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.
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The Oxford/42 New Writing Prize is a multi-disciplinary storytelling competition and is being run by 42 (a management and production company) in conjunction with The Faculty of English at the University of Oxford.
To enter the competition, you need to submit a synopsis (up to 300 words) and an elevator pitch of no more than two sentences for a work of fiction, along with one of the following (in Word format):
– Novel – the first 10,000 to 15,000 words
– Stage or radio play – a complete script of between 30 and 90 pages
– Screenplays – a script of between 30 and 60 pages for episode one of a TV show or a complete feature-length film script of 90 pages.
They have a fantastic panel of judges from literature, stage and screen including Abby Ajayi, creator of “Riches” (ITVX and Amazon) and writer on Emmy nominated “Inventing Anna” (Netflix); Chris Chibnall, creator of “Broadchurch” (ITV), “Doctor Who” Showrunner, and author of DEATH AT THE WHITE HART (Penguin 2025); Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, author of METAMORPHOSIS and Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford; and Rona Munro, award-winning dramatist of “The James Plays” and “Oranges and Sunshine”.
See the competition site for details of entry and the full terms and conditions.
Details