Writing Competitions to Enter in May

Tags

Bath Novel Award, Bluepencil Agency First Novel Prize, Bridport Prize, Bristol Short Story Prize, Colm Toibin International Short Story Award, Frome Festival Short Story Competition, Nick Darke Award, The Yeovil Literary Prize

As writers, we need to overcome rejection and it helps to have several irons in the fire at any one time. Competitions are great for this, giving you something else to keep you going or work towards. And the occasional – perhaps surprise – win is a huge encouragement. No excuses, then, for not entering lots of the following:

Colm Toibin International Short Story Award for stories up to 2,000 words. Prizes: 700É, 500É 300É. Entry fee: 10É. Closing date: 1 May. Details: http://www.wexfordliteraryfestival.com (These things can be won – a member of ninevoices – not me – did so a year or two ago and had a wonderful trip to Ireland to accept her award.

Mairtin Crawford Awards for short stories up to 2,500 words or 3-5 poems. Prizes: £500 and invitation to read at Belfast Book Festival. Entry fee: £6. Closing date: 1 May. Details: https://belfastbookfestival.com/mairtin-crawford-award

Bristol Short Story Prize for stories up to 4,000 words. Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250; £100 for 17xshortlisted. All published in prize anthology. Deadline: 4 May. Details: http://www.bristolprize.co.uk

Nick Darke Award for full-length stage plays: Prizes: £6,000. FREE ENTRY. Closing date: 4 May. Details: http://www.falmouth.ac.uk/nickdarkeaward (Please double-check this one, it proved elusive)

Bath Novel Award for the first 5,000 words of a novel, plus a one-page synopsis. Prizes: £3,000; 2nd agent introductions and manuscript feedback; 3rd Cornerstones online course. Entry fee: £29. Closing date: 31 March. Details: http://bathnovelaward.co.uk

Bluepencilagency First Novel Prize for the first chapter of an unpublished novel up to 5,000 words. Prizes: £1,000, manuscript review, introduction to judge/literary agent Nelle Andrew. Entry fee: £20 Deadline: 29 May. Details: http://www.bluepencilagency.com

Bridport Prize for short stories (up to 5,000 words), novels (first 8,000 words), poetry (up to 42 lines) and flash fiction (up to 250 words). Prizes: £5,000, £1,000, £500 and ten £100 highly commended for short stories and poetry; £1,000, £500, £250 and five £100 highly commendeds for flash fiction; £1,500, £750, plus editiorial guidance. Entry fee: £9 per flash fiction; £10 per poem; £12 per short story; £20 novel. Deadline 31 May. Details: http://www.bridportprize.org.uk

Frome Festival Short Story Competition for stories 1,000-2,200 words. Prizes: £400, £200, £100. Entry fee: £8. Closing date: 31 May. Details: http://www.fromeshortstorycompetition.co.uk

The Yeovil Literary Prize 2022 is inviting entries in the following categories: Novel. Enter the opening up to 10,000 words and a synopsis up to 500 words. Prizes are £1,250, £300 and £125. The entry fee is £14.50. Short Story. Enter short stories up to 2,000 words. Prizes are £600, £250 and £125. Entry fee is £8. Poetry. Enter poems up to 40 lines. Prizes are £600, £250 and £125. Entry fee £5 per poem. Children’s/Young Adult Novel. Enter the first 3,000 words and a 500-word synopsis. One illustration may be included. Prizes are £600, £250 and £125. Entry fee £12.50. Writing Without Restrictions. Enter work that doesn’t fit into usual competition categories. Prizes are £250, £125 and £75. Entry fee £6. Entries may have appeared online, but must be commercially unpublished. Closing date: 31 May. Details: http://www.yeovilprize.co.uk

As ever, please check entry details before committing yourself.

Good luck!

Writing Competitions to Enter in May

Tags

Bluepencilagency First Novel Prize., Bristol Short Story, Curtis Brown First Novel Competition, Frome Festival Short Story Competition, Nick Darke Award, Poetry London Clore Prize, The Big Issue UK's Next Great Crime Writer Competition, The Bridport Prize, The First Novel Prize, The London Independent Story Prize, The Yeovil Literary Prize

 

Entering competitions is probably the best way to keep those hopes of publication going. Having a deadline does wonders for your productivity. Being longlisted is incredibly encouraging. And being shortlisted tells you that you’re not only talented, but very nearly there.

No excuses allowed, then. And in case you think we don’t practise what we preach, we hope you’ll be encouraged to learn that our very own Sarah attended the Exeter Novel Prize award ceremony last Saturday as one of the five talented runners-up. (Third from the right, in the spotted dress.) And this was the second time she has made off with an Exeter Novel trophy…

The London Independent Story Prize is inviting entries for its next quarterly competition for 300-word flash fiction. The competition has a first prize of £200 and there is an entry fee of £7, payable via PayPal. Closing date is 6 May. Details: http://www.londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk

The Bridport Prize. Flash:250 words max. Poem: 42 lines max. Short Story: 5,000 words. Novel: 5,000-8,000 words. Fees: £9; £10; £12; £20; Prizes: flash £1,000; £500; £250; 3 x £100. Poem and short story: £5,000; £1,000; £500; £250; 3 x £100. Novel £1,000 plus mentoring, written report and potential agency representation. Deadline 31 May. Details: http://www.bridportprize.org.uk

One of the most exciting competitions to open this month is a newcomer – the inaugural Curtis Brown First Novel Competition for manuscripts, both finished and unfinished, across all genres of adult fiction. To enter, all you need is the opening (up to 10,000 words, including any prologue) and a one-page synopsis of up to 400 words. You must be 18 or over and not represented by a literary agent. The winner will be offered representation by Curtis Brown plus a prize of £3,000, while the first runner-up will receive a place on a three-month novel-writing course. Find out more: https://curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/first-novel-prize. The closing date for this competition is not until 1 August – but this long notice will provide extra time to hone that entry.

The Frome Festival Short Story Competition is looking for 1,000-2,000 words on any theme. Entry fee: £8 plus optional critique. Prizes: £400; £200; £100; plus various local prizes. Deadline 31 May. Details: http://www.fromeshort-storycompetition.co.uk

Poetry London Clore Prize for a poem of 80 kines max. Entry fee: £3 to subscribers; £7 to non-subscribers. Prizes: £5,000; £2,000; £1,000; 4 x £500; publication in Poetry London magazine. Details: poetrylondon.co.uk/competition

The First Novel Prize. 50,000 minimum length, but you must submit the completed novel. Entry fee: £25. Prizes: £1,000; £500; £100. Judges: literary agent Emma Paterson and Little, Brown’s editorial director Ed Wood. Details: http://www.firstnovel.co.uk

The Big Issue magazine has a competition to find the UK’s next great crime writer, with the winner receiving a two-book publishing deal with the HarperCollins imprint Avon. Entry – which is FREE – requires the full manuscript, plus a synopsis of no more than 100 words. Closing date is 31 May. Details: http://www.bigissue.com/tag/crime-writing-competition/

The Bristol Short Story Prize for stories on any theme up to 4,000 words. Prizes: £1,000; £500; £250; 17 x £100 shortlisted. All published in prize anthology. Entry fee is £9. Closing date is 1 May. Details: http://www.bristolprize.co.uk

Colm Toibin International Short Story Award for stories between 1,500 and 2,000 words. Prizes: 700 Euros; 500 Euros; 300 Euros. Entry fee: 10 Euros. Closing date 4 May. Details: http://www.wexfordliteraryfestival.com

Nick Darke Award for full-length stage plays. Prizes: £6,000. FREE ENTRY. Closing date: 21 May. Details: http://www.falmouth.ac.uk/nickdarkeaward

Bluepencilagency First Novel Prize. The first chapter of an unfinished novel up to 5,000 words. Prizes: £1,250 in prizes, manuscript review, introduction to judge literary agent Nelle Andrew. Entry fee: £20. Closing date: 31 May. Details: http://www.bluepencilagency.com

Yeovil Literary Prize for novels (opening chapters and synopsis up to 15,000 words), short stories (max. 2,000 words), poems (up to 40 lines), writing without restrictions. Prizes: Novel: £1,000; £250; £100; Short Story: £500; £200; £100; Poetry: £500; £200; £100. Writing without restrictions: £200; £100; £50. Entry fee: Novel: £12; Short Story: £7; Poetry: £7 for one, £10 for two, £12 for three; Writing without restrictions: £5. Deadline 31 May. Details: http://www.yeovilprize.co.uk

Do please, as usual, check all details on the respective websites before entering, just in case. There are lots of opportunities above for longlisting and for shortlisting, as well as making off with the first prize. There are two glass trophies in the vicinity of Royal Tunbridge Wells to prove it.