Stiff Competition - the novel

Details

Writing Comps

   Writing Competitions UK (and Others)

Stiff Competition - the novel

Details


 
 

This is a comprehensive list of the most worthwhile (and genuine!) writing competitions currently available.  Genres include short story, flash fiction, novel, poetry, children’s, etc.  Most, but not all, are from the UK. All competitions on this site are carefully vetted.  Many are open worldwide.

     Bear in mind that contests with smaller prizes attract fewer entries and are therefore easier to win ... unless they are free to enter.

                                                                            -  Michael Shenton

 
  

UK Writing Competitions (currently 49)

 


Updated
 27.4.19

 

Scribble Quarterly Short Story Competition .  This quarterly contest from Scribble magazine is for stories in any genre and on any subject, running to no more than 3,000 words.  Winners are chosen by the magazine’s readers.
    Closing: Quarterly.
    Prizes: £75, £25, £15.
    Entry Fee: £3.
    Comp Page:
Scribble SSC.

 


Added
22.1.18

 

Flash 500 Competition.  Here’s a quarterly flash fiction contest which offers higher prize money than many similar competitions. It is for stories of up to 500 words on any theme.
    Closing: Quarterly (end of March, June, September, December).
    Prizes: 1st - £300.  2nd - £200.  3rd - £100.  Winners will be published on the website.
    Entry Fee: £5 each, £8 for two.
    Comp Page:
Flash 500 Story.

 
    
  

                         The Rules, the T&Cs, the Fine Print
When you submit a story or poem to a competition, you are entering into a contract with the promoter.  Make sure you know the terms.  It may be, for instance, that you are granting the promoter the right to publish your work without payment even if you don’t win.  This is often the price you pay for entering a contest with no entry fee.  If it bothers you, don’t participate.  But before you get sniffy about that 450-word story set in the sedate world of turnip farming, ask yourself this: Would I really be able to sell it to anyone else?  Publication, even without payment, might not be a bad thing if it gets you a healthy crop of readers.  And if it’s in a newspaper or magazine that carries some prestige ... well, there are plenty of struggling writers who would gift wrap and hand over their very souls for the privilege of being able to put that in their cv.  Only you can decide if it’s worth it.

 


Added
1.2.24

 

Fowey Festival Short Story Competition.  If, as you sit shivering in your wintery home with the unaffordable heating turned off, you are thinking about sun-drenched sands in the warmer regions of the world, then this competition from Cornwall (Daphne du Maurier country) could be just the thing for you, for the theme, and the title of your story, must be ‘Beaches’.  You are allowed up to 1,500 words to explore this.  The contest is open worldwide to anyone aged 16 or over.
    Closing: 28.3.24 (Noon).
    Prizes: £200, £100.
    Entry Fee: £10.
    Comp Page:
Fowey Story

 


Added
4.2.24

 

Red Shed Open Poetry Competition.  Here’s a return visit from the annual contest run by Currock Press of Wakefield.  Sponsored by the Mocca Moocho cafe it is for poems of up to 50 lines on any subject.
    Closing: 29.3.24.
    Prizes : 1st - £100.  2nd - £50.  Shortlisted - £20.  Wakefield Postcode: £25.
    Entry Fee: £3 for the first, £2 thereafter.
    Comp Page:
Red Shed.

 


Updated
31.1.24

 

Creative Mind Writing Competitions 2024.  The latest contest from Creative Mind of Horwich in Lancashire has two categories: stories (up to 900 words) and poems (up to 40 lines).  The theme is Art & Society.
    Closing: 29.3.24.
    Prizes (in each category): £50, £30, £20.  Everyone whose work appears in the competition anthology will receive a free copy and will be invited to the book launch.
    Entry Fee: £4, £7 for two, £9 for three.
    Comp Page:
Creative Mind

 


Added
15.7.23

 

British Theatre Challenge.  This is the tenth of these contests from London’s Sky Blue Theatre Company.  The contest was apparently due to open in November last year and close on 30.3.23, but due to tragic circumstances it’s been put back a year.  The challenge is to write a play with a running time of up to 30 minutes, with more than one actor.
    Closing: 30.3.24.  Not open for entries until 1.11.23.
    Prize: Five plays will receive a week’s performance with preofesional directors and actors at the Jack Studio Theatre in London.  The plays will be filmed by Mini Mammoth Films.
    Entry Fee: £16.
    Comp Page
SB Theatre Co

 


Added
2.9.23

 

Rubery Book Award.  This annual international award is for books of all genres published by independent publishers or self-published.  To enter, send a hardcopy of your book by post or submit an ebook electronically.
    Closing: 31.3.24.
    Prizes: 1st - £2,000.  Category winners - £200.  All winners receive a glass plaque.
    Entry Fee: £45.  If you are entering from outside the UK, see the website.
    Comp Page:
Rubery Book.

 


Added
12.12.23
 

 

Fish Poetry Prize.  Poems of up to 60 line in any style are invited for this annual international contest from Fish Publishing based in southern Ireland.  Billy Collins will again be judging.
    Closing: 31.3.24.
    Prizes: 1st - 1,000 euros.  2nd - 300 euros plus a Fish writing course.  3rd - 300 euros.  Ten poems will be published in the Fish Anthology 2024.  The writers will each receive five free copies and will be invited to read at the launch ceremony at the West Cork Literary Festival in July 2024.
    Entry Fee: 14 euros, for the first, 9 euros thereafter.
    Comp Page:
Fish Poetry.

 


Added
1.12.23

 

Parsec SF/Fantasy/Horror Short Story Competition.  This freebie from Parsec in America is, as it says on the tin, for science fiction, fantasy or horror stories.  Entries should be no longer than 3,500 words.  The theme is ‘AI Mythology.‘  You should try to incorporate both concepts into your entry.  This,’ say the promoters, ‘can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue ... but it must be integral to the story.’  Parsec, incidentally, is Pittsburgh’s premier science fiction & fantasy organisation.
    Closing: 31.3.24 (11:59pm EST).  Opens 1.1.24.
    Prizes: 1st - $200 and publication in the Confluence program book (and before you ask, Confluence is some sort of annual science fiction get-together).  2nd - $100.  3rd - $50.  Best Youth Story - $50.
    Entry Fee: None - free to enter.  Only one submission per person allowed.
    Comp Page:
Parsec S/F Story

 


Added
12.12.23

 

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize.  Before you clutter up your mind with ideas for poems about caterpillars, let me just point out that the name of this annual contest is not intended to indicate the official subject, although if you wish to go that way, you are free to do so.  The only stipulations are that your poem must be suitable for children aged 7 to 11, and it must be written by an adult.  It can be any length and may have any number of legs, including none.  The Caterpillar, incidentally, is a children’s magazine based in Southern Ireland.
    Closing: 31.3.24.
    Prizes: 1st - 1,000 euros plus a weel at Circle of Misse in France.  2nd - 500 euros.  3rd - 250 euros.  The winning poems will be published in the Irish Times online.
    Entry Fee: 14 euros.
    Comp Page:
Catmag Poetry.

 


Added
4.2.24

 

The Plough Poetry Prize.  Arr, it be that time again.  The Plough Prize is back for its umpteenth annual appearance.  It comes from the Plough Arts Centre in Torrington, Devon.  It is for poems of up to 40 lines in any style and on any subject.  The judge this year is multi-award-winning poet Roger McGough.
    Closing: 31.3.24.
    Prizes: I’m tempted to say ploughs, but I think I’ve done that one before.  The prizes are actually quite useful amounts of money: £1,000, £500, £250.
    Entry Fee: £5 online, postal £6.
    Comp Page:
Plough PP.

 


Added
2.2.24

 

EHP Barnard Annual Spring Poetry Prize.   Not, as you might imagine, a contest for poems about springs (Boing - My Life on the Rebound), this is in fact for poems about Travel.  You have up to 400 words to explore this theme.  Poet Ruth Beddow will be judging.
    Closing: 31.3.24.
    Prizes: 1st - £100 plus a poem video professionally performed, produced and promoted.  2nd - £75.  3rd - £50.
    Entry Fee: £2.
    Comp Page:
EHPB Poetry

 

 

 

Hi
   
Before I discovered your website I’d never even thought of trying my luck in a writing competition. My stories were a very private part of my life, I was (and for the most of the time still am) very convinced that they are not good enough for the ‘outside world’.
     I don’t know what made me try - call it a crazy moment of self-confidence - but here I am the October winner of the Cazart short story competition. I haven’t felt so good about myself in months. It might not seem like a big deal to the world but for me it means everything. And it would not have happened if it wasn’t for your wonderful website.
     Thank You very much.                                         -  Dorota Nocun

 


Added
2.9.23

 

Wergle Flomp Humour Poetry Competition.  This annual freebie from Winning Writers in the USA is for published or unpublished humorous poems of up to 250 lines.  Before entering, it is advisable to read some of the past winning entries.
    Closing: 1.4.24.
    Prizes: 1st - $2,000 plus a gift certificate.  2nd - $500, $250.  Runners-up (10) - $100.  The top 12 entries will be published online.
    Entry Fee: None - free to enter.  One entry per person.
    Comp Page:
Wergle Flomp.

 


Added
4.1.24

 

Rialto Nature & Place Poetry Competition.  Any aspect of nature and place is the theme of this annual contest from The Rialto magazine in association with the RSPB, Birdlife International, the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and the University of Leeds Poetry Centre.  The judge is Zaffar Kunial.
    Closing: 1.4.24.
    Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250.
    Entry Fee: £7 for the first, £4 thereafter.
    Comp Page:
Rialto N&P.

 


Added
15.2.24

 

BLB Short Story Prize.  The competition promoters at Brick Lane Bookshop in London are looking for writers who have not been published and who are not scheduled for publication.  Publication in your blog doesn’t count, and if you have self-published a book but sold fewer than 50 copies and are prepared to admit it, then that also doesn’t count.  If this description fits you, and you are over 18 and resident in the UK, send in an original story of between 1,000 and 5,000 words.
    Closing : 7.4.24 (5pm).
    Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250.  Winners will also receive a development meeting with a member of the Spread the Word team, plus other writing-related items.  A longlisted entry will be published in a print edition of The London Magazine.  All longlisted entries will be published in an anthology.
    Entry Fee: £10.
    Comp Page:
BLB Story.

 


Added
2.1.24

 

The Mairtin Crawford Awards.  Here’s one from the Belfast Book Festival.  Open to residents of Ireland and the UK, it is for poems and stories by writers who have not yet had a full collection of stories or poems, or a novel, published.  In the poetry category, submissions should comprise between 3 and 5 poems of no more than 60 lines each.  Stories (one per submission) should not exceed 2,500 words.
    Closing: 10.4.24.
    Prizes: The first prize winners in each category will receive £500 and an optional ‘Time to Write’ package which includes a 3-night stay at a Bullitt Hotel, Belfast, and 4 days of dedicated writing space in The Crescent.  Runners-up (2) - £250.
    Entry Fee: £6 for each submission of one story or 3 to 5 poems.
    Comp Page:
MC Awards.

 


Added
8.2.24

 

Desperate Literature Prize 2024.  Based in Madrid, Desperate Literature are desperately seeking entries for their international short fiction competition.  These should run to fewer thatn 2,000 words.
    Closing: 14.4.24 (midnight, Madrid time).
    Prize: 1st - 2,000 euros, a week’s writing residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, a consultation with a UK literary agent, plus a manuscript assessment from The Literary Consultancy.  Runners-up (2) - 1,000 euros.  All shortlisted writers will be published in a limited edition book and a magazine.  One shortlistee will be offered a week’s residency at Studio Faire. France.
    Entry Fee: 20 euros for the first, 10 euros thereafter.
    Comp Page:
Desperate Literature

 


Added
29.2.24

 

Bath Short Story Award.  As in previous years, this international contest is for stories of up to 2,200 words on any subject.  The judge this time round is journalist, editor and author Sophie Haydock.
    Closing: 15.4.24.
    Prizes: £1,200, £300, £100.  Acorn Award (for an unpublished writer) - £100.  Local Writer - £50 in book vouchers.
    Entry Fee: £9.
    Comp Page:
Bath Short Story

 


Added
4.2.24

 

Indigo Open Poetry Prize 2023.  Here we have another contest from Indigo Dreams Publishing in Devon.  It is for poems of up to 40 lines on any subject.
    Closing: 22.4.24.
    Prizes: £250, £100, £50.  Plus magazine publication.
    Entry Fee: £5 esch, £9 for two, £12 for three.
    Comp Page:
Indigo Dreams.

 


Added
20.2.24

 

Sitcom Mission Script Competition.  The promoters of this comedy contest are looking for 15-minute scripts suitable for a sitcom series of six episodes.  So far so promising, but the more I dug into this one when vetting it the less I liked it, and I almost didn’t list it.  In more than 40 years of being involved with literary competitions I have never encountered one where you can pay a higher entry fee to get feedback on your submission before the closing date and then be permitted to make the recommended changes.  And if you can afford a hundred quid, you can do this twice.  I mean hell, who is writing this entry?  At best, it’s going to be a joint effort between you and someone working for the promoters.  Of course, this sort of thing is quite normal when you get work accepted by an agent or publisher, but in a competition it is ridiculous - not to mention unfair on those who can’t afford the higher fees (although the promoters do say they’re not going to reject a new Fleabag just because the writer only paid the standard fee).
    Closing: 28.4.24.
    Prizes: Six entrants get feedback from the producers and have two weeks to revise their scripts, then four will be selected to have their work performed as rehearsed readings in front of an audience and unspecified industry professionals who will choose a final winner.
    Entry Fees: Basic: £15.  Then there are options at higher fees for additional services: Feedback after the closing date (£40), or feedback before the closing date to allow you to make changes to your entry and re-submit it (£60 - enter by 24.3.24)., or two lots of feedback before the closing date to allow for two lots of changes (£100 - enter by 25.2.24).  Next year for £1,000 or so they will probably offer to send someone round to help you do a complete rewrite which you can then re-submit after the judging, with the judges reconvening to decide if your entry should be the new winner.
    Comp Page :
Sitcom Mission

 


Added
8.2.24

 

Creative Writing New Zealand Short Story Competition.  Here’s a  contest from the land of that delicious, flightless fruit, the kiwi.  I went there on a working holiday just before my 17th birthday.  It was in that enchanted country that I bought my first car and passed my first driving test - none of which, alas, is relevant to the business in hand, otherwise I could reminisce for hours.  Open worldwide, the competition is for stories on any subject, running to no more that 3,000 words on any subject.
    Closing: 30.4.24 (11.59pm NZST).
    Prizes: 1st - $1,000.  Runners-up (2) - $200.  The dollars are of course of the New Zealand variety
    Entry Fee: $9 (NZ).
    Comp Page:
NZ Short Story

 


Added
1.12.23

 

Ver Poets Open Competition.  Here’s a repeat of the annual contest from Ver Poets of St Albans in Hertfordshire.  It is for poems of up to 30 lines on any subject.  The judge this year is Merryn Williams.
    Closing: 30.4.24.
    Prizes: £600, £300, £100.  Winning and selected poems will be published in an anthology.
    Entry Fee: £4 each, £10 for three, £3 each thereafter.
    Comp Page:
Ver Poets.

 


Added
1.2.24

 

Adventure Writers Competition.  Sponsored by the Clive Cussler family and others, this international contest is for adventure novels of between 50,000 and 200,000 words.  Details of what qualifies as an adventure story for the purpose of this competition can be found on the website.  New as well as published novels can be entered, but in the case of the latter, there are rules about how many copies can have been sold or given away.  There are also rules about script formatting, and unusually for novel manuscripts, the requirement here is for single-spaced lines (read the rest on the website before entering).
    Closing: 30.4.24.
    Prizes: 1st - $1,000.  Runners-up (2) - $500.  The three winners will be considered by Braveship Books for publication/promotion.  The winners also get a free book trailer (whatever that is), and all finalists will receive a ‘Clive Trophy’.
    Entry Fee: $50.
    Comp Page:
Adventure Novel.

 


Added
11.3.24

 

F(r)iction Writing Competition.  Back again for another round is this international contest from the American online magazine F(r)iction.  It has four categories: Short Story (1,001 to 7,500 words), Poetry (up to three pages per poem), Flash Fiction (up to 1,000 words), Creative Nonfiction up to 6,500 words.
    Closing: 30.4.24.
    Prizes: Short Story - $1,000.  Flash Fiction - £300.  Poetry - $300, Nonfiction - $500.
    Entry Fees: Short Story and creative nonfiction - $15.  Poetry and Flash Fiction - single entry $10, three-pack $12.
   Comp Page:
F(r)iction Comps.

 

 

 

Dear Mr Michael
    I discovered your website back in November, then, in January, finally had the guts to enter the Whidbey Writers’ Competition, with the 'lazy' way of judging entries: stopping reading once they found 'the one'. The January theme was Villains, and, guess what, I won.
    Thank goody-goody gumdrops for Prizemagic.
    Keep Smiling
                                                  
- Hannie Duncombe (The youngest ever Student Choice winner, at 13, thanks to you.)

 


Added
25.3.24

 

Letter Review Prizes.  Here’s a repeat of the contest from the USA with four categories: Poetry (all kinds, up to 70 lines), Short Fiction (up to 5,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 5,000 words) and Unpublished Books (first 5,000 words of a novel, nonfiction or collection of short stories, or 15 pages of poetry).  In the Unpublished Books category, self-published books are eligible.
    Closing: 30.4.24 (11.59pm ET).
    Prizes: A share of the $1,000 prize pool in each category.  Poetry, Short Fiction and Nonfiction winners will be published, while Unpublished Book winners can choose to have an extract published and receive a letter of recommendation from the judges.  Winners in the first three categories will also be considered for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies.
    Entry Fee: Nonfiction - $2.  Short Fiction - $0.  Poetry - $0.  Unpublished Book - $0.
    Comp Page:
Letter Review Prizes

 


Added
1.3.24

 

The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award.  This recurring contest from American website The Ghost Story is for tales of between 1,500 and 10,000 words.  Stories needn’t be about ghosts (on the website they mention supernatural, paranormal, magic realism ... that sort of thing).
    Closing: 30.4.24.
    Prizes: 1st - $1,500 plus online and print publication.  Runners-up (2) - $300 and online publication.
    Entry Fee: $20.
    Comp Page:
Supernatural Story

 


Added
30.9.23

 

Tom Howard/John H Reid Fiction & Essay Contest.  This regular visitor from Winning Writers in the USA is two competitions in one.  The first is for fiction running to no more than 6,000 words, while the second requires factual essays, also with a limit of 6,000 words.
    Closing: 1.5.24.  Opens for entries 15.10.23.
    Prizes: Story - $3,500 plus $100 gift certificate.  Essay - $3,500 plus $100 gift certificate. Honourable Mentions (10) - $300.  The top 12 entries will be published online.
    Entry Fee: $22.
    Comp Page:
Tom H Comp.

 


Added
11.3.24

 

Goldfinch Books Novel Award.  Entries are invited for completed novels of at least 60,000 words for this contest from Goldfinch Books.  The author must be 16+, unagented, and must not have had a novel published previously.  To enter, send in the first 5,000 words of your story plus a one-page synopsis.  Literary agent Kiya Evans will be judging.
    Closing: 15.5.24.
    Prize: £300 and a creative writing course.
    Entry Fee: £10.
    Comp Page:
Goldfinch Novel

 


Added
2.2.24

 

Creative Future Writers’ Award.  Creative Future is seeking entries from poets and fiction writers from underrepresented backgrounds, i.e. those who face barriers due to mental health, disability, identity or social circumstances (you might for instance be a carer).  See the entry page for a comprehensive list.  You also need to be over 18, resident in the UK and not previously published in book form by an established publisher.  If you fit the bill, submit a work of fiction or creative non-fiction of up to 2,000 words, or a poem of up to 50 lines.  The theme in all cases is ‘Reveal’ (a creative prompt, not a requirement).
    Closing: 19.5.24 (11.59pm).
    Prizes: (Poetry ) 1st - £75, a Chapter and Verse Mentorship, manuscript assessment and a year’s Being A Writer membership, plus a Faber Academy online masterclass.  2nd - £50 plus other writing-relatesd items.  3rd - £25 plus other Writing-related items.  There are also prizes for fourth place and runners-up.  (Fiction): 1st - £75, a 9-month Curtis Brown mentorship, one year’s Being A Writer membership, Faber Academy Writing a Novel course,  a year’s membership of the Society of Authors.  (Creative non-fiction): 1st - £75 plus mentoring and manuscript assessment, plus Faber Academy’s Memoir and Life Writing course.  2nd - £50, manuscript assessment and an online writing course from Writing Magazine, plus Society of Authors membership.  3rd - £25 plus manuscript assessment and coaching, and a copy of the W&A Yearbook.  There are also prizes for Highly Commended and Commended.  In addition to the main category prizes there are ‘Joint prizes’, presumably so you can smoke away the blues after not winning the top prize.
    Entry Fee: Free to enter or pay what you can (one entry per person in each category allowed).
    Comp Page:
Creative Future.

 


Added
16.10.23

 

Never Such Innocence Poetry Competition.  Here we have a freebie for youngsters between the ages of 9 and 18.  It has four categories - Poetry, Art, Speech and Song - but here I deal only with the first.  Your poem, which should run to no more than 40 lines, must answer the question: How does war affect people’s lives?
    Closing: 24.5.24.
    Prizes: Prizes will be announced later in the competition, they say.  These will include some exciting experiences.
    Entry Fee: None - free to enter.  You can enter each of the four categories once.
    Comp Page:
Innocence

 


Added
21.1.24

 

MTP Short Story Competition.  Here we have a repeat of last year’s contest from Michael Terence Publishing of Oxford.  Now open to all authors worldwide, it is for fiction, science fiction and non-fiction (biography, memoir, etc) running to no more than 3,000 words.
    Closing: 30.5.24.
    Prizes: 1st - £1,000.  2nd - £500.  3rd - £250.  Runners-up (5) - £50. Winners will be published online and in a print and e-book anthology (the title of this will be based on the title of the winning story).
    Entry Fee: £8.  Early Bird Entries (up to 29.2.24) - £6.
    Comp Page:
MTP Story Comp.

 


Added
26.1.24

 

Wirral Poetry Festival Open Poetry Competition.  Poems of up to 40 lines are invited for this long-running contest from the Wirral where Vikings once settled ... before being moved on by the council following complains of antisocial behaviour.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prizes: Open - £250, 4 x £25.  Wirral Prizes - £100, 2 x £25
    Enry Fee: £4 each, £10 for three.
    Comp Page:
Wirral Poetry

 


Added
4.2.24

 

First Novel Prize 2024.  From Daniel Goldsmith Associates of London comes this annual international contest for first novels in any adult genre.  To enter you send in an extract from your novel plus a synopsis and your contact details.  The total submission must not exceed 5,000 words.  Extracts from self-published or independently published novels are admissible.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prizes : 1st - £1,000.  Runner-up - £500.
    Entry Fee: £25.
    Comp Page:
First Novel.

 


Added
4.2.24

 

Frome Festival Short Story Competition.  Here it comes again - the annual contest from Froooom (as the locals like to pronounce it).  And as usual, it’s for stories of between 1,000 and 2,200 words.  There is no theme.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prizes: £400, £200, £100.  There are in addition prizes for local authors, defined as those living within 25 miles of the local library.  Damn - missed out by only 95 miles.
    Entry Fee: £6 up to March 31st, then £8.
    Comp Page:
Frooom Story.

 

 

 

Dear Michael,
     I love your website and its pertinent personal comments re the comps.
     I entered the Alexander Cordell one some months ago, the mini saga, and was short-listed to win. It was a 600 mile round trip with two toddlers but we had a really wonderful weekend. My husband is self employed and works really long hours so it was great to drag him away and out into the countryside. The people were lovely, the whole event was fascinating, and I was thrilled to get two books and a book token. My little girl age 3 gets excited every time Wales is mentioned on the news now! The greatest thrill was hearing the Director of Visit Wales read out my story so reverently, and with evident enjoyment. The organisers were delighted with the world-wide entries.  I don’t write for money - just as well - but for the love of the medium and the message.
     Keep up the good work!                                         -  Julie Noble

 


Added
2.9.23

 

Frogmore Poetry Prize.  This annual contest is run by Frogmore Press which was founded in 1983 in the Frogmore tearooms in Folkestone.  Well, what else can you do in Folkestone?  I’ll tell you what: you can fall in the sea - a feat I managed at the age of 8.  Will I ever forget that day?  Unlikely, for I had the misfortune to be rescued by my two sisters.  ‘No, no - let me drown!’ I cried.  ‘I’ll never be able to face my mates again.’  But I had the ice cream money in my pocket and so my pleas were ignored.  I later wrote a poem about the shame of it all but it would have been too long for this contest as it ran to 360 lines.  The line limit here is 40.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prize: 1st - 250 guineas.  Classy.  You also get a two-year subscription to The Frogmore Papers.  2nd - 75 guineas and a year’s subscription.  3rd - 50 guineas and a year’s subscription.  Shortlisted poets also get copies of selected Frogmore Press publications, plus publicaion in the mag.
    Entry Fee: £4.
    Comp Page:
Frogmore PP

 


Added
7.12.23

 

Bath Novel Award .  This well-known international competition for unagented emerging novelists is celebrating its tenth anniversary with an increased prize fund of £10,000.  To enter you submit the first 5,000 words of your completed novel (minimum 50,000 words) aimed at adults or young adults.  Also required is a one-page synopsis.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prizes :  1st - £5,000 and an exclusive trophy.  Shortlistees receive a compilation of award readers’ comments on their entry, while all listees receive feedback on their opening pages.  One longlistee will also win a place on the online course, Edit Your Novel the Professional Way, from Professional Writing Academy and Cornerstones Literary Consultancy.
    Entry Fee: £29.99.
    Comp Page:
Bath Novel

 


Added
5.1.24

 

Black Orchid Novella Award.  This is the 18th of these annual mystery story contests from The Wolfepack (the official Nero Wolfe Literary Society) in the USA.  It is open worldwide.  To enter, you submit an original detective story of between 15,000 and 20,000 words in the traditional deductive style exemplified by Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series.  Your story should contain no sex or violence and, presumably, no fat-shaming.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prize: $1,000 and publication in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine..
    Entry Fee: None - free to enter.
    Comp Page:
Nero Wolfe Novella

 


Added
1.2.24

 

Bridport Prize.  This famous international competition from the Bridport Arts Centre is one of the most prestigious writing contests in the British literary calendar.  Everyone in the trade whose mind is not addled by drugs has heard of it, and they will be impressed if you can claim to have won it.  The good news is that winning it is easy.  All you have to do is submit the best poem or short story, the former having no more than 42 lines, the latter running to no more than 5,000 words.  For those who find 5,000 words too tiring to write there is now a flash fiction category for stories of up to 250 words (if that’s too much, consider becoming a poet).  There is also a First Chapter Award (see separate listing) for a novel opening and synopsis.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prizes: Short Stories, Poems - (in each category) £5,000, £1,000, £500, and ten @ £100.  Flash Fiction - £1,000, £500, £250, and five @ £100.  Winning entries will be published in an anthology.
    Entry Fees: Poems - £12.  Short Stories - £14.  Flash Fiction - £11.
    Comp Page:
Bridport Prize.

 


Added
1.2.24

 

The Peggy Chapman-Andrews Novel Award.  This annual contest, which honours one of the founders of the Bridport Prize, is for novels by writers over 16 who are resident in the UK or R.o.I, or are British citizens living overseas, or writers living in any of the 14 British Overseas Territories.  To be eligible you must not have had a novel published (self-published excepted).  To enter, you submit the first chapters of your story (5,000 to 8,000 words), plus a synopsis of up to 300 words.  Three hundred words?  That’s more a blurb than a synopsis.  Warning: You need to have 15,000 words of the novel available at the longlist stage and 30,000 for the shortlist.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prizes: 1st - £1,500 plus mentoring from The Literary Consultancy, and a consultation with London literary agents AM Heath and Publisher Headline.  2nd - £750 plus full manuscript appraisal.  Runners-up (3) - £150 plus a 15,000-word manuscript appraisal.  The winning novel extracts will be published in the anthology.
    Entry Fee: £24.
    Comp Page:
Chapman-Andrews Award.

 


Added
1.2.24

 

Yeovil Literary Prize.  This is the 23rd of these annual international contests from Yeovil, the literary capital of the West Country where even the sheep appreciate poetry.  There are five categories: Short Story, Poetry, Novel, Children’s & YA Novel, and Unrestricted.  The short stories can run to 2,000 words, while poems should be no more than 40 lines.  Adult Novels have a limit of 10,000 words for the opening chapters and synopsis.  Children’s & YA entries should be no more than 3,000 (opening) words with a 500-word synopsis, and can include one illustration.  The final category is unusual in that it’s for anything you have written - as long as it has ‘the Wow! factor’ (they mean ‘Wow - that’s brilliant!’ rather than, ‘Wow - you’ve really plumbed the depths with that one!’).  Your entry could be a particularly creative tax return, a witty note to the milkman, or that hilariously scathing critique of your former best friend’s novel, etc.
    Closing: 31.5.24.
    Prizes: Short Story - £600, £250, £125.  Poetry - £600, £250, £125.  Novel - £1,250, £500, £125.  Children’s & YA Novel - £600, £250, £125.  Writing Without Restrictions - £250, £125, £75.  In addition there is the Western Gazette Best Local Writer Award for a shortlisted writer living in the Western Gazette distribution area (mainly Dorset and Somerset).  It isn’t worth moving down there however as the prize is only £100.
    Entry Fee: Short Story - £8.  Poetry - £5.  Novel - £14.50.  Children’s & YA Novel - £12.50.  Writing Without Restrictions - £6.
    Comp Page:
Yeovil Lit Prize.

 

 

 

Dear Michael,
     Thank you for maintaining your informative and witty list of writing competitions.
     I entered loads of them last year and got precisely nowhere, but I ploughed on regardless and have just won second prize (£100) in the Flash 500 Humour Verse contest, which would suggest that your friend Percy Vere might be onto something.
                                                                             -  Melanie Branton

 


Added
2.3.24

 

Canterbury Poet of the Year Competition.  It’s back again: the annual international poetry contest from Canterbury Festival.  As usual, it is for poems of up to 60 lines.  Shortlisted poets will be asked to read their work via Zoom at the online awards evening on October 5, but they can if they wish nominate someone else to do this, including one of the judges.
    Closing: 7.6.24.  Opens for entries on 4.3.24.
    Prizes: £200, £100, £50.  All longlisted entries (approximately 35) will be published in an anthology.
    Entry Fee: £5.
    Comp Page:
Canterbury Festival Comp

 


Added
1.3.24

 

George Crabbe Memorial Poetry Competition.  This annual contest from the Suffolk Poetry Society, a registered charity, has been running since 1954.  It is for poems of up to 50 lines on any subject.  To enter ,you will have to buy eligibilty by joining the Society unless you are already a member, or were born in Suffolk, Norfolk or Essex, or work or reside there, or have been educated there.  I don’t think it will be good enough if you merely identify as having been born in the area even though you were actually born in, say Glasgow, but these days you never know.
    Closing: 14.6.24.
    Prizes: £500, £250, £150.  Runners-up (2) - £100.  There will be an awards event at which winning and commended poems will be read, preferably by their authors.  The poems will be published in an anthology.
    Entry Fee: £4.
    Comp Page:
Crabbe Poetry.

 


Added
6.2.24

 

International Welsh Poetry Competition.  I know what you’re thinking: you’ll have to write a poem in Welsh for this one.  Not so, because there are only four poets in the entire world who write in Welsh, so the promoters are wisely asking for entries in English.  They’re also asking for no more than 50 lines.  These lines can be in any style and on any subject.  Award-winning poet Kathy Miles will be judging.
    Closing: 30.6.24.
    Prizes: £500, £250, £100.  Winners and 17 runners-up will be published in a future anthology.
    Entry Fee: £6.
    Comp Page:
Welsh Poetry.

 


Added
6.3.24

 

Wells Festival of Literature Competitions.  Here we have a return of the famous Wells Litfest and its various competitions: Poetry, Short Story, Book for Children, Young Poets.  I should mention before we go any further that we are talking about Wells in Somerset, not Wells in Norfolk which also has an annual litfest (I wouldn’t want you turning up at the wrong event to receive your prize or to berate the judges for not awarding you anything).  Anyway, back to business.  For the Poetry you are allowed up to 35 lines, while the Short Stories should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words.  For the Book for Children, which must be suitable for youngsters aged 7+ (includes YA), you need to submit the first two chapters (or first 20 pages, this being the maximum) plus a synopsis of up to 2 pages (and don’t use a microscopic font that’s only suitable for the small print in dodgy contracts).  If shortlisted, you may be asked to submit the rest of your story.  The Young Poets category, for budding bards aged between 16 and 22, requires poems of no more than 35 lines.
    Closing: 30.6.24.  Opens for entries 1.4.24.
    Prizes: Poetry - £1,000, £500, £250.  Short Story, Book for Children (in each category) - £750, £300, £200.  Young Poets - £200, £150, £100.  Additional prizes: Local Prize for poetry, short story - £100 in each category.  Book for Children Local Prize - £100.
    Entry Fee : Adult categories - £6.  Young Poets - £3.
    Comp Page:
Wells Litfest.

 


Added
2.1.24

 

Farnham Flash Fiction Competition.  Here’s one from the Farnham Literary Festival in Surrey.  It is for stories of up to 500 words on any subject.
    Closing: 1.7.24.
    Prizes: £100, £25.  Best story featuring Farnham - £25.  Selected longlisted stories will be published in the competition anthology.
    Entry Fee: £5.
    Comp Page:
Farnham Flash

 


Added
29.2.24

 

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award.  The writing in question for this contest from Aesthetica Magazine is short fiction running to no more than 2,000 words, and poetry of up to 40 lines.  Submissions can be on any subject and may have been previously published.
    Closing: 31.8.24.
    Prize (in each category): £2,500 plus other writing related prizes.  Finalists will be published in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual.
    Entry Fee: £18 for fiction, £12 for poetry.
    Comp Page:
Aesthetica Award.

 


Added
1.3.24

 

Hammond House International Writing Competitions.  This annual offering from Hammond House Publishing at University Centre Grimsby is for short stories of between 1,000 and 5,000 words, poems of up to 40 lines, scripts (theatre, radio, short film or TV) of up to 10 pages (approx. 10 minutes duration), and Songwriting in the form of just lyrics or complete songs.  In all categories the theme is Time.
    Closing: 30.9.24.
    Prizes : Short Story - £1,000, £100, £50.  Poetry - £250, £50, £25.  Script - £500.  Songwriting - £100 in each sub-category, plus the song will be played at the 2025 Literary Festival and released worldwide on the Hammond House record label.  All shortlisted entries in the Story and Poetry categories will be published in the anthology, as will the scriptwriting winners.  There will be a televised awards ceremony (so get your politically correct, virtue signalling acceptance speech ready - and don't forget to thank the train/taxi driver, etc, without whom you wouldn’t be there).
    Entry Fee: £10.
    Comp Page:
HH Lit Prize

 


Added
11.6.04

 

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Competition.  This US contest is open worldwide and is for short stories of up to 17,000 words.  They should be science fiction, fantasy or horror with fantastic elements.
    Closing: Quarterly.
    Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500.
    Entry Fee: None.
    Website:
Click Here.

 

 

 

Dear Michael
     Just to say a big ‘Thank You’ for your work on the website. I have been selected for publication in the Mirador competition which ran last year and have been awarded 3rd place in the Stringybark Speculative Fiction competition. To be published twice is like a dream for me, which the information found on your site made possible. Thanks again.
                                                                                    -   Pat Davies

 
  

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*********************************************************************************
Notes: Unless otherwise stated in the rules, all poetry should be single-spaced.  The rest should be double-spaced (which is to say, double spacing between the lines, not the words!).  It is sometimes the case that your name shouldn’t appear on the manuscript.  Again, check the rules.  If you put your name on there after being told not to, you’re out.  Don’t use coloured paper or fancy fonts, and don’t send your manuscript done up like the Queen’s dinner menu with a fancy gold-tooled leather cover.  These things merely announce that you have no confidence in your submission or, worse, that you think the judges are shallow enough to judge on appearance rather than content.  Plain white A4 80gsm paper is the stuff to use, with plain black typing or print.  Write on one side of the sheet only (unless asked to put your address on the back).

 
    
  

        Before you start writing, allow me to introduce you to an old friend

                                       The Typo Goblin

 
I am the Typo Goblin, my heart is made of flint,
  My role in life is simply this: to keep you out of print.
  I sneak into your manuscript and do my fiendish work,
  Adding errors guaranteed to make you look a berk.
  And then I cast the ‘Careless’ spell: you say, ‘Ah, what the heck!’
  And pop your script into the post without that final check.
  At length some hapless editor receives your golden wit,
  And after reading fifty words he writes it off as ... unpublishable.

                                                                           
- Michael Shenton

 
  

Finally, as you sift through the remnants of your shattered dreams and wonder if it’s worth going on ... www.samaritans.co.uk/

 
       
        


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   My Humorous Verse, Songs, Etc (sample)
     
                           T
his is the Prizemagic website
                           
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                           Copyright:  Michael Shenton  2024

                                                           Poem: Being a Writer

 


                             Romantic Poetry by Michael Shenton (sample)
 

 

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