Tags
Exeter Writers Short Story Competition, Fish Flash Fiction Contest, Kelpies Prize, Lindisfarne Prize, National Flash Fiction Day Microfiction Competition, Spotify First Novel Competition, Theatre 503 Playwriting Award, Writers' & Artists' Yearbook Short Story Competition
If your New Year Resolution was to write more, and perhaps win a competition or two in the next twelve months, here are some suggestions that might give you a head start. And, remember, entering and winning a competition listed on this site has been known to get someone published…
The winner of the CWA’s Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize will receive £500, plus two tickets to the 2022 CrimFest. They are looking for unpublished mysteries of up to 3,500 words that satisfy Margery Allingham’s definition: “The mystery remains box-shaped, at once a prison and a refuge.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.” Entry is £12 per story. Deadline: 28 February. Details: https://writ.rs/cwamystery
The CWA’s Dagger Award has changed for 2022 to allow self-published authors to enter. There is a cash prize of £500, plus potentially career-changing opportunities to get work seen by literary agents and editors. It is open to writers who have not had a novel traditionally published and do not have a contract with a literary agent. Send the first 3,000 words of an unpublished crime manuscript plus a synopsis of up to 1,500 words. Entry is £36. Closing date: 28 February. Details: https://thecwa.co.uk/debuts/debut-dagger
Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook Short Story Competition is for stories up to 2,000 words. Prizes: a place on an Arvon writing course. Entry is FREE. Closing date 12 February. Details: http://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions
Spotify First Novel Competition. A one-page synopsis plus the first page of an unpublished novel. Prizes: mentoring package; spotlight page on website, synopsis posted online. Entry fee: £16. Deadline: 14 February. Details: http://www.adventuresinfiction.co.uk
National Flash Fiction Day Microfiction Competition. Up to 100 words. Prizes: £100, £50, £25 Wakefield postcode prize. Entry fee: £2, £3.50 for 2, £5 for 3. Closing date: 15 February. Details: https://nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/index.php/competition/
Fish Flash Fiction Contest for up to 300 words. Prizes 1,000 Euros, 300 Euros, online writing course. Entry fee: 14 Euros. Deadline: 28 February. Details: http://www.fishpublishing.com
Exeter Writers Short Story Competition. Up to 3,000 words. Prizes: £700, £250, ££100, £100 for a Devon writer. Entry fee: £7. Closing date: 28 February. Details: http://www.exeterwriters.org.uk
Lindisfarne Prize for crime short stories or novel openings, up to 10,000 words, by unpublikshed authors from, or writing about the North of England. Prizes: £2,500, plus mentoring services. Closing date: 28 February. Details: http://www.ljrossauthor.com/lindisfarne-prize/
Kelpies Prize for fiction in any genre aimed at children aged 6-14 years. There are three entry categories which must (I think, but please check) be set mainly in Scotland. Prizes: £500 for the overall winner plus mentoring and possible publication. Closing date: 28 February. Details: https://discoverkelpies.co.uk/kelpies-prize
Theatre 503 Playwriting Award. Biennial award for full length, original, unproduced and unperformed theatre plays. Prizes: £6,000 and a guaranteed theatre production. Free entry. Closing date: 28 February. Details: https://theatre503.com/
Elmbridge Literary Competition is looking for poem and short story entries on the theme of ‘Enigma’. In the adult categories, there are prizes of £250, £150 and £100 for the winners. In the children’s categories, the winners will receive book tokens. Winning entries will also be published as a chapbook by Sampson Low publishers. Send original, unpublished short stories up to 1,000 words (8-13 years) or 1,500 words (14 years+) and poems up to thirty lines. Entry fee for adults is £5 per story or poem. Entry for young writers is free. Each writer may enter one story and one poem. Closing date: 28 February. Details: http://www.rcsherrifftrust.org.uk/elmbridge-literary-competition.
Please remember that deadlines can change, competitions can be cancelled at short notice, or requirements altered, so the delightful Snowy (one of our Beta Readers) asks you to make sure you double-check before entry. She also wishes you Good Luck!
ninevoices 
Another really helpful round-up, Maggie. (And what an exceptionally fine beta-reader is pictured at the end!)
She is gorgeous – and such a gentle, encouraging soul as well…
Sometimes a story that hasn’t got anywhere in previous competitions might win with a different opening sentence … at least this is what I keep telling myself!