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Our current competition: New Writers Novel Prize 2026 – Deadline: 31st October 2026. Top Prize: £1,000 + Lifetime Access to The Novel Factory (Version 3).
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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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The Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize is a very highly regarded competition run by a the innovative and impressive independent publisher, Galley Beggar Press. They’ve published some fantastic books over the years, which you can browse on their website.
Back to the competition though, and the top prize of £3,000 is well worth going for, while the four judges will ensure the winning stories will have to be from the top drawer. You’ve got 6,000 words to play with, but be sure to the make every word count. Galley Beggar are providing 200 free entries for low earners.
This year, the directors of Galley Beggar Press will be joined by three new judges: Victoria Mackenzie (author of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain, winner of the Saltire First Book Award and a Guardian, Sunday Times and Scotsman Book of the Year 2023), Timna Fibert (winner of the Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize, 2023), and Gonzalo C. Garcia (Associate Professor at the University of Warwick and Galley Beggar author of two novels: We Are The End, 2018; Telenovela, 2025).
Deadlines and announcements
– The deadline for submissions is midnight of the evening of 8 November 2026 (UK time).
– On 22 February 2027 a longlist of 10 stories will be announced.
– On 15 March 2027 a shortlist of 3 stories will be announced.
– On 29 March 2027 the winner of the 2026/27 Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize will be announced.
Details
Organiser