This page last updated on 16 May 2008 at 08:19:52
Note: All comps are listed by closing date. Where a competition is an annual event, there might not yet be details of the current years' competitions on the competition website. Entry fees are in (brackets).
Disclaimer: Sally Quilford accepts no liability for the content of these listings, nor for the quality, safety, or legality of competitions advertised on these pages. Website users trade directly with the literary bodies listed entirely at their own risk and Sally Quilford accept no responsibility for loss or damage as a result of contacting promoters through using this service.
I never knowingly list vanity publishers, so if you come across a competition listed on this page which you think might be run by a vanity publisher, please let me know at squilford(at)btinternet(dot)com.
Report broken links to squilford(at)btinternet(dot)com
More details of the competitions listed can be found by clicking on each link or on the Writing Competitions label on my blog. You can also find links to other sites featuring writing competitions at the bottom of this page. If you want to know which comps to avoid, Preditors and editors have a good list of comps and state which are not recommended.
2008
May 2008
12th May
Poetry on the Lake International Poetry Competition (UK £5 per entry, £12 for 3 entries, £20 for 6 entries)
19th May
Virginia Warbey Poetry Prize 2008 (£3 per entry, 5 entries for £12)
23rd May
Winchester Writers Conference First three pages of a novel/Short story/Shorter Short Story Comps (£7 per entry for conference attendees, £9 per entry for non-attendants)
29th May
Segora Short Story Competition (£5 per Entry)
30th May
Blue Butterfly Christian Poetry Competition (£4 per poem)
31st May
Alexander Cordell Literature Prize 2008 (£3 per entry)
Biscuit Publishing Short Story and Poetry Prize (£9 one story, £3 each additional story. 3 poems £9, additional poems £3 each)
Crabbe Memorial Poetry Competition (£3 first poem, £1 subsequent poems)
City of Derby Short Story and Poetry Competitions (Stories and poems - £4 first entry, £3 subsequent entries from same author)
Earlyworks Press Open Poetry Competition (£3 one poem - £12 six poems)
Frogmore Poetry Prize (£2 per poem)
Frome Festival Short Story Competition (£5 per entry)
George Crabbe Memorial Prize (£3 for first poem, £1 for each subsequent poem)
Global Short Story Competition (monthly) (£5 per entry)
Leaf Books Microfiction Competition (£3 per entry, 4 entries for £10)
MiniWords 2008 Short Story, Verse, Haiku (Free Entry - allows up to three entries in each category)
Northampton Literature Group Poetry Competition (£3 per single poem, £10 for 4 - fees higher if paying online, see website for details)
Raymond Carver Short Story Contest ($15 - about £7.60 - Do not submit entries before 15th April 2008)
Ted Walters 2nd Annual Competition (poetry and short stories, £3.00 first entry, £2.50 subsequent entries)
UK Songwriting Contest (£15 per entry)
War Poetry Competition ($15 - Around £7.60 - for up to three poems)
With The Words Haiku and Poetry Competition (£2 per haiku, £5 for three haiku, £10 for ten haiku)
Women On Writing Spring Flash Fiction Contest ($5 per entry - about £2.60 at current exchange rate)
Yeovil Literary Prize 2008 (£5 per short story, £10 novel, Poetry £5, £8 for two entries, £10 for three entries)
June 2008
1st June
Robert A Heinlein Short Story Competition (Free Entry)
5th June
Dawntreader Poetry Awards 2008 (£3 per entry, 4 entries for £10)
6th June
Winchester Writers Conference 'Several' competitions (£7 per entry for conference attendees, £9 per entry for non-attendants)
16th June
Amos Trust Short Story Competition (£20 per entry, but for a good cause)
19th June
Waterstones 'Postcard story' Competition (Free online entry)
21st June
R.S. Thomas Poetry Festival (various entry fees depending on age and event. See website for details)
20th June
Envoi Poetry Competition (£3 one poem £12 five poems)
Poetry London Competition (subscribers £3 per poem, non-subscribers £4 per poem)
28th June
British Short Screenplay Competition (Free Entry - as far as I an tell)
30th June
Aeon Award Round Two (7 Euros - about £5.30)
The Bridport Prize (£6 per story or poem)
Bechtel Prize Creative Writing Essay Contest (Free Entry)
British Czech & Slovac Creative Writing Competition (Free Entry to any nationality)
Cinnamon Press Poetry Award (£16 per collection - 10 poems includes copy of winners anthology)
Cinnamon Press Novel/Novella Award (£20 per entry)
Cinnamon Press Short Story Competition (£16 per entry - £14 to Envoi Subscribers)
Finishing Line Press Prize in Poetry Chapbook Competition ($15 - approx £7.70 - per entry of 26 pages of poetry)
Global Short Story Competition (monthly) (£5 per entry)
Keats/Shelley Memorial Prize (£5 per entry)
Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for Traditional Verse ($6 - Around £3.10 - per 25 lines of verse -so could be two or more poems totalling that amount)
Manchester Cathedral International and Interfaith Poetry Competition (£3 per entry)
Poetry Writers Yearbook Poetry Competition 2008 (Free Entry but you have to register at the site)
Word Magazine Short Story Competition theme 'Christmas' (£2 per entry)
Wind in the Willows Short Story Competition (Free Entry)
Writers Bureau Short Story Competition (£5 per entry)
July 2008
1st July
Darwin's Evolutions Halloween Contest (Free Entry)
The Joshua Foundation Poetry Competition (entry fee £2 per entry for adults, £1 for children)
Thin Threads Story Collection Contest (Free Entry)
2nd July
Daily Mail Novel Competition (free entry)
7th July
Mere Literary Festival (£5 per story, £4 subsequent entries)
15th July
Doris Gooderson/Wrekin Writers 2008 Short Story Comp (£3 per entry, 4 entries for £10)
18th July
Havent Literary Festival Poetry Competition (£3 per entry but only one entry per person permitted)
19th July
Hay Short Story Contest (£6 per entry)
21st July
Inkspotter Find the Right Words Competition ($2 canadian - around £1)
30th July
Alien Skin Terrifying Toy Contest (Free Entry)
31st July
Countryside Tales Autumn Poetry Competition (£3 per entry - free to subscribers)
Dreamquest One Short Story and Poetry Competition ($5 - £2.51pp per entry poems - $10 - £5.10pp per entry short stories. $2 - 50p - admin fee for online entries)
Global Short Story Competition (monthly) (£5 per entry)
Highland and Islands Short Story Competition (£4 per entry 3 entries for £10)
Wells Festival Annual Short Story and Poetry Competitions (£4 per story or poem)
Winter Witch 'Nightmare and Dreams' short story and poetry competition (£4 per entry)
August 2008
1st August
Manchester Poetry Prize (£15 per portfolio entry)
Over The Edge New Writer Of the Year Competition (15 euros - £11.50 - per entry)
The First Line "Fall" (Autumn) (Free Entry)
30th August
Black Rose Press 'Got Wolf' Writing Contest (Free Entry)
Twyford Writers Short Story Competition (£3.50 per entry)
31st August
Aesthetica Annual Creative Works Competition (£10 per entry)
Bognor Regis Drama Club One-Act Playwriting competition (email club for details)
Legend Writing Award 2008 (£7 per entry, £5 for subsequent entries)
Salopian Poetry Society Open Poetry Competition (£3 per poem 4 entries for £10 reductions for members)
September 2008
1st September
Chroma International Queer Writing Competition (£5 per poem or short story)
Erinrac Dog Story Competition ($15 Australian dollars - Approx £6.70 Stirling)
3rd September
Nottingham Open Poetry Society Competition (£3 per poem, four entries £10)
5th September
British Science Fiction Association 50th Anniversary Short Story Competition (£10 per entry)
20th September
Aber Valley Arts Short Story and Poetry Competitions (Stories £1.50 per entry, 3 entries for £3, Poems £1 per entry, or 3 for £2)
21st September
Fourth Glass Woman Prize (Free entry - women only, will accept previously published material)
30th September
Aeon Award Round Three (7 euros - £5.30)
The Asham Award (£15 per entry, £10 for pensioners, unwaged and students -- Women only)
Earlyworks press Open Short Story Competition (£5 for up to 4000 words. £10 for 4000-8000 words)
Global Short Story Competition (monthly) (£5 per entry)
Mostly Life Humour Competition (£3 per entry, 4 entries for £10)
Words Magazine 'Ghost' story competition (£2 per entry)
October 2008
5th October 2008
The First Annual Whittaker Prize (£15 per entry, but entries cover 9 rounds, working out at around £1.70 per round. IMPORTANT first round starts on June 1st - you may enter later but must still pay full entry fee)
20th October
Envoi Poetry Competition (£3 one poem £12 five poems)
30th October
Ragged Raven Press Open Poetry Competition (£3 per poem £10 for four poems)
31st October
Ballista Short Story Competition (£4 per entry)
Global Short Story Competition (monthly) (£5 per entry)
Milton Keynes Speakeasy Short Story Competition (information unavailable as yet)
Newark Poetry Competition Open Poetry Competition (£3 per poem)
Poetry Society's National Poetry Competition (£5 first entry, £3 subsequent entries)
Southport Writers Circle Open Short Story Competition (£3 per entry)
November 2008
1st November
Carillon Press Open Poetry Competition (do not send entries before May 2008) (information not available as yet)
Scribble Annual Themed Competition (£3 per entry - free to subscribers)
The First Line "Winter" (free entry)
14th November
Segora Open Poetry Competition (Various fees depending on number of entries. Check Entry form for details)
15th November
Mary Gornall Memorial Prize Short Story Competition (£3 for first story, £2 per subsequent entry)
30th November
Aeon Award Final Round (7 euros - about £5.30)
Cinammon Press Novel/Novella Award (£20 per entry)
Debut Magazine Short Story Competition (entry fee £5 with critique, £3 without critique)
Fish Short Story Prize (2007 fee is 20 Euros - About £15 - but winners must also attend award ceremony at their own expense or forfeit their prize so it's as well to take that possible extra cost into account when entering)
Global Short Story Competition (monthly) (£5 per entry)
New Writer Prose and Poetry Prizes (2007 fees are £4 per story and poem, £10 collection of 6-10 -poems. £10 per novella and £4 per article. Reducations for subscribers)
Poetry Kit Poetry Competition (fee is donation to stated charity)
Plough Poetry Prize (details unavailable as yet)
Seafield Short Story and Poetry Competition (£5 per entry)
Word Magazine Short Story Competition theme 'Ghost' (£2 per entry)
December 2008
December 1st
Petra Kenney Poetry Competition (£3 per poem)
30th December
Words Magazine free email entry competition (Free Entry)
December 31st
Global Short Story Competition (monthly) (£5 per entry)
Word Magazine Short Story Competition theme 'Authors Choice' (£2 per entry)
2009
January 31st January Countryside Tales Annual Short Story Competition (£3 per entry)
February
March
April 30th April Momaya Press Short Story Competition 2009 (£6 - $10 - per entry)
Academi (Welsh literature website but has nationwide comps) Literature Training (List of Markets, comps and other writing opportunities) Poetry Society's list of poetry competitions Prize Magic (informative and quirky) Ralan.com (competitions specific to the humour, dark fiction and speculative genres) Scribble Short Story Magazine Quarterly Short Story Competition (£3 per entry - ongoing comps no closing date) The Short Story list of short story competitions Writers Forum (monthly competition) Writers News/Magazine (subscription required for WN comps)
Other places with writing competition listings
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