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100-Word Writing Competition Rules, Terms and Conditions

The New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition is up and running. So if you fancy winning a share of the £1,400 prize fund, with cash prizes for the top five entries, check out the terms and conditions below. Then go to the ENTRY FORM and submit your stories or poems.

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New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2026 – At A Glance:

  • Deadline: 23.59 (UK time) on Thursday 30th April 2026
  • Entry Fee: £10 (one entry), £18 (two entries), £26 (three entries)
  • Prizes: 1st Place: £1,000; 4x Runners-up prizes: £100
  • Publication: The winning entry and the four runners-up will be published on the NewWriters.org.uk website and in the New Writers Anthology
  • Word Limit: Up to 100 words (excluding title)
  • Eligibility: Open to writers aged 18 or above from anywhere in the world; entries can be prose or poetry and must be written in English
  • Judges: Editorial team at NewWriters.org.uk
  • Charity: 10% of entry fee proceeds will be donated to Duchenne UK
  • Please read the full Competition Terms & Conditions before entering
  • Winners and authors who have made the shortlist will be notified by email no later than Friday 26th June 2026. The public announcement of winners and shortlisted entries will also be made by then.

We want to make the competition accessible to as many writers as possible. We therefore have a limited number of free entries for low-income writers, available on a first-come, first-served basis (up to 22nd April 2026). Please see the terms and conditions below for details.

By entering the New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2026, you agree to adhere to the rules, terms and conditions as detailed on this page.

New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2026 – SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Go to the Entry Form page, and click the PayPal button or link above the form.
  2. Click the relevant fee that corresponds to the number of entries you are going to submit (one, two or three). Ignore the ‘Other’ option.
  3. Click the ‘Donate’ button to pay using your PayPal account or click the ‘Donate with Debit or Credit Card’ button to pay using your debit or credit card (preferred option).
  4. Once your payment has gone through, please make a note of the Transaction ID. You will also receive a confirmation email from PayPal which will include the Transaction ID (note that sometime PayPal issues two IDs, but we can find the payment using either).
  5. Complete the fields in the Entry Form: your PayPal transaction ID (which they should email you), the amount you have paid, your email address, your first name(s), your last name, and – if applicable – a pen name or alias.
  6. Add the title(s) of your entry/entries and upload it/them in one of the following file formats: Microsoft Word Document, OpenDocument Text, or PDF (.doc, .docx, .odt, or .pdf). Note that when each entry is successfully attached to the form, the file name will appear next to the ‘Choose File’ box, along with a red circle containing a cross. If you need to replace the file, click the cross and attach a different file. If not, this means the file is attached to the form (see the image after the Terms).
  7. Ensure the file names are the same as the entry titles. Please DO NOT include your name or other identifying information on the entry itself or in the file name (as entries are judged anonymously).
  8. Tick the box to confirm you have read, understood and agree to the Terms and Conditions (details below).
  9. Tick the next box to confirm the stories are your own work and that you haven’t used AI software or similar.
  10. Tick the final box if you would like to receive our monthly newsletter (optional) which includes details of upcoming writing competitions including regular free-to-enter competitions from NewWriters.org.uk that are exclusive to newsletter subscribers.
  11. Click the ‘Submit’ box and your entry/entries will be sent to the judges at NewWriters.org.uk. You will then receive a confirmation email from NewWriters.org.uk. If you do not receive this within 24 hours (and it is not in your spam folder), please contact us: david@newwriters.org.uk.
  12. You can submit up to three entries to the competition, and the discounted rates apply only when the entries are submitted at the same time (i.e. after one transaction at PayPal).
Attaching files to Entry Form
How the file will look when successfully attached to the form.

New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2026 – Terms and Conditions

  1. All entries must be received by 23.59 (UK time) on Thursday 30th April 2026. Any entries received after this time will not be eligible, so please don’t be late to the party.
  2. The entry fee is £10 (one entry), £18 (two entries), £26 (three entries). Note that the discounted rate will only apply if the entries are paid for together and attached to the same entry form submission.
  3. 10% of the proceeds from the competition will be donated to Duchenne UK, a UK-registered charity aiming to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
  4. Entrants can submit a maximum of three entries.
  5. The prizes will be allocated based on the judges’ decision (which is final) as follows: 1st Place: £1,000; four runners-up prizes of £100 each (plus publication).
  6. The 100-Word Writing Competition is open to anyone aged 18 years or older (at the time of entry) from anywhere in the world.
  7. We welcome entries from published or unpublished writers alike (as long as your entries to this competition haven’t been published, see point 10).
  8. Entries can be on any theme or subject, and they can be prose (fiction) or poetry.
  9. Entries must be written in English and be the original work of the entrant. No AI software or similar will be permitted (checks will be made for plagiarism and AI-generated writing). Obviously, there should be no potentially libellous material contained within any entries.
  10. Entries must be unpublished (including online or social media) and must not have been awarded a prize or won a competition. Any entries that are published, set to be published or that win a prize after the time of entry should be withdrawn as they will become ineligible to win the New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition (entry fees will not be refunded in this scenario).
  11. The maximum word count for entries is 100 words (excluding the title). Any entries that breach the 100-word limit will be disqualified and no refund will be given (so please double-check before submitting!).
  12. Entries must be submitted online using the 100-Word Writing Competition Entry Form as an attachment in one of the following file formats: Microsoft Word Document, OpenDocument Text, or PDF (.doc, .docx, .odt, or .pdf). Postal entries will not be accepted (let’s save the trees!).
  13. Your entry file name should be the title of your story. Please do not include your name (or other details about yourself) in the file name or on the entry document itself.
  14. The Judges for the competition will be the NewWriters.org.uk editors. The decision of the judges is final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Any questions or correspondence relating to the competition should be directed to david@newwriters.org.uk, whether before or after the competition deadline.
  15. Entries must be typed in a legible font, ideally one of the more common ones, with a font size of 12pt or 14 pt.
  16. Authors retain full copyright of any submitted story. If your entry makes it into the top five and hence wins a prize, it is assumed you grant a non-exclusive license to NewWriters.org.uk to publish your work online on our website and in a future New Writers Anthology.
  17. Winners and authors who have made the shortlist will be notified by email no later than Friday 26th June 2026. The public announcement of winners, shortlisted and longlisted entries will also be made no later than this date.
  18. Titles and author names (or specified pen name/alias) of the winners, shortlisted and longlisted entries will be published on the website, along with the five winning entries.
  19. Payment to prize winners will be made by bank transfer (for UK residents) or PayPal payment, to be arranged with the winners, within one week of the announcement of winners (subject to the organisers receiving the relevant information from the winning authors).
  20. If you would like to use a pen name rather than your real name (i.e. if your story is eligible to be published on our website or in the anthology), please add your chosen pen name to the appropriate box on the entry form. Please also add your real name in the appropriate box.
  21. Low Income Entries: A limited number of free entries are available to writers from low-income households (less than £20k per year) and/or in receipt of the following benefits (or equivalent): Job Seeker’s Allowance, Working Tax Credit, Universal Credit, Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance.
  22. If you would like to apply for a free entry, please email david@newwriters.org.uk before midday (UK time) on Wednesday 22nd April 2026. Please use ‘Low-Income Entry’ as the subject of the email. We will not ask for proof or additional or personal information about your financial situation.

Please be aware that failure to follow the submission instructions or the terms and conditions will result in your entry being disqualified and no refund will be issued, so please take care. And good luck!