Welcome to NewWriters.org.uk
At NewWriters.org.uk, we curate the best and most trusted current and upcoming writing competitions for writers in the UK and internationally — including flash fiction, short stories, poetry, novels, and non-fiction. Each competition listing includes the deadline, prize details, word limit, entry fee, and eligibility so you can quickly decide which contests fit your writing goals.
Our current competition: New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2026 – Deadline: 30th Apr 2026. Prizes: 1st: £1,000; 4x Runners-up: £100.
If you would like us to publish details of a competition you are running, please complete the Listing Request Form.
If you find this page and our site useful, please consider making a small donation through our Ko-fi page. This will help us offer regular free-to-enter competitions and free entries to our paid-entry competitions for those on low incomes.
Please sign up to our free monthly newsletter. Subscribers gain exclusive access to our free-to-enter competitions, entrance into free prize draws, latest writing competitions and events.
Cats Protection has announced the launch of a national short story competition, inviting aspiring writers from across the UK to submit imaginative tales that celebrate the unique bond between cats and humans.
Whether heart-warming, magical or mysterious, entries must feature cats at their core and highlight the special connection they share with people.
Stories will be judged by acclaimed authors Jane Fallon and Anne Twist as well as Scottish television presenter and mental health advocate Gail Porter and comedian Matt Richardson.
The winning entries will be published in The Cat magazine and showcased on Cats Protection’s website, offering writers a valuable platform to share their work.
Both category winners will also win a goody bag gifted by competition partner, Cult Pens, each with a retail value of £350 as well as being offered a visit to a Cats Protection adoption centre to meet the cats awaiting rehoming.
Eligibility
• Open to residents of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
• Entrants must be aged 18 or over
• Stories must be original and written in English
• Two categories: children’s literature and adult literature
• Minimum word count 250 words, maximum word count: 1,000 words
• Stories must use Arial, 12pt, be double-spaced and be submitted by a word document or PDF using the entry form with the short story title as the file name
• One entry per person per category (separate entry fee required)
All stories must include or centre around a cat. Writers are encouraged to refer to Cats Protection’s Cat Welfare guidance to ensure responsible representation.
Details