Competitions

Welcome to my Competitions Calendar. Below are some competitions run throughout the year (in order of deadline dates). If you know of ones that I haven’t listed here, find any of these have closed or discover any broken links, please do email me with details. I will be adding more shortly. Also see the ‘Submission info.‘ page. NB. I may well not have tried these competitions myself so please take a good look at the websites before parting with money and submitting your hard work! Colour Key: blue = external websites, purple = emails, green = pages on this blog

JUNE

• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Flash Fiction: Lightship Publishing runs four competitions; flash fiction, first chapter, poetry, short stories, all with a 30th June deadline. See http://www.lightshippublishing.co.uk for more information.
• Mixed: Submission to the Shirley You Jest Book Awards opens 1st June (closes 1st August). I’m one of the sponsors!
• Mixed: Marple (shorts & poetry), Christian magazine Pockets has a different theme per month, Cinnamon Press Writing Awards (for novellas, poetry and short stories)
• Non-fiction: http://greberwritingaward.com/submissions.htm
• Novels: Impress Prize, Lightship International First Chapter.
• Novels: Submission to the Shirley You Jest Book Awards opens 1st June (closes 1st August). I’m one of the sponsors!
• Novels: Win a copy of Terry Pratchett First Novel Award winner Apocalypse Cow – opening chapters developed on http://youwriteon.com – ten copies to be won. Closing Date 30th June 2012
• Plays: Ace Drama have a Beatles-themed ‘Ticket to Write’ contest ending 25th June.
• Plays: Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.
• Poetry: Bridport Prize, Creative Competitor, Earth Words, Edwin Morgan, Keats-Shelley Prize 2012, Lightship Publishing, Margaret Reid, Ted Walters, United Press, Writing Magazine.
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Scriptwriting: Ted Walters.
• Short stories: Aeon Award (quarterly), Bridport Prize (shorts/flash), Countryside Tales, Creative Competitor, Cwrtnewydd Scribblers, Earlyworks, Erewash, Five Stop Story, Lightship Publishing, sandralit, Ted Walters, Unbound Press Flash Fiction Award, Words Magazine, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: writing for children – dog tales / subscriber-only theme: passport, glove, tuba), Writers Bureau, Writers Reign.
• Short stories: Scotland’s first International Crime Festival Bloody Scotland (which runs from 14th-16th September) has a short story competition deadline June 29th.
• Short stories: Fantasy Faction have a fantasy short story competition which ends June 30th. Thanks to Sophie E Tallis for that one!
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.
• Soundtracks: Mini Operas soundtrack competition opens 4th June closes 23 July.

JULY

• Jane Wenham-Jones has a draw to win her latest book: ‘Prime Time’. Ends July 5th. See  http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/22585 for more details.
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Submission to the Shirley You Jest Book Awards opens 1st June (closes 1st August). I’m one of the sponsors!
• Mixed: Christian magazine ‘Pockets‘ has a different theme per month, Matrix Magazine (poetry & fiction), Tenby Arts Festival (shorts & poetry), Arthritis Care (shorts & poetry), Wasafiri (poetry, fiction, life writing), Poundbury Voices (shorts & poetry with Dorset connection), Leaf Books (book reviews), Wells Lit Fest (shorts & poetry).
• Non-fiction: Sportswriters.org.
• Novels: The Greenhouse Funny Prize (in association with The University of York’s Writers’ Workshop Festival of Writing), The Virginia Prize.
• Plays: Sussex Playwrights.
• Poetry: Aldeburgh First Collection Prize, Buzzwords, LIPP, Tenby Arts Fest, Thynks Postcard, Vallum Mag, Writers Bureau, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: write a haiku), Essex Poetry Festival, Mslexia, Buzzwords Open Poetry Competition, Foyle Young Poets.
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Short stories: Five Stop Story, HISSAC, Laurel House, Monologue With A Twist, Tenby Arts Fest, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: more… / subscriber-only theme: mid-story sentence ‘I needed to get home fast.’), Wrekin Writers, Literature Wales, Hay Short Story, Munster, Narrative Magazine, Helene James, Writers of the Future (<17,000 words).
• Short stories: 3-into-1 story competition has a 3,000 word limit, £1,000 top prize (then £500, £300, £200 and top 20 stories will be published in an anthology. Fee £7. Judges Michael Dobbs and Adèle Geras. No genre limit but you have to include a black queen chess piece, bunch of fresh flowers and a £10 note in the story. A portion of the entry proceeds goes to The Arthrogryposis Group charity.
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.
• Soundtracks: Mini Operas soundtrack competition opens 4th June closes 23 July.

AUGUST

• Biography: Tony Lothian Prize.
• Film: Mini Operas film competition opens 6th August closes 24 September.
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition (see Indies Unlimited), Unbound.
• Mixed: Submission to the Shirley You Jest Book Awards closes 1st August (I’m one of the sponsors!).
• Mixed: Christian magazine Pockets has a different theme per month.
• Mixed: Malahat (poetry, fiction, non-fiction), Aesthetica Magazine (poetry, short story), Ilkley Literature Festival (shorts & poetry), Words With Jam (<1000 words script, novel, extract, short story), Eccles Centre (fiction & non-fiction).
• Mixed: Mslexia (Themed Poetry & Prose Competition: ‘Motherhood’) an other opportunities inc. feature articles, monologues, reviews, poems, rants & raves.
• Non-fiction: Earlyworks Press Memoir & Journalism Competition, Unbound Press Nonfiction Award, Biographers Club.
• Novels: Luke Bitmead Bursary, Nemesis Publishing Debut, Moth Publishing (Northern Crime Competition).
• Poetry: Aesthetica Magazine, Delhi London Poetry Foundation, Lorca Translation, Salopian Poetry Society, Todd Swift, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: 8-line mini-riddle), BBC Proms, Scot Care (‘A Scot in London’).
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Scriptwriting: Ovation Theatre Awards.
• Short stories: Aesthetica Magazine, Emerald Flash Fiction, Five Stop Story, Manchester, New Eastbourne Writers, Wellington, The Write Place, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: love story / subscriber-only theme: 1,000 word short story), For Books Sake, Brighton Cow.
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.
• Short stories: UK-based Fantastic Books Publishing is running a short story competition for sci-fi / fantasy stories 700-1,500 words. Judge Penny Grubb. Prizes £100, £50, £25. Winners + 7 runners up will feature in their anthology. % to cancer research charity. The deadline is 15th August. Details here.

SEPTEMBER

• Film: Mini Operas film competition opens 6th August closes 24 September.
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Graphic Novel: Chapter One.
• Mixed: Christian magazine ‘Pockets‘ has a different theme per month, Ideas Tap (Sky Arts 18-30s), Glass Woman Prize (shorts & non-fiction)
• Non-fiction: Foreign Flavours, Glass Woman Prize, The Society of Women Writers & Journalists International Online ‘Life Writing’ Competition.
• Novel: Mslexia (Unpublished women novelists), Beak Books.
• Playwriting: The Courtyard (King’s Cross Award for New Writing), Trinity College.
• Poetry: Marple International, Tom Howard / John H Reid, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: write a Petrarchan sonnet), Nottingham Poetry Society, Poetry Society (Stanza Poetry Competition), Flipped Eye Venture (pamphlets)
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Scriptwriting: The Courtyard Theatre.
• Scriptwriting:  Red Planet Pictures is a Bedford-based (UK) company owned by ex-Eastenders scriptwriter and creator of Hustle, Holby Blue and Moving Wallpaper, Tony Jordan. It runs a yearly competition with an end-September deadline. The ‘opportunities’ page has a link for unrepresented writers which says “As Red Planet is deeply passionate about the advancement of new writing talent, we are keen to hear of new ideas.  Could we therefore ask you to submit a brief synopsis/treatment of your idea, marked for the attention of Simon Winstone, Head of Development? Should we like your idea, we will contact you and request the script. This way we can manage the reading between our development team and not hold on to scripts…”.
• Short stories: Aeon Award (quarterly), Five Stop Story, Glass Woman Prize, Rubery, The Short Story, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: ghost story / subscriber-only theme: sci-fi), SWWJ (life writing – judges Sophie King & Katie Fforde), Zurich Writers Workshop.
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.
• Songwriting: www.songwritingcompetition.com.

OCTOBER

• Children’s: The Times/Chicken House.
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Christian magazine ‘Pockets‘ has a different theme per month, Prolitzer (1500 max fiction & non-fiction), Caketrain.
• Poetry: Balsall Writers, Hastings International, Sentinel, Unbound Press Poetry Award, TRYangle, Writing Magazine (WM: subscriber-only theme: sunrise), National Poetry Competition.
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Short stories: Balsall Writers, Five Stop Story, Spilling Ink, TRYangle, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: adult fairy tale / subscriber-only theme: marriage / anniversary), Rrofihe, Raspberry & Vine, A Vogel Dormeasan, Ruth Rendell, Earlyworks, Aphrodite’s Dream.
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.
• Short stories: Writing East Midlands / Lincolnshire Echo competition (only open to writers currently living in the East Midlands – Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Rutland, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire) with a ‘winner’ each month (submitted by 25th) with an October deadline and the overall winner wins £300. See here for more details.

NOVEMBER

• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Christian magazine ‘Pockets‘ has a different theme per month.
• Novels: Unbound Press.
• Poetry: Cafe Writers, Countryside Tales, Cinnamon Press Writing Awards, The New Writer, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: nostalgia).
• Science-fiction: Aeon Award (quarterly), Writing Magazine.
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Short stories: Emerald Flash Fiction, Five Stop Story, H.E. Bates Short Story Competition, The New Writer, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: flash fiction <500 words / subscriber-only theme: dear diary).
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.

DECEMBER

• Children’s: The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices.
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Christian magazine ‘Pockets‘ has a different theme per month.
• Poetry: Anthony Hecht, Holland Park Press, Writing Magazine (WM: subscriber-only theme: waiting for the post).
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Short stories: Five Stop Story, Words Magazine, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: first line ‘This won’t be as much fun, Jessica thought.’ / subscriber-only theme: moving on).
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.

JANUARY

• Children’s: Frances Lincoln.
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Christian magazine ‘Pockets‘ has a different theme per month.
• Plays: Drama Wales One-Act Play.
• Poetry: Haiku Calendar, Hippocrates, Kent & Sussex, Leaf Press, Strokestown, Writing / Writers’ News magazines (monthly).
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Short stories: Bury St Edmunds, Chudleigh, Five Stop Story, Mslexia, Writing / Writers’ News magazines (monthly).
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.

FEBRUARY

• Children’s: Kelpies Prize.
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Christian magazine ‘Pockets‘ has a different theme per month.
• Non-fiction: Countryside Article Competition.
• Novels: Acorn Independent Press Crime Novel, Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger.
• Poetry: Norwich Writers’ Circle Annual Open, Straid Collection Award, Writing / Writers’ News magazines.
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Script: The Imison Award.
• Short stories: BBC, Emerald Flash Fiction, Five Stop Story, Writing Magazine.
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.

MARCH

• Children’s: Academy of Children’s Writers, Crystal Magazine.
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Christian magazine ‘Pockets‘ has a different theme per month.
• Novels: Dundee International Book Prize and The Next Big Author.
• Novels: Rubery Book Award First Prize is £800 and the winning book is guaranteed to be read by a top London literary agent. Second and third prizes available. The books should either be published by an independent press or self published. All genres welcome.
• Playwriting: Windsor Fringe Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama.
• Poetry: Cardiff International, Fish Prize for Poetry, Literature Wales, MAG, Michael Marks (pamphlets), Northern Writers’ Awards, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: creative acrostic mini).
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Short stories: Calderdale, Chapter One Romantic, Dark Tales, Exeter Writers, Fish Prize for Flash Fiction, Five Stop Story, Meridian Writing, Mslexia, Northern Writers’ Awards, Rider Haggard, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all open: 750-words max / subscriber-only theme: last line ‘Out she walked with a spring in her step.’).
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.

APRIL

• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Christian magazine Pockets has a different theme per month.
• Poetry: Buxton, Nonsense Poetry & Flash Fiction, Ver, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: horror).
• Poetry & Short stories: www.deddingtonfestival.org.uk.
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Script: Royal Court Theatre’s 100-word plays.
• Short stories: Five Stop Story, Nonsense Poetry & Flash Fiction, Nottingham, Unbound Press Short Story Award, Writing Magazine (WM: open to all theme: horror / subscriber-only theme: food). Also see Deddington in ‘Poetry…’ above.
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.
• Short stories: The Moth-Altun Short Story Prize.

MAY

• Children’s: bookweek.ca/information-artists
• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – also see Indies Unlimited and ‘Short stories’ below.
• Mixed: Emerald, Yeovil Literary Prize. Christian magazine Pockets has a different theme per month.
• Non-fiction: FBFT Sports Writing.
• Poetry: Northampton Literature Group, Partners, Templar Poetry Pamphlet & Collection Awards, Writing Magazine (WM: subscriber-only theme: poetry for children), Stephen Spender.
• Poetry: The Welsh Poetry Competition. £4 entry per poem. Prizes £300, £150, £75.
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Scriptwriting: Mini Operas scriptwriting competition opens March closes May.
• Short stories: The British Fantasy Society, The Lorian Hemingway, Writing Magazine.
• Short stories: the monthly competition Five Stop Story.
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman also runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.

WEEKLY

• Flash Fiction: Indies Unlimited hosts a weekly 250-word max. prompt competition – see Indies Unlimited. Co-run by interviewee Kat ‘K.S.’ Brooks. Also see ‘Short stories’ below.
• Poetry: Buxton’s Word Wizards slam poetry competition runs in the coffee lounge at the Grove Hotel, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK at 7:30pm on the last Tuesday of every month. Entry is £2.50. More info can be obtained by e-mailing Rob at: poetryslamUK@aol.com.
• Poetry: Well Versed is the weekly poetry column of daily UK newspaper the Morning Star, published every Thursday, in print and online. Poetry editor Jody Porter. Under the stewardship of the late and esteemed John Rety, Well Versed developed into a widely-read forum for new and established writers. Send submissions, with biographical information, to: wveditor@gmail.com. Poems need not be overtly political, but space is limited so they must be short to medium in length.
• Short stories: Flash Fiction Online are currently closed to submissions (I guess because they’re overwhelmed), but it’ll be worth checking their website every now and then.
• Short stories: Tuesday Tales has new stories every week from over a dozen authors including me.

MONTHLY

• Mixed: Mixed: Pockets and Creative Print Publishing (both have different themes each month), Opening Editions (free).
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Short stories: Brighton COW (currently on hiatus), Coast to Coast, Writing / Writers’ News magazines and Opening Editions.
• Short stories: Bound Off now take submissions via Submishmash.
• Short stories: Hayley Sherman runs a monthly short story competition for submissions on any subject up to 2,000 words. The winners are published on the website, promoted online and receive a £10 First Writer voucher. All entrants are also considered for publication in The New Short Story Annual at the end of the year. Deadline 25th of the month.
• Short stories: http://www.fivestopstory.com/write: 2012 competitions cost £4 per entry (2 for £7, 3 for £8, optional feedback £5) and have monthly prizes of £50. There is also a £150 prize for the overall winner of their 2012 league table and you can become a member for £25 which entitles you to 3 free entries per month (2012).

QUARTERLY

• Short stories: Aeon Award, Cheer Reader, Dark Tales, Emerald Flash Fiction.

ONGOING

• Children’s: Dal Burns‘ children’s writing competition ‘Write Across America‘.
• Scriptwriting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/links5.shtml.
• Mixed: What The Dickens magazine says “there are competitions and give-aways which are all free to enter”.
• Mixed: sterlingmag and sundayat6mag.wordpress.com
• Mixed: You can apply for a three-month residency on the Mslexia blog (women only).
• Poetry: Poetic Republic is an ongoing online poetry competition in which the entrants are also the judges.
• Short stories: Creative Writers’ Circle competitions are open to all and are free.
• Short stories: Flash Fiction Online is a 500-1000 word site that is free to subscribe / read, free to submit to. Payment is via donations with 60% going to the author and 40% going to the site so there’s no way of knowing how much (if anything) you’d earn but another opportunity perhaps.
• Short stories: Author and columnist Lorraine Mace runs the Flash 500 flash fiction and humorous verse competitions.
• Short stories: Short Funny Story wants humorous short stories or true-life events and pay $15 for every story published online with $25 extra for any story chosen for inclusion in their anthologies.
• Short stories: Penny Dreadfuls 21 commissions short stories.
• Short stories: Words Magazine short story competition guidelines.

COMPETITION WEBSITES

• Mixed: Duotrope is a great resource for competition and submission opportunities.
• Mixed: Fan Story lists ongoing competitions of which there are 50 each month!
• Mixed: Jacqui Burnett’s Writer’s Bureau has a list of a variety of forthcoming competitions.
• Mixed: Carole Burdock’s bi-monthly magazine Kudos.
• Mixed: Loquax.com lists thousands of competitions including writing comps.
• Mixed: Sally Quilford‘s competition calendar.
• Mixed: free literary monthly magazine Words with Jam have regular competitions.
• Mixed: Write Link also lists forthcoming competitions.
• Mixed: http://writingcontests.wordpress.com lists various competitions.
• Poetry: Poetry Kit, http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/competitions.
• Poetry: You might also like to take a look at Poet Laureate Alice Shapiro’s website. Alice kindly provided some poetry tips for this blog in August 2011.  Poet Scott E Green dropped by and left a comment on my me page to say that his blog has multi-genre competition and submission info. I checked it out and it looks really useful.
• Screenwriting: Canada-based Wildsound run monthly screenwriting competitions.
• Scriptwriting: www.hollywoodscriptexpress.com/screenplay_contests.html, www.scriptfactory.co.uk/go/Default.html, www.writesofluid.co.uk/screenwriting-competitions.html, http://www.firstwriter.com/competitions and www.thespiannet.com/writing_contests.shtml.
• Short stories: Poetry Kit (“shorts & other comps”), Words Magazine.

If you discover any broken links, closed competitions or know of ones that I haven’t listed here, please do email me with details.