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Our current competition: New Writers Flash Fiction Competition 2026

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Poetry Competitions

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Today
  • Happiful Poetry Prize

    Happiful Poetry Prize 2026

    Deadline: 14th November 2025

    • Entry Fee: FREE
    • Prizes: Winner: £100; four shortlisted poets: £25 National Book Token each; plus publication/broadcast
    • Line Limit: 25 lines max (excluding title)
    • Theme: Poems must be on the topic of mental health or wellbeing
    • Eligibility: The competition is open to anyone based in the UK or NI aged 18 or over
    • Category: Poetry Competitions
    • Competition Website: happiful.com/poetry-prize
  • Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition

    Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition

    Deadline: Midnight on 30 November 2025

    • Entry Fee: €7 per poem or €30 for a batch of five
    • Prizes: Winner: €2,000 and featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival ; 2nd Prize: €500; 3rd Prize: €250; 10 Runners-up: €50 (Winners and runners-up will also be published in the Southword literary journal)
    • Word Limit: 40 lines (excluding the title)
    • Category: Poetry Competitions
    • Competition Website:  munsterlit.ie/odonoghue-competition
  • New2theScene

    New2theScene Poetry Competition

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    Deadline: 7th December 2025

    • Entry Fee: £5
    • Prizes: First prize: Interview for the New2theScene podcast; £50 New2theScene vouchers; ‘Origins’ blog’; author bio and work featured on the New2theScene website; social media promotion; publication in an anthology; possible future projects not advertised on the site. Notable mentions: £15 New2theScene vouchers; possible publication in anthology
    • Word Limit: 400 words
    • Theme/Genre: Any - let your imagination free!
    • Category: Poetry Competitions
    • Competition Website: new2thescene.co.uk/new2thecomp
  • Moth Poetry Competition 2025

    The Moth Poetry Prize 2025

    Deadline: 31 December 2025

    • Entry Fee: €16 per poem
    • Prizes: 1st Place: €6,000; 3x runner-up prizes of €1,000; 8x prizes of €250 for commended poems
    • Line Limit: No limit
    • Judge: Ishion Hutchinson (winner of numerous poetry prizes and Professor in the Humanities at Cornell University in New York)
    • Category: Poetry Competitions
    • Competition Website: themothmagazine.com
  • Novels and books

    Canterbury Tales Writing Competition 2025/26

    Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 28 February 2026

    • Entry Fee: FREE
    • Prizes: For entrant: 1st £300, 2nd £150, 3rd £100 (Prizes for entrant's school library: 1st £1000, 2nd £500, 3rd £250)
    • Word Limit: 500 words
    • Theme/Genre: Happily ever after?
    • Eligibility: The three age groups are: Junior – 5-10 years old, Intermediate – 11-14 years old, Senior – 15-18 years old
    • Category: Story/Poetry Competitions
    • Competition Website: chaucer.org.uk/canterbury-tales-writing-competition-2025-26-happily-ever-after
  • Fishing Short Story Prize

    Fish Poetry Prize 2026

    Deadline: 31 March 2026

    • Entry Fee: €16 (€11 subsequent entries); €45 for optional critique
    • Prizes: 1st Place: €1,000; 2nd: €300 + an online writing course; 3rd: €300
    • Word Limit: 60 lines
    • Judge: Billy Collins
    • Category: Poetry Competitions
    • Competition Website: fishpublishing.com/competition/poetry-contest
  • Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

    Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

    Deadline: 1st April 2026

    • Entry Fee: FREE
    • Prizes: First Prize: $2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value); Second Prize: $500; Third Prize: $250; Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $100 each; Top 13 entries published online
    • Word Limit: 250 lines maximum
    • Category: Poetry Competitions
    • Judges: Jendi Reiter, assisted by Lauren Singer
    • Competition Website:  winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free
  • Frogmore Poetry Prize 2026

    Frogmore Poetry Prize 2026

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    Deadline: 23.59 on Sunday 31 May 2026

    • Entry Fee: £4 per poem
    • Prizes: First prize: 250 guineas (£262.50) + 2-year subscription to The Frogmore Papers. Runners-up: 75, 50 guineas + one-year subscriptions
    • Word Limit: 40 lines
    • Theme/Genre: Any
    • Category: Poetry Competitions
    • Competition Website: frogmorepress.co.uk/frogmore-poetry-prize

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