Tags
Competition, Fiction, Flash 500 Fiction Competition, Fowey Festival Short Story Competition, Henshaw Short Story Competition, In a Flash Fiction Writing Competition, Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing, Neil Gunn Writing Competitions, News, Poetry, R L Pearson Books, South Warwickshire Literary Festival Writing Competition, The BBC National Short Story Award 2024, Win Your Way to Swanwick Short Story Competition, Writing
Writing competitions offer so much more than the possibility of winning a monetary prize, though monetary prizes are not to be sniffed at. They get you writing. They develop your craft. They provide discipline. They offer the possibility of seeing your work in print, or possibly offer a helpful critique. They inspire you to spread your wings from short stories to full-blown novels. Over the years, members of ninevoices have been longlisted and shortlisted. Have won trophies and cheques and, on one occasion, a publishing contract. So why not follow our example and make March the month you triumph.
So here are a few suggestions:
Win Your Way to Swanwick Short Story Competition. To celebrate 75 years of the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, enter short stories up to 1,000 words on “Jubilee Jollies” theme. Prize: A place at Swanwick Summer School. Entry fee: £7.50 Closing date: 1 March. Details: http://www.writers-online.co.uk
The BBC National Short Story Award 2024 is for stories up to 8,000 words and has a £15,000 first prize. A further four shortlisted entrants will each receive £600. Winners will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and available to listen to on BBC Sounds. The five winning stories will be published in an anthology by Comma Press. Entry is FREE, but each writer may enter only one story and must have a previous record of publication of creative writing in the UK. Deadline is 18 March. Details: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nssa
In A Flash Fiction Writing Competition from R L Pearson Books, is for unpublished stories of 50-400 words. There are first, second and third prizes of £20, £15 and £10 respectively. Entry fee is £5 per story. Closing date 31 March. Details: httpe://rlpearsonbooks.wixsite.com/rl-pearson-books/ffc2024-1
The South Warwickshire Literary Festival Writing Competition is inviting entries of prose (fiction and creative non-fiction, up to 800 words) and poetry (up to 40 lines). In each category there is a prize of £50, and the winner plus two commendeds from each category will be invited to read their pieces at the Festival in September. Entry fee is £3.50. Deadline: 29 March. Details: http://www.southwarwickshireliteraryfestival.com/writing-competition-2024
Flash 500 Fiction Competitions. Quarterly competition for flash fiction up to 500 words. Prizes: £600. Entry fee: £5 for one, £8 for two. Closing date: 31 March. Details: http://www.flash500.com
Henshaw Short Story Competition. Quarterly competition for short stories up to 2,000 words. Prizes: £200, £100, £50. Entry fee: £6 Deadline 31 March. Details: http://www.henshawpress.co.uk
Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing is for unpublished and unperformed one-act plays by amateur playwrights (30 minutes or less, with no more than six actors). Prize: three entries will be selected for performance and the winner awarded £500. Entry fee £15. Deadline 15 March. Details: http://www.windsorfringe.co.uk
Neil Gunn Writing Competition for short stories up to 2,500 words interpreting a quote from Scottish writer Neil Gunn: “Mystery. That was the last word, the word you came to at the end. No corner of its coverlet could you lift.” Prize: £500. Entry fee £8. Details: http://www.neilgunntrust.org
Fowey Festival Short Story Competition on the theme: “beaches”. Short stories up to 1,500 words. Prizes: £200, £100. Entry fee: £5. Deadline March 28. Details: http://www.foweyfestival.com
Not a vast selection this month, but you only need to win one of them! Do, as ever, remember to double check all details before entering. Good luck.