My Novel

My Novel

UK Poetry Competitions (currently (13)

The Shelley Memorial Project International Poetry Competition.  Poems of up to 50 lines are invited for this regular visitor to my list.  The theme this year is Liberty.
    Closing: 15.7.26.
    Prizes: £300, £200, £100,   Plus the Sussex Cup. which is awarded to the best poem from a Sussex-Based writer.
    Entry Fee: £5.
    Comp Page: Shelley Poetry

Letter Review Prizes .  Here’s a repeat of the contest from the USA with four categories: Poetry (all kinds, up to 70 lines), Short Fiction (up to 5,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 5,000 words) and Unpublished Books (first 5,000 words of a novel, nonfiction or collection of short stories, or 15 pages of poetry).  In the Unpublished Books category, self-published books are eligible.
    Closing : 29.7.26 (5am).
    Prizes: A share of the $1,000 prize pool in each category.  Poetry and Short Fiction winners will be published, while Unpublished Book winners can choose to have an extract published and receive a letter of recommendation from the judges.  Winners in the three categories will also be considered for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies.
    Entry Fee: Short Fiction - $25.  Poetry - $20.  Book - $30.   There are lower entry fees for early bird entries.  See website for details (if none are shown, it means you weren’t early enough).
    Comp Page: Letter Review Prizes

Dear Michael
   I discovered your excellent site a few months back and entered some of the poetry competitions. I have in all my long years never received a payment for anything I have written, but I today received an email from Cooldog Publications to say I have won second prize in their E-mag Poetry Competition! £50! What a great way to start the new year.
   I just had to write and say thanks to you for the trouble you have taken with your site and how much I appreciate the sense of humour that underpins it.
  This has given me a terrific boost.
                                                                                -  Carol Browne

Winchester Poetry Prize.  Back with a bang like a shot from a Winchester rifle is this annual contest from the Winchester Poetry Festival.  It is for poems of up to 40 lines.  As usual it is open globally.  This year acclaimed Poet Julia Copus will be judging.
    Closing: 31.7.26.
    Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250.  Winners will be announced live at a special prize-giving ceremony as part of Winchester Poetry Day on October 10, 2026.  All longlisted poems will appear in an anthology which will be available on the day.  There is also a prize for the best poem written by a Hampshire-based poet.
    Entry Fee: £7 for the first, £5 thereafter.
    Comp Page: Winchester Poetry

Oxford Poetry Prize.  Here’s another international contest from Oxford Poetry, the oldest dedicated poetry magazine in the UK (founded 1910).  It is for poems of up to 60 lines.  The prizes for this year  have been doubled, so the contest must be doing well.
    Closing: 31.8.26 (midnight UTC).
    Prizes: £2,000, £1,000, £500.  The prize-winning poems will be published in a print issue of Oxford Poetry.
    Entry Fee: £10.
    Comp Page: Oxford Poetry

Bournemouth Writing Prize.  Now an annual event, this international contest is for short stories of up to 3,000 words and poems of up to 30 lines.
    Closing: 15.8.26..
    Prizes: £1,000, £300, £200  per category plus the chance to perform at the Bournemouth Writing Festival in April 2027.  Shortlisted entrants will be published in a winner's anthology.   First prize wnners in each category will receive 2 tickets to any talk or workshop held during the three-day event.
    Entry Fee: £10 (covers one short story or three poems).
    Comp Page: B’mouth Writing Prize

Hastings Book Festival Competition.  Short stories and poetry are the order of the day for the main categories, the stories having a word allowance of up to 2,500, the poetry a line allowance of up to 40. There are additional prizes for writers living in East and West Sussex.
    Closing: 31.8.26 (before 10pm).
    Prizes (in each of the two main categories): £250, £100, £50.  Sussex Prize - 2 x a two-night writing retreat.
    Entry Fee: £9 for one, £17 for two, £24 for three.
    Comp Page: Hastings Bookfest Comp

Enfield Poetry Competition.  Poems of up to 30 lines are invited for this annual contest from Enfield Poets.  The judge is Hannah Copley, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Westminster.
    Closing: 31.8.26.
    Prizes: £500, £250, £125.  Winners will be invited to read their work at the Enfield Literaty Festival  September 26 - 27.
    Entry Fee: £4 each, £10 for three.
    Comp Page: Enfield Poetry

Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition.  To enter this annual contest from Munster Literature Centre in southern Ireland you submit 16 to 24 pages of your work, in verse or prose.  The poems can have been published before but they must not have appeared together in a book.
    Closing: 31.8.26.
    Prizes (in euroes): 1,000, 500.  The two winners will be published in chapbook form by Southword Editions.  Each will receive 25 free copies of their book, plus a featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival with 3-night hotel stay (full board).
    Entry Fee: 25 euros.
    Comp Page: Fool Poetry

Hi Michael,
     Thanks for a very useful website. Since finding the contact details on your site, I've won the Txtlit competition twice, and the Write Invite competition four times. With the prize money I'm now entering other competitions. Thanks for keeping us writers posted!
     Best regards, Uta Coutts

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award.  The writing in question for this contest from Aesthetica Magazine is short fiction running to no more than 2,000 words, and poetry of up to 40 lines.  Submissions can be on any subject and may have been previously published.
    Closing: 8.9.26.
    Prize (in each category): £2,500 plus other writing related prizes.  Finalists will be published in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual.
    Entry Fee: Up to 31.8.26 - £18 for fiction, £12 for poetry.  Between 1.9.26 and 6.9.26 - £24 for fiction, £18 for poetry.
    Comp Page: Aesthetica Award.

Creative Writing Ink Competition.   There is no theme for this regular short story contest from the Creative Writing Ink website.  As usual it is open worldwide and has a word limit is 3,000.
    Closing: 30.9.26 at 5pm.
    Prizes: 1st - £1,000 and a creative writing course of your choice, plus publication on the website..  Runners-up - £200 and publication on the website.
    Entry Fee: £12.
    Comp Page: Creative Writing Ink

Hammond House International Writing Competitions.  This annual offering from Hammond House Publishing at University Centre Grimsby is for short stories of between 1,000 and 5,000 words, poems of up to 40 lines, scripts (theatre, radio, short film, TV, comedy sketches) of up to 10 pages (= approx. 10 minutes duration) and Songwriting in the form of just lyrics or complete songs..  In all categories the theme this year is Destiny.
    Closing: 30.9.26.
    Prizes: Short Story - £1,000, £100,  £50.  Poetry - £1,000, £100, £50.  Script - £100, £50, £25.  Songwriting - £100, £50, £25 in each sub-category, plus the song will be played at the 2026 Literary Festival and released worldwide on the Hammond House record label.  All shortlisted entries will be published in the anthology (in the song category, this will be lyrics only).
   Entry Fee: £10.
    Comp Page: HH Lit Prize

Eyelands Book Awards.  This is the 9th of these international book award contests from literary magazine Eyelands and Strange Days Books in Greece.  There are three main categories: Published Book, Unpublished Book, Writers’ Choice.  Acceptable genres include Poetry Collection, Novella, Short Story Collection, Novel, Children’s and YA books, Historical Fiction, Memoir, Graphic Novel.
    Closing: 20.10.26 (midnight PST).
    Prizes:: Unpublished Book Grand Prize - Translation into Greek and publication by Strange Days Books.  Published Book Grand Prize - a 5-day stay in Athens.  Writers’ Choice (as voted for by other prizewinners) - a 5-day stay in Athens or publication by Strange Days Books.  All 24 prize winners will also receive a special handmade ceramic. Selected excerpts from prizewinners will be published online, and translated into Greek.   All winners and finalists receive an online certificate, ideal for printing and hanging on the wall where your visitors are sure to see it (i.e. next to the drinks cabinet or the television).
    Entry Fee: 20 euros up to September 20, then 30 euros.
    Comp Page: Eyelands Comp

Bedford Writing Competition.  This annual not-for-profit contest from Bedfordshire, home of the famous Shuttleworth Collection (old aeroplanes and cars) is for stories of up to 3,000 words and poems running to no more than 40 lines.  There is also the Cygnature story and poetry contest, open to young writers aged 17 to 25.  Plus there is the Bedford Prize for Bedford residents.
    Closing: 31.10.26.
    Prizes in each category (Poetry, Short Story): £2,000, £400, £300.   Cygnature Short Story and Poetry - £300 in each category.  In addition there is £100 in each category for the Bedford Prize..  Shortlisted and winning entries will be published in an anthology (e-book and hardcopy).
    Entry Fee: £8.50 each, £17 for three.  Full-time students: £6 each, £12 for three.
    Comp Page: BWC.

Hi Michael
     I spent a year or so reading all those comments on your website from people who, since consulting your list, seem have won just about every competition going. I read it and thought it must be too good to be true – but worth a try. Then, on my third submission, I have actually gone and won the Yeovil Literary Prize for Poetry. I am absolutely over the moon, unable to believe it, etc.  Thank you so much.
                                                                                   -  Andy Miller

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Notes: Unless otherwise stated in the rules, poetry should be single-spaced.  It is sometimes the case that your name shouldn’t appear on the manuscript. Check the rules.  If you put your name on there after being told not to, you’re out.  Don’t use coloured paper or fancy fonts.  The colour and pizzazz to make you stand out from the crowd should be in the words.  Plain white A4 80gsm paper is the stuff to use, with plain black typing or print.  My preferred font for poetry manuscripts printed on an inkjet or laser printer is Gill Sans in 12 point (13 if I’m not pressed for space).  This gives a clear, dark print that’s easy to read.  Although publishers and agents sometimes demand the feeble Courier font, which comes out on my printers like something produced by a typewriter with an antique ribbon, I’ve never known competition organisers to express any preference.  But as always, check the rules.  Finally, write on one side of the sheet only - unless asked to put your address, etc, on the back.
 

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Disclaimer

   
For other types of writing contests see the full list on my Writing Comps page.