.
Website: www.desperateliterature.com
Scottish Arts Trust Competitions
Prizes: 1st: £1,000, 2nd: £500, 3rd: £250.
Entry fee: £10
Looking for: Short stories up to 2,000 words.
Website: www.scottishartstrust.org
Exeter Writers Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £700, 2nd: £250, 3rd: £100, plus £100 for a Devon writer.
Entry fee: £7
Looking for: Short stories up to 3,000 words, any genre and theme except
Website: www.exeterwriters.org.uk
Flash 500 Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £500 plus a two-year Duotrope Gift Certificate, 2nd: £200, 3rd: £100
Entry fee: £7, £12 for two, £16 for three, £20 for four.
Looking for: Short stories between 1,000 and 3,000 words.
Website: www.flash500.com
Crime Writers Association Margery Allingham Short Story Competition
Prizes: £500
Entry fee: £12
Looking for: Short stories up to 3,500 words based on Margery Allingham’s definition of a mystery: “The Mystery remains box-shaped, at once a prison and a refuge. Its four walls are, roughly, a Crime, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an Element of Satisfaction in it.”
Website: www.thecwa.co.uk
Fish Flash Fiction Prize
Prizes: 1st: €1,000, 2nd: €300, 3rd: Online Writing Course with Fish. Top ten stories will be published in the FISH ANTHOLOGY 2019.
Entry fee: €14 (€8 subsequent entries).
Looking for: Short stories up to 300 words.
Website: www.fishpublishing.com
First Pages Prize
Prizes: 1st – $2,000, 2nd – $1,250, 3rd – $750, 4th – $500, 5th – $500 in US dollars. Plus developmental editing and agent consultation.
Entry fee: $20 per entry
Looking for: The first 5 pages of a longer work of fiction or creative non-fiction. Open to un-agented writers worldwide.
Website: www.firstpagesprize.com
A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”
— Richard Bach
March Writing Competitions
Exisle Academy Writing Competition
Prizes: Win publishing opportunities
Entry fee: Standard $15 Assessed $75 (all fees include a $15 book coupon)
Looking for: 1,500 words on ‘how my book changed the world’
Website: www.exisleacademy.com
Green Stories: Under 18’s Short Stories Competition
Prizes: 1st: £200 (11-18yr olds only)
Entry fee: Free (submission survey requires you to have read an extract)
Looking for: Short story between 2,000 and 5,000 words (green issues/sustainability)
Website: www.greenstories.org.uk
The White Review Short Story Prize
Prizes: £2,500 for the best piece of short fiction by a writer resident in Britain & Ireland who has yet to secure a publishing deal.
Entry fee: £15
Looking for: Short stories from 2,000 to 7,000 words
Website: www.thewhitereview.org
Neil Gunn Writing Competition
Prizes: 1st: £500, 2nd: £300 and 3rd: £200 in each category.
Entry fee: £8
Looking for: Short stories up to 2,500 words and poetry up to 40 lines, interpreting one of three quotes from Scottish writer Neil Gunn.
Website: www.highlifehighland.com/neilgunn
BBC National Short Story Award
Prizes: Award of £15,000 for the winner, £600 for four further shortlisted stories.
Entry fee: Not stated.
Looking for: Stories with a maximum of 8,000 words. One entry per author.
Website: www.bbc.co.uk
Rhys Davies Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £1,000, Runner Up: £100 (10 Prizes), plus publication
Entry fee: £8. Entrants must have been born in Wales, or live or have lived there for 2 years.
Looking for: Any style or subject up to 5,000 words.
Website: www.swansea.ac.uk
Fowey Festival Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £100, 2nd: £75
Entry fee: £5
Looking for: Short stories up to 1,500 words on a specific theme.
Website: www.foweyfestival.com
Evesham Festival of Words Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £150, 2nd: £30
Entry fee: £5
Looking for: Short stories on any theme up to 2,500 words.
Website: www.eveshamfestivalofwords.org
Limnisa Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st prize is a one week, all inclusive, writers’ retreat.
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Short stories up to 1,500 words. Must be original, unpublished work of fiction in English, on a specific theme.
Website: www.limnisa.com
The Henshaw Competition
Prizes: 1st: £200, 2nd: £75, 3rd: £25. Winning stories published on the Henshawpress website. Commended stories offered the opportunity of inclusion in their anthology.
Entry fee: £6. Optional critiques a further £12.
Looking for: A short story on any subject up to 2000 words.
Website: www.henshawpress.co.uk
Cymera
Prizes: £75 and publishing opportunities
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Short stories on a specific theme up to 2,000 words.
Website: www.cymerafestival.co.uk
Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize
Prizes: £15,000
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: A novel about fictional adventure writing, best published and best unpublished categories
Website: www.wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org
Creative Writing Ink Poetry Prize
Prizes: €1000, a free creative writing course of the winners choice and publication on their website
Entry fee: €6 for first entry, €5 for each subsequent entry
Looking for: Poetry of 42 lines maximum
Website: www.creativewriting.ie
“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”
― Terry Pratchett
April Writing Competitions
Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize
Prizes: 1st: £10,000, 2nd: £3,000, 3rd: £2,000
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Short stories up to 2500 words on specific theme. One entry per person. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time. All genres permitted.
Website: www.alpinefellowship.com
Edge Hill Short Story Prize
Prizes: 1st: £10,000 plus £1,000 Readers’ Prize
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Single-author short story collections published in previous year.
Website: www.edgehill.ac.uk
Bath Short Story Award
Prizes: 1st: £1200, 2nd: £300, 3rd: £100 third prize, plus £100 for the Acorn Award (for an unpublished writer), £50 for the local prize.
Entry fee: £8
Looking for: Short stories up to 2,200 words, in any style and on any subject Website: www.bathshortstoryaward.org
ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
Prizes: 1st: Aus$5,000, 2nd: Aus$3,000, 3rd: Aus$2,000, plus 3 commended stories will share the remaining Aus$2,500 in prize money.
Entry fee: Aus$25
Looking for: Short stories between 2,000 and 5,000 words.
Website: www.australianbookreview.com.au
Shooter Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £500 and publication, 2nd: £100 plus publication.
Entry fee: £7 (or £10 for two stories).
Looking for: Stories may be any theme or genre, and any length up to 5,000 words.
Website: www.shooterlitmag.com
Write By The Sea
Prizes: 1st: €1000 and €500 for each category winner
Entry fee: €10 per entry or €25 for three entries
Looking for: Short stories (3,0000 words), Flash (700 words) and Poems (40 lines)
Website: www.writebythesea.ie
May Writing Competitions
Creative Future Writers’ Award
Prizes: 1st: £20,000 and professional development
Entry fee: Free (or pay what you can)
Looking for: Poetry (50 lines) Fiction (2,000 words) Creative Non-Fiction (2,000 words)
Website: www.creativefuture.org.uk
Bristol Short Story Prize
Prizes: 1st: £1,000, 2nd: £500, 3rd: £250. 17 prizes of £100 for shortlisted authors. All shortlisted writers will receive 2 free copies of the anthology.
Entry fee: £9
Looking for: Stories up to 4,000 words on any theme or subject and in any style, including graphic, verse or genre-based.
Website: www.bristolprize.co.uk
Frome Festival Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £400, 2nd: £200, 3rd: £100, plus additional prizes for local entries.
Entry fee: £8. Multiple entries permitted.
Looking for: Short stories from 1,000 to 2,200 words on any theme.
Website: www.fromeshortstorycompetition.co.uk
The Darling Axe: The Synopsis Skirmish
Prizes: 1st: $700, 2nd: $200, 3rd: $100 CAD
Entry fee: $5 CAD
Looking for: Summarize your novel or memoir in 500 words.
Website: www.darlingaxe.com
Bridport Prize
Prizes: Novels: 1st: £1,000, 2nd: £500, 3 Shortlisted authors receive £100. Poems: 1st: £5,000, 2nd: £1,000, 3rd: £500, 10 x £100 for highly commended. Short Stories: 1st: £5,000, 2nd: £1,000, 3rd: £500. Flash Fiction: 1st: £1,000, 2nd: £500, 3rd: £250.
Entry fee: Various.
Looking for: Short stories up to 4,000 words. Novels, Poetry and Flash Fiction.
Website: www.bridportprize.org.uk
Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award
Prizes: 1st: £1,000 and agent introduction
Entry fee: £20 per entry
Looking for: Unrepresented and unpublished authors for a novel in any adult fiction genre
Website: www.bluepencilagency.com
Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize
Prizes: 1st: £1,000
Entry fee: £8
Looking for: Short stories
Website: www.bricklanebookshop.org
The Writing District Prize
Prizes: 1st: $1,000 and publication on website, 2 runners-up $100 each
Entry fee: $15
Looking for: Short stories of 3,000 words maximum, any subject, genre or theme
Website: www.thewritingdistrict.com
June Writing Competitions
Bath Novel Award
Prizes: 1st: £2,500
Entry fee: £25
Looking for: First 5,000 words of a manuscript of at least 50,000 words.
Website: www.bathnovelaward.co.uk
Aurora Prize for Writing
Prizes: 1st: £500
Entry fee: £9
Looking for: Short fiction (up to 2,000 words) and poetry (up to 60 lines)
Website: www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk
Mslexia Magazine Competitions
Prizes: Varies by competition
Entry fee: Check website for details
Looking for: Fiction and Poetry (Women Only entrants)
Website: www.mslexia.co.uk
“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.”
— Ray Bradbury
July Writing Competitions
Anthology Magazine Short Story Competition
Prizes: €500 and one year subscription to Anthology Magazine
Entry fee: Early Bird €10, Standard €15
Looking for: Themed short stories up to 1,500 words
Website: www.anthology-magazine.com
Witcraft Annual Humour Competition
Prizes: 3 monthly prizes for best submissions
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: 200 to 1,000 words of witty fiction, non-fiction, or poetry
Website: www.witcraft.org
The To Hull And Back Humorous Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £1,000 and some random bits, 2nd: £500, 3rd: £250, 3 x Highly Commended £100, 14 x Shortlisted: £50. All short listed writers published in their anthology.
Entry fee: Early bird: £11 for one story, £18 for two stories and £22 for three stories. Then £13 for one story, £21 for two stories and £26 for three stories.
Looking for: Short stories up to 2,500 words. No limitation on style or genre, but must contain some element of humour.
Website: www.christopherfielden.com
London Magazine Poem Competition
Prizes: £500
Entry fee: £10
Looking for: Poetry up to 40 lines
Website: www.thelondonmagazine.org
August Writing Competitions
Sean O’Faolain Prize
Prizes: 1st: €2,000
Entry fee: €18
Looking for: Short stories up to 3,000 words
Website: www.munsterlit.ie
Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £1,000, a free creative writing course and publication on website, Runners-up: £200
Entry Fee: £9
Looking for: Short stories up to 3,000 words
Website: www.creativewritingink.co.uk
Digital Dreamers Magazine
Prizes: Publication in the magazine
Entry fee: Free
Looking for: Short Stories and Poetry (must be aged between 10 and 25)
Website: www.digitaldreamersmagazine.com
September Writing Competitions
Commonwealth Short Story Prize (Closing date varies each year)
Prizes: 1st: £5,000, Regional winners £2,500 each
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Short stories from 2,000 to 5,000 words
Website: www.commonwealthwriters.org
Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize
Prizes: 1st: £1,000 or one year’s editorial support, plus smaller prizes
Entry Fee: £10
Looking for: Short stories
Website: www.galleybeggar.co.uk
Manchester Writing Competition
Prizes: 1st: £10,000 in each category
Entry Fee: £17.50
Looking for: Short stories up to 2,500 words. A portfolio of 3 to 5 poems up to a maximum of 120 lines.
Website: www.mmu.ac.uk
The Darling Axe: The First Page Challenge
Prizes: 1st: $700, 2nd: $200, 3rd: $100 CAD
Entry fee: $5 CAD
Looking for: Immerse and engage us with the first page from your novel or memoir.
Website: www.darlingaxe.com
October Writing Competitions
Marlowe & Christie International Novel Prize
Prizes: 1st: £1,100
Entry fee: £24 (Early-Bird £19)
Looking for: Opening 3,000 words of your novel
Website: www.marloweandchristie.com
F(r)iction Contests
Prizes: 1st: Short Story $1,000, Flash Fiction $300, Poetry $300
Entry fee: $2.50 per submission
Looking for: Short stories between 1,001 and 7,500 words, Poetry up to 3 pages per poem, Flash Fiction up to 1,000 words. Work that pushes boundaries, questions traditions and tastes.
Website: www.frictionlit.org
Scribble Competitions
Prizes: £75. £25, £15 for top 3 stories
Entry fee: £5 per story
Looking for: Short stories up to 3,000 words.
Website: www.parkpublications.co.uk
November Writing Competitions
London Magazine Short Story Competition
Prizes: 1st: £500
Entry fee: £10
Looking for: Short stories
Website: www.thelondonmagazine.org
Anthology Magazine Poetry Competition
Prizes: €500 and one year subscription to Anthology Magazine
Entry fee: €15 per poem
Looking for: Themed poetry up to 40 lines
Website: www.anthology-magazine.com
December Writing Competitions
Orna Ross Green Stories Novel Prize
Prizes: 1st: £1000, 2nd: £500, plus publishing support
Entry fee: Free (submission survey requires you to have read an extract)
Looking for: Full length novel that showcases sustainable societies or green issues
Website: www.greenstories.org.uk
Moth Magazine Competition
Prizes: 1st: €10,000 Poem / €3,000 Short Story
Entry fee: €15
Looking for: Short stories up to 5,000 words and poetry
Website: www.themothmagazine.com
RSL Ondaatje Prize
Prizes: 1st: £10,000
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Short fiction, non-fiction or poetry evoking the spirit of a place
Website: www.rsliterature.org
V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize
Prizes: 1st: £1,000
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Short stories
Website: www.rsliterature.org
Marlowe & Christie Flash Fiction Prize
Prizes: 1st: £250
Entry fee: £11 (Early-Bird £9)
Looking for: 250 word story (check for themes)
Website: www.marloweandchristie.com
Ongoing Writing Competitions…
Future Scholar Foundation Monthly Competition
Prizes: Amazon Gift Cards and published in the Hall of Fame
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Short stories up to 350 words (Elementary and Middle School Students only)
Website: www.futurescholarfoundation.org
Andromeda Magazine Monthly Competition
Prizes: Digital certificate and publication on the website
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Fiction short stories up to 2,000 words
Website: www.andromedamagazine.com
Writers’ HQ Flash Off Quarterly Competition
Prizes: 1st place: 12 months Writers’ HQ membership + 3 one-day writing retreats, 2nd place: 6 months Writers’ HQ membership + 3 one-day writing retreats, 3rd place: 3 months Writers’ HQ membership + 3 one-day writing retreats.
Entry fee: Free!
Looking for: Flash fiction up to 500 words.
Website: www.writershq.co.uk
The Letter Review Prize
Prizes: Total annual prize pool is $30,000 USD (prizes awarded every 2 months)
Entry fee: $20 USD (Poetry $15)
Looking for: Short Fiction (up to 5000 words), Nonfiction (up to 5000 words), Poetry (up to 70 lines), Unpublished Books (including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry), and Reprints (previously published works which are not available online)
Website: www.letterreview.com
The Not Quite Write Prize
Prizes: Total prize pool of AUD $2,000
Entry fee: $25
Looking for: You have 60 hours to write 500 words Flash Fiction from prompts
Website: www.notquitewritepodcast.com
Free Author Contests, International Competitions and Writing Prizes
The great thing about many of the writing competitions on this list is that they are free writing contests that allow you to showcase your talent without breaking the bank. So you can unleash your creativity without worrying about entry fees.
Some of these writing competitions allow you to go beyond your borders and make your mark on the global stage. International writing competitions provide a unique opportunity to showcase your talent to a diverse audience and compete with writers from around the world.
You might be dreaming of publishing your manuscript or novel? Then you should participate in manuscript and book writing competitions that not only provide exposure but may open doors to publication opportunities and literary acclaim.
You also get to embrace the digital age with online writing contests. Convenient and accessible, these literary challenges allow you to submit your work from the comfort of your writing nook. Don’t miss out on the chance to make your mark in the virtual literary landscape.
The world of writing competitions is vast and full of exciting opportunities. Choose the contests that align with your writing style, genre, and aspirations. Don’t miss the chance to have your work recognised, connect with fellow authors, and take your writing journey to new heights.
Good luck with your submissions!
Want support with writing, editing, publishing, and marketing your book, short story or poetry? Visit my Resources for Authors page for lots more useful links, tips, tricks and advice.
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Aaron Mullins (@DrAaronMullins) is an award winning, internationally published psychologist and bestselling author. Aaron has over 15 years experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in business strategy for authors and publishers. He started Birdtree Books Publishing where he worked as Editor-in-Chief, partnered with World Reader Charity and taught Academic Writing at Coventry University. Aaron’s book How to Write Fiction: A Creative Writing Guide for Authors has become a staple reference book for writers and those interested in a publishing career. Find out more.