Writing Competitions (list of)

Whelpling

Hey!

It struck me after reading the Powers short story comp. thread that there isn't a thread dedicated to writing competitions, so people can easily see what competitions are running and the deadlines. I know there are hundreds of these things, but I was hoping we could start to update with the more 'reputable' ones here. I'll kick off, but if you see any around the place feel free to post using the following format:

Competition Name:
URL:
Eligibility:
Deadline for Submissions:
Formats Accepted:
Entry Fee:
Prize(s):

The eligibility indicator isn't compulsory, but please try to use it if the competition has age/gender/nationality restrictions.

All competitions are fine - poetry, stories, flash fiction, script-writing, journalism, essays... anything writey!

I'll update the first post here as and when new competitions are added, and delete as the competitions expire (so keep your own record of the place to look for winners etc!). When the thread is updated I'll post a brief post to let people know.

Please read through the terms and conditions yourself, bear in mind that most competitions will not accept previously published work or work currently being considered for other competitions, and don't forget to check the websites for handy hints/tips.

Cheers!

---

Competition Name: The Bridport Prize
URL: http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/index.htm
Deadline for Submissions: 31st May 2012
Formats Accepted: Short Story (any-5000), Flash Fiction (any-250), Poetry (max 42 lines)
Entry Fee: £6 per flash fiction, £7 per poem or £8 per story
Prize(s): (prize details in sterling, amounts subject to exchange rates)
Short Story - 1st = 5900 Euro, 2nd = 1180Euro, 3rd = 590 Euro, 10 supplementary prizes of £50 each.
Flash Fiction - 1st = 1180 Euro, 2nd = 590 Euro, 295 Euro, 3 supplementary prizes of £25 each.
Poems - 1st = 5900 Euro, 2nd = 1180Euro, 3rd = 590 Euro, 10 supplementary prizes of £50 each.

---

Competition Name: Canon Sheehan Short Story Competition
URL: http://www.literaryartsfestival.ie/Doneraile%20Short%20Story%20Competition.pdf
Deadline for Submissions: 1st July 2012
Formats Accepted: Short Story (Fiction - 3000 words max)
Entry Fee: €10
Prize(s): €1,000 and presentation by a guest at the Donerail Literary & Arts Festival 2012 of the Canon Sheehan Perpetual Literary Award.

---

Competition Name: Edmund Spencer Poetry Competition
URL: http://www.literaryartsfestival.ie/Doneraile%20Poetry%20Competition.pdf
Deadline for Submissions: 1st July 2012
Formats Accepted: Poem (30 lines max)
Entry Fee: €10
Prize(s): €500 and presentation by a guest at the Donerail Literary & Arts Festival 2012 of the Edmund Spencer Perpetual Poetry Award.

---

Competition Name: Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition
URL: http://doublecluck.com/submissions/
Eligibility: The entrant must not previously have had commercially published any whole children’s fiction book.
Deadline for Submissions: 26th October 2012
Formats Accepted: Full length manuscript. 80,000 words with a suggested minimum of 30,000.
Entry Fee: £15 per entry
Prize(s): A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House, representation by a leading literary agent, royalty advance of £10,000.

D-FENS

Mods - could we get this stickied? thanks

Whelpling

Thanks D-Fens.

Updated to add the Cannon Sheehan Short Story Competition.

Whelp.

pickarooney

Kind of limited on the number of stickies possible but if the thread proves popular I'll consider it. Then again, if it's popular it will stay near the top of the list anyway

LegacyUser

Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival 2012
Canon Sheehan Short Story Competition
Prize €1000
Conditions of Entry
• The competition is open to people aged 18 or over
• Stories must not be more than 2000 words. The stories may be
on any subject
• The story must be fictional
• Entries to be submitted with a fee of 10 Euros. Please do not
send cash. Cheques/postal orders to be made out to Doneraile Literary
& Arts Society
• Stories must be typed on A4 paper. No handwritten entries will
be accepted
• Entrants may submit only one short story for the competition.
Stories must be the original work of the author. Stories must not have
been previously published or accepted for future publication
elsewhere.
• Copyright of each story will remain with the author but
Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival Committee reserve the right to
publish the story on their website to highlight the authors work
• All entries must be accompanied by an entry form. The name of
the entrant must not appear on the story itself.
• The Judges decision is final.
• Closing date for receipt of applications is July 1st 2012
• The winning prize will be 1000 Euro and presentation by one of
our guests of the Canon Sheehan Perpetual Literary Award.
• Submission of a story automatically deems acceptance of each
of the above conditions
Please forward your entries FAO Diarmuid Hudner, Doneraile Literary &
Arts Festival, Canon Sheehan Short Story Competition, Creagh Castle,
Doneraile Co. Cork. For further information please contact Diarmuid
Hudner, Festival Committee Chairman on 087 – 167 -5809 or email
hudnerdiarmuid@gmail.com
*********************************
Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival 2012
Edmund Spenser Poetry Competition
Conditions of Entry
• The competition is open to people aged 18 or over
• Poems must not be more than 30 lines. The poems may be on any subject
• Entries to be submitted with a fee of 10 Euros.
Cheques/postal orders to be made out to Doneraile Literary & Arts
Society
• Poems must be typed on A4 paper. No handwritten entries will be accepted
• Entrants may submit only one poem for the competition. Poems
must be the original work of the author. Poems must not have been
previously published or accepted for future publication elsewhere.
• Copyright of each poem will remain with the author but
Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival Committee reserve the right to
publish the poem on their website to highlight the poets work
• All entries must be accompanied by an entry form. The name of
the entrant must not appear on the poem itself.
• The Judges decision is final.
• Closing date for receipt of applications is July 1st 2012
• The winning prize will be 500 Euro and presentation by one of
our guests of the Edward Spencer Perpetual Poetry Award
• Submission of a poem automatically deems acceptance of each of
the above conditions
Please post entries FAO Diarmuid Hudner, The Doneraile Literary & Arts
Festival, Edmund Spenser Poetry Competition, Creagh Castle, Doneraile,
Co. Cork. For further information please contact Diarmuid Hudner,
Festival Committee Chairman on 087 – 167 -5809 or email
hudnerdiarmuid@gmail.com

Lemmingway

Canon – one 'n'. i.e. the collared variety, as opposed to the one that makes a loud bang.

Whelpling

Updated & typos fixed - thank you both.

Achillles

Good idea, I'll now be entering two competitions I wouldn't have known about otherwise! It can be hard to find writing competitions that are well known/respected/trustworthy.

echo beach

Just a reminder to anyone planning on entering the Doneraile competetions that the deadline is July 1st so time to get those masterpieces finished.:)

Merkin

Here's a lovely little one!

http://emergingwriter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/get-shorty-rte-penguin-short-story.html

echo beach

Anybody trying for this one?
http://www.munsterlit.ie/SOF%20Page.html

echo beach

echo beach wrote: »

Anybody trying for this one?
http://www.munsterlit.ie/SOF%20Page.html

looks like it could be good

Das Kitty

bluewolf wrote: »

looks like it could be good

When something says word count 2000 like that, what exactly does that mean? Up to, or in and around, or minimum?

EDIT -- Oh wait, wrong one, the one above it. Sorry.

Merkin

Hi Das, when it says 2,000 words it normally means anything up to 2,000 words max and 2,000 as a guide for what entries should be, i.e. I'd presume entries upwards of about 1,600-1,700 would be fine. That would be my assumption anyway although I'd say maybe get clarification from the organisers if you want to be absolutely sure!

Merkin

Competitions


The Greenhouse Funny Prize

The Greenhouse Funny Prize is open to all un-agented writers residing in the UK and Ireland. The winner will get an offer of representation from the Greenhouse and a full weekend ticket to the wonderful Writers' Workshop Festival of Writing that runs from 7-9 September 2012 (worth £525). The winner will also be presented with a bottle of champagne at the Festival's gala dinner onthe Saturday night. The runners-up will each get five of Greenhouse's favouritefunny books.
Greenhouse's judging criterion is very simple. Write something funny that would appeal to young readers. The winner may be a picture book like Olivia or Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, or a young series similar to Horrid Henry, Flat Stanley or The Great Hamster Massacre, or a book for 8-12 year olds a la the Lemony Snicket series. It could even be for teen readers, like The Princess Diaries.

ENTRY GUIDELINES
Send in the first 5,000 words PLUS a short description (a fewlines) of the book AND a one page outline that shows the spine of theplot. The book does not need to be completed at the time of entry.
Please attach the 5000 words to a Word document and send your entries to funny@greenhouseliterary.com. If you are submitting a picture book (or shorter fiction that comes inunder 5000 words), then send the complete text in a Word document. Theshort description of the book and outline should be in the body of theemail. PLEASE NOTE: This is different to the general Greenhousesubmissions policy. If submitting work to the Greenhouse in the future(outside of the Funny Prize), visit the How to Submit section of the website to find the regular submission guidelines.
You must be resident in the UK or Ireland.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, 30 July.
The shortlist will be announced Monday, 6 August.
The winner will be announced Monday, 13 August. Representation may be offered to more than one writer.
Entrants will not be acknowledged on receipt, but all entrants will be emailed when the shortlist is announced.
Click here and here to read blog posts on the Funny Prize.

The Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize


This year the first prize in the Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize will be a whopping Euro 5,000 - plus two nights in for two people, including one evening meal, at the beautiful Ballymaloe House in Co. Cork - making it one of the most desirable poetry prizes in Ireland and the UK.

The runner-up prizes are Euro 1,000 and Euro 500, respectively, and the competition is open to everyone, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. It will be judged by Leontia Flynn, winner of the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and a Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.


The Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize is proudly sponsored by the Ballymaloe Country House and The Moth. The Ballymaloe Country House, set on ten acres of organic market gardens, orchards, and greenhouses, is a creative haven for lovers of food and fresh produce run by the Allen family for over 40 years. The Moth is an international arts and literature magazine. Established in June 2010, it has quickly gained a reputation for the quality of its content and design.


The entry fee for the Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize is Euro 6 per poem (or Euro 7.50 if you're paying by money order), and you can enter as many poems as you
like. For more details about the competition please go to www.themothmagazine.com, call 00 353 (0)49 4362677, or email editor@themothmagazine.com.

The deadline for entries is 31 December 2012, and the winner will be announced at a reception in Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork in March 2013, at which the three winners will be invited to read.


Dublin Dolls Hospital

The wonderful Dolls Hospital in Dublin is publishing a book and wouldlike to invite you to contribute your stories. Do you have a tale totell about your doll or your experiences of the Dolls Hospital? If so, please email your stories orphotographs to info@thehistorypress.ie!

Stylist Magazine's Crime Fiction Competition


Stylist magazine and Faber and Faber publishers have teamed up to find and publish a powerhouse debut crime writer whose manuscript features a female protagonist.

To enter Stylist'sCrime Fiction Competition you will need:
The first 6,000 words of your original crime thriller, which MUST feature a female protagonist
An outline, no longer than 300 words, showing how the story will develop (the outline should NOT reveal the ending)
A 250-word biography of the central character
A signed copy of the entry form

The expert panel of judges will be looking for a story which excites, intriguesand surprises them. The panel includes:
Ruth Rendell, award-winning author of over 60 crime fiction novels with book sales in excess of 20 million.
Lisa Smosarski, Stylist's editor
Hannah Griffiths, publishing director, and Angus Cargill, senior editor, at Faber and Faber
Sue Swift, head of literary acquisitions at Kudos Television and ShinePictures - a company responsible for adapting crime novels for TV

All entries must beposted by 12 July (no email entries will be accepted) to:

Stylist Magazine CrimeFiction Competition
Shortlist Media
26-34 Emerald Street
London, WC1N 3QA

The deadline will not be extended under anycircumstances.
The winning author of the Crime Fiction Competition will have their debut novel published by Faber and Faberpublishing house and will receive a book advance of £5,000. Therunner-up will receive a place on a three-month writing course of theirchoice - worth up to £1,750 - at Faber Academy, Faber and Faber'sesteemed creative writing programme. Upcoming courses include athree-month "Writing Crime" course, led by author Dreda Say Mitchell.Visit faberacademy.co.uk for more details on courses, or follow Faber Academy on Twitter @faberacademy.
Any questions? Email crimecompetition@stylist.co.uk

Click here to download your entry form
Click here to download the Terms & Conditions
Poddle Publications Now Accepting Submissions

Dublin-based Poddle Publications, which hand-prints and hand-illustrates limited runs of creative writing and illustration books, is now accepting submissions for their second book. Please send your fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or illustration following the theme "Small Lives" by 31 August. For submission guidelines, visit www.poddlepublications.com.

wavehopper1

Re the Stylist Competition for Crime Fiction in the post above.

Terms and Conditions: c) [FONT=Neutraface Text Book,Neutraface Text Book][FONT=Neutraface Text Book,Neutraface Text Book]Entrants must live in the UK.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Neutraface Text Book,Neutraface Text Book][FONT=Neutraface Text Book,Neutraface Text Book]
[/FONT][/FONT]

Arlecchina

The Costa Short Story Award has just opened for entries. Interestingly, it's being judged anonymously this year:

http://www.costabookawards.com/short-stories.aspx

echo beach

Arlecchina wrote: »

The Costa Short Story Award has just opened for entries. Interestingly, it's being judged anonymously this year:

http://www.costabookawards.com/short-stories.aspx[/QUOTE]

Is it not the norm to judge anonymously?

They have six pages of terms and conditions. I thought they were a coffee company, not a firm of lawyers!
One of the conditions is that authors can't be serving a term of imprisonment.

Any christmas ones or something coming up?


eta
http://www.writing4all.ie/contests
http://creativewriting.ie/competitions-and-events/

Arlecchina

The Bridport Prize has opened to submissions again. 203 days left to enter!

oooooooooo shiny
I wonder do I have any hope of finishing THAT stupid poem in time

Da Shins Kelly

When you're submitting it online, they say not to put your name on it so as not to compromise the anonymity of the whole thing. Do you include your name on the email then, but not on the actual document?

Da Shins Kelly

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

When you're submitting it online, they say not to put your name on it so as not to compromise the anonymity of the whole thing. Do you include your name on the email then, but not on the actual document?

Yeah, just don't put it on the document

emma_tfe

Every year, the course that I am doing at the moment publishes a literary journal called ROPES. It is open to writers of every level and we are looking for submissions! This year we have decided on the theme, "Coming of Age".

We accept fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The deadline for submission is Monday 14 January 2013. All proceeds go to Jigsaw, a charity that promotes good mental health in young people.Please let me know if you have any questions, and please follow ROPES on Facebook and Twitter! Also feel free to share the submissions poster or details with anyone you think may be interested. We are hoping to get lots of submissions so please tell as many people as possible!

http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/408109_10151212228348971_71645466_n.jpg

Arlecchina

In case anyone's interested, the Costa Short Story shortlist is up for voting: http://www.costabookawards.com/short-stories/shortlist.aspx

Did anyone enter?

Merkin

Good luck everyone

http://www.writerscentre.ie/html/resources/DoolinShortStory.html

FudgeBrace

Easons are running the Tiny Tall Tales competition from now until 4th Feb. 100 word long story and the prize is your story on 5000 bookmarks !! It's all on their blog at easons.com

kilrush claire

Problem with submitting entry to a competition

echo beach

A wide selection of competitions for Listowel Writers' Week, with all entries to be in by 1st March.
http://writersweek.ie/competitions

echo beach

Bumped for hcass.

If anybody knows of any competitions maybe they could add them to this thread.

Merkin

The Sean O'Faolain international short story competition based in Cork, Ireland is now open for entries. First prize is €2000 euro, publication in Southword Journal, and a week's writing retreat in Anam Cara (West Cork). More details here: http://www.munsterlit.ie/SOF%20Page.html

kieslowski

I had a piece shortlisted for the 'Humorous Essay' in Listowel but alas failed to carry the prize.

There is no Canon Sheehan festival this year unfortunately. I'm convinced I have the winning piece of flash for the Bridport Prize.

donalh087

Get your skates on...


http://flavorwire.com/389802/announcing-flavorwires-first-short-fiction-contest

donalh087

For the poets out there

http://boylearts.com/2011/2013/03/24/boyle-arts-festival-poetry-competition-2013/

donalh087

This is cool (if you're just a little younger than me)

http://www.pen-international.org/pen-internationalnew-voices-award/

donalh087

Finished your novel?
http://forward.legendpress.co.uk/mainsite/luke-bitmead-bursary.html

donalh087

Luxury fashion house Prada is inviting budding authors to submit essays via its website for its inaugural 'Prada Journal' project.
http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/olivia-bergin/TMG10002558/Prada-launches-writing-contest.html

FudgeBrace

donalh087 wrote: »

Luxury fashion house Prada is inviting budding authors to submit essays via its website for its inaugural 'Prada Journal' project.
http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/olivia-bergin/TMG10002558/Prada-launches-writing-contest.html

Does the essay have to include something to do with prada ?

echo beach

Seems you have to focus on 'optical eyewear', what the rest of us call glasses, as a tool for seeing the world with a 'unique, rare gaze'.
It is pretty broad, but doesn't say you have to mention Prada glasses specifically. Looks fairly challenging to come up with 4,000 to 8,000 words but with €5,000 at sake I'd say get on your specs and read the brief very carefully.
The full details are on the Prada website, which was a first for my browsing history.

donalh087

I'm a big Raymond Carver Fan so this would be a cool one to win.

http://carvezine.com/raymond-carver-contest/#.UZC-NaKsiSo

Merkin

Came across this really comprehensive list of upcoming competitions - there's a whole host of them across a wide variety of genres so hopefully something for everybody! Best of luck for entering, I've got my eye on a couple so just need to get the finger out now!

http://www.christopherfielden.com/short-story-tips-and-writing-advice/short-story-competitions.php

Merkin

Merkin wrote: »

Came across this really comprehensive list of upcoming competitions - there's a whole host of them across a wide variety of genres so hopefully something for everybody! Best of luck for entering, I've got my eye on a couple so just need to get the finger out now!

http://www.christopherfielden.com/short-story-tips-and-writing-advice/short-story-competitions.php

That is brilliant!
The dark places one looks great. I must get going

Merkin

bluewolf wrote: »

That is brilliant!
The dark places one looks great. I must get going

Great to have them all in one place isn't it? I often see an ad for a competition and then usually either can't remember the name of the competition and/or where I spotted it in the first place!

Phantasos

bluewolf wrote: »

That is brilliant!
The dark places one looks great. I must get going

Yep, their whole website and publication could do with a polish, but it seems cool enough.

There's so many places to choose from! I must try one or two.

Merkin

Merkin wrote: »

Great to have them all in one place isn't it? I often see an ad for a competition and then usually either can't remember the name of the competition and/or where I spotted it in the first place!

15th September for Dark Places, I could do another excerpt from my "box" stories!
Or recycle one of them... shhh... >.>

This one's 500 words, good for us flash fiction vets
http://www.writingcompetition.org.uk/#!writing-competition-rules/cjg9

And you get feedback on this one!
http://www.writers-village.org/

GalwayGuy2

Hmm, the Dark Places says no Racism, but I wonder can you hint that a character is racist?

As in they pause and you hint they were about to say something derogatory?

Bombbastic22

Really cool one here at worldcitystories.com

cailinoBAC

Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/legends-of-the-fall

ciaranmac

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Hmm, the Dark Places says no Racism, but I wonder can you hint that a character is racist?

As in they pause and you hint they were about to say something derogatory?

Mary began "I'm not a racist, but-" and John stopped listening right there.

Arlecchina

Entries to the Costa Short Story prize are open until 4pm tomorrow!

The_Minister

I think it would be easier if people reverted to the template in the OP rather than posting bare links.