Competitions, submissions and other opportunities
The latest writing competitions and submissions windows for writers.
Deadline: 12th March 2025
Creative Ageing Writing Bursary 2025
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Bealtaine Festival, Age & Opportunity wishes to commission an essay that reflects specifically on this 30-year milestone. Launched in 2021, the Age & Opportunity Creative Ageing Writing Bursary aims to generate discussion, debate and knowledge about the arts and ageing in Ireland. The bursary is intended to afford time and space for an artist, writer, or arts worker to reflect on their practice, ideas and knowledge as it relates to the arts and ageing.
One award of €1000 will be made to the successful applicant.
More Information here:
bealtaine.ieDeadline: 15 March 2025
The Martello Journal
The Martello Journal is a Dublin-based literary magazine. What makes you angry? The world is burning. We’re moving backwards. It’s all going a bit dystopian. It’s a mess. It’s a riot. We’re Ragin’. Tell Martello about your rage.
Accepted forms: The Martello is looking for poetry, prose and artwork.
More Information here:
themartellojournal.comDeadline: 18th March 2025
Profiles Journal
Profiles is an independent literary and vis-arts journal dedicated to character studies and portraiture. It is a print journal published in Dublin, Ireland. We feature work by writers, translators and artists living in Ireland and abroad.
Accepted forms: character-driven fiction and non-fiction — both original works and works in translation — between 1,000 and 5,000 words.
Contributor’s payment: writers, translators and artists whose work is received via our submission call will receive a flat fee of €200 each.
More Information here:
www.profilesjournal.comDeadline: 31 March 2025
Fish Publishing Poetry Prize 2025
Fish Publishing is currently accepting poems (up to 60 lines in length) for their annual Poetry Prize. This year, poet Billy Collins will act as judge for the competition. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three entries while all ten winning poems will be published in the annual Fish Anthology.
Prize: 1st prize €1,000; 2nd prize €300 plus an online writing course; 3rd prize €300.
Entry fee: €16 first entry, €14 all subsequent entries.
More Information here:
www.fishpublishing.comDeadline: 31st March 2025
The Dark Poets Prize
The Dark Poets Prize competition celebrates the art of poetry that delves into the shadows, exploring themes of darkness, depth and the human condition. Open to poets worldwide.
Award: £500 cash prize | Dark Poets Prize certificate | Dark Poets Club Merchandise. The winning entry will be published on the Dark Poets Club website with a dedicated indefinite page.
Entry fee: £5 per poem | £8 for 3 poems | £10 for 5 poems
More Information here:
www.darkpoets.clubDeadline: 21 March 2025
SCRIPTS: Ireland’s Playwriting Festival
SCRIPTS: Ireland’s Playwriting Festival, in partnership with Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, seeks new works for stage. This opportunity is for playwrights to have thier work developed and produced. Three scripts, most suited for development, will be selected through a rigorous shortlisting process.
Accepted forms: Playwrights (both established and emerging) are invited to submit an original 15 minute play on the theme PERCEPTIONS. Plays should have no more than 3 characters.
Award: The residency supports three playwrights with a team of artists to mentor, develop, and produce the emerging scripts for a rehearsed reading of the new works by professional actors at the festival finale. Industry professionals then judge the final versions and a winner is selected.
Entry fee: €10.
More Information here:
www.scriptsireland.comDeadline: 31 March 2025
SWERVE
Submissions for Swerve 2025 are open from March 1 to March 3. SWERVE publishes vibrant and fresh writing and visual art from Ireland in both print and digital formats. SWERVE is named in homage to VERVE, a magazine that was published in France in the first part of the 20th century.
Accepted forms: They are looking for poetry, prose and visual art.
More Information here:
www.swervemagazine.orgDeadline: 31 March 2025
The Stinging Fly Creative Non-fiction Pitch Call (Climate Crisis Issue)
The Stinging Fly Winter 2025-26 issue will have a special focus on the climate crisis. Alongside its usual mix of the very best new writing, they want to showcase visionary, provocative, and original new work about the climate and the endangered future of our planet. For pieces of creative non-fiction, The Stinging Fly are inviting people to submit a pitch in the first instance.
More Information here:
stingingfly.submittable.comDeadline: 31 March 2025
The Caterpillar Poetry Prize
The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is an annual prize for unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7–11. Every year since 2015, The Caterpillar Poetry Prize has been awarded to a single poem by a single judge – among them John Hegley, Chrissie Gittins, Roger McGough, Michael Morpurgo & Michael Rosen. Previous winners include Louise Greig, Coral Rumble, Laura Mucha, Carole Bromley and Ciara O’Connor.
Accepted forms: unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7–11.
Prize: 1st prize €1,000 plus a week at Circle of Misse in France, 2nd prize €500 and 3rd prize €250.
Entry fee: €15 per poem.
More Information here:
www.thecaterpillarmagazine.comDeadline: 1 April 2025
Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2025
The RSPB and The Rialto are additionally working with BirdLife International, the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and the University of Leeds Poetry Centre. There’s a fantastic range of prizes on offer and prizewinners will be invited to read their poems at an event with Helen Mort at CCI in summer 2025. As well as offering poets the chance to win considerable cash prizes and publication of their poems, the competition supports conservation and poetry.
Accepted forms: Poetry.
Prizes: 1st PRIZE £1000, 2nd PRIZE £500, 3rd PRIZE £250.
Entry fee: is £7 for the first poem and £4 for each subsequent poem.
More Information here:
www.therialto.co.ukDeadline: April 2025
The April Writing Session at Kylemore
The April Writing Session at Kylemore is a residency programme (Sunday to Friday) for writers who are seriously working on a piece of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Residents will have the opportunity to connect with fellow writers and attend talks by writer-in-residence Dionne Irving Bremyer, as well as have plenty of time to write. Residents will arrive on Monday, April 14th 2025 for dinner and a welcome session, and depart on Saturday, April 19th.
In order to be considered for this residency, please submit a work-in-progress.
Cost: €1,500.
More Information here:
kylemore.nd.eduDeadline: 1 April 2025
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
This is a contest for humor poems, not serious poems. Serious poems will not be judged. The poem you submit should be in English. No fee to enter. Judge: Jendi Reiter, assisted by Lauren Singer. One poem only, please. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. No restriction on age of author. Both unpublished and previously published work accepted.
Accepted forms: Humorous poems.
Prize: First Prize: $2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). Second Prize: $500. Third Prize: $250. Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $100 each. Top 13 entries published online.
Entry fee: None.
More Information here:
winningwriters.comDeadline: 4th April 2025
ILFD: Date With an Agent 2025
Calling all aspiring authors – hook an Agent who loves your writing at the International Literature Festival Dublin!
Do you have a potential New York Times bestseller under the bed? Get your work in front of top literary agents at Date With An Agent, an exclusive pitch event during The Insider’s Guide to Publishing at ILFD in Merrion Square Park. Ten writers will meet agents one-on-one for personalized advice. Now in its 11th year, this full-day event is presented by ILFD in partnership with industry expert Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin (aka Sam Blake) and Writing.ie.
Accepted forms: Fiction (novel), picture books/early years.
Submission & Administration Fee: €30.
More Information here:
ilfdublin.comDeadline: 6 April 2025
The Patricia Leggett Scholarship at the Lir
Now in its ninth year, the Patricia Leggett Playwriting Scholarship is a fully paid scholarship for a place on the MFA in Playwriting degree at The Lir Academy. In order to apply for the scholarship, applicants must be qualified to degree level nd resident in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
To apply, please send a cover letter, CV and a 45 minute play (reading time) to info@thelir.ie with the subject line Patricia Leggett Playwriting Scholarship by Sunday, 6th April 2025.
More Information here:
www.thelir.ieDeadline: 9 April 2025
Mairtín Crawford Awards 2025 for Short Story and Poetry
The Mairtín Crawford Awards are aimed at writers working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. Both published and unpublished writers are invited to submit between 3-5 poems for the poetry award, and a short story of up to 2,500 words for the short story award, with the only stipulation being that they have not yet published a full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel.
Accepted forms: Short story and poetry.
Award: The Winner of each Award will receive a £500 cash Prize. In addition, each Winner can take up time a ‘Time to Write’ package which includes a 3-night stay at a Hotel in Belfast, and 4 days of dedicated writing space in The Crescent. Two Runners Up for each Category will receive a £250 cash prize.
Entry fee: £10.
More Information here:
belfastbookfestival.comDeadline; 13 April 2025
2025 Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize
The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is now open with a first prize of €2000, a stay at the Civitella Ranieri residency, and manuscript consultations. The goal of the prize is to give as much visibility and support to new writers, experimental writers, writers doing something daring. This year’s judges: Mariana Enríquez, Henry Hoke, and Ottessa Moshfegh
Shortlist selection: Early July 2025
Winner announced: Late July 2025.
Entry fee: €20 for the first entry, €10 for every further entry.
More Information here:
desperateliterature.comDeadline: 22 April 2025
Women’s Prize for Playwriting
The Women’s Prize for Playwriting was founded in 2019 to champion and produce plays by female and non-binary writers, campaigning for a fairer and more equitable industry.
The Women’s Prize for Playwriting is open to writers who are: female or non-binary, aged sixteen or older. Resident in the UK, Republic of Ireland or in a British Overseas Territory, or have a British Forces Post Office address.
Accepted forms: Play (last an hour or more in playing time). Any cast size.
Award: The production of the play in a high-profile theatre and £12,000 fee.
Entry fee: None.
More Information here:
womensprizeforplaywriting.co.ukDeadline: 30 April 2025
New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2025
The New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2025 welcomes entries of up to 100 words on any theme and from anywhere in the world. Entries can be poems or stories. The winner will receive £500 (with £200 for second place, £100 for third, and £50 each for fourth to tenth place). The ten winning entries will be published on the New Writers site and in a future New Writers Anthology. 10% of the proceeds from the competition will be donated to charity and split between First Story and The Funzi & Bodo Trust.
Accepted forms: Poetry or prose entries of up to 100 words (excluding title).
Prizes: 1st Place: £500; 2nd Place: £200; 3rd Place: £100; 4th-10th Place: £50.
Entry fee: £8 (one entry), £15 (two entries), £21 (three entries).
More Information here:
newwriters.org.ukDeadline: 30 April 2025
Quare Éire: An Anthology of Neo-mythmaking
Quare Éire is a digital anthology of neo-mythmaking, which invites artists and authors to “queer” Mother Ireland, a pervasive cultural symbol in the Irish imaginary, in the form of poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, and artwork. Submissions are currently open.
David Halperin argues that “Queer is by definition whatever is at odds with the normative, the legitimate, the dominant”. Consequently, I do not simply mean that this figure can be represented as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community – though that is a possibility – I mean instead that authors can re-imagine, distort, or completely de-mythologise this figure in an effort to disturb and dismantle the status quo. This call for submissions invites authors and artists’ responses to the concept of a queer Mother Ireland. Responses can be as abstract or as literal as creatives want.
Entry fee: None.
More Information here:
quareeire.wordpress.comDeadline: 5 May 2025
2025 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize,
Australian Book Review welcomes entries to the 2025 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize, one of the world’s leading prizes for an original short story. The prize – worth a total of AU$12,500 – is open to all writers writing in English. They are looking for original short stories of between 2,000 and 5,000 words on any subject and in any style. This year, the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize is judged by Julie Janson, John Kinsella and Maria Takolander.
The winner will receive $6,000; second place will receive $4,000 and third place will receive $2,500. All three shortlisted stories will be published in Australian Book Review.
Entry costs AU$20 for current ABR subscribers or AU$30 for non-subscribers.
More Information here:
www.australianbookreview.com.auDeadline: 15 May 2025
The Stinging Fly: Climate Crisis Focus in Issue 53
Fiction and poetry engaging with the ‘climate’ theme will be welcomed through their usual Submittable portal, which will open from May 1 to May 15, 2025. The link to the submission form will be available on their main submission guidelines page during that two-week period.
More Information here:
stingingfly.orgDeadline: 19th May 2025
Birr Writers’ Residency Award 2025
Birr Writers’ Residency offers professional writers’ accommodation and workspaces for five nights, at Brendan House in the centre of Birr, County Offaly. This Georgian Heritage Town in the midlands of Ireland has a remarkable history and is embedded in a community with a thriving arts culture.
The purpose of the residency is to provide an opportunity for artists to focus on a writing project (current or new) in a tranquil environment which supports and values high professional artistic development.
Accepted forms: It is open to professional writers of any genre, e.g. literary fiction, poetry, playwrights, journalism or travel writing.
Award: five night residency, County Offlay
More Information here:
www.offaly.ieDeadline: 25 May 2025
Oxford / 42 New Writing Prize
The Faculty of English at the University of Oxford is delighted to announce the launch of a multi-disciplinary storytelling competition in conjunction with management and production company, 42. The Oxford/42 New Writing Prize is looking for talented new voices in storytelling. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 living, working or studying in the UK and Ireland at the closing date for submissions.
Accepted forms: Aspiring novelists, playwrights, and screenwriters.
Prize: £1500 along with professional representation by 42.
More Information here:
www.humanities.ox.ac.ukDeadline: 6 June 2025
Write By The Sea Writing Competition 2025
Write By The Sea Festival welcomes applications to its annual writing competition. Writers can apply in four categories (fiction, flash fiction, poetry and non-fiction/memoir) with a cash prize of €500 and a free weekend pass to the Write By The Sea Festival 2025 available in each. See the festival’s website for full details.
Accepted forms: Short Story: max. 2,500 words Flash Fiction: max. 700 words Poetry: max. 40 lines Personal Essay/Memoir: max. 1,000 words.
Prize: The winner of each category will receive a cash prize of €500 and a free weekend pass to the Write By The Sea Festival 2025.
Entry fee: Entrants can submit as many entries as they wish at €10 per entry, or enter 3 pieces, in the same or different genres, for €25.
More Information here:
writebythesea.ieDeadline: 30 June 2025
Heroines Anthology / Heroines Women’s Writing Prize
Heroines Anthology publishes literary writing by women. The anthology focuses on telling women’s lost history, untold stories, and myths, fairy tales, folklore or legends reimagined from the perspective of their women characters.
The special theme for the next edition is witchcraft: from the history of witches and witch trials, to medicine women, mystics and herbalists, spells and enchantments, shapeshifters and familiars, covens, hags, crones and sabbats. They welcome writing on witchcraft as the old religion, remembered or imagined, and the depiction of witches in fairytale, folklore, literature and film (both good and bad) across cultures.
Anthology copies can be ordered at a 10% discount. All submissions are considered for the Heroines Women’s Writing Prize.
Prize: First prize winner receives $500. The first prize may be won by either a poem or a piece of short fiction. All short-listed entries are published in Volume 6 of the Anthology
Entry fee: $15 per poem.
More Information here:
www.writingtheheroine.comDeadline: 30 June 2025
The Moth Short Story Prize
The Moth Short Story Prize is an international prize, open to anyone from anywhere in the world, as long as their story is original and previously unpublished. The winners are chosen by a single judge each year, who reads the stories anonymously. Previous judges include Ottessa Moshfegh, Kevin Barry, Mark Haddon, Ali Smith and Sarah Hall.
Accepted forms: short story (3,000 word limit)
Prize: 1st prize €3,000, 2nd prize a week at Circle of Misse plus open travel stipend, 3rd prize €1,000
Entry fee: €15 per story.
More Information here:
www.themothmagazine.comDeadline: 30 June 2025
The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2025
The 2025 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize is currently open for entries. The prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The sixteenth edition of the prize also welcomes entries in translation – across all three categories – for the first time since the prize was founded by Dr. Susheila Nasta.
Prize: £1,000 in each category (fiction, life writing, poetry) and publication in Wasafiri’s print magazine
Entry fee: Single entry £12, double entry £16. Subsidised entry also available.
More Information here:
www.wasafiri.orgDeadline: 31 July 2025
Anthology Short Story Competition
The Anthology Short Story Competition is now open for submissions of original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. There is no restriction on theme or style. Stories submitted must not exceed the maximum of 1,500 words. Writers can submit as many entries as they wish.
Accepted forms: Short story.
Prize: First prize of €1,000 and the winning story published in Anthology magazine. Second prize: €250 and third prize: €150.
Entry fee: €12.
More Information here:
anthology-magazine.comOpens Spring 2025
Royal Society of Literature Scriptorium Awards
The RSL is set to launch a new prize for writers founded and generously supported by its President Bernardine Evaristo. The RSL Scriptorium Awards will provide free writing residencies in a cottage in Ramsgate owned by Evaristo.
The residencies, which can be for up to a month at a time, will offer uninterrupted time for professionally active writers to focus on their projects.
More details coming in 2025. Opens Spring 2o25.
More Information here:
rsliterature.orgDeadline starts 31 August 2025 to 30 Nov 2025
Anthology Creative Competitions 2025
Five new writing competitions have just opened at Anthology, with various deadlines starting 31 August 2025. Check out each one individually on their website.
Prizes range from €300, €500 and €1000 with entry fees starting at €10/12.
Poetry: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/poetry-competition/
Flash Fiction: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/flash-fiction-competition/
Travel Writing: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/travel-writing-competition/
Personal Memoir: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/memoir-competition/
Nature Writing: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/nature-competition/
More Information here:
anthology-magazine.comDeadline: Ongoing
Guernica: A Magazine of Global Arts & Politics
Founded online in 2004, Guernica is an award-winning 501(c)3 non-profit magazine focused on the intersection of arts and politics. A home for incisive ideas and necessary questions, Guernica publish memoir, reporting, interviews, commentary, poetry, fiction, and multimedia journalism exploring identity, conflict, culture, justice, science, and beyond. They offer honoraria of $50 for poetry, $100 for original essays, and $150 for original fiction and for reportage/journalism.
More Information here:
www.guernicamag.comDeadline: Ongoing
PN Review
PN Review considers submissions in hard copy form only (unless you are an individual subscriber to the magazine, in which case electronic submissions, word files rather than PDFs, will be considered). Writers wishing to send work should familiarise themselves with PN Review. Submissions should generally not exceed fifteen double-spaced pages of work (prose) or four poems/five pages (verse in English or translation). Copies of the original texts should accompany translations where possible. We discourage simultaneous submissions. Writers wishing to propose projects should send a synopsis and covering letter, with sample pages, having first ascertained from the website that the kind of proposal is suitable for PN Review.
We publish no short stories, children’s prose/poetry and very little non-poetry related work (academic, biography etc.) at the current time. We are not considering fiction in English or in translation at this time.
More Information here:
www.pnreview.co.ukDeadline: Ongoing
The Poetry Review
The Poetry Review, founded in 1912, is the magazine of the Poetry Society, UK, and has a long-standing policy of publishing the very best work by new, up and coming poets, and established poets. All submissions are read by the editor and considered on an equal basis. Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot offer any individual criticism. Our aim is to accept or reject work within three months – but please read, and follow, the submission guidelines below, in order to facilitate our response.
More Information here:
poetrysociety.org.ukDeadline: Ongoing
The Orphic Review
The Orphic Review (Orphic Press) formerly known as Crow of Minerva was created as a blog featuring monthly interviews with women artists. It was created in 2019 by the artist Roisin Ní Neachtain with the aim of supporting and promoting emerging women artists working in any medium. It closed temporarily in March 2023 and reopened January 2024. It is currently running as a poetry journal and micropress.
More Information here:
orphicpress.comDeadline: Ongoing
The Dublin Review
The Dublin Review welcomes submissions of fiction and non-fiction previously unpublished in the English language. We do not accept poetry submissions. We especially encourage submissions from members of groups traditionally underrepresented in literary magazines and other cultural forums.
More Information here:
thedublinreview.comOngoing
The 12th Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition
Every Tuesday at 12pm (Irish time) from 9th April 2024 – 28th January 2025, five words are be posted on their competition page. Entrants have one week to compose and submit one or more poems which include all five words given for that week. The winners & shortlist are announced around the first week of March 2025.
More Information here:
www.obheal.ieDeadline: Ongoing
Spellweaver
Spellweaver is a new Cork based online and print journal dedicated to supporting new and emerging writers, particularly in the Fantasy genre. We accept stories and poetry, anything with a hint of the unreal. Submissions are open year-round. Contributors will be paid.
