Writing Competition 2026

Please check out our main writing competition page for full details before entering. Use the same email address on your entry form and for payment.

Categories

Fiction / Short Story — theme: architecture (buildings of all kinds, from homes and halls to castles and cabins)
Life Writing — about your own life

Separate adult and Under 18 categories run in both.

Key dates

Opens: 22 February 2026
Deadline: midnight, 31 July 2026
Shortlists announced from 6 September 2026
Prize-giving: 3 October 2026 at Southlands Arts Centre

Entry fees

£3 — single entry
£5 — both categories, or a parent-and-child pair submitted together

Free for Under 18s submitting via a school email

7 fee-free places for Under 18s from low-income households (kindly sponsored by Tara Hughes) — email [email protected] to request one

Fees support the prize pots and Southlands Arts Centre (Registered Charity No. 1173801). Fees are non-refundable.

Prizes

Adult categories: £100 first, £50 second, £20 runners-up
Under 18 categories: £50 first, £25 second, £10 runners-up

The rules in brief

• 2,000 words max, no minimum. Title isn't counted.
• Written in English, entirely your own work, previously unpublished, and not placed in other competitions. Simultaneous submissions aren't allowed.
• Open to UK residents.
• Judged anonymously — put your name and contact details only on the entry form, never on the story itself, or your entry will be disqualified.
• Obtain prior approval from any third party holding rights in your story before submitting.

Formatting

Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt black, double-spaced, Word document preferred. Under 18s may submit handwritten stories. No illustrations.

How to enter

By email: [email protected]
By post: Southlands Arts Centre, 75 The Green, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7PW. Mark the envelope "Writing Competition 2026". Pay by cheque or in person at Southlands by arrangement.

Full terms & conditions →