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Our current competition: New Writers Poetry Writing Competition 2026 – Deadline: 15th July 2026. Prizes: 1st: £1,000; 4x Runners-up: £100.
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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.
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A short story competition organised by Clapham Writers charity in honour of the late Penelope McNeile; celebrating creativity, diversity, storytelling, and emerging literary voices. Whether you are writing your first short story or have been writing for years, the McNeile Competition is an opportunity to share your voice, challenge your creativity, and be part of the vibrant writing community in South West London.
Open to unpublished and self published writers of all levels, the competition invites you to submit an opening section of a short story inspired by the theme “Absent Friends”. Writers are encouraged to interpret the theme broadly, exploring ideas of memory, loss, distance, reunion, nostalgia, or the enduring presence of those no longer with us.
The competition opens on 26th June and entries close on 5th September 2026. Winners will be announced at the Clapham Book Festival on 17th October.
Details