All the top writing contests.

Curated opportunities for writers.

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Winchester Poetry Prize 2026

Deadline: 31 July 2026

The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over. Poems may be on any subject and in any form or style. Entry fees: £7 for the first poem and £5 for each subsequent poems. • 1st Prize: £1,000 • 2nd Prize: £500 • 3rd Prize: £250

2026 Wells Festival of Literature Competitions

Deadline: 30 June 2026

There are four competitions: • Open Poetry Competition (£8 per entry; prizes: £1000, £500, £250); • Short Story Competition (£8 per entry; prizes: £750, £300, £200); • Book for Children Competition (£8 per entry; prizes: £750, £300, £200); • Young Poets Competition (£3 per entry; prizes: £200, £150, £100).

The Moth Short Story Prize 2026

Deadline: 15 June 2026

The Moth Short Story Prize is an international prize, open to anyone over the age of 16. You can enter as many stories as you like. The entry fee is 17 € per story. • 1st prize: 3,000 € • 2nd prize: 1,000 € • 3rd prize: a week at The Moth Retreat in rural Ireland

Poetry London Prize 2026

Deadline: 30 June 2026

The competition is organized by Poetry London magazine. Entries must be in English. The maximum length is 80 lines. For Poetry London subscribers the entry fee is £5 per poem; for non-subscribers £10. • 1st prize: £5,000 • 2nd prize: £2,000 • 3rd prize: £1,000

2026 HG Wells Short Story Competition

Deadline: 7 July 2026

The competition is open to anyone. This year's theme is ''The Cheat''. Your story can be set anywhere, feature any characters, and be written in any style. There are two categories: • Authors 21 years of age and under with a prize of £1,000. Entry is free. • Authors aged 22 years and above with a prize of £500 (entry £10 or £5 with student id).

The 2026 Yeovil Literary Prize

Deadline: 31 May 2026

The Yeovil Literary Prize is open to anyone over the age of 16. There are five categories: • Novel (1st prize: £1350) • Short Story (1st prize: £625)• Poetry (1st prize: £625)• Children's and Young Adult Novel (1st prize: £625) • Writing Without Restrictions (1st prize: £275). Entry fees: from £8 to £18.50.

The Bridport Prize 2026

Deadline: 31 May 2026

The competition is open to writers of any nationality, aged 16 years old and over. The competition has four categories: • Poetry (1st prize: £5,000); • Short story (1st prize: £5,000); • Flash fiction (1st prize: £1,000); • Novel (1st prize: £1,500). Entry fees: from £12 to £26.