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Fiction

The Borough Press and The Good Literary Agency open submissions

Information

Closing date: 
31 March 2019
Entry: 
UK residents and British Citizens (including those residing abroad) without a literary agent and of black, Asian or minority ethnic background No entry fee
Prize: 
£10,000 publishing contract, agency representation and mentoring from writer Nikesh Shukla

The Borough Press has teamed up with The Good Literary Agency to open submissions for un-agented BAME writers with the one winning applicant set to secure a £10,000 publishing contract, agency representation and mentoring from writer Nikesh Shukla.
  Read more

Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize

Information

Closing date: 
1 March 2019
Entry: 
Open to writers of any nationality writing in English No entry fee
Prize: 
£15,000 for each Prize plus a publishing deal with Bonnier for Best Unpublished Manuscript

Submissions for the 2019 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize are now open. The international prize is now in its fourth year. Entries are accepted from writers of any nationality, writing in English. The deadline is 1 March.

There are two categories:  Read more

Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2019

Information

Closing date: 
8 February 2019
Entry: 
Open to unpublished female writers, aged 21 or over, who live in the UK or Ireland Entry fee
Prize: 
Winner £1,500 and all shortlisted entrants receive a half-hour one-to-one consultation, with our competition sponsors PFD

Lucy Cavendish Prize for Unpublished Women Writers

The Prize is for a novel by a woman over the age of 21 that marries literary merit with unputdownability. The work can be on any subject at all. We welcome submissions of literary fiction and genre fiction equally. Novels for young adults or children are acceptable if they are mainly word-based; picture books are excluded.  Read more

The International Rubery Book of the Year Award 2019

Information

Closing date: 
31 March 2019
Entry: 
Open to all writers internationally who have published or self-published their work Entry fee £37
Prize: 
£1500 plus £150 for at least three category winners

The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges.

It is open to all writers internationally and is awarded to a book published in print or ebook form. Books published by independent presses and self published books are eligible to enter  Read more

Manchester Poetry and Fiction Prizes 2018

Information

Closing date: 
14 September 2018
Entry: 
Open to all internationally £17.50 entry fee for each prize
Prize: 
£10,000 for each

Poetry Prize

Judges

Adam O'Riordan (Chair), Gillian Clarke, Carol Ann Duffy and Imtiaz Dharker  Read more

Daily Mail PRH First Novel Competition 2018

Information

Closing date: 
13 July 2018
Entry: 
Open to anyone aged 16 or over who is a resident of the UK or Republic of Ireland and has not had a book published before, whether that is in print, e-book or self-published. No entry fee
Prize: 
A £20,000 advance and publishing contract with PRH imprint Century and the services of literary agent Luigi Bonomi

The Daily Mail and Penguin Random House have launched the third year of their nationwide competition to search for a new writing talent.

The winner will receive a £20,000 advance and publishing contract with PRH imprint Century and the services of literary agent Luigi Bonomi.  Read more

Myriad’s First Drafts Competition 2018

Information

Closing date: 
6 July 2018
Entry: 
Open to unpublished women writers of any nationality and of African heritage or descent.
Prize: 
Publication in the forthcoming anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby and a week's writing retreat

Myriad EditionsOnline image bank of infographics from The State of the World Atlas by Dan Smith. Useful resource for students, academics, teachers, journalists and businesses, the store will soon contain maps and graphics from their entire State of the World Atlas series. Download via Paypal, low resolution images start at $1 and high resolution images from $50. is now seeking entries for a special edition of its annual First Drafts award, now in its ninth year, to launch unpublished writers. This year, the Competition will be in celebration of Myriad's forthcoming publication New Daughters of Africa edited by Margaret Busby OBE.  Read more

Richard and Judy's Search For A Bestseller 2018

Information

Closing date: 
14 June 2018
Entry: 
Writers resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland No entry fee
Prize: 
£30,000 publishing deal with Bonnier Zaffre and representation from literary agency Furniss Lawton

The Richard and Judy Book Club - the biggest book club in Britain - is widely relied upon by readers to provide an abundance of writing talent a chance to shine, from debut novelists to highly acclaimed authors.  Read more

The Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer of the Year 2018

Information

Closing date: 
8 June 2018
Entry: 
Writers of published fiction, non-fiction and poetry between the ages of 18 and 35 in the UK and Ireland, published or self-published No entry fee
Prize: 
First Prize £5,000 plus a 10 week residency and a year of mentoring, three runners-up £500

Submissions are being accepted until June 8 in one of the industry's longest-named awards, The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer of the Year Award. The prize programme is designed to honour fiction, non-fiction, and poetry writers between the ages of 18 and 35 in the UK and Ireland.  Read more

The Daily Mail Penguin Random House first novel competition

Information

Closing date: 
13 July 2018
Entry: 
Open to anyone aged 16 or over who is a resident of the UK or Republic of Ireland No entry fee
Prize: 
£20,000

Welcome to The Daily Mail Penguin Random House First Novel Competition. Before sending in your entry please read all the rules as any entries that do not comply with all the conditions will be discounted.  Read more

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Urban YA competition

Information

Closing date: 
30 November 2018
Entry: 
Open to any writer living in the UK, agented or without an agent, for a first YA novel No entry fee
Prize: 
£1000 and possible publication by Everything with Words

Shortlist to be judged by Patrice Lawrence, author of Orangeboy.  Read more

Richard and Judy's Search For A Bestseller 2018

Information

Closing date: 
14 June 2018
Entry: 
Writers resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland No entry fee
Prize: 
£30,000 publishing deal with Bonnier Zaffre and representation from literary agency Furniss Lawton

The Richard and Judy Book Club - the biggest book club in Britain - is widely relied upon by readers to provide an abundance of writing talent a chance to shine, from debut novelists to highly acclaimed authors.  Read more

The Daily Mail Penguin Random House first novel competition

Information

Closing date: 
13 July 2018
Entry: 
Open to anyone aged 16 or over who is a resident of the UK or Republic of Ireland No entry fee
Prize: 
£20,000

Welcome to The Daily Mail Penguin Random House First Novel Competition. Before sending in your entry please read all the rules as any entries that do not comply with all the conditions will be discounted.  Read more

Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers’ Award 2018

Information

Closing date: 
13 December 2017
Entry: 
Entrants must write in the English language and reside within the British Commonwealth and Eire. No entry fee
Prize: 
£10,000

An award of £10,000 will be presented to a first-time prose writer whose submission demonstrates outstanding literary talent and who would benefit from financial support to complete their work:

Submissions should take the form of 20-30,000 words of a work in progress, fiction or non-fiction, which is not under option or contract.  Read more

National Novel Writing Month 2017

Information

Closing date: 
30 November 2017
Entry: 
Open to all writers of 13 and over No entry fee
Prize: 
You win by writing a 50,000 word novel

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing.

Committed to writing 50,000 words in the 30 days of November?

If you sign up online, you'll be able to use the online resources to help you:  Read more

Mslexia Women's Novel Competition 2017

Information

Closing date: 
18 September 2017
Entry: 
Open to women of any nationality and age Entry fee £25
Prize: 
£5,000

MslexiaStylish and lively site for quarterly UK literary magazine read by 12,000 'committed' women writers. Good range of quality writing, information and advice with news, reviews, competitions and interviews, all presented in a friendly fashion. Praised by Helen Dunmore as 'astute, invigorating and above all an excellent read.' www.mslexia.co.uk Women's Novel Competition 2017 is for novels of at least 50,000 words written for adults (and young adults) in any genre by previously unpublished women novelists. The competition is open to women of any nationality from any country, and welcomes 5,000 word extracts of completed, unpublished novels of at least 50,000 words in length.  Read more

The Sunday Times PFD Young Writer of the Year Award 2017

Information

Closing date: 
2 June 2017
Entry: 
Published and self-published British and Irish authors of fiction, non-fiction and poetry aged 18-35
Prize: 
£5,000

Self-published authors are being encouraged to submit to this year's The Sunday Times/Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer of the Year Award, along with traditionally-published writers.

Submissions are now open for the £5,000 prize, which is given annually to the best work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry by a British or Irish author aged between 18 and 35.  Read more

UK International Novel Writing Competition 2016

Information

Closing date: 
30 November 2016
Entry: 
Open to all writers worldwide, including self-publishers
Prize: 
First Prize £5,000, Second Prize £2,500, Third Prize £1,000

The UK International Novel Writing Competition is the only one in the world that is judged by the public. £5000 First Prize.

We are the organisers of the UK Short Story Competition which has only just started the judging process. (August 2016)
After the success of the UK Short Story Competition, this competition is based on the same successful model.  Read more

UK Novel Writing Competition 2016

Information

Closing date: 
30 November 2016
Entry: 
Open to all writers internationally £12
Prize: 
1st Prize £500, 2nd Prize £2500 and 3rd Prize £1000

The only Novel Writing Competition where the Public are the Judges

Most Novel Writing Competitions are judged by Celebrities, Editors, Publishers, Creative Writing Tutors, etc. But not this one.

A Novel Writing Competition with a Difference

UK Novel Writing Competition is the only one in the world that is judged by the public. £5000 First Prize.  Read more

New Writer Prose and Poetry Prizes 2008

Information

Closing date: 
1 December 2008
Entry: 
Entry fees
Prize: 
FACT: 1st prize £150, 2nd £100, 3rd £50; FICTION: Short Stories: 1st prize £300, 2nd £200, 3rd £100. Novella: 1st prize £300; POETRY: Collection: 1st prize £300, 2nd £200, 3rd £100. Single: 1st prize £100, 2nd £75, 3rd £50

One of the major, international prizes for contemporary fiction and poetry, essays and articles, this is an opportunity to bring your work to a wider audience.

Closing date 31 November 2008

Total Prize Fund £2,500

Entry fees

  Read more

British author offers $5000 for novel plot 2008

Information

Closing date: 
31 January 2009
Entry: 
Open to everyone aged 10 to 100
Prize: 
Prize of $5,000 or equivalent, plus the winner's name on the front cover of the book

British author offers $5000 for novel plot

Prize of $5,000 or equivalent, plus the winner's name on the front cover of the book

Closing date 31 January 2009

Open to everyone aged 10 to 100   Read more

The New Media Writing Prize 2012

Information

Closing date: 
5 October 2012
Entry: 
Eligibility: Writers from all over the world No entry fee
Prize: 
An iPad

Deadline: 5 October

Eligibility: Writers from all over the world

Now in its third year, the New Media Writing Prize is awarded for  Read more