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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260801
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTSTAMP:20261001T105251Z
CREATED:20260806T120735Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T105251Z
UID:15975-1785542400-1793491199@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:New Writers Novel Prize 2026
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 23:59 (UK time) on Saturday 31st October 2026\nEntry Fee: £12 per entry; (£22 for two entries\, £31 for three entries\, when submitted together)\nPrizes: 1st: £1\,000 + Lifetime Access to The Novel Factory (Version 3); 2nd: £300 + 12-month Standard Subscription to The Novel Factory; 3rd: £200 + 12-month Basic Subscription to The Novel Factory\nAll entrants: 30% discount off The Novel Factory* writing software (annual or lifetime subscriptions)\nPublication: The three winning entries will be published on the NewWriters.org.uk website and in the next New Writers Anthology\nWord Limit: The opening 500 words of your unpublished novel or novella\nHead Judge: Katja Kaine\, award-winning author and The Novel Factory founder\nCharity: 10% of all proceeds will be donated to charity (split between First Story and the Funzi and Bodo Trust)\nCategory: Novel Competitions\nCompetition Website: newwriters.org.uk/novel-prize\n\nThe inaugural New Writers Novel Prize (in association with The Novel Factory) is open to entries\, and we’re seeking the opening 500 words of your unpublished novel or novella. You don’t have to have finished as you’ll only be judged on the first 500 words. But it could prove to be an excellent opportunity to at least make a solid start to your first (or next) novel. \nNote that all entrants will be given a 30% discount when purchasing an annual subscription or a lifetime licence to The Novel Factory. It’s probably our favourite writing software available\, not least because it is complete free of AI. You can read our Review of The Novel Factory for more information. \nNovel Prize – Key Details \n\nOpen to the first 500 words of your unpublished novel or novella in any genre from writers (18+) living anywhere in the world\nFirst prize: £1\,000 plus Lifetime Access to The Novel Factory (Version 3)\nHead Judge: Katja Kaine\, award-winning author and founder of The Novel Factory\n\nEntry Fees \n\n£12 – One entry | £22 – Two entries (save £2) | £31 – Three entries (save £5)\n\nPrizes \n\nFirst Prize: £1\,000 + Lifetime Access to The Novel Factory (Version 3)\nSecond Prize: £300 + 12-month Standard Subscription to The Novel Factory\nThird Prize: £200 + 12-month Basic Subscription to The Novel Factory\nAll Entrants: 30% discount off annual subscriptions or lifetime licences to The Novel Factory (Version 3) writing software\n\n Publication \n\nThe three winning entries will be published on the NewWriters.org.uk site and in a future issue of the New Writers Anthology.\n\n Additional Recognition \n\n10 Shortlisted; 30+ Longlisted\n\n Supporting Charities \n\n 10% of all entry fee proceeds will be donated to charity\, split equally between:\n\nFirst Story – supporting creative writing opportunities for young people\nThe Funzi & Bodo Trust – supporting education and community projects in Kenya\n\n\n\nAccessibility \n\nA limited number of free entries are available for writers on low incomes\, helping ensure the competition is open to talented writers regardless of financial circumstances. See the Competitions Terms and Conditions for details.\n\n*Note: if you click through to The Novel Factory site and purchase the software\, they will give New Writers UK a small commission. \nGood luck!
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/new-writers-novel-prize/
CATEGORIES:Novel Competitions
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ORGANIZER;CN="New Writers UK":MAILTO:competitions@newwriters.org.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260901
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20270101
DTSTAMP:20260929T073021Z
CREATED:20260914T081122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T073021Z
UID:16389-1788220800-1798761599@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Re-Weirding Albion Poetry Course with JLM Morton
DESCRIPTION:Course Dates: Sign up any time before 31st December 2026\nFee: Standard: £150\, Concessions: £120 \nTutor: JLM Morton\nCategory: Writing Courses & Opportunities\nCourse Website: dialect.org.uk/coursesworkshops/re-weirding-albion\n\nRe-Weirding Albion is a poetry course that aims to “reclaim a feeling of enchantment with the land and a renewed sense of wonder\, weirdness and connection inspired by contemporary folk and outsider artists\, place-based writers\, poets and performers”.  \nAs detailed on the course page: “From mist-drenched ballads and Blakean visions to folk horror\, psychogeography and contemporary eco-poetics\, British poetry has always been a landscape of strangeness. This course will explore how poets past and present have re-enchanted Albion\, uncovering its myths\, hauntings\, and radical reimaginings.” \nThose who join will create new poems inspired by the themes of the course\, and gain the opportunity to receive feedback on their work from the course tutor\, JLM Morton (who was the head judge for the 2026 New Writers Poetry Competition).  \nYou can sign up for the asynchronous correspondence course at any point before 31st December 2026. Once enrolled\, you will be sent the reading pack and prompts and have a week to submit a response for feedback via email (there are five assignments over 10 weeks; you will have one week to work on each assignment).    \nRe-Weirding Albion will facilitate a return to the uncanny\, mythic\, folkloric\, or visionary dimensions of Britain\, exploring poets who engage with the strangeness of landscape\, the multiplicity of folklore\, magic the numinous and the radical imagination of the British Isles. Participants will encounter a range of writers\, including Jason Allen-Paisant\, Alice Oswald\, Dom Bury\, Jack Underwood\, William Blake\, Zaffar Kunial\, Sean Borodale\, Mona Arshi\, Sean Hewitt and Alison Brackenbury. \nAbout the course tutor: JLM Morton’s poetry has appeared on BBC6 Music\, in Poetry Review\, Poetry London\, Rialto\, Magma\, Mslexia and elsewhere. She’s won the Geoffrey Dearmer and  Laurie Lee prizes and was highly commended by the Forward Prizes. Her debut collection is Red Handed (2024). Her second\, Borrowed Ground\, was published in August 2026.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/re-weirding-albion-jlm-morton/
CATEGORIES:Courses & Opportunities
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260901
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20270601
DTSTAMP:20260914T104532Z
CREATED:20260914T100731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T104532Z
UID:16396-1788220800-1811807999@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Poetry and Non-Fiction Mentoring with JLM Morton
DESCRIPTION:Mentoring Dates: To be arranged directly\nMentor: JLM Morton\nFees: £50 per hour or £100 for feedback on five poems and 45 minutes on Zoom\nCategory: Poetry and Non-fiction Mentoring\nFurther details: Contact JLM Morton through the form on her website here: jlmmorton.com/workwithme\n\nJLM Morton’s poetry has appeared on BBC6 Music\, in Poetry Review\, Poetry London\, Rialto\, Magma\, Mslexia and elsewhere. She’s won the Geoffrey Dearmer and  Laurie Lee prizes and was highly commended by the Forward Prizes. Her debut collection is Red Handed (2024). Her second\, Borrowed Ground\, was published in August 2026.  \nWith more than 20 years experience of working in education with young people and adults\, JLM Morton has taught for a range of literature organisations including the Rebecca Swift Foundation\, Dialect\, Broken Sleep and the Poetry School. She particularly enjoys working with poets\, from beginners to those who are more advanced\, on getting manuscripts ready for publication so if you’re interested in mentoring\, contact her through her website to enquire about availability and fees. \nJLM Morton was the head judge for our own New Writers Poetry Competition 2026\, and we can vouch for her professionalism and the care and attention she gave to the poetry she read and assessed. We also love her poetry collections\, which can be found at Broken Sleep Books: Red Handed and Borrowed Ground.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/mentoring-jlm-morton/
CATEGORIES:Courses & Opportunities
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260901
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20270101
DTSTAMP:20260929T074021Z
CREATED:20260929T073710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T074021Z
UID:16630-1788220800-1798761599@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Worldwide Writing Collective - Online Writing Group
DESCRIPTION:Days and Times: 19.00 (UK time) on Tuesdays\, Wednesdays and Thursdays\nFee: FREE\nSummary: Online writing group featuring exercises\, free writing\, and practical help\nOrganiser: Andrew Nichols\nCategory: Writing Courses & Opportunities\nCourse Website: https://www.meetup.com/creative-writing-online-uk/\n\nWorldwide Writers Association is a free online writing group who meet Tuesday\, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 19.00 UK time for exercises\, free writing\, and practical help with current writing problems. A short book club follows one Thursday each month. \nIt is a free informal group\, complementary to courses and other programmes rather than a rival to them. Writers are free to come and go as they like. You will need a Zoom account to join meetings. \nFrom the organiser:\n“Welcome to an exclusive online circle where creative writing isn’t just a hobby—it’s a journey of mastery. Miss out\, and you’re forfeiting the chance to take part in cutting-edge activities designed to unearth your unique voice. You’ll also be passing up a chance to receive invaluable feedback from a global writing community committed to collective growth. In this space\, we don’t just write; we evolve\, innovate\, and soar. If you’re serious about improving your writing\, there’s no room for ‘what if.’ Join us and experience what you’ve been missing.”
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/worldwide-writing-collective/
CATEGORIES:Courses & Opportunities
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261031
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTSTAMP:20260108T155806Z
CREATED:20250106T125238Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260108T155806Z
UID:681-1793404800-1793491199@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Anthology Poetry Competition 2026
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 31st October 2026\nEntry Fee: Early Bird: €15 – until 30th June 2026; Standard fee: €18 – 1st July to 31st October 2026\nPrizes: 1st Place: €1\,000\, plus publication in Anthology magazine; 2nd Place: €250; 3rd Place: €150\nWord Limit: 40 lines maximum\nCategory: Poetry Competitions\nCompetition Website: anthology-magazine.com/awards/poetry-competition\n\nThe Anthology Poetry Award\, run by Anthology magazine\, gives poets a chance to get their work published in their modern and stylish publication (which is based in the Republic of Ireland). This year’s poetry comp is open to poems of up to 40 lines and is open to entrants of any age\, based anywhere in the world. \nThe poems must be written in English and must be original and unpublished. Entries cost €18 a pop (unless you get in early for a discount)\, but there is no limit to the number of entries you may submit (though you obviously have to pay the fee for each entry). The magazine also runs a Short Story Award and various others too for those who are interested.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/anthology-poetry-award/
CATEGORIES:Poetry Competitions
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261031
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTSTAMP:20260416T142328Z
CREATED:20260415T114405Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T142328Z
UID:812-1793404800-1793491199@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Flash 500 Novel Opening Competition 2026
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 31 October 2026\nEntry Fee: £10 for one novel\, £18 for two novels\, £26 for three novels (plus £35 per story for an optional critique)\nPrizes: 1st Place: £500; Runner-up: £200\nWord Limit: Opening 3\,000 words plus a synopsis (of up to 750 words)\nCategory: Novel Competitions\nCompetition Website:  flash500.com/novels\n\nThe folk at flash500.com have a great annual competition aimed at aspiring novelists. Entries should include the opening of your novel (of up to 3\,000 words) along with a synopsis of up to 750 words.  \nThe entry fee of £10 for one novel\, £18 for two or £26 for three. There is also the option to purchase a critique of your entry (or entries)\, which costs £35 per story. Entries must not have been published and must be in English\, though entrants can reside anywhere in the world. So if you have honed at least the first part of you novel\, get involved and give yourself a chance of earning the top prize of £500.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/flash-500-novel-opening/
CATEGORIES:Novel Competitions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261031
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTSTAMP:20260903T123933Z
CREATED:20260902T081408Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T123933Z
UID:5378-1793404800-1793491199@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:The Bedford Competition - Short Story and Poetry Awards
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 31 October 2026\nEntry Fee: £8.50 (or three for £17). Students: £6 (or three for £12)\nPrizes: 1st: £2\,000\, 2nd: £400\, 3rd: £300\nWord Limit: Stories up to 3\,000 words; poems up to 40 lines\nEligibility: Entrants must be aged 17 or older\, but from anywhere in the world\nCategory: Short Story Competitions\, Poetry Competitions\nCompetition Website: bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk\n\nThe Bedford Competition are an International Competition\, open to everybody from around the world aged 17 or over\, with prizes totalling £5\,600 including special awards for young writers and Bedford writers. All winning and shortlisted entries are published on the website and in a paperback anthology with global distribution. The organisers donate proceeds to charities that support literary and literacy skills. \nThe short story competition is for stories up to 3\,000 words. The poetry competition is for poems up to 40 lines. Entrants can write on any theme. Check out the competition site for the full terms and conditions.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/bedford-short-story-poetry-awards/
CATEGORIES:Poetry Competitions,Short Story Competitions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261031
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTSTAMP:20260903T134634Z
CREATED:20260902T100822Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T134634Z
UID:914-1793404800-1793491199@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:National Poetry Competition 2026
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 31 October 2026\nEntry Fee: £9 for first entry\, £6 for subsequent entries (in same admission)\nPrizes: First Prize: £5\,000; Second Prize: £3\,000; Third Prize: £2\,000; Commendations: £500\nWord Limit: 40 lines (excluding title)\nJudges: Niall Campbell\, Malika Booker\, Luke Kennard\nCategory: Poetry Competitions\nCompetition Website:  npc.poetrysociety.org.uk\n\nFor poets looking to make a name for themselves\, The National Poetry Competition\, run by The Poetry Society\, is hard to beat. Apart from the gigantic £5\,000 prize for winning the competition (and the sizeable cash prizes for coming second or third)\, this competition is one of the greatest around when it comes to prestige. \nThe three judges are award-winning poets who have published numerous excellent collections between them\, and it won’t be easy to catch their attention. But with a very reasonable entry fee of £9.00\, it could be worth giving it a go if you have a poem (or two) you are particularly proud of. \nMore on the 2026 judges: \nNiall Campbell is a poet from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. His latest collection\, The Island in the Sound\, was published in September of 2024 by Bloodaxe Books. He works as a librettist and is the editor of the acclaimed poetry journal\, Poetry London. He lives in Fife. \nDr Malika Booker lectures at Manchester Metropolitan University\, and co-founded Malika’s Poetry Kitchen (A writer’s collective). Pepper Seed was shortlisted for the OCM Bocas and the Seamus Heaney Centre 2014 prize. A Cave Canem Fellow\, Complete Works Fellow\, Malika was elected a Royal Society of Literature Fellow (2022) and is the first woman to win the Forward Prize for Best Single poem twice: ‘The Little Miracles’ (2020) and ‘Libation’ (2023). \nLuke Kennard is an award-winning poet and novelist who lives in the West Midlands. His sixth collection\, Notes on the Sonnets won the Forward Prize in 2021. He is a professor of literature and creative writing at the University of Birmingham.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/national-poetry-competition/
CATEGORIES:Poetry Competitions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261031
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261101
DTSTAMP:20261002T173548Z
CREATED:20261002T115021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261002T173548Z
UID:16697-1793404800-1793491199@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:The Haunting Season - A Special Edition Reedsy Contest
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 23.59 (EST) on 31st October 2026\nEntry Fee: $20\nPrizes: 1st place: $1\,500 + considered for publication in Reedsy’s literary magazine ‘Prompted’\nWord Limit: Each submission must be between 2\,000-5\,000 words\nPrompt: Write a story about a character who is haunted by someone or something.\nCategory: Short Story Competitions\nCompetition Website: reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/monthly-contest\n\nReedsy have launched a new special edition contest: The Haunting Season. With a tidy $1\,500 top prize\, this is certainly worth entering. It’s open until the 31st October\, and the winning entry will be considered for publication in the Prompted literary magazine. \nEligibility\n● Each submission must be between 2\,000-5\,000 words\n● Only one submission allowed per entrant\n● Writers must be aged 18 or over to enter\n● Submissions must be original\, standalone work. Artificial intelligence (AI) usage to create or revise stories will not be permitted.\n● Submission fee is $20 \nThe Reedsy website provides a wealth of useful information and resources for writers at various stages of their publishing journey. The editors at NewWriters.org.uk have long been admirers of Reedsy (and we feature them on our Resources page as a recommended site for writers). Whether you are seeking an editor to help shape your stories or an agent for your debut novel\, it’s worth checking out the information available at Reedsy’s site.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/haunting-season-reedsy-contest/
CATEGORIES:Short Story Competitions
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