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    Prizes and Competitions

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    Poetry Competitions

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

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    Competitions for Young Writers

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

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    Competitions for Playwrights

    A selection of competitions and awards aimed at playwrights.

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