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Our current competition is the New Writers Historical (Pre-1960) Flash Fiction Competition 2025.

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Winchester Poetry Prize 2025

Winchester Poetry Prize 2025

Deadline: 11.59 pm (UK time) on 31st July 2025

  • Entry Fee: £6 for first poem, £5 for subsequent poems
  • Prizes: 1st Place: £1,000; 2nd Place: £500; 3rd Place: £250; winning and commended poems will be published in a competition anthology
  • Word Limit: 40 lines maximum (excluding title)
  • Judge: Fiona Benson
  • Category: Poetry Competitions
  • Competition Website: winchesterpoetryfestival.org/wpp25

Aurora Prize for Writing

Aurora Prize for Writing 2025

Deadline: 23.59 (UK time) on 6th August 2025

  • Entry Fee: £9 (£7 for additional entries)
  • Prizes: Winner: £500 in each category, Second: £150, Third: A ticket to the 2027 Writers’ Conference, hosted by Writing East Midlands
  • Word Limit: 60 lines (poetry), 2,000 words (short story)
  • Category: Poetry and short fiction competition
  • Competition Website: writingeastmidlands.co.uk/for-writers/aurora-prize-for-writing
The Bournemouth Writing Prize

Bournemouth Writing Prize

Deadline: 15th August 2025

  • Entry Fee: £10 (for three poems or one short story)
  • Prizes: First prize: £1,000; second prize: £300; third prize: £200; published in Dorset Magazine, read entry at the 2026 Bournemouth Writing Festival celebration event
  • Line/Word Limit: Poetry - 30 lines; Short Story - 3,000 words
  • Categories: Poetry and Short Story Competitions
  • Judges: Madeleine Milburn (Short Story) and Abu Ibrahim (Poetry)
  • Competition Website: bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk/2026-writing-competition
Ink of Ages Fiction Prize

Ink of Ages Fiction Prize 2026

Deadline: 29th August 2025

  • Entry Fee: FREE
  • Prizes: $1,000 USD cash prize to the first place winner of the adult contest. Various other prizes from World History Encyclopedia and Oxford University Press
  • Word Limit: 1,500 to 2,000 words (800 to 1,000 for the Youth Prize, for those aged 13 to 17)
  • Genre Guidelines: Historical Fiction or Mythological Fiction (see site for details)
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website:  fictionprize.worldhistory.org
Fool for Poetry Competition

Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition

Deadline: 31st August 2025

  • Entry Fee: €25 per manuscript
  • Prizes: 1st Place: €1000; 2nd Place: €500; both winners will receive Chapbook publication and 25 complimentary copies, Featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival (with three-night hotel stay and full board)
  • Category: Poetry Competitions
  • Competition Website:  munsterlit.ie/fool-for-poetry

New2theScene

New2theScene Summer Short Story Competition

Deadline: 7th September 2025

  • Entry Fee: £5
  • Prizes: 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: 4,000 words
  • Theme/Genre: Any - let your imagination free!
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website: new2thescene.co.uk/new2thecomp
Irish Writers Centre International Debut Novel Competition

Irish Writers Centre International Debut Novel Competition

Deadline: 14th September 2025

  • Entry Fee: €65 (or €58.50 Irish Writers Centre members)
  • Prizes: 12 winners are given the opportunity to skip the queue and pitch their novels face-to-face or zoom-to-zoom to publishers and agents
  • Word Limit: submit a 5,000-word extract of their novel, as well as a 500-word synopsis
  • Category: Novel Competitions
  • Competition Website:  irishwriterscentre.ie/international-debut-novel-competition
Inclusive Voices Short Story Competition

Inclusive Voices Short Story Competition

Deadline: 5 September 2025

  • Entry Fee: Free
  • Prizes: First Place: Amazon Echo Dot; Second Place: £20 book voucher; Third Place: Calibre Audio merchandise
  • Word Limit: 550 words
  • Format: Written, video or audio entries are accepted
  • Theme: Your story must feature Audio, Braille, or Community (or all three!); open to residents of the UK
  • Categories: Under 11s, 11-17, 18-25, 26 and over
  • Competition Website: calibreaudio.org.uk/news/inclusive-voices
Featured

New Writers Sense of Place Competition 2025

Deadline: 23.59 (UK time) on Tuesday 30th September 2025

  • Entry Fee: FREE (one per person)
  • Prize: 1st Place: £50 (plus one free entry to the New Writers Historical Flash Fiction Competition 2025, and publication on the NewWriters.org.uk website and in the next New Writers Anthology)
  • Word Limit: 100 words (not including title)
  • Theme: Sense of place
  • Category: Microfiction/Poetry Competitions
  • How to Enter: Follow THIS LINK and complete the entry form
Letter Review

Letter Review Prize for Books

Deadline: 23.59 (ET) 30th September 2025

  • Entry Fee:  $25; Additional entries $15
  • Prizes: 2-4 Winners are announced who share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Winners may choose to have an extract published, and receive a letter of recommendation from our Judges. 10-20 writers are Shortlisted.
  • Word Limit: First 5,000 words of your manuscript or 15 pages of poetry(see Letter Review site for full details)
  • Category: Novel competition
  • Competition Website: letterreview.com/information/
Letter Review

Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

Deadline: 23.59 (ET) 30th September 2025

  • Entry Fee: $20; Additional entries $10
  • Prizes: 2-4 Winners are announced who are published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. 10-20 writers Shortlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart.
  • Word Limit: 5,000 words
  • Category: Nonfiction competition
  • Competition Website: letterreview.com/information/
Letter Review

Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction

Deadline: 23.59 (ET) 30th September 2025

  • Entry Fee: $20; Additional entries $10
  • Prizes: 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.
  • Word Limit: 5,000 words
  • Category: Short Story Competitions
  • Competition Website: letterreview.com/information/
Letter Review

Letter Review Prize for Poetry

Deadline: 23.59 (ET) 30th September 2025

  • Entry Fee:  $15; Additional entries $10
  • Prizes: 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.
  • Word Limit: Up to 70 lines
  • Category: Poetry competition
  • Competition Website: letterreview.com/information/

Tom Howard Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Deadline: 1st October 2025

  • Entry Fee: $25 per submission (one submission may contain up to 3 poems)
  • Prizes: TOM HOWARD PRIZE: $3,500 for a poem in any style or genre; MARGARET REID PRIZE: $3,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style; The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value); Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $500 each (any style); Top 12 entries published online
  • Word Limit: 250 lines maximum
  • Category: Poetry Competitions
  • Final Judges: Michal 'MJ' Jones, assisted by Briana Grogan and Dare Williams
  • Competition Website:  winningwriters.com/our-contests/tom-howard-margaret-reid-poetry-contest
New2theScene

New2theScene Novel Competition 2025 – Part 2

Deadline: 5th October 2025

  • Entry Fee: £18
  • Prizes: A professional line edit on the first 3,000 words of your submission; a developmental workshop to structure your novel; a podcast interview, discussing your story, journey and ambitions; first 3,000 words published in an anthology; your entry submitted to a literary professional, bypassing the slush pile; an 'Origins' blog, introducing you to an audience; a relationship with New2theScene – supporting any publication, introducing you to a community through blogs/posts, and potential future projects; £50 vouchers for the New2theScene bookstore.
  • Word Limit: First 3,000 words of a novel and one-page synopsis
  • Judge: Guest author
  • Category: Novel Competitions
  • Competition Website: new2thescene.co.uk/competition-information/novel
OwlCrate Write In A Flash: 100-Word Challenge

OwlCrate Write In A Flash: 100-Word Challenge

Deadline: 12pm (PST) Friday 10th October 2025

  • Entry Fee: FREE
  • Prizes: Grand prize $800 plus loads more (see listing details)
  • Word Limit: 100 words
  • Publication: All winning stories will be published on the website and may be promoted across social media.
  • Category: Flash Fiction Competitions
  • Eligibility/Theme: All entries must have generally acceptable language (no swearing or offensive themes) to ensure that winning stories can be shared publicly! These are 5 genres with 2 themes each to choose from.
  • Competition Website: thenest.owlcrate.com/posts/91596521

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