Prizes and Competitions

If you’d like your competition or award added to this page, please contact me. Most of the competitions listed below are UK-based, but many are open to entrants from other countries.

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Be warned that some competitions are better than others. You can find some useful information on how to spot the bad eggs on this page from the Winning Writers website.

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This page was fully revised and updated in March 2022.

Short Story and Flash Fiction Competitions

Short stories are usually categorised as those less than 8,000 words long, but definitions can vary widely. ‘Flash fiction’ aims to capture a complete story in a tiny number of words. A common maximum is 350, but again this can vary.

Novel and Novella Competitions

Most novels are at least 80,000 words long. A novella is harder to define: some put the lower limit at 10,000 words with the upper as high as 70,000. Most put the average at around 40,000.

Poetry Competitions

Whatever the styles of poetry you enjoy reading and writing, you’re bound to find something for you in this list.

Competitions for Young Writers

Writing awards and competitions for young writers, or for works aimed at younger readers.

Competitions for Playwrights

A selection of competitions and awards aimed at playwrights.

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