BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//NewWriters.org.uk - ECPv6.16.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://newwriters.org.uk
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for NewWriters.org.uk
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20250101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260515
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20270201
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260203T140123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T100826Z
UID:13246-1778803200-1801439999@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Story Glory Short Story Contest
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: Last day of each month\nEntry Fee: Free\nPrizes: A book or book voucher\nWord Limit: 300 to 1\,200 words\nCategory: Short Story Competitions / Flash Fiction Competitions\nCompetition Website:  storyglory.co.uk\n\nThe Story Glory Short Story Contest is a montly writing competition for fiction stories of between 300 and 1\,200 words. The theme varies each month\, it could be one word\, could be a title or a line of dialogue. The contest opens on the first of each month and closes on the final day of each month. The results will be announced by the 10th of the following month. \nIt is free to enter and the winner will win a book or a book voucher. Entrants must create a free account on the website to take part.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/story-glory-short-story-contest/
CATEGORIES:Flash Fiction Competitions,Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Story-Glory-e1770127191375.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260531
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260601
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260226T085339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260401T074150Z
UID:13367-1780185600-1780271999@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Reedsy Literary Prize
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 23.59 (EST) on 31st May 2026\nEntry Fee: $20\nPrizes: 1st place: $1\,500 + publication in Reedsy’s literary magazine Prompted + personalized feedback from the guest judge; 2nd place: a year-long Reedsy Learning membership; 3rd place: Reedsy Marketplace credit worth $100\nWord Limit: Each submission must be between 2\,000-5\,000 words\nPrompt: Write a story that includes change or transformation.\nCategory: Short Story Competitions\nCompetition Website: reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/reedsy-literary-prize/\n\nReedsy have been connecting authors with publishing professionals for more than a decade and now they’ve launched a new competition: the Reedsy Literary Prize. This competition asks participants to write a single short story\, in any genre\, based on a single prompt. \nAfter the competition closes\, longlisted entries will be assessed by a professional literary agent. The winner will receive $1\,500\, publication in Reedsy’s literary magazine Prompted\, and recognition across Reedsy’s platforms\, which host over 1 million monthly users. The inaugural Reedsy Literary Prize will be judged by Jon Michael Darga\, a literary agent at Aevitas Creative Management. Jon represents a wide range of clients\, including bestselling authors such as Tim Curry and Geena Rocero. \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/reedsy-literary-prize/
CATEGORIES:Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/literary-prize-700x250-B.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260531
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260601
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260401T082347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260401T082617Z
UID:13774-1780185600-1780271999@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Hay Festival Room to Write
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 12pm (BST) on 31 May 2026\nEntry Fee: FREE\nEligibility: UK-based published writers of fiction or non-fiction or poetry (at least one book) aged 18+\nPrizes: Eight writers will each win an Airbnb coupon worth £1\,500\nWord Limit: Entrants must provide a description of their work (max 500 words)\, a short writing sample (max 500 words)\, and a brief writer biography (max 200 words)\nPrompt: Write a story that includes change or transformation.\nCategory: Short Story\, Flash Fiction\, Poetry\, Novel\, Non-Fiction Competitions\nCompetition Website: https://www.hayfestival.com/room-to-write\n\nIn the UK’s National Year of Reading\, Airbnb will partner with arts charity Hay Festival to launch Room to Write – a new writing award.\nRooted in Hay Festival’s commitment to nurturing contemporary writing and Airbnb’s mission to enable meaningful travel and connection\, Room to Write champions creativity and the importance of place and space in storytelling.\nDeveloped with Hay Festival to support writers at a critical stage in their career\, the Room to Write award recognises that time\, space\, and a change of environment are essential to fuel creativity and often inaccessible due to financial or personal constraints.\nOpen to UK-based writers\, the award offers eight recipients an Airbnb coupon worth £1\,500\, enabling them to stay in a UK location of their choosing to support focused writing.\nApplications for the award are open now here\, closing Sunday 31 May. See the website for detailed full terms and conditions.\nAn accompanying digital content series\, recorded at the Festival’s flagship UK edition\, 21–31 May\, will feature established writers sharing their top writing tips and reflections on the role of place in storytelling\, to engage a wider audience in creative inspiration.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/hay-festival-room-to-write/
CATEGORIES:Flash Fiction Competitions,Non-fiction Competitions,Novel Competitions,Poetry Competitions,Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Hay-Festival-Room-to-Write-e1775031953659.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260531
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260601
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260428T082017Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T082017Z
UID:14258-1780185600-1780271999@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:StorySloth Bloom Writing Competition
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 31st May 2026\nEntry Fee: FREE to all registered StorySloth authors (free to sign up)\nPrizes: 1st Place: £50 Amazon voucher; Two runners-up: £25 Amazon voucher\nWord Limit: Any length\nTheme: Bloom\nCategory: Flash Fiction Competitions\nCompetition Website: storysloth.com/competitions/bloom\n\nStorySloth is a new home for original short fiction. Free to read\, and built around the idea that independent authors deserve real readers. \nTheir latest writing competition welcomes entries of any length on the theme of “Bloom”. Take that however you like. A first kiss\, a bruise\, a revolution\, a rumour\, a flower\, a fever\, a friendship that finally opens up after years of being closed. “Bloom” is deliberately open. \nTo enter\, you need to sign up (which is free)\, then publish your entry\, and if it wins\, you’ll walk away with a £50 Amazon voucher\, with £25 vouchers awarded to two runners-up.  \nNote that authors grant StorySloth a non-exclusive licence to display their work\, but retain full copyright ownership\, so you can publish your story elsewhere too. Check out the full details on the Story Sloth site.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/storysloth-bloom/
CATEGORIES:Flash Fiction Competitions,Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Story-Sloth-Bloom-Competition-e1777364011407.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260630
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260701
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260406T131612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T134034Z
UID:1858-1782777600-1782863999@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Queen Mary Wasifiri New Writing Prize 2026
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 23:59 (UK time) on 30 June 2026\nEntry Fee: £12 for a single entry\, £16 for a double entry\, and £6 for a single subsidised entry\nPrizes: Winner: £1\,000 and publication in Wasafiri magazine\nWord Limit: 3\,000 words\nJudges: Ellah Wakatama (Chair)\, Santanu Bhattacharya (Fiction)\, Jen Calleja (Life Writing)\, Mona Kareem (Poetry)\nCategory: Poetry | Fiction | Life Writing\nCompetition Website:  wasafiri.org/writing-prizes/queen-mary-wasafiri-new-writing-prize/\n\nThe Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2026 offers a £1\,000 prize to the winner in each of the three categories\, poetry\, short fiction and life writing.  \nExceptionally international in scope\, the prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work\, with no limits on age\, gender\, nationality\, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1\,000 cash prize and publication in Wasafiri magazine. All winners and shortlisted writers will be offered the Chapter and Verse or Free Reads mentoring scheme in partnership with The Literary Consultancy (dependent on eligibility)\, as well as a one-year print subscription to Wasafiri. \nWasafiri has been encouraging great writing from writers far and wide for more than three decades and their publication often has a decidedly international feel to it. But above it\, they seek out high-quality writing\, whether fiction\, non-fiction or poetry. Note that a single poetry entry can include up to three poems\, which together total no more than 3\,000 words. Each entry comprising three poems submitted as a single document. \nPlease visit the competition website for the full details.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/queen-mary-wasifiri-new-writing-prize/
CATEGORIES:Non-fiction Competitions,Poetry Competitions,Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Queen-Mary-e1775659110433.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260712
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260713
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260512T122756Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T100900Z
UID:6084-1783814400-1783900799@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Scottish Wildlife Trust Words of the Wild Writing Competition
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 11:59pm on 12 July 2026\nEntry Fee: FREE\nAdult Prizes: Various prize bundles\nWord Limit: 1\,000 words\nTheme: Changing seasons\nCategories: Short Story Competitions\, Poetry Competitions\, Non Fiction Competitions\nCompetition Website: scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/wordsofthewild/competition\n\nThe Scottish Wildlife Trust is once again inviting you to tell your story of Scotland’s wildlife and wild places. What are the natural waymarkers that you look for that signal the transition from one season to the next? Which species do you most look forward to seeing at certain times of year? And what signs are you seeing that our seasons are changing as our planet warms? \nSubmissions can be in English\, Scots or Gaelic up to 1\,000 words long and written in any form: poem\, letter\, short story\, essay\, song lyrics – whichever works best to tell your story. This year’s theme is “Changing seasons”.  \nA winner from each age and language category will be selected by the panel of judges and will receive an amazing prize bundle: \nAdult winners (18 years and over)\n– 24-litre Swarovski backpack\n– £100 voucher for NHBS\n– £50 voucher for Wild Fungarium\n– 70cl bottle of Seòlta Spiced Rum\n– Complete series of Melissa Harrison’s Seasons anthologies\n– Opticron 10x magnification hand lens\n– 2027 Scottish Wildlife calendar\n– 1-year’s membership to the Trust or a wildlife adoption \nJunior winners (under 18 years)\n– Trail camera starter bundle (including a Num’axes camera\, memory card and batteries)\n– £50 voucher for Wild Fungarium\n– Swarovski baseball cap\n– Complete series of Melissa Harrison’s Seasons anthologies\n– Opticron 10x magnification hand lens\n– 2027 Scottish Wildlife calendar\n– 1-year’s membership to the Trust or a wildlife adoption \nTwo runners-up in each category will also receive a 2027 Scottish Wildlife calendar. \nWinners will be announced at a special event as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival in October. \nYour submission will be judged on its originality\, creativity and inspirational qualities by a brilliant panel of judges: Craig Aitchison\, Susi Briggs\, Taylor Dyson\, Anne Frater\, Martin MacIntyre\, Eve McIntosh\, Sandy NicDhòmhnaill Jones\, Rachel Stewart\, and Dr Kenny Taylor.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/words-wild-writing-competition/
CATEGORIES:Non-fiction Competitions,Poetry Competitions,Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SISF-partner-title-slide-scaled-e1778839711270.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260729
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260730
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260518T122809Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T115339Z
UID:2767-1785283200-1785369599@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 23.59 (ET) 29th July 2026\nEntry Fee: $25 USD; Additional entries $15\nPrizes: Two to four winners share in the $1\,000 USD total prize pool. 10-20 writers Shortlisted. All entries considered for publication\, and for submission to the Pushcart.\nWord Limit: 5\,000 words\nCategory: Short Story Competitions\nCompetition Website: letterreview.com/information/\n\nThe Letter Review Prize is a regular writing competition split into the following categories: Short Fiction\, Poetry\, Nonfiction\, and Manuscripts. It offers cash prizes and publication to the winners. You can access previous winners on the Letter Review site to give you an idea of what floats their boat. The judges will be Kita Das and Dr. Ol James.\nWinning and Shortlisted writers are celebrated via the Letter Review website (400\,000 yearly readers)\, their extensive mailing list\, social media channels (FB 37\,000 members)\, and their Subreddit (12K). Winning entries are also frequently submitted to further prestigious anthologies such as the Pushcart Prize. Winners are invited to participate in our interview series (Writers’ Insight)\, further raising their professional profile.  \nThere are no style\, theme or genre restrictions for the short fiction prize and all entries considered for publication and for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/letter-review-prize-short-fiction/
CATEGORIES:Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/LetterReview.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260731
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260801
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20251120T091940Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T105544Z
UID:436-1785456000-1785542399@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Anthology Short Story Competition 2026
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on 31 July 2026\nEntry Fee: Early Bird fee – €15 (November 2025 – January 2026)\, Standard fee – €18 (February – July 2026)\nPrizes: 1st Place: €1\,000 plus publication in Anthology magazine and a one-year subscription; 2nd: €250; 3rd: €150\nWord Limit: 1\,500 words\nCategory: Short Story Competitions\nCompetition Website:  anthology-magazine.com/awards/short-story-competition\n\nRun by the beautifully designed Anthology magazine\, this short story competition has one of the lowest word limits around but the €1\,000 first prize is well worth vying for. As is the additional prizes of being published the magazine and receiving a one-year subscription too. \nNote that the standard entry fee is €18 but you get a discount if you get your entry in early enough.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/anthology-short-story-award/
CATEGORIES:Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Story_Award-e1704968852478.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260815
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260816
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260514T154412Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260515T102205Z
UID:3894-1786752000-1786838399@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Bournemouth Writing Prize
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 15th August 2026\nEntry Fee: £10 (for three poems or one short story)\nPrizes: First prize: £1\,000; second prize: £300; third prize: £200; published in Dorset Magazine\, read entry at the 2026 Bournemouth Writing Festival celebration event\nLine/Word Limit: Poetry – 30 lines; Short Story – 3\,000 words\nCategories: Poetry and Short Story Competitions\nJudges: Ed Wood (Short Story) and Matthew West (Poetry)\nCompetition Website: bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk/2027-writing-competition\n\nThe Bournemouth Writing Prize 2027 is open for entries\, with a generous prize fund of £3\,000 for winners. Every year\, they support a charity and this year\, the competition will support Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots UK – an educational and environmental initiative that empowers young people to take positive action for people\, animals\, and the environment. \nThe Short Story Judge is Ed Wood\, Agent and Director of Fiction Development at The Blair Partnership\, representing authors in crime\, thriller\, gothic\, horror\, and general fiction. While the Poetry Judge is Matthew West\, the founding director of literature development agency\, ArtfulScribe\, with fifteen years’ experience of working with writers including curating festivals\, workshops\, publications\, and performance..
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/bournemouth-writing-prize/
CATEGORIES:Poetry Competitions,Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bournemouth-Writing-Prize-2027-e1778840501830.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260831
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260901
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260401T112704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T133722Z
UID:1553-1788134400-1788220799@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:Aesthetica Creative Writing Award - Short Fiction
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 31 August 2026\nEntry Fee: £18\nPrizes: Winner: £2\,500\, publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual and an Arvon writing course plus more\nWord Limit: 2\,000 words\nCategory: Short Story Competitions\nCompetition Website:  aestheticamagazine.com/creative-writing-award\n\nThe Aesthetica Creative Writing Award offers two prizes\, one for poetry and one for short fiction. Run by Aesthetica magazine\, there is a brilliant bundle of prizes available for the winner. These include the rather substantial £2\,500 cash prize\, publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual and a five-day course from Arvon. The winner of the short fiction prize will also receive a consultation with Redhammer Management among other writing memberships and courses. \nThe judging panel is made up if editors and publishers from a wide range of organisations and publications and previous winners have become winners or made the shortlist of some of the biggest awards around including the TS Eliot Prize\, the National Poetry Competition and the Costa Book Award.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/aesthetica-creative-writing-award-short-fiction/
CATEGORIES:Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Aesthetica-Creative-Writing-Awards-2026-e1775136919969.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260906
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260907
DTSTAMP:20260531T041504
CREATED:20260105T054315Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260224T100411Z
UID:5977-1788652800-1788739199@newwriters.org.uk
SUMMARY:New2theScene Summer Short Story Competition 2026
DESCRIPTION:Deadline: 6th September 2026\nEntry Fee: £5\nPrizes: 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\nWord Limit: 4\,000 words\nTheme/Genre: Any – let your imagination free!\nCategory: Short Story Competitions\nCompetition Website: new2thescene.co.uk/new2thecomp\n\nNew2theScene is a platform for the discovery of new or not yet familiar literary talent. They sell the books of authors who aren’t bestsellers (yet)\, promoting them through their podcast\, articles\, blogs\, social media etc. They have now launched their summer short story competition for unpublished writers. Although the cash prize (well\, voucher in this case) isn’t as big as some out there\, the winner will also be interviewed on the New2theScene podcast and given exposure on the socials\, so it could be a great opportunity to get your writing out there.
URL:https://newwriters.org.uk/competition/new2thescene-short-story-competition/
CATEGORIES:Short Story Competitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://newwriters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/New2theScene.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR