Short Story Competitions

arranged in closing date order

South Wales Short Story Competition
Closing date: 16th August 2014.
Prizes: The winner will receive a Kindle Fire, and all shortlisted entries will be published in the second volume of the South Wales Short Story Competition anthology.
Entry fee: £2 for up to two entries.
The competition is open to all unpublished writers across the UK, with a separate category for writers under 12 years of age.
Email: [email protected]
Website: candy-jar.co.uk/books/short-story-comp

The Bigger Picture - Reflections on the Great War
Closing date: 23rd August 2014.
Prizes: First Prize - £50, Second Prize - £30, Third Prize - £20
Entry fee: £3 per prose piece
This year marks the centenary of the outset of the Great War and entries are invited of short works of prose written in response to any work of art associated with World War One. "Work of art" in this context can be a painting, a song, a poem, even a film or a soundtrack to a film. The interpretation of the term is entirely up to the entrant. Maximum words = 3000.
email address: [email protected]
Further information on website: saveaswriters.co.uk/ 

Manchester Fiction and Poetry Prizes
Closing date: 29th August, 2014.
Prizes: £10,000 plus web publication.
Entry fee: £17.
Short stories, up to 2,500 words; portfolio of 3-5 poems.
Email: [email protected]
See website for more info: http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk

Northern Crime Competition
Closing date: 29th August, 2014.
Prizes: £1,000 plus publication for winning novel, £100 plus anthology publication for winning short stories.
Entry fee: £25 novel, £10 short story.
Crime novels and short stories by writers from the north of England.
Website: mothpublishing.com 

Aesthetica Creative Writing
Closing date: 31st August, 2014.
Prizes: £500 for winners in each category, publication in Creative Writing Annual.
Entry fee: £10 for two pieces of one kind.
Short stories up to 2,000 words, poetry up to 40 lines. Any theme, form or style.
Email: [email protected]
Website: aestheticamagazine.com

Hysteria Writing Competitions
Closing date: 31st August, 2014.
Prizes: £150 short story, £75 poetry and flash fiction; entry fee: £5 story, £3 poetry and flash fiction
Entry fee: £3/£5.
Short stories up to 2,000 words, poetry up to 20 lines, flash fiction 20 words, by women writers
[email protected]
Website: http://ht.ly/tlczg

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Short Story Competition
Closing Date: 31st August, 2014.
Prizes: £200 (First), £75 (Second), £50 (Third), £20 x 3 (High Commendation).
The winners and commended stories will receive first publication in Sentinel Literary Quarterly magazine.
Fees: £5 per story, £8 for 2, £10 for 3, £12 for 4.
For original, previously unpublished short stories in English Language, on any subject, in any style up to 1500 words long. This competition is open to all writers regardless of nationality, living anywhere in the world. Judge: Brindley Hallam Dennis
Enter online and pay securely by PayPal or print out an Entry Form for postal entries at:
sentinelquarterly.com/short-stories  
Or send your stories with a cover note titled 'Sentinel Literary Quarterly Short Story Competition August 2014', together with a cheque/postal order for the applicable payment in favour of SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT to: Sentinel Poetry Movement, Unit 136, 113-115 George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1AB, United Kingdom.

Creative Writing Matters Flash
Closing date: 31st August, 2014.
Prizes: £100, £25, anthology publication.
Entry fee: £3.
For flash fiction, up to 250 words.
[email protected]
Website: creativewritingmatters.co.uk

The High Sheriff's Cheshire Prize for Literature
Closing date: 1st September, 2014
1st prize is £2000
Entry is free.
1500 words for a short story or 100 lines for a poem.
Theme is children's literature aimed at seven to 14-year old children
You must be over 18 to enter and live or have lived, work or have worked, study or have studied in Cheshire (to include Wirral, Warrington and Halton).
Full details can be found here: chester.ac.uk/literatureprize/

Bartleby Snopes' Sixth Annual Dialogue Only Writing Contest
Closing date: 15th September, 2014
Prizes: A minimum of $500 will be awarded, with at least $300 going to the grand prize winner. Our five finalists will also appear in Issue 13 of the magazine. Last year we awarded $945 in prize money.
Entry Fee: $10.00 USD
Compose a short story entirely of dialogue. You may use as many characters as you want. Your entry does not have to follow standard rules for writing dialogue. Your entry cannot use any narration (this includes tag lines such as he said, she said, etc.).
Judges: The order of winners will be determined by the staff of Bartleby Snopes and our two guest judges, Ronald Friedman and Ben Tanzer.
Website: bartlebysnopes.com 

Erewash Writers' Group Open Short Story Competition
Closes Thursday 18th September, 2014
Prizes: Seven prizes to win: £100 First, £50 Second, £25 Third, £25 Fourth, two 'Highly Commended' each win one free entry to future comps. A charitable donation will be made as chosen by entrants.
Entry fee: £3.00 for one entry, £5.00 for two, £2.50 thereon.
2,000 words maximum, no minimum word count.
There is no theme for this competition, you can write anything you like.
erewashwriterscompetition.weebly.com/

Tethered by Letters' Spring Literary Contests
Closing date: 30th September, 2014.
Prizes: $250 for Short Story, $50 for Flash Fiction.
Entry fee: $10 per Short Story; $4 per Flash Fiction OR $10 for three Flash Fictions.
Further information at: tetheredbyletters.com/submissions/ or contact: Joe Reinis, [email protected]

The Henshaw Competition
Closing date: 30th September 2014.
Prizes are First £100, Second £50, Third £ 25. Our website gives details.
Entry Fee: £5  By Paypal or Cheque payable to G. Jennings.
Entry requirements:  Stories of up tp 2000 words on any theme.
Results: Announced and published on our website by 31st October 2014.
Prize winning stories also published on our web site.
More on Website: henshawpress.co.uk

Flash 500 Competition
Closing date: 30th September 2014.
Prizes: £300, £200, £100.
Entry fee:  £5 for one entry, £8 for two entries.
Open theme, flash fiction up to 500 words. Optional critiques at £10 per story.
More details on flash500.com

Bedford Short Story Competition 2014
Closing date: 30th September 2014.
Prizes: 1st £100; 2nd £70; 3rd £30.
Entry fee: £5 per story.
Entry requirements: Previously unpublished stories of up to 3000 words, written in English, on any theme.
Website: bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk 

Bare Fiction Prize 2014
Closing date: 31st October. 2014.
Prizes: Prizes (in each category): 1st Prize: £500; 2nd Prize: £200; 3rd Prize: £100 plus 4 Highly Commended Awards of £25. All winners will be published in the Spring 2015 issue of Bare Fiction Magazine and on the magazine's website, with the prizes to be awarded at the Spring launch reading in London in March 2015.
Entry fee: Flash Fiction Entries: £6 / £4 for subscribers, Short Story Entries: £8 / £6 for subscribers, Poetry Entries: £5 / £3 for subscribers
Bare Fiction Magazine has launched its inaugural Bare Fiction Prize with awards for Poetry, Flash Fiction, and Short Story.
For more details, including competition rules, please visit: barefictionmagazine.co.uk/competitions 

London Magazine Short Story
Closing date: 31st October, 2014.
Prizes: £500, £300, £200, £100, publication in The London Magazine.
Entry fee: £10.
For short stories, up to 4,000 words.
Email: [email protected]
Website: thelondonmagazine.org

NAWG 2014 Open Writing Competitions
Closing date: 31st October, 2014.
Prizes: £250, £100 and £50 in each category plus anthology publication.
Entry fee: £5. For poems only, 3 poems for £10 (Cheques to NAWG, or pay on the website by PayPal); critiques available.
Stories from 500 to 2,000 words. Poems up to 40 lines.
Email: [email protected]
Website: nawg.co.uk

Rubery Short Story Competition 2014
Closing date 31st October 2014.
Prizes: First Prize £500 (approx 848 US$, 608€); 2nd prize £150 (254 US $, 182€); 3rd prize £50 (approx 85 US$, 60€).
Entry fee: £7.50 ($13; €10.00 (see website for other currencies accepted))
All shortlisted stories will be published in our annual anthology. All subjects and topics accepted. 3000 word length.
Judge: Gaynor Arnold
Please visit website for more information ruberybookaward.com

Southport Writers' Circle Open Short Story Competition
Closing date: 31st October, 2014.
Prizes: £150, £75, £25
Entry fee: £3 or £10 for four.
For short stories, up to 2,000 words. Online entry available.
Email: [email protected]
Website: swconline.co.uk

Tom Gallon Trust Awards
Closing date: 31st October, 2014.
Prizes: £1,000.
Entry fee: Free entry.
Short stories, up to 5,000 words, by authors who have had at least one story accepted for publication.
Email: [email protected]
Website: societyofauthors.org 

Scribble Annual Short Story Competition
Closing date: 1st November, 2014.
Prizes: £100, £50, £25, publication in Scribble.
Entry fee: £4.
Stories on the theme of going home, up to 3,000 words.
email: [email protected]
Website: parkpublications.co.uk

Magic Oxygen Literary Prize
Closing Date: 30th November 2014
Prizes: £1,000 1st, £300 2nd, £100 3rd and two Highly Commended prizes of £50 in both categories, kindly
sponsored by Coolio. The winners and shortlisted entries will also be taken into print.
Entry fee £5 per submission
Short Stories: up to 4,000 words; Poetry: up to 50 lines
Open for worldwide electronic and postal submissions, aged 16+
See Website for further info and rules: magicoxygen.co.uk/competition/ 

Atlantis Short Story Contest
Closing date: 30th November, 2014
Prizes: Cash prizes ($450, first prize is $300, second prize is $100, third prize is $50) and in-depth feedback await unpublished writers
Entry requirements: No theme or genre restrictions. Maximum 2,500 words.
Entry fee: starts from $10 (depends on level of feedback wanted when the story does not place)
Email: [email protected]
For full entry rules and conditions see website: atlantis-shortstorycontest.com

Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2015 Short Story Competition
Closing date: 15th February 2015.
Prizes: A cash prize of £500; a place on an Arvon residential writing course of your choice; publication of your story on www.writersandartists.co.uk.
Entry fee: None stated.
Theme: No more than 2,000 words, on the theme of 'Joy'
All entries must be original unpublished prose of 2,000 words or fewer.
For full details on how to enter visit: writersandartists.co.uk/competitions

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