Writing Competitions with a Closing Date in May

Tags

Bath Children's Novel Award, Bath Novel Award, Blue Pencil First Novel Award, Bridport Prize, Colm Toibin International Short Story Award, Comedy Women in Print Prize, Eoin Co, Eoin Colfer International Children's Short Story Award, First Novel Prize, Frome Festival Short Story, MTP Short Story Competition

May is a big month for those with novels they hope to get noticed – as you will see from below. No excuses for not at least entering one of them.

Colm Toibin International Short Story Award for stories up to 2,000 words. Prizes: 700, 500 and 300 Euros. Entry fee: 10 Euros. Closing date: 1 May. Details: http://www.wexfordliteraryfestival.com

Eoin Colfer International Children’s Short Story Award. Stories for children maximum 2,000 words. Prizes: 500 Euros. Entry fee: 10 Euros. Deadline: 1 May. Details: http://www.wexfordliteraryfestival.com

The Yeovil Literary Prize 2023 is inviting entries. Novel: the prizes are £1,250, £300 and £125. Enter up to 10,000 words, including a 500-word synopsis. Entry fee: £14.50. Short story: the prizes are £600, £250, £125. Enter stories up to 2,000 words. Entry fee: £8. Poetry up to 40 lines: the prizes are £600, £250, £125. Children/Young Adult Novel: the prizes are £600, £250, £125. Enter 3,000 words plus a 500-word synopsis. Writing Without Restriction: prizes are £250, £125 and £75 for original unpublished work in the category for inventive/fun/different writing. Entry fee: £6. Closing date for all categories: 31 May. Details: https://www.yeovilprize.co.uk/

The MTP Short Story Competition invites entries of original stories up to 3,000 words. The winner will receive £1,000 and there are second and third prizes of £500 and £250. Fiver runners up will each receive £50. All winners will be published in the MTP 2023 Anthology, the title of which will be based on the winning entry. Entry fee: £8. Closing date: 31 May. Details: http://www.mtp.agency/cinoetutuib

First Novel Prize for unpublished novels is asking for up to 5,000 words, including a synopsis. Prizes are: £1,000 for the winner, and £500 for the runner-up. Deadline 31 May. Details: https://www.firstnovel.co.uk/

Blue Pencil First Novel Award wants the first 5,000 words of your novel, plus a synopsis and a cover letter. First prize is £1,000 plus an agent introduction; second prize is £500 plus an agent introduction; and one Highly Commended entry will receive £150 plus an agent introduction. Deadline is 31 May. Details: https://bluepencilagency.com/bpa-first-novel-award-2023

The Bridport Prize. Short stories (up to 5,000 words), novels (first 8,000 words), poetry (up to 42 lines) and flash fiction (up to 250 words); new category this year for memoir. Prizes: £5,000, £1,000, £500 and ten £100 highly commended for short stories and poetry; £1,000, £500, £250, five £100 highly commendeds for flash fiction; £1.500, £750, plus editorial guidance. Novel: £1,500 + mentoring; runner-up £750 + package. Entry fee: £11 for flash, £12 poem, £14 short story, £24 novel. Closing date: 31 May. details: http://www.bridportprize.org.uk

Bath Children’s Novel Award. For unpublished and independently published writers of children’s novels. Send first 5,000 words and synopsis. Prizes: £3,000, manuscript feedback, Cornerstones online course worth £1,800. Entry fee: £29. Deadline: 31 May. Details: http://www.bathnovelaward.co.uk

Bath Novel Award. For the first 5,000 words of a novel, plus one-page synopsis. Prizes: 1st £3,000; 2nd – agent introductions and ms feedback. 3rd: Cornerstones online course. Entry: £9. Closing date: 31 May. Details: http://bathnovelaward.co.uk

Frome Festival Short Story for stories 1,200-2,200 words. Prizes: £400, £200, £100, with extra prizes for local entrants and young writers. Entry fee: £8 Deadline: 31 May. Details: http://www.fromeshortstorycompetition.co.uk

Page Turner Awards 2023. Book Award for authors with a published book (mainstream or independent press), win audiobook production and other publishing prizes worth £40,000. Screenplay Award for writers with a completed script. Win the script being optioned for film or an LA literary manager.Young Writers Award for writers aged 18-15. Entry fee: £30. Deadline 31 May. Details: https://pageturnerawards.com/

Details always need to be checked in case of errors or last-minute changes to details.

There are some wonderful opportunities for writers here, so make sure you don’t miss out! And here to inspire you is our lucky black cat, Gizzie, providing she hasn’t just accidentally deleted a draft masterpiece.

Writing Competitions to Enter in October

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Bath Flash Fiction Award, Bedford Competition, Beverley Prize for Literature, Comedy Women in Print Prize, Cranked Anvil Short Story Competition, Creative Mind Horwich, Earlyworks Press Short Story, Fiction Factory Short Story, Flash 500 Novel Opening Chapter & Synopsis Competition, Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize, Grindstone Novel Prize, Imison Award, McKitterick Prize, National Flash Fiction Day Novella in a Flash Competition, NAWG 250 Award for Flash Fiction, Retreat West Prize for Short Stories, Southport Writers' Circle Internation Short Story Competition, The Perito Prize, Tom Gallon Trust Awards

The late lamented Hilary Mantel was not an overnight success, so let her inspire you to persevere with your own creative writing, perhaps by entering one of the competitions below, which have an October deadline. Who knows, a win might lead to you having a book published and being stocked in London’s famous Hatchard’s bookshop.

Grindstone Novel Prize. Submit the first 5,000 words of an unpublished manuscript over 50,000 words. Prizes: £1,000, £500, 4x£125. Entry fee: £8. Closing date: 1 October. Details: http://www.grindstoneliterary.com

The Perito Prize for short stories between 1,000-2,000 words on the specific themes of inclusion, access, diversoity, inclusive design and inclusive environments. Prizes £500 and publication. FREE entry. Deadline: 23:00 GMT 1 October. Details: http://www.weareperito.com/perito-prize

Imison Award for original radio plays by writers new to radio. Prizes: £3,000. FREE entry. Closing date: 2 October. Details: http://www.societyofauthors.org/imison-award

Bath Flash Fiction Award. Thrice-yearly award for flash fiction up to 300 words. Prizes: £1,000, £300, £100, 2x£30. Entry fee: £9. Closing date: 9 October. Details: http://bathflashfictionaward.com

Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize for stories up to 6,000 words. Prizes: £2,000, £200 for shortlisted, £50 book vouchers for longlisted, plus Galley Beggar Press subscription. Entry fee: £10. Closing date: 9 October. Details: http://galleybeggar.co.uk

Comedy Women in Print Prize for stories up to 5,000 words and comedy novels by women in two categories: published writers and unpublished writers. Prizes: £2,000 for published writers and £1,000 plus a free place on the University of Hertfordshire’s MA in Creative Writing for unpublished writers. Wntry fee: Free for published writers, £10 for unpublished writers. Closing date: 14 October. Details: http://www.comedywomeninprint.co.uk

Creative Mind Horwich. Short stories up to 1,500 words or poems up to 40 lines on the theme: ‘travel’. Prizes: £50, £30 and £20 in each category. Entry fee: £3; £5 for three. Closing date: 24 October. Details: http://www.creative-mind.co.uk

NAWG 250 Competition for Flash Fiction up to 250 Words. Prizes: £100. Entry fee: £2.50. Closing date: 25 October. Details: http://www.nawg.co.uk/competition

Bedford Competition for short stories up to 3,000 words, poems up to 40 lines, on any theme. Prizes: in each category: £1,000, £200, £100. Entry fee: £7.50 or 3 for £10. Closing date: 31 October. Details: http://www.bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk

Cranked Anvil Short Story Competition for stories up to 1,500 words. Prizes: £150, £75, £30. Entry fee: £5, £3 for second, £2 for third. Closing date: 31 October. Details: http://www.crankedanvil.co.uk

Flash 500 Novel Opening Chapter & Synopsis Competition, for an opening chapter no longer than 3,000 words, plus synopsis. Prizes: £500, £200. Entry fee: £10, £18 for two, £26 for three. Closing date: 31 October. Details: http://www.flash500.com

McKitterick Prize for the best first novel, published or unpublished, by an author over the age of 40 on 31 October. Prizes: £4,000. FREE entry. Closing date: 31 October. Details: http://www.societyofauthors.org

National Flash Fiction Day Novella in a Flash Competition. 6,000-12,000 words in individual flash blocks, maximum 1,000 words each. Prizes: £300, £100, £50. Entry fee: £14. Closing date: 31 October. Details: https://nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/index.php/competition/

Beverley Prize for Literature for book-length manuscripts of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, memoir, or criticism. Prizes: £1,000 and publication.Entry fee: £25. Closing date: 14 October. Details: https://store.eyewearpublishing.com

Retreat West Prize for short stories, 1,500-2,500 words, flash fiction, 150-500 words, and micro flash, up to 150 words. Prizes: £400, £250, £20 each shortlisted short stories; £350, £200, £100 and £15 for flash; £200, £100, £50 and £10 for micro. Entry fee: £10 for short stories, £8 for flash, £5 for micro. Closing date: 31 October. Details: http://www.retreatwest.co.uk

Southport Writers’ Circle International Short Story Competition for stories up to 2,000 words. Prizes: £150, £80, £30. Entry fee: £3 or £10 for four. Closing date: 31 October. Details: http://www.swconline.co.uk

Fiction Factory Short Story, up to 3,000 words. Prizes: £300, £100, £50. Entry fee: £6. CFlosing date: 31 October. Details: http://fiction-factory.biz

Tom Gallon Trust Awards for short stories up to 5,000 words by authors who have had at least one story accepted for publication. Prizes: £1,000. FREE entry. Closing date: 31 October. Details: http://www.societyofauthors.org

Earlyworks Press Short story. Short stories in two categories: up to 4,000 words, and up to 8,000 words. Prizes: £200, cash and books. Entry fee: £5 for up to 4,000 words; £10 for 4,000-8,000 words. Closing date: 31 October. Details: http://www.earlyworkspress.co.uk

A fair amount of choice for you here, so do try at least one of them – remembering always to double-check the details before entering. Good luck!

Was Your New Year Resolution to Write More?

Tags

Comedy Women in Print Prize, Drip Action Theatre Company Arundel Festival Theatre Trail Competition, Fish Memoir Contest, Lancashire Authors' Association Flash Fiction Competition, Retreat West, Sarah Manning of The Bent Agency, Teignmouth Festival Poetry Competition, The Cambridge Short Story Competition, The Fiction Factory, The Fiction Factory Short Story Competition, The Mogford Prize Story, University of Southampton Netflix Scrip Competition

If so, here are a selection of writing competitions to enter in January. We don’t mind if you use a quill pen, an ancient Remington, a clapped-out biro, or a top-of-the-range laptop, just get those words down…

University of Southampton Netflix Script Competition – six episodes of 25-30 minutes each, or 45-50 minutes each. Prizes: £500 and submission to Red Production Company; £200; £100, plus £100 for the best student (18-25) and £100 for the best under-18. Deadline 6 January. Details: http://www.greenstories.org.uk/about-the-competition.

The Mogford Prize Story. 2,500 words on the theme of ‘Food and drink’. Prizes: £10,000, plus 3 x £250. Entry fee: £10. Deadline 7 January. Details: http://www.oxford-hotels-restaurants.co.uk/mogford-prize/competition-rules-2019

Comedy Women in Print Prize. Comedy novels by women in two categories: published writers, and unpublished writers. Prizes: £2,000 for published writers; £1,000 and (a wonderful opportunity here) a free place on the University of Hertfordshire MA in Creative Writing for unpublished writers. Entry fee: free for published writers; £10 for unpublished writers. Closing date: 31 January. Details: hello@comedywomeninprint.co.uk

Lancashire Authors’ Association Flash Fiction Competition for a story in exactly 100 words. Prize: £100. Entry fee: £2; £5 for three. Closing date: 31 January. Details: http://www.lancashireauthorsassociation.co.uk

Fish Short Memoir Contest for personal, non-fiction up to 4,000 words. Prizes: 1,000 Euros, publication in an annual Fish Anthology; a week at Casa Ana Writers retreat in Andalucia and 300 Euros travel expenses; seven honourable mentions plus 100 Euros. Entry fee: 17 Euros. Deadline: 31 January. Details: http://www.fishpublishing.com

The Fiction Factory have prizes of £150, £50 and £25 in their Short Story Competition. Entries must be up to 3,000 words and the entry fee is £6. Closing date: January 31. Details: http://fiction-factory.biz/

Retreat West First Chapter Competition offers a prize of submission package feedback and review from literary agent Sarah Manning at The Bent Agency, and a second prize of submission package feedback from Amanda Saint of Retreat West. To enter, submit an opening chapter of up to 3,500 words from an original, unpublished novel in any genre for adult readers. The entry fee is £10 and the closing date 27th January. Details about how to enter through their online submission system are available at http://www.retreatwest.co.uk/competitions/

Drip Action Theatre Company is co-ordinating the Arundel Festival Theatre Trail 2019 and want 30-40-minute plays for performance as part of the Trail. Previous audiences have totalled over 2,000 people, and each play selected will earn its writer £150. The writer of the best script will receive the Joy Goun Award of £250. Eight plays will be selected for performance at eight different venues around Arundel in August 2019. Check details of requirements at http://www.dripaction.com/writers-competition. Entry appears to be free, but please double-check. Only one play is permitted per playwright and they should be posted before the closing date of January 31st.

The Teignmouth Festival Poetry Competition invites entries for their 2019 prize. In the open category (please check website if you’re local), there is a first prize of £500, a second prize of £250, and a third of £100. Enter original unpublished poems up to 35 lines. The fee for online entries if £4.50 for the first poem and £3.50 for additional entries. Closing date is 31 January. Details: http://www.poetryteignmouth.com

The Cambridge Short Story Competition is for stories between 2,000-3,000 words. There is a £1,750 prize fund and all shortlisted entries will be published in an anthology. Entry is £8 per story, payable via Paypal only, and the deadline is January 15th. Check details at https://www.theshortstory.co.uk/competitions/short-story-competition/

Books make the most amazing Christmas gifts – my own haul promises much pleasure to come – so why not make it your Resolution to add your own novel to the ones that will be available next December?

Best of luck – and remember to check those details before entering anything.