sixth Feb 2025
Studying Time: 8 minutes
Writing contests are ten a penny – however usually include big entry charges for low prizes, and that’s in the event you win. Nevertheless, there are additionally loads of free writing contests that you may enter to win money, publication, or different prizes, if you realize the place to look.
And also you’ve discovered the precise place! Right here we’ve received a great deal of free writing contests so that you can enter this yr, together with some for younger writers and in addition a pair for playwrights. We now have particularly chosen UK-based contests with both a money prize or important different prize (like a writing retreat) slightly than simply publication, so as to focus your time writing tales for contests which have a fantastic reward in the event you win.
Writing Contest Fast Suggestions
Whereas it may be straightforward to assume that writing contests supply fast and straightforward cash, assume once more! The free contests will put you in opposition to a giant expertise pool, so that you want to have the ability to hone your story into one thing that’s gripping and publishable. Listed below are some fast suggestions:
- Don’t rush: be aware of the deadlines and go away your self loads of time to jot down and rewrite your story
- Produce other folks learn and provide you with suggestions
- Once you assume it’s prepared, put it away for just a few weeks earlier than you edit: the area offers you recent eyes to hone your story
- Have a look at free on-line programs just like the Open College supply to study the fundamentals and constructing blocks of nice brief story writing.
And at last – it is a huge one – learn the principles!! Each contest has totally different guidelines of eligibility, so it’s necessary to ensure your entry received’t be rejected immediately. This would possibly embody issues like formatting guidelines (if unsure, double line spacing with 12 level Instances New Roman works effectively), age or location guidelines, or whether or not you’ve revealed earlier than.
Some contests let you enter the identical story into different ones, whereas some insist you’ll be able to solely enter that story to them. Those which permit simultaneous submission (coming into the identical story into multiple contest) would possibly say you must pull your entry out of the operating in the event you win one other one with that very same story. Learn the small print earlier than you enter.
Try our article on writing short stories for extra suggestions and concepts.
Quick Story Contests
From flash fiction to novellas, brief tales are the preferred kind of writing contest. It’s a talent to inform a good story in only a few thousand phrases, so if you wish to problem your self and be in with an opportunity of successful money prizes, check out these free UK writing contests!
Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook Short Story Competition
The main anthology non fiction e-book, a vital for any budding author, is the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. Their brief story contest is very regarded, for tales as much as 2,000 phrases on the theme of ‘surprise’. The prize is a free course with Arvon Basis, a writing retreat course that helps aspiring writers take a break from busy life to deal with writing.
Closes: 14th February
Writing Magazine New Year, New You
Writing Journal is the UK’s main journal for writers of all types, they usually usually run free contests for his or her subscribers in addition to some for everybody. The primary free for everybody contest of 2025 is ‘New 12 months, New You’ themed, with publication and a primary prize of £150 and second prize of £50,
Closes: twenty eighth February
BBC National Short Story Award
This one is a large award, with a prime prize of £15,000, and £600 for 4 shortlisted tales. It’s an enormous accolade to win – and anyone can enter. They’re in search of brief tales as much as 8,000 phrases on any topic.
Closes: thirteenth March
Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award
This is among the finest kind of contest: it’s for the popularity of expertise for work in progress of prose writing. Now, technically, this isn’t a brief story award as a result of they need a piece of an extended piece like a novel. Nevertheless, since you are submitting a piece in progress, your full novel doesn’t have to be completed to enter – they need 15,000-20,000 phrases. The primary prize is £10,000 and two runners up obtain £1000 to help them to proceed writing their work.
Closes: thirty first March
The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize
One other one with a giant money prize for the winner, it is a themed writing contest. For 2025 the theme is ‘Worry’. The primary prize is £3,000 whereas two runners up obtain £1000 every. The utmost phrase depend is 1250 phrases, so it’s a good problem – however these phrases could be in any type (brief story, non fiction, poetry and so on).
Closes: 1st April
The Oxford University/42MP New Writing Prize
A model new prize for 2025, this one has created numerous buzz. Oxford College is teaming up with main company and manufacturing firm, 42MP, to seek out new writing they love. 42Mp is a expertise company with large A-list expertise from actors to novelists to screenwriters, they usually wish to discover recent new voices. This isn’t strictly a brief story contest prize, however as a substitute they need a brief part. This could possibly be a synopsis and 10,000-15,000 phrases of a novel OR 30-90 pages of a stage or screenplay. The prize is £1500 and doable illustration by 42MP.
Closes thirtieth April
Creative Future Writers’ Award
A extremely revered annual contest for underrepresented writers within the UK, the Inventive Futures award additionally has classes for non-fiction and poetry, with prizes of £75, £50, and £25 for first, second and third place in every class. However what makes this award stand out is the additional stuff with the prize: a complete host of mentoring, conferences with brokers, programs from established locations like Jericho Writers and Curtis Brown Inventive, and work with a writing coach – in addition to publication within the anthology. There is no such thing as a minimal size however you’ll be able to’t go over 2000 phrases.
Closes: 18th Could
Laurie Lee Writing Prize
One other contest with each poetry and prose prizes, this one is for 1500 phrases on the theme of ‘Journeys’ this yr. This can be a region-specific prize, so that you’re solely eligible in the event you dwell or work in Gloucestershire or South Gloucestershire (or have been born there). The highest prize is £1000 and you’ll submit non-fiction, poetry, or a brief story.
Closes: thirty first July
Val Wood Prize
An annual contest with a £100 prime prize and a signed copy of a Val Wooden e-book. The theme is launched when the competition opens, so preserve an eye fixed on the page (theme not revealed at time of penning this!).
Closes: thirty first August
Writers’ and Artists’ Working Class Writer’s Prize
The second W&A contest on this checklist, this one is for writers who determine as working class. As soon as once more, this one doesn’t have to be an entire brief story – actually, they need 2,000 of a work-in-progress. That could possibly be an extended brief story, a novella, or novel and that may be both fiction or non-fiction. The prize is £200. Full particulars for the 2025 contest are but to be launched so keep an eye on the page.
Closes: 4th November
Awa Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award
Open to unpublished writers of fiction, this one isn’t a money prize – it’s a writing retreat bundle value £2,000 on the extremely regarded Moniack Mhor artistic writing centre in Scotland. Your entry must be a piece in progress – however in contrast to related contests which require it to be a novel, Moniack Mhor accepts collections of brief tales because the work in progress, too. Entries open 1st November 2025.
Closes: thirtieth November
53-Word Short Story Contest
That is an ongoing brief fiction contest that runs each month – excellent for testing your artistic writing abilities and training writing to a deadline AND phrase depend! There’s a very strict eligibility: your story should be 53 phrases lengthy. The prize isn’t money, however it’s glory within the type of publication and a free e-book, and we beloved the thought of it a lot we snuck it onto this checklist!
Younger Folks Contests
The definition of ‘younger’ varies wildly in terms of the literary world. A few of these contests are for varsity kids, some for college students at college, and even these underneath the age of 30. Be sure to learn the principles of eligibility to see in the event you can enter!
Young Northern Writers’ Awards
New Writing North is the established writing centre within the North East (they’ve simply received £5m funding to broaden their efforts into a brand new centre for writing and already run a great deal of incredible free contests!). Younger writers aged 11-18 can enter this specific award, in any format – fiction, non fiction, poetry, even scriptwriting – for a prize of £150.
Closes: sixth February
Hive Young Writers’ Competition 2025
Hive is a artistic writing hub for younger writers within the North and Midlands, catering to folks aged 14-30.There are three age classes (14-16, 17-19, 20-30) they usually settle for brief fiction, flash fiction, and poetry. Prizes embody a Kindle Fireplace, skilled suggestions, vouchers and publication,
Closes: twenty third February
The Orwell Youth Prize
There’s no money prize for this one, however we’ve included it as a result of it’s a longtime award with a prize of mentoring and publication. This yr, entries needs to be on the theme of “Freedom is…” and it’s open to anybody who’s a scholar at secondary college or school.
Closes: fifth March
Playwriting Prizes
Should you love dwell theatre and assume you may write a play that’s worthy of the stage, there are just a few free playwriting contests that provide big alternatives.
The Women’s Prize for Playwriting
To redress the steadiness of girls playwrights (in 2018 solely 26% of latest main-stage performs have been by ladies), Ellie Keel and Paines Plough created the Girls’s Prize for Playwriting. The winner receives £20,000, their play is produced with Sheffield Theatre, and the play is revealed. The prize opened for entries on thirteenth January 2025 however it might probably take a very long time to listen to – longlisted performs are introduced in October.
Closes: twenty second April
Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting
This can be a MASSIVE prize and prestigious contest – however it’s free to enter so that you would possibly as effectively take your shot. The primary prize is £16,000, with a choose’s award of £10,000 to a different entry. In the meanwhile (Feb 2025) the web site continues to be centered on the 2024/5 prize which is now closed – however which means you’ve received a very long time to work in your play to shine it earlier than entries open once more! Entries are often open round September and shut in January.
Closes: January 2026 TBC
PapaTango Writing Prize
Papatango is an Olivier-award-winning theatre firm and that is a longtime award for brand spanking new playwright. Just like the Bruntwood, at time of writing the 2025 contest has simply closed, which suggests you will have a yr to shine your script earlier than it reopens. And the £6,000 prize with efficiency is well worth the wait in the event you win!
Closes: January 2026 TBC