Tags
Aesthetica Creative Writing Award, Edinburgh International Flash Fiction Competition, English roses, Hysteria 2023 Writing Competition, Jericho Writers First 500 Novel Competition, Searchlight Writing for Children Awards, Subbub Prize, Val Wood Prize
Some of of Maggie’s Kentish roses.
There may not be many competitions to enter this month, but do remember that all competitions are valuable, even if you don’t win them. I recently failed to make the short-list for the opening of a novel, but reminded myself that getting onto their long-list proved I was heading in the right direction. I subsequently did a re-write (with helpful input from my ninevoices friends) and will enter the revised script into something else while forging ahead to finish my complete first draft.
The Jericho Writers First 500 Novel Competition is seeking the first 500 words of a novel which does not need to be finished. Eight shortlisted authors will be invited to read their work live in their online finale event on September 1st to a panel of agents. The overall winner, chosen via audience poll during the event, will receive a manuscript assessment worth up to £1,700 and a 15-minute one-to-one with a literary agent. Deadline: 13 August. Details: https://jerichowriters.com
Hysteria 2023 Writing Competition on the theme of MAGIC. Stories up to 1,000 words, poetry up to 12 lines; flash fiction 250 words. Prizes: £300 in each category, anthology publication. Entry fee: £3. Deadline: 31 August. Details: http://www.lindaph.me
Edinburgh International Flash Fiction Competition for stories up to 250 words. Prizes: £1,000, £300, £150; £300 for a Scottish writer. Entry fee: £7. Closing date: 31 August. Details: http://www.storyawards.org
Searchlight Writing for Children Awards. Best Picture Book Text (up to 500 words/entry £9) with a £500 prize, and Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults (First 1,200 words/entry £14) with a £1,00 prize. Deadline 31 August. Details: https://www.searchlightawards.co.uk
Val Wood Prize for short stories up to 1,500 words on the theme The Tide – stories that focus on the ebb and flow of the ocean and the rivers that lead to it. Prize: £100 plus a copy of Val Wood’s debut book, The Hungry Tide. Entry fee: £7.50. Deadline 31 August. Details: http://www.valwood.co.uk
Aesthetica Creative Writing Award. Short stories up to 2,000 words, poetry up to 40 lines. Any theme, form or style. Prizes: £5,000 for winners in each category, publication, subscriptions, books and memberships. Entry fee: poems £12; fiction £18. Closing date: 31 August. Details: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/creative-writing-award
The Subbub Prize 2023 is a new competition for flash fiction no longer than 500 words. There is a first prize of £1,000 and a second and third prize of £200 and £100. Entry is £5 for one or £10 for three (submitted at the same time) entries. Closing date: 31 August. Details: https://subbub.org/prize/
Why not take your laptop – or a notebook – out into the garden and either write something new or give a final polish to an existing piece of work? Good luck! And don’t forget to check the details before entry.