Writing competitions with closing dates in February

Tags

Christopher Tower Poetry Competition, Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Award, CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition, Exeter Writers Short Story Competition, Fish Flash Fiction Prize, Flash 500 Short Story Competition, Harpers Bazaar Short Story Competition, Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award, Kelpies Prize, Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, National Flash Fiction Day Microfiction Competition, Northern Writers Awards, Papatango New Writing Prize, Peters Fraser + Dunlop Queer Fiction Prize, Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition, Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition, Searchlight Writing for Children Award, Spotlight First Novel Competition, The Poetry Business International Book & Pamphlet Competition, The Poetry Business New Poets Prize, The Welkin Writing Prize, UK Film Festival Script Writing Competitions, Writers & Artists Yearbook Short Story Competition

Isn’t it time you entered a competition? (says Snowy)

Nine of this month’s competitions are free to enter (I’ve typed this fact in bold wherever it applies!) so do take a look. I really hope you’ll find one or two (at least) that will inspire you to have a go. Also, I’ve added in a couple of extras whose deadlines fall early in March. As always, please check websites, in case details have changed.

• Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award for a short story of up to 8,000 words showing the near future (no more than 50–60 years out) of manned space exploration (e.g. about moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, AI, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, adventure). FREE ENTRY. Prizes: publication on Baen Books’ main website at pro rates for first prize, plus prize packages for first, second and third. Closing date: 1^st February. Details: https://www.baen.com/contest-jbmssa

• Papatango New Writing Prize for unperformed full-length playscript. FREE ENTRY. Prizes: £7,000 + winning script produced by Papatango in a full run at Bush Theatre (London). 4 x £500 + option to have play presented as reading. Closing date: 5^th February. Details: https://papatango.co.uk/new-writing-prize/

• Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize for first 40–50 pages of an unpublished novel (plus 3–5-page synopsis of remainder) by a woman. Entry fee: £12. Prize: £1,500. Closing date: 10^th February (or 8^th February if sponsored as low-income writer). Details: https://www.fictionprize.co.uk/

• Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook Short Story Competition for a story (for adults) of up to 2,000 words on the theme of ‘love’. FREE ENTRY. Prize: place on an Arvon Residential Writing Week (worth £850) and website publication. Closing date: 14^th February. Details: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions/writers-artists-short-story-competition-2023

• Spotlight First Novel Competition for a one-page synopsis and first page of an unpublished novel. Entry fee: £16. Prize: mentoring package from Adventures in Fiction, a dedicated Spotlight page on their website, and first page + synopsis posted online. Closing date: 14^th February. Details: https://adventuresinfiction.co.uk/spotlight-1st-novel

• National Flash Fiction Day Microfiction Competition for up to 100 words on any theme. Entry fee: £2 for one entry, £3.75 for two, £5.25 for three. Prizes: £150, £100, £50, £20 x 7 ₊ publication in anthology + free print copy of anthology. Closing date: 15^th February. Details: https://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/index.php/competition

• Northern Writers’ Awards for work including poetry, fiction, narrative non-fiction and YA by writers in the north of England; also by those originating from a working-class background, final-year/graduates of Northumbria University, young writers between 11–14 and 15–18, and those with ‘limited opportunities to pursue their talent’. FREE ENTRY. Prizes: different for each award, but including cash prizes and mentoring support. Closing date: 22^nd February. Details: https://newwritingnorth.com/northern-writers-awards/awards

• Christopher Tower Poetry Competition for poems of up to 48 lines by UK students aged 16 to 18 (not in higher education) on the theme ‘The Planets’. FREE ENTRY. Prizes: £5,000, £3,000, £1,500, 10 x £500. Closing date 24^th February. Details: https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/research-and-academia/enter-tower-poetry-competition

• Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Competition for a short story up to 2,200 words on the subject of ‘Notes’. Open to UK residents only. FREE ENTRY. Prize: 2-night stay in treehouse at Callow Hall (Peak District) for winner (and guest) and publication in Harper’s Bazaar. Closing date: 26^th February. Details: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/a36157/harpers-bazaar-short-story-competition

• Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award for a crime novel. Submit the first 3,000 words plus synopsis (up to 1,500 words). Entry fee: £36. Prize: £500; also finalists on shortlist receive brief professional assessment + work will be sent to UK publishers and agents. Closing date: 28^th February. Details: https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions/the-daggers/debut-dagger-rules

• CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition for short stories of up to 3,500 words based on Margery Allingham’s definition of a mystery. Entry fee: £12. Prize: £500 + 2 full weekend passes to Crimefest 2023. Closing date: 28^th February. Details: https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions/margery-allingham-short-mystery-competition

• Exeter Writers’ Short Story Competition for stories of any genre and theme (but not children’s) up to 3,000 words. Entry fee: £7. Prizes; £700, £350, £200, £100 for a Devon writer. Closing date: 28^th February. Details: www.exeterwriters.org.uk

• Fish Flash Fiction Prize for flash fiction up to 300 words. Entry fee: €14, €9 subsequent entries. Prizes: €1,000, €300 + online writing course, €300. Anthology publication for top 10 stories. Closing date: 28^th February. Details: https://www.fishpublishing.com/competition/flash-fiction-contest

• Flash 500 Short Story Competition for short stories of any genre (including by and for children) from 1,000 to 3,000 words. Entry fee: £7, £12 for two, £16 for three, £20 for four. Prizes: £500, £200, £100. Closing date: 28^th February. Details:  https://flash500.com/short-stories

• Kelpies Prize is for writers living in Scotland only. Entries must include (i) the first five chapters of a book for children (either fiction or non-fiction) OR a whole picture book story, (ii) synopsis, (iii) a short piece of writing for children (1,000–3,000 words) that begins, ‘It wasn’t my fault!’ [character name] said. ‘Let me tell you what really happened …’, (iv) information about you. FREE ENTRY. Prize: £500 plus nine months’ mentoring and consideration for publishing contract with Floris Books. Closing date: 28^th February. Details: https://discoverkelpies.co.uk/kelpies-prize-writing

• Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition (open to writers worldwide) for short stories on any topic up to 2,000 words. Entry fee: £10. Prizes: £3,000, £500, £250. Write Mango Award: £300. Isobel Lodge Award open to unpublished writers living in Scotland: £750. Also offer of publication of top 20 stories (or more) in next anthology. Closing date: 28^th February. Details: https://www.scottishartstrust.org/short-story

• UK Film Festival Script Writing Competitions for (i) 3-minute scripts (3–4 pp), (ii) 10-minute screenplay, and (iii) feature film scripts. Entry fee: (i) 3-minute script – £20, (ii) 10-minute screenplay – £35, (iii) feature film script – £60. Prizes: 3-minute script will be produced. 10-minute and feature scripts will be circulated to production companies and financiers. All winning scripts will be supported by UK Film Festival for chance of production and promotion. Winners and runners-up will receive the latest version of Final Draft 12 (value: $250) + free script listing and placement on Inktip. Closing date: 28^th February. Details: https://filmfreeway.com/TheUKFilmFestivalScriptCompetitions

• The Welkin Writing Prize for narrative prose up to 400 words. FREE ENTRY. Prizes: £250 + Writers’ HQ membership, £120 + book voucher, £60 + book. Closing date: 28^th February. Details: https://www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize

• The Poetry Business International Book & Pamphlet Competition for a collection of 20 pages of poetry. Entry fee: £29. Prizes: 2 x £700 + publication by Smith|Doorstop Books + in The North magazine + reading at The Wordsworth Trust + a place on a residential course at Moniack Mhor. Six runners-up will receive publication in a feature in The North magazine + online reading + £100 each. Closing date: 1^st March. Details: https://poetrybusiness.co.uk/competitions/the-international-book-pamphlet-competition

• The Poetry Business New Poets Prize for a collection of 12 pages of poems from writers aged 17 to 24. Entry fee: £10. Prizes: Two winners will receive editorial support for publication by Smith|Doorstop + their work will appear in a feature in The North magazine. Two runners-up will receive mentoring + their work will appear in The North magazine. Winners and runners-up will also receive a subscription to The North magazine and be invited to give a reading organised by The Poetry Business. Closing date: 1^st March. Details: https://poetrybusiness.co.uk/competitions/new-poets-prize

• Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition for nature poems up to 40 lines. Entry fee: £7 for the first poem in a batch of 6, £4 thereafter. Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250. Closing date: 1^st March. Details: https://www.therialto.co.uk/pages/nature-poetry-competition

• Searchlight Writing for Children Award for illustrated picture book texts (either in development or self-published). Entry fee: £9. Prizes: £500. Top 10 shortlisted entries included in The Winners’ Collection and sent to agents and publishers. Closing date: 1^st March. Details: https://www.searchlightawards.co.uk/competitions/best-childrens-illustrated-picture-book-2023

• Peters Fraser + Dunlop Queer Fiction Prize for 3 chapters, synopsis and covering letter for novels for adults OR YA & children by new LGBTQIA+ writers. FREE ENTRY. Prizes: representation at PFD and support in writing to the end of your novel. Closing date: 1^st March. Details: https://petersfraserdunlop.com/about-us/pfd-queer-fiction-prize/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Just suppose that winning a competition meant getting your novel published. That’s what happened to Maggie when she won the Historical Writers’ 2020 Unpublished Novel Award with The Servant. Could it be your turn next?

Writing Competitions to Enter in February

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!