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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.
Our current competition: New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2026 – Deadline: 30th Apr 2026. Prizes: 1st: £1,000; 4x Runners-up: £100.
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Mairtin Crawford Awards for Poetry and Short Story
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The Mairtín Crawford Awards are aimed at writers working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. Both published and unpublished writers are invited to submit between 3-5 poems for the poetry award, and a short story of up to 2,500 words for the short story award, with the only stipulation being that they have not yet published a full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel.
The Winner of each Award will receive a £500 cash Prize. In addition, each Winner can take up time a ‘Time to Write’ package which includes a 3-night stay at a Hotel in Belfast, and 4 days of dedicated writing space in The Crescent. Two Runners Up for each Category will receive a £250 cash prize.
Judging the 10th Mairtín Crawford Poetry Award will be: Kathleen McCracken and Dawn Watson. With support from Milena Williamson. Whilst the 9th Short Story Award will be judged by: Lucy Caldwell (Chair) and Wendy Erskine with support from Riley Johnston. The Patron of the Awards is Moyra Donaldson. The organisers offer thanks to the supporters of the 2026 Awards: Hastings Hotels and No Alibis Bookshop.
Details