The Edinburgh Young Novel Award is open to writers worldwide, published and unpublished, without a literary agent. They welcome any topic and all story genres: literary, historic, crime, romance, queer, contemporary, humour and more. Entrants can be any age over 16 years. The work should be suitable for age 12 and above.
The Edinburgh Essay Award is open to writers worldwide, published and unpublished. For non-fiction essays on any topic up to 2000 words. They seek essays on cultural topics, travel narratives, memoirs, profiles that explore the impact of people — from community figures to international icons; discussions of environmental issues, insights into transformative or enlightening experiences, political analysis, examinations of philosophical, historical, or modern-day topics and more.
The Scottish Arts Trust's Short Story Award is open to writers worldwide, published and unpublished. Short stories can be on any topic up to 2 000 words and in all genres: literary, historic, crime, romance, realism, contemporary, humour and more. Entrants can be any age over 16 years. Stories should be suitable for an adult audience.
The Jacana Literary Foundation, together with Denis Hirson, is bringing back its highly successful memoir-writing workshops for a fourth time, but in a different way. Across four evenings, one each in September, October, November and December 2026, Denis will share his expertise in a series of engaging 90-minute online workshops. Each workshop session will focus on a different memoir before engaging in discussion with participants.
Instant Noodles is looking for flash prose (up to 500 words) fiction and nonfiction, as well as poetry, drama, visual art, and multi-media submissions. No theme - For their last issue of the year, you can choose any theme you want. Try writing a story about yourself, something you observed, or something entirely imaginary. Create a video, a picture, even combine two mediums.
The story must be written in English and must be no longer than 6 000 words. They love fiction in all of its forms – experimental, ‘literary’, crime, fantasy, Sci-Fi – and the only thing that matters is quality. The competition is open to both unpublished and published writers, and from anywhere in the world. There are no age restrictions.
Het jy ’n kop vol gedagtes en ’n liefde vir mooi woorde? Droom jy daarvan om jou eie gedigte te skryf, maar weet nie mooi waar om te begin nie? Of skryf jy reeds gedigte en wil jy jou vaardighede verder opskerp? Dan is Skryfnet se heel eerste Skryf ’n gedig-werkswinkel net vir jou!
This fund’s main objective is to promote Afrikaans literature internationally by generating more translations and translated publications of noteworthy Afrikaans works. Applications for funding will be considered twice a year. The two deadlines for applications are 15 May and 15 November of each calendar year.
Op 11 Junie, sou Van Wyk Louw 120 jaar oud gewees het. Om hierdie geleentheid te vier bied Versindaba, in samewerking met die Sentrum vir Digkuns van die Louw Huis en Museum Sutherland, ’n geleentheid aan digters om in gesprek met hom en sy digkuns te tree, en/of met sy grootwordwêreld na aanleiding van 20 Roggeveldse foto’s.
Essere Residency is a self-directed two week program designed to encourage the growth of creatives of all disciplines at any stage of their career or personal self-expression. The residency offers a supportive space to develop professional creative skills as well as receive mentorship and support for inner wellbeing. Each person’s unique creative process is fostered within the context of a vibrant international community, in the tranquility and historic richness of rural Tuscany.
Emerging writers are invited to apply in one of three categories: novels, short stories, or poetry. Upon completion of this intensive development programme, the writer is assisted in submitting their manuscript for publication to an appropriate publisher.
The 10th Annual Poetry Competition (the “Competition”) is organised by AVBOB Mutual Assurance Society (“AVBOB”) and is open to any citizen of South Africa. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a poet by profession or a poet at heart – this is your opportunity to be seen and heard, touch thousands of lives, and even be rewarded with one of the coveted AVBOB Poetry prizes. To stand in line to win, you simply need to register your profile and submit your poem(s) online.
The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is open to original and previously unpublished travel articles in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. They are looking for an engaging article that will capture the reader’s attention, conveying a strong sense of the destination and the local culture.
Proposed chapters can be in any language and take the form of creative writing (poems, short stories or other texts), personal reflective essays, academic studies or translations of her poems (three to six poems, with an accompanying reflective or academic essay on the translation process).
NovemberRise is a new annual November writing challenge built around meaningful progress. This year, the Storyrise community is challenging romance writers to draft one powerful first chapter of up to 5 000 words in the LOVE AT FIRST WRITE contest.
Have you completed the first draft of your novel? Are you ready to pass it on to a fresh pair of eyes, to see if you are on the right track? Is your all-important first chapter ready for submission to an agent? Whatever your plans, your first chapter must shine – it must grab your readers or quickly lose their interest.
The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry is awarded annually to an African poet who has not yet published a collection of poetry. The winner receives USD $1000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press. Submissions are open between 15 September to 1 December.
This competition is open to unpublished poems of any length, on any subject. Your £12 entry fee allows you to submit up to three poems.
Named in honour of their beloved patron, the late Ruth Rendell, The Interact stroke Support's biennial short story competition is great chance to get your creative juices flowing. Write a short story in any genre of no more than 1000 words. They are looking for positive stories that can be read in the sensitive environment of a hospital setting.
The Chesham Short Story Prize welcomes short stories in any genre, on any theme, written in English and up to 3 000 words. Open to writers anywhere in the world over, they’re looking for compelling, original work with a strong voice.
Klyntji publiseer soms versamelings van gedigte, maar nie kortverhale nie, aktuele essays wel. Onderhoude, verkenningstukke of features, korter nuusstories en resensies word dikwels gepubliseer. Klyntji poog om by te dra tot die dokumentering van kultuur, ook om argiefmateriaal en akademiese navorsing op te delf vir groter toeganklikheid en breër verwysing.
Batis Books are currently interested in novels written by writers from or living in Southern Africa or Scotland. They are also open to approaches for collections of poetry, short fiction, and narrative non-fiction, and for translations of works into English from other languages.
The Moth Poetry Prize is one of the biggest prizes in the world for individual unpublished poems. The prize is open to anyone over 16, and each year attracts thousands of entries from new and established poets from over 50 countries worldwide.
Founded in 2019, Killer Shorts has established itself as a premier industry launchpad. The competition connects screenwriters and prose authors directly with the executives, managers, and producers who actively greenlight and option dark genre cinema. Enter the premier writing competition for horror short scripts, feature screenplays, and short stories.
Whether you’re an experienced author or a first-time writer, they welcome original, compelling stories in any fiction genres. This is your opportunity to showcase your creativity and gain recognition. Any writer, from beginner to experienced, may enter an unpublished manuscript. Whatever level you’re at, our First Five competition is designed to showcase your talent and build your writing profile.
The Playwright’s Prize welcomes original stage plays on any theme, written in English, up to 20 000 words. Open to writers anywhere in the world. They’re looking for compelling scripts that they can imagine being produced and performed.
Literary Latitude invite poetry, short stories, essays, and artwork that speak to the environment, gender, cultural plurality, translation, and the human condition at large to its debut issue, Volume 1, Issue 1 (2027 Edition). This is a space for voices that engage seriously with the world through creative and critical writing. Whether you are an emerging or established writer, they welcome your work.
The 2027 Disquiet Prize is now open for submissions. Entries are accepted in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted. They accept entries from all ages 18 and over, from all countries, by authors who have not yet published more than one full-length book in any genre. You do not have to have published anything to be eligible. Chapbooks and other shorter publications will not effect eligibility.
Longleaf Press publishes poetry and prose of exceptional literary merit by both established and emerging authors. They are interested in language that is not merely reflective but transformative. The press holds an annual contest and publishes at least one book a year.
A not-for-profit awards program open to authors writing short stories worldwide is now accepting entries written in English. Enter by 28 January 2027 to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to have your short story considered for cash prizes, awards, exposure, and recognition as one of the top short stories written this year!
This prestigious prize welcomes entries in English from all over the world, and is open to all authors who are without representation by a literary agent at the closing date, whether or not they have previously been published. By submitting the first 10 000 words of your novel, along with a synopsis, you are in with the chance of not only winning a prestigious prize but also - by daring to put your work out there in the world - you are getting your name and work noticed. Isn’t it time to take your writing seriously and send it out into the world?
Jen Thorpe will be running a 3-ish month long novel writing course next year, starting February 2027. There will be an in-person (Cape Town option) and an online option, with a little bit of overlap. Spots are limited to 10 people per course.
Following the splashing success of their 2026 Short Story Competition, they are thrilled to announce that the contest is back. Claret Press is open for stories that reflect today's politics. All genres and styles of writing are welcome—you can write anything from horror to slice-of-life, and your tone can be as earnest or satirical as you’d like.
The most exciting and rewarding book awards program open to independent publishers and authors worldwide is now accepting entries written in English and released in 2025, 2026 or 2027 or with a 2025, 2026 or 2027 copyright date. Enter by 12 February 2027 to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to have your book considered for cash prizes, awards, exposure, possible representation by a leading literary agent, and recognition as one of the top independently published books of the year!
Skryf ’n Liefdesverhaal is ’n praktiese skryfkursus wat fokus op die belangrikste elemente van liefdesverhale. Dis ontwikkel deur die gesoute boekeredakteur, Madri Victor, en word aangebied deur die bekroonde skrywer, Elsa Winckler. Deelnemers sal aan die einde van dié kursus toegerus wees om ’n boeiende verhaal te skryf en ook ’n sertifikaat ontvang.
The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is an international prize, open to anyone over 16 from anywhere in the world, as long as your poem is original and previously unpublished. The annual prize is for unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7 to 11.
This is a contest for humor poems, not serious poems. Serious poems will not be judged. The poem you submit should be in English. Also accepted: cartoons that incorporate a humor poem; inspired gibberish. Poems should not be longer than 250 lines.
Since 2004, the Older Writers Grant has been awarded annually to writers who are at least fifty years of age at the time of application to assist such writers who are just beginning their careers as speculative fiction writers. (We define professional writers as those who qualify for SFWA pro membership; anyone who has earned less than $1000 from their catalog of published work is considered early in their career and are therefore eligible for the grant). These funds may be used as each writer determines will best assist their work.
July 2026 will see the launch of the 10th To Hull And Back Humorous Short Story Competition, a biennial writing contest with a humorous twist that celebrates the most imaginative and amazing short stories from writers all over the world.
Die LAPA-Jeugromankompetisie lok elke twee jaar van ons land se bekendste en gewildste skrywers vanuit alle genres en ouderdomsgroepe. Met verhoogde prysgeld vir die volgende kompetisie, hoop LAPA-Uitgewers om sommer ’n hele klomp nuwe storievertellers aan te spoor om die pen op te neem en kreatief te raak.