writing contests

Collated Resources

https://www.christopherfielden.com/#Competitions – Regularly updated comprehensive list of fiction and non-fiction contests, including flash, short stories, poetry, novels, essays.

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/company-article/writing-prizes-and-opportunitiesList of opportunities for writers including contests, mentorship programmes, bursaries.

https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-contests/non-fiction/Non-fiction

https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-contests/novel/Novels

Contests, Awards & Prizes

https://anthology-magazine.com/category/awards/ includes short story, flash, poetry, personal memoir, travel writing, nature writing

https://bathnovelaward.co.uk/adult novel and children’s novel

https://bridportprize.org.uk/novel, short story, flash, poetry, memoir, bursaries and writers-in- residence programme

https://www.bristolprize.co.uk/short story

https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/Annually, the prestigious Times Chicken House Children’s fiction contest, sometimes other children’s contests and open submission windows.

https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/breakthrough-writers-programmevarious mentoring and other opportunities for writers

https://www.fishpublishing.com/writing-contests/ short story, short memoir, flash, poetry

https://flash500.com/ flash, short story, novel opening

https://www.iaminprint.co.uk/(formerly Winchester Writers Festival) – various including crime/thriller, historical fiction, romance, sci-fi, children’s, poetry

https://leapfrogpress.com/2023-contest-information-2/novel

https://www.mmu.ac.uk/writingcompetition/fiction-prize – short story

https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/for women writers – novel, children’s novel, flash, poetry, short story, poetry pamphlet, memoir

https://pageturnerawards.com/2024-award-categoriesnovels, screenplays

https://theplazaprizes.com/about-us/#crime, memoir, short story, poetry, flash

https://www.scottishartstrust.org/ – short story

https://www2.societyofauthors.org/prizes/the-soa-awards/ various including the McKitterick Prize (1st novel, over 40), Betty Trask (1st novel, under 35),  Paul Torday (1st novel, over 60) short story, poetry, translation, illustrated children’s, travel writing, audio drama

https://stroudshortstories.blogspot.com/

https://write-mentor.com/writing-award-write-mentor/ – children’s novels and picture books

Agents and publishers occasionally run awards for certain groups of writers or specific genres, and publishers also sometimes open up their submission windows to unagented authors, so keep an eye out for these opportunities in the Bookseller and on Social Media.