Stonewall launches its first Young Writers competition

Leeds Reads

 Stonewall, the LGBT equality charity, has launched its first Young Writers’ competition. Budding authors between the ages of 14 and 17are invited to submit short stories and poems that support the theme of LGBT equality: Changing Hearts and Minds.

Competition info

The closing date is 22nd May-  the winners will  be announced on 15th June.

Prizes for each category include a £150 book token, while two runners up from each category will receive £50 book tokens. Entries will be judged by author S J Watson, poet Dean Atta and Stonewall’s c.e.o. Ruth Hunt.

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New writing award for young people: BBC Young Writers’ Award with Booktrust.

Leeds Reads

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the BBC National Short Story Award, Booktrust and the BBC are launching the brand new BBC Young Writers’ Award with Booktrust.to inspire and encourage the next generation of writers.

Young people aged 14 to 18, who live in the UK, are invited from today to submit short stories of up to 1,000 words on any topic. A panel of three judges will select a shortlist of the top five stories, which will be announced in September 2015. The judges will be looking for high-quality writing, stories that demonstrate originality, imagination and creativity, and writers who can capture the reader and hold their attention.

The new Award was announced at the BBC National Short Story Award ceremony back in September when Lionel Shriver was announced as the winner of the 2014 Award.

The five shortlisted writers will be invited to attend the exclusive BBC National Short Story Award…

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More writing competitions

If you fancy a challenge or are just looking for some inspiration to write, here is another list of up-coming writing competitions.

UK based:
You can find a longer list of writing competitions in the UK and Republic of Ireland here

Allen Raine Short Story Competition – First prize is £200 and the closing date is 30 September. Word limit is between 1,000 and 7,500 words and entry is £5. More information about Allen Raine Short Story Competition

CyberTalk Flash Fiction Competition – The theme is ‘Cyber’ and word limit is 1,500 words. There is no entry fee and the prize will be a laptop or tablet. Closing date is 1 August. More information about CyberTalk Flash Fiction Competition

CreativeWritingMatters Competition – Flash fiction competition, maximum 250 words. First prize is £100 and entry is £3. Closing date is 31 August 2014. More information about CreativeWritingMatters Competition.

Brick Lane Short Story Contest – The theme is London’s East End, and must include one of the following: Culture and romance, a mystery of some description, Long-lost family or friends, Insight and diversity, Poverty and wealth or Integration into a new society or setting (country, job, school etc). Entry is free, word limit is 5,000 words and closing date is 30 August. More information about Brick Lane Short Story Contest.

Northern Crime Competition – Open to anyone who lives in the north of England and who has written and completed a story. Word count 3,000 – 5,000 and closing date is 29 August. £10 per entry. More information about the Northern Crime Competition.

International:
You can find more international writing competitions here

Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2014
Deadline: 20th of October 2014
Fees: £5 per poem
Judges: Amy Wack and Neil Astley
Prizes: 1st £5,000, 2nd £1,000, 3rd £500
plus 20 prizes of £25 each, plus a spring 2015 coffee-house-poetry season-ticket, plus a prize-winners’ coffee-house poetry reading with amy wack & neil astley on mon 1st dec 2014 for all prize-winning poets

Poems should be in English, no longer than 45 lines each and must fit on one side of one A4 or US-Letter-size page. Previously unpublished.

Creative Writing Ink Monthly Competitions
Free to Enter.
Closing Date: Last day of every month.
Prize: July 2014: £25 cash
Note that this competition is for writers 18 and over.

Short stories (up to 3,000 words) or poetry (up to 40 lines). One entry per person, per month. You can resubmit your work every month if you wish.

Open to writers around the world, of any age. Entries should be in English and previously unpublished.

Email your short story or poem to info@creativewritingink.co.uk.
The subject line in the email should be “Creative Writing Ink Competition.” Please paste your entry into the body of an email, as we don’t accept attachments.

One overall winner will be selected every month and the winning entry will be published in our e-journal (with the winner’s permission).

Upcoming writing competitions

As well as reading and writing these reviews I’m always looking for new inspiration to get the creative juices flowing. So here’s a list of upcoming writing competitions for you to browse.

Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize is for unpublished novels by women over the age of 21. Submit: first 30 pages, plus a synopsis. Judges: Literary agent, Madeleine Milburn, and Dr Lindsey Traub. Prizes: £1,000; shortlisted entrants will be given half hour consultations. Entry fee: £10 per entry, closes 12th March 2014.

Brittle Star creative writing competition (stories and poems) – Prizes in each genre: First £250, Second £100, Third £50. Fee £4 for first entry then £3 subsequent entries. Closing date is 12 March 2014. 2014 Brittle Star subscribers get second entry for free. 

Exeter Writers’ Short Story Competition is open to writers anywhere in the world. Stories up to 3,000 words in any genre except children’s. First prize £500, second £250, third £100, plus publication on their website, and an additional prize of £100 for the best story from a Devon writer.  Entry fee: £5 per story closes 31st March 2014. Website or send SAE to Competition, 202 Manstone Avenue, Sidmouth, UK, EX10 9TL.

Bath Short Story Award – No story theme’; 2,200 word limit. Entry is £8 and prizes range from £50 to £1,000. Closing Date is 31 March 2014.

Short Fiction Journal competition – No restriction on theme. Entry is £10 for up to two stories or £5 for one. First prize is £500, second prize is £100. Closing date March 31 2014.

Writers’ Village Foundation – Debut novelists can win a £500 bursary to have their novel professionally critiqued at the Writers’ Village Foundation. The top eight submissions will also gain personal feedback from the award judge, novelist Michelle Spring. Entry is £12 and the deadline is 31 March 2014.

The Brighton Prize is a new competition for stories of 1,000 – 2,000 words on any subject.  Prizes: £400; 2 x£50. The top three writers will be invited to read their work at the Brighton Fringe Festival, and the top ten will be included in an anthology and will receive tickets to the Brighton Fringe. Entry fee: £6 per story closes 1st April 2014.