Creative Writing Competition 2026

Rules

The Southlands Writing Competition 2026 is open for entries from 22 February 2026.

There are two categories for entry – Fiction/Short Story and Life Writing

The deadline for receipt of all entries is Midnight 31 July 2026.

Entries will be accepted in hard copy and by email.

Hard copy entries should be sent to: Southland Arts Centre, 75, The Green, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7PW. Please mark your envelope ‘Writing Competition 2026’. Payment may be sent by cheque, or payment can be made in person at Southlands by arrangement.

Email entries should be sent to southlandsvolunteer@btinternet.com

The theme for the Fiction/Short Story category is architecture. By this we mean, buildings of all kinds — from homes to halls, castles to cabins, all structures and spaces.

Entries for the Life Writing category should be about the writer’s own life.

You may submit an entry to both the Fiction/Short Story and Life Writing category. Each entry should include a separate entry form.

Fees go toward the prize pots and the Southlands Arts Centre. We are a charity with a mission to bring the arts to the local and wider community. All profits will serve this aim. (Registered Charity No. 1173801)

Entry fees are: £3.00 for a single submission. £5 if you submit to both life writing and creative writing.

There are 7 fee-free entries available to Under 18s, sponsored by Tara Hughes, who very kindly allowed us to keep her prize money after winning Highly Commended for life writing in 2025. Please contact the judges at southlandsvolunteer@btinternet.com if you’d like to benefit from one of the fee-free entries. These are reserved for those of low income households.

Parent and child entries submitted simultaneously will be £5 for the pair

Free entries from Under18s if sent via school from a school email

No contest entry fees will be returned.

Maximum word count for both categories is 2,000 words. There is no minimum word count. (Some very clever stories have been written in only six words.)

All writers are required to obtain the prior approval of any third party who holds any rights in their story before submitting an entry

All entries will be judged anonymously. Please do not include your name, address, phone number, email, website, social media details, etc. on the submitted document(s). Your entry will be disqualified if you do include those details. Put your personal details only on the submission form.

Formatting your short story:

Your story must be written in English. A maximum of 2,000 words. No minimum. The title is not included in the word count.

We prefer submissions typed in Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt, black. Double-spaced, preferably on a WORD document. We are a little flexible over this but bear in mind that judges will find it easier to read if formatted as requested.

Children (under 18s) may submit handwritten stories if they wish.

No illustrations please.

Include a submission form with each entry.

Eligibility

The Competition is open to writers resident in the United Kingdom at the time of submission.

The entry must not contain more than two thousand (2,000) words. The word count should be listed on the entry submission form and must be precise.

Entries must be submitted by the writer. Entries must be entirely the writer’s own work. Any evidence to the contrary will result in immediate disqualification.

The writer may submit to both the Fiction/Short Story and Life writing category. Each entry should include a separate entry form.

Entries must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast, have won or been placed (2^nd, 3^rd, runner up etc) in any other competition. If your entry has been long-listed or shortlisted in other competitions, and provided it has not won a prize or been published, it is eligible.

Simultaneous submissions are not permitted.

Entrants warrant that their entry is original, entirely their own work, does not infringe any existing copyright, moral rights or any other rights of any third party and contains nothing obscene, libellous, unlawful, defamatory or anything which Southlands Arts Centre may otherwise deem to be inappropriate, and the entrant warrants that the entry is suitable for publication on social media.

Entries must be written in English.

Judges

Jayne Towndrow 

Jayne Towndrow has an MA with distinction in Creative Writing from Brunel University, was long-listed for the Asham Prize in 2009 and received joint second prize in the Elmbridge Literary competition in 2016. She loves words and stories and likes being involved in things that matter. Running and judging a writing competition, encouraging healing and wellbeing in others, really matters. She is a regular volunteer at Southlands and is a facilitator for the Southlands Writers Salon.

Paula O’Shea

Paula O’Shea has been writing for as long as she can remember, and in 2025 completed a BA in Creative Writing. Paula spent years running a successful multi-million-pound business before deciding to focus on more fulfilling pursuits. Now the manager of Southlands Arts Centre, she has embraced her passion for creativity by returning to university to study creative writing—a long-held ambition. In addition to her role at the arts centre, she is also a dedicated writer, pursuing her love for storytelling and the arts.

Guest Judge – Over 18s

Dr Emma Filtness

Emma is a poet and senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Brunel University of London. Em works primarily in found and visual poetics. This Savage Language, an erasure poetry project made from pages of Wuthering Heights, is out now with Atomic Bohemian. Follow Em on Instagram: @em_filtness

Guest Judge – Under 18s

Gatlin Perrin

Gatlin Perrin is a North Walian living in London. They tell folktales to children, lecture to university students and do workshops for adults. They have a BA and MA in Creative Writing from Brunel University London, and upon graduation received the Arthur Scott Award and the Brunel Writer Award (and a lot of debt).Their debut children’s book His Royal Hopeless was long listed for the Times Chicken House Award. It didn’t win, and they are not bitter about it.

Their latest book Dirk Jones is NOT the Chosen One is a sci fi-comedy adventure for young adults who like their stories with gory bits in.

General

‘Competition’ means this competition to find the best short story and best life writing as determined by the appointed judges, along with three runners-up in each category and which shall be known as the ‘Southlands Creative Writing Competition 2025’. 

‘Entrant(s)’ means all writers submitting an entry.

‘Entry’ means any short story or piece of life writing meeting the submission criteria entered for the Competition and ‘Entries’ shall be construed accordingly.

The Competition 

There are two adult categories: Fiction/Short Story and Life-writing

There are two under 18 categories: Fiction/Short Story and Life-writing 

From the entries submitted, the judges will draw up four (4) shortlists of four (4) entries and from these shortlists they will select the winning entry, second prize and two runners-up. 

Prizes will be awarded to the best eligible entries in the opinion of the judges.

Adult classes: First prize in each adult category is £100, second prize is £50, runners up will each receive £20

Under 18 classes: First prize in each under 18 category is £50, second prize is £25, runners up will each receive £10

Entrants will be notified from 06/09/26 if they have placed.

Prizes will be awarded on 3 October 2026 at our prize giving event to contestants who are present. Prizes for contestants unable to attend will be sent by post or bank transfer as the entrant prefers.  

Copyright and terms of use

Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author but Southlands Arts Centre has unrestricted rights to publish all entries on their website and social media and to engage in any promotional activity. 

The entrant acknowledges and agrees that each entry shall be cleared and can be used for publicity purposes to generate coverage for the Competition, in a format, manner and for such time as may be determined by Southland Arts Centre. 

Judging

The Competition judges will select a shortlist of four entries for each age group in each category.

All shortlisted entries will be contacted personally by telephone or email from 6 September 2026. The overall winner of the competition will be announced on Saturday, 3rd October 2026, at an event at Southlands Arts Centre and on the Facebook page(s) for the Southlands Arts Centre. 

The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into, nor shall appeals be heard. Judges are unable to comment on individual entries. Judging is fair and unbiased.

The judging panel has been appointed by Southlands Arts Centre, and they reserve the right to change the panel of judges without notice.

Administration and Communication

The submission form and piece(s) of writing must be received by Southlands Arts Centre by midnight (GMT) on 31/07/2026.  

Entrants must provide their telephone number and postal address. Southlands Arts Centre will only ever use personal details for the purposes of administering this competition, and will not publish them or provide them without permission to anyone not involved in the administration of this competition. As a condition of entry to the competition, entrants consent to their names being published by Southlands Arts Centre in connection with the competition.

Entrants must supply full details as required above, and comply with all rules and terms and conditions to be eligible for the competition. Ineligible, obscene or fraudulent entries will be automatically disqualified. In the event that any entrant breaches or Southlands Arts Centre reasonably believes that an entrant has breached these Terms and Conditions, Southlands Arts Centre may reject the entry and/or remove the entrant from the competition.

Please note that no entries can be returned.

Southlands Arts Centre reserve the right to refuse any entry to the competition for any reason at its absolute discretion.

Any author who submits an entry warrants that they have all necessary consents, approvals, rights and licences required to submit an entry in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

Entrants indemnify and will keep Southlands Arts Centre indemnified against loss, injury or damage (including any legal costs or expenses and any compensation costs and disbursements paid or incurred by Southlands Arts Centre on the advice of legal counsel to compromise or settle any claim) occasioned to Southlands Arts Centre in consequence of any breach of the warranties contained in these terms and conditions or arising out of any claim alleging that the submitted entry constitutes an infringement of any third party intellectual property rights or contains libellous, obscene or defamatory matter.

There are no alternative prizes and the prizes are not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.

Southlands Arts Centre will not be liable for any failure of receipt of entries. Southlands Arts Centre has no responsibility or liability for any entries which are lost, delayed, illegible, damaged, incomplete or otherwise invalid.

Southlands Arts Centre reserves the right at any time to cancel, modify or supersede the competition (including altering prizes) if, at its sole discretion, the competition is not capable of being conducted as specified. Southlands Arts Centre reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal value in the event that circumstances beyond their control make this unavoidable or such other reasons as Southlands Arts Centre may deem reasonable.

Southlands Arts Centre reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions. 

If you have a query please submit a question to the following email address: [email protected] 

Q. When is the deadline?

A. Midnight on 31 July 2026. If your entry reaches us after this time and date, either by post or online, it will not be included in the competition.

Q. How many entries may I submit?

A. You may submit an entry to the life writing category and to the short story category, in the relevant age group, so a total of two entries.

Q. Can I submit two entries to the short story category instead of a piece to each category?

A. No, Sorry. If you wish to submit two entries, it must be one to each category.

Q. What is the word count?

A. There is a maximum of 2,000 word in all categories and classes. There is no minimum word count.

Q. What format should I use for my entries?

A. We prefer submissions typed in Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt, black. Double spaced on a WORD document. But we are a little flexible over this. But bear in mind that judges will find it easier to read if formatted as requested.
Children (under 18s) may submit handwritten stories if they wish.

Q. Can I include illustrations?

A. No, sorry, no illustrations please.

Q. Can I enter a comic?

A. No, sorry, we are not accepting illustrations

Q. I’m posting my entries, how do I pay?

A, You can send us a cheque with your entries. Please make it payable to Southlands Arts Centre

Q. Can I pay in person in cash?

A. This can be arranged. Please email [email protected]

Q. Can I write about anything in the short story category?

A. Not exactly. The short story category is themed. Your story must include the theme. You can choose any genre, but the yearly theme must be included in the story.

Q, Do I have to write about my life in the life writing category, or can I write about someone else’s life?

A. You must write about your own life in the life writing category.

Q. What do you do with the money from entry fees?

A. Firstly, they go to the prize pot, and then, as Southlands Arts Centre is a charity (Registered Charity No. 1173801). Any profits can be used to present arts to the community.