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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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Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival Writing Awards
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The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival’s 2025 Writing Competition is open for entries.
The theme for 2025 award is ‘Comfort & Disturb’. This can be interpreted in any way you choose – the limit is your imagination. For this year’s competition, there are three categories and you can submit no more than one piece in each category:
– FICTION: Short fiction pieces, including short stories, between 500 and 2000 words.
– POETRY: Poems, up to 40 lines.
– CREATIVE NONFICTION: Creative writing with a factual basis, between 500 and 2000 words. Examples can include letters, diary entries, autobiographical writing, personal essays, and creative journalism.
Entrants must be over 16 years of age and entries must be typed and in English or Scots. Shortlisted entrants will be invited to read their entry at the Writing Awards ceremony at SMHAF. This will take place in Aberdeen on Wednesday 29 October. Category winners and the overall winner will be announced on the day.
Details