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Writing Opportunities 2022

The Moth Short Story Prize 2022

Information
Closing date: 
30 June 2022
Entry: 
Open to all writers over 16. Entry fee €15 per story
Prize: 
1st prize €3,000, 2nd prize week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France plus €250 travel stipend, 3rd prize €1,000

The Moth Short Story Prize is an important date on the literary calendar. Every year, a single judge is asked to choose three winning stories to feature in the autumn issue of The Moth.

This year's judge is Sarah Hall, the prizewinning author of three short story collections and six novels, her most recent being Burntcoat. She is a recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters E. M. Forster Award and Edge Hill Short Story Prize, among others, and the only person ever to have won the BBC National Short Story Award twice. As well as teaching creative writing, Sarah has judged a number of prestigious literary awards, including the Man Booker Prize and the Sunday Times (EFG/Audible).

1st prize €3,000
2nd prize week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France plus €250 travel stipend
3rd prize €1,000

The Prize is open to anyone (over 16) as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. There is a word limit of 4,000.

The entry fee is €15 per story. Closing 30 June 2022.

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The Novel Prize 2022

Information
Closing date: 
1 June 2022
Entry: 
Open to a book-length work of literary fiction written in English by published and unpublished writers from round the world. No entry fee
Prize: 
$10,000 to the winner and publication of their novel by Fitzcarraldo Editions in the UK and Ireland, Giramondo in Australia and New Zealand, and New Directions in North America

Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo Publishing and New Directions have announced the biennial Novel Prize for a book-length work of literary fiction of at least 30,000 words written in English by published and unpublished writers from round the world, recognising 'works which explore and expand the possibilities of the form, and are innovative and imaginative in style'.

It offers $10,000 to the winner and publication of their novel by Fitzcarraldo Editions in the UK and Ireland, Giramondo in Australia and New Zealand, and New Directions in North America.

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au was the inaugural winner, selected from more than 1,500 entries. It was published in February 2022, and rights have sold in 20 territories. Au said: "The Novel Prize has been an incredible experience - to have had the opportunity to work with publishers of the calibre of Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo Publishing and New Directions, and for Cold Enough for Snow to be translated internationally from there, is something I will continue to be both amazed by and grateful for."

Entries will be open until 1 June, with Fitzcarraldo Editions reading submissions from Africa and Europe, Giramondo from Asia and Australasia, and New Directions from the Americas. The shortlist will be released in December, the winner announced in February 2023, and the winning novel published in early 2024.

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2022 Times/Chicken House writing competition

Information
Closing date: 
1 June 2022
Entry: 
fee Open to unpublished, unagented children’s writers based anywhere in the world. Entry fee £20
Prize: 
First Prize a publishing contract with Chicken House with an advance of £10,000, plus the offer of representation from literary agent Louise Lamont at LBA Books, Second Prize a £7,500 publishing contract plus an offer of representation

Now the biggest children's writing competition in the UK, the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition has been running for 12 years and has kickstarted the careers of many of the most established writers for both children and adults in the UK - including Jasbinder Bilan (Costa-winning author of Asha & the Spirit Bird), SJ Bennett (The Windsor Knot) and Nicki Thornton (The Last Chance Hotel series). Since the competition's inception, 62% of shortlistees have gone on to be published, including winners.

The competition is open to unpublished, unagented writers based anywhere in the world. We accept entries aimed at readers from age 7 all the way up to age 18 (Young Adult).

The top prize is a publishing contract with Chicken House with an advance of £10,000, plus the offer of representation from literary agent Louise Lamont at LBA Books, who will also be on this year's judging panel.

A second prize, the Chairman's Choice Award - awarded to the manuscript which shows the most potential - will win a £7,500 publishing contract plus an offer of representation.

Chicken House publisher Barry Cunningham said: "I'm thrilled with how this special competition just grows and grows, welcoming new talent from around the world - and how it always manages to surprise and amaze the judges with fresh new writing!"

This year's competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts, including Barry Cunningham, The Times Arts Editor Alex O'Connell, YA Book Prize-winning author Patrice Lawrence, author and booktuber Lucy Powrie, LBA Books literary agent Louise Lamont, bookseller Sanchita Basu de Sarkar from Children's Bookshop Muswell Hill, and literary scout Rosalind Ramsay.

The competition costs £20 to enter and is open to writers from all over the world, as long as they write in English, are unagented and have not had a children's book published before.

More details