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Bristol Short Story Prize 2025

Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 31 January 2025

  • Entry Fee: £12 per entry
  • Prizes: 1st prize £1,000, 2nd prize £500, 3rd prize £250; each of the 12 remaining shortlisted writers will receive £50
  • Word Limit: 4,000 words (no minimum, title not included in the word count)
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Judges: Jan Carson, Kate Johnson, and Peace Adzo Medie
  • Competition Website: bssp.blogs.bristol.ac.uk

Canterbury Tales Writing Competition 2024/25

Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 28 February 2025

  • Entry Fee: FREE
  • Prizes: For entrant: 1st £300, 2nd £150, 3rd £100 (For entrant's school library: 1st £1000, 2nd £500, 3rd £250)
  • Word Limit: 500 words
  • Theme/Genre: Surprise, surprise!
  • 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/the-canterbury-tales-writing-competition-2024-25-surprise-surprise

Exeter Writers Short Story Competition

Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 28 February 2025

  • Entry Fee: £7 per entry
  • Prizes: First prize: £700; second prize: £350; third prize: £250; Best entry from Devon-based writer: £100
  • Word Limit: 3,000 words (no minimum, title not included in the word count)
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website: exeterwriters.org.uk/p/competition-2.html

Edinburgh Short Story Award 2025

Deadline: 23.59 (UK time) on 28th February 2025

  • Entry Fee: £11 per story
  • Prizes: 1st Place: £3,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £250; top 20+ stories will be published in The Edinburgh Anthology
  • Word Limit: 2,000 words
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website:  scottishartstrust.org/short-story

New2theScene Winter Short Story Competition 2025

Deadline: 2nd March 2025 (opens 5th January 2025)

  • Prizes: First prize: Interview for the New2theScene podcast; £50 New2theScene vouchers; ‘Spotlight author’ and winner’s blog, with the story featured on the New2theScene website (and possibly an anthology); Notable mentions: £15 New2theScene vouchers; possible publication in anthology
  • Word Limit: 4,000 words
  • Theme/Genre: Any - let your imagination free!
  • Judge: Guest author
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website: new2thescene.co.uk/new2thecomp

Bath Short Story Award 2025

Deadline: 15 April 2024

  • Entry Fee: £9
  • Prizes: 1st Place: £1,200; Second prize: £300; Third prize: £100; all shortlisted stories will be published in an anthology (plus more, see below)
  • Word Limit: 2,200 words
  • Judges: Lucy Luck & Liv Bignold (literary agents)
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website:  bathshortstoryaward.org

To Hull And Back – A Humorous Short Story Competition

Deadline: 23:59 (UK time) on 30 June 2025

  • Entry Fee: Early bird (until 31st March 2025): £10 for 1 story, £17 for 2 stories, £20 for 3 stories. From 1st April 2023 to 30th June 2025: £12 for 1 story, £20 for 2 stories, £24 for 3 stories
  • Prizes: 1st Prize: £1,000, your face on the To Hull And Back Anthology cover and a trip to Hull on a Harley Davidson; 2nd Prize: £200; 3rd Prize: £100; 3 x Highly Commended: £70; 14 x Shortlisted: £35
  • Word Limit: 2,500 words maximum including the title (no minimum)
  • Judges: Christopher Fielden and others
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website:  www.christopherfielden.com/short-story-competition

Anthology Short Story Competition 2025

Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 31 July 2025

  • Entry Fee: Very Early Bird – €12 (September-October 2024), Early Bird fee – €15 (November 2024-January 2025), Standard fee – €18 (February - July 2025)
  • Prizes: 1st Place: €1,000 plus publication in Anthology magazine and a one-year subscription; 2nd: €250; 3rd: €150
  • Word Limit: 1,500 words
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website:  anthology-magazine.com/awards/short-story-competition

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