Mslexia Women's Poetry Competition

Mslexia welcome poems of any length, on all subjects - as long as they're written by women.

1st prize: £2,000

(plus two optional extras*: a week's writing retreat at Cove Park and a mentoring session with the Editor of premier magazine Poetry Review.

2nd prize: £400
3rd prize £200

17 other finalists will each win £25

SPECIAL NEW PRIZE: £1,000 for the best poem by a previously unpublished woman poet.

Judge: Wendy Cope

Closing date: 16 June 2014 

All winning poems will be published in Mslexia.
Please read the competition rules before entering.
Enter the competition here

Poetry Pamphlet competition

For the second year, and in conjunction with Seren Books, we are running a pamphlet competition for short collections of 20-24 pages of 18-20 poems, open to any woman poet who has not previously had a full-length collection published. The prize is publication of the pamphlet by Seren Books plus £250.

More information »
Last year's winning pamphlet, Shadow Dispatches by Polly Atkin (right), is available to buy for just £5.
Click here »

Which Short Story Competition to enter?

Bath Short Story Award 2014 offers £1k, £200 and £100 plus publication in an anthology. Entrants must be over 18. Send up to 2.2k words on any theme or subject. Entry fee: £8. Deadline: 31 Mar

Short Fiction Journal, International Short Story Prize offers £500 plus publication for up to 5k words on any theme. Online entries only. Entry fee: £5. Deadline: 31 Mar

Brighton Short Story Prize offers £400 and the chance to read your story at Brighton Festival Fringe show. Send 1-2k words on any subject or genre. Entry fee: £6. Deadline: 1 Apr

Berkhamsted Writing Competition offers cash prizes and raises money for the Hospice of St Francis. Send stories up to 1k words on the theme ‘beginnings’.  Entry fee: £5. Deadline: 4 Apr

Flash 500, Flash Fiction Competition offers £300, £200 and £100 for encapsulating a story with just 500 words. Any subject or genre. Entry fee: £5 for one story or £8 for two. Deadline 31 Mar

SI Leeds Literary Prize 2014 for unpublished fiction of over 30k words by Black or Asian women writers resident in the UK. Prizes: £2k, £750, £250. Winner also gets a place on a 2015 Arvon Foundation course and all three finalists will receive manuscript feedback from The Literary Consultancy. Deadline: 31 Mar
Bristol Short Story Prize offers £1k, £700, £400 for a story up to 4k words, any theme, subject or style, including graphic and verse. Entry fee: £8. Deadline: 30 Apr

Almond Press Short Story Competition offers £100 plus publication for vivid and imaginative dystopian portrayals of mankind’s future, up to 5k words. Entry is free. Deadline: 1 May

Fiction Desk Ghost Story Competition offers £500 plus publication in Fiction Desk anthology for stories of 2-5k words. Entry fee: £7. Deadline: 30 May

Frome Festival, Short Story Competition offers £525 in prizes. Winning stories will be read by a leading London literary agent. 1-2k words, any theme or genre. Entry fee: £5. Deadline: 31 May

Bridport Prize Short Story Competition offers £5k, £1k, and £500 as well as the opportunity for your story to be read by leading London literary agents and submission to the BBC National Short Story Award. Entry fee: £9. Deadline: 31 May

Bridport Short Story, Flash and Poetry Competition

This is one of the most prestigious writing contests in the British literary calendar.

Do you have a really good poem or short story? Or a few? I mean, really really REALLY good?

poem - no more than 42 lines
short story - no more than 5,000 words.   
flash fiction category - stories of up to 250 words 

This year’s judges are Liz Lochhead (poems) Tania Hershman (flash fiction) and Andrew Miller (short stories).

    Closing: 31st May 14 (postmarked)

    Prizes: In each of the main categories (Short Stories, Poems) - £5,000, £1,000, £500.  There are also ten runners-up prizes of £50.  These are called ‘supplementary prizes’ to make you feel less like an also-ran.  The top four poems will be submitted to the Forward Prize. 
Prizes in the Flash Fiction category are £1,000, £500, £250, plus three supplementary awards of £25.
The top 13 short stories will be entered for the National Short Story Prize worth £15,000, and the Sunday Times Short Story Award worth £30,000.  
There's also a prize for the highest placed piece from a writer in Dorset. 
All winners will be invited to an awards ceremony on October 14th at the Bridport Open Book Festival.
 
The judges have some pointers here well worth reading.

Note: Entries must never have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed (as in 2^nd, 3^rd,, runner up etc) in any other competition.

    Entry Fees:Poems - £7.  Short Stories - £8.  Flash Fiction - £6
 
    Comp Page: Click Here.

Raving Beauties

Sue Jones-Davies, Dee Orr, Anna Carteret and Fan Viner invite submissions for their fourth anthology of

‘women’s poems about being women’

which will be published by Bloodaxe Books in 2015.

However you feel about your body and whatever kind of writer you are – a published poet or impelled to write your first poem reading this – they want to hear from you. And they’ll consider previously published work as well as new poetry.

Send up to three poems by 1 May 2014 to here.

More information here

Crannog

Get your submissions in for Crannog magazine from Galway.

Submissions for Crannóg 36, the summer 2014 issue, opened on 1 March and closes 31 March. They have reduced the submission time for each issue to one month which means submissions are not tied up for long and a decision will be reached quickly. 

Deadline: 31st March 2014

Please read full submission rules HERE first!

Stinging Fly magazine open for poetry and prose

Stinging Fly has a new Short Story Editor and they are open for poetry and prose submissions from March 1st to March 31st.

Work submitted in this period will be considered for our issue in October 2014. Work submitted outside of this period will likely be lost or mislaid, so please do submit before March 31st.

* No more than one story and/or four poems should be submitted during any one submission period.

* Short stories and poems should always be just as long (or as short) as they need to be. (In our Winter 2012-13 issue the longest story is over 5,000 words; the shortest has less than 600.)

* The postal address for submissions is: The Stinging Fly, PO Box 6016, Dublin 1, Ireland. At present, we do not accept e-mail submissions.

Reading in Maynooth Library

Come and see two of the Poetry Divas in civvies at Maynooth Library this Thursday evening, starts at 8pm on the dot!

Maynooth library
Main street
Thursday 20th March
Kickoff 8 on the dot
Final whistle 9.30

Kate Dempsey
Maeve o Sullivan
Aoife Hynes
Emma Tobin
Cormac Fitz
Cormac Lally
David Mallaghan
Paul Curran
Lewis Kenny
David Hynes MC and organiser

Golden Pen Competition

Enter your Poems and Stories in the 15th. Annual Golden Pen Competition

First Prize: €100 for adults €50 for students
Prizes for 2nd & 3rd placed writers plus publication in our Festival Magazine

Entry fee: ADULTS €5 : (£4 or $5, UK/USA) STUDENTS: €3 or £2

Stories limited to 2000 words
Poems 70 lines

Put your name and details on a separate sheet

Send your poems and stories to:
The Golden Pen,
Gurteen,
Ballinasloe,
Co. Galway.

Deadline: 1st April 2014. Winners will be notified before June 9th, 2014

Terms and conditions here

The Colour of Saying

A Creative Writing Competition in Celebration of Dylan Thomas

Responses are sought to Dylan Thomas’s poem‘The Hunchback in the Park’ can be in poetry, prose-poem, prose, diary form, and letter form.

Rules: Poetry, Prose-poem, Prose, Diary form, and Letter form

1. Entries can be submitted in any language or dialect
2. Entries must be accompanied by an English translation of the work (if possible)
3. Entries must not have been published, self-published, published on a website or broadcast before 27 October 2012
4. All entries must be sent to colour@dylandowntheups.org.uk as a word attachment, which should include the age of the entrant and contact details or posted (see below)
5. All entries are judged anonymously and the writer’s name must not appear on the work itself
6. The competition is open to people of all countries, nations, and religions

Rules: Fees, Prizes and Winners

1. There is no fee to enter this competition. There is a limit of FIVE entries that a single entrant can make
2. The best of the submissions will be judged by international writers/translators and published in an anthology which will appear on 27 October 2014, the centenary of Dylan Thomas’s birth, co-published by The Seventh Quarry Press, UK, and Cross-Cultural Communications, USA
3. All other entries will appear in phases on the Dylan Down the Ups website www.dylandowntheups.org.uk
4. Authors of the winning work, by entering the competition, grant Dylan Down the Ups the right to publish and/or broadcast that work for one year from 2014. Use of the work elsewhere during this time is subject to permission from Dylan Down the Ups
5. There will be anthology launches in the U.K. and beyond, to which successful entrants will be invited

Categories:

1. 10 – 12 years of age at time of submission of entry
2. 13 – 16 years of age at time of submission of entry
3. 17 – 20 years of age at time of submission of entry
4. 21 – 24 years of age at time of submission of entry
5. 25 years of age and over at time of submission of entry
The closing date of the competition is midnight (UK time), 27 April 2014

Judges:

English-language: Peter Thabit Jones and Anne Pelleschi of Wales; Hannah Ellis Thomas of England (Dylan’s granddaughter); Stanley H. Barkan, Carolyn Mary Kleefeld, Maria Mazziotti Gillan, and John Dotson of America

Welsh language: Jim Parc Nest (Archdruid of the Bards) and others to be announced

Other-language judges will be chosen by Stanley H. Barkan and Peter Thabit Jones

Postal submissions to: Dylan Down the Ups, 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands, Swansea SA2 0RA, Wales, U.K.

Electronic submissions to: colour@dylandowntheups.org.uk

Link here

14th International Poetry on the Lake Competition

Deadline: 28th April 2014 

Theme 'Weather'    max 50 lines

“Poets are always taking the weather so personally.” J.D. Salinger 

Be inspired by weather, good or bad, or just make a reference to (e.g. 'a sunny disposition' , 'he stormed in' )  

Prizes:
Silver Wyvern & €500 to winner;     2nd €200
Prize for best sonnet €100
plus other prizes.

Guidelines
CHOOSE A PEN NAME (Name, phrase, number, whatever)
Entrants must be over 16 years old. Poems must be in English.
Poems must be unpublished and not have won a prize previously.
Maximum lines - 50
No separate categories this year, except for sonnets

All results will be on this website in July, winners and commended will be notified.

Postal entries: £6 per poem (£15 x 3, then £5) or €10 (€20 x 3 ). 
2 copies of each poem, both with pen name only; put contact details, titles, fee in sealed envelope with just pen name & poem titles on outside.

Only UK cheques or (crossed) POs accepted (payable to G.Griffin-Hall), 

Euro/dollars: pay Paypal (Donation button below) or send euro/$ notes (wrap in silver foil).

SEND TO:  Poetry on the Lake, Isola San Giulio, 28016 Orta NO, Italy


Email entries: first pay by Paypal (Donations button here - you do not need a Paypal account, you can pay with a credit card), note transaction ID and send in attachment with contact details, titles of poems, pen name.

Send poem/s marked with pen name, all poems preferably in one file, as second attachment. Fees: £8/€11/$12 per poem. 

Email to cict@occam.org, subject line: 2014 comp/Paypal ID transaction number

Results by July

Link here

Skylight magazine is looking for submissions

Skylight is a Galway based publication that's well worth a look.

The closing date for submissions to the next edition is 1^st April 2104 to skylightpoets47@gmail.com.

Link here 

The third edition of Skylight 47 - 'possibly Ireland's most interesting poetry publication' - was launched in Galway on 23rd January, featuring:

• New poetry and artwork
• An interview with Kay Ryan, former U.S. Poet Laureate and Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
• Reviews of new poetry collections by:

                         Richard W. Halperin,

                         Susan Millar DuMars

                         Kimberly Campanello

• A Masterclass with Drucilla Wall
• Spotlight on the Donegal Garden Room Writers
• Comment:  Poets for Sale by Kevin Higgins

cornwall contemporary poetry festival

This competition is judged anonymously and all poems are read by the judge, Imtiaz Dharker, which is admirable. Also note that only postal entries are accepted, which I imagine means fewer entries. Also only UK cheques.

1st prize: £500    2nd prize: £150    3rd prize: £50 Judge: Imtiaz Dharker

Entry fee: £4 per poem, £2 per poem thereafter

Rules and instructions for entry

• The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over.
• Poems should be in English, must not have been published either in print or on a website, nor be currently submitted or accepted for future publication. They must not have been awarded a prize in any other competition.
• Poems must be your own original work and may be on any subject.
• Poems must be typed and no longer than 40 lines.
• Each poem must be on a separate sheet of paper, which must not bear your name, or any other means of identification.
• On a separate sheet of paper, you should give your name and address and the title(s) of the poem(s) submitted. And please let us know where you heard about the competition.
• Any number of poems may be submitted on payment of the appropriate fee, which is £4 for the first poem and £2 for each additional entry. Cheques (in sterling only) should be made payable to “Falmouth Poetry Group”.
• Deadline: 30th April, 2014.  
• Results will be sent out in early June. 
• Eight finalists will be invited by phone or email to read their poems at the festival, where the winners will be announced.

Entries should be sent to:
The Competition Secretary, Cornwall Contemporary Poetry Festival, 33 Church Street, Helston, Cornwall TR13 8TD.

The judge will read all poems submitted to the competition. There will be no sifting of entries.

More info on the festival here

INTO Poetry Competition

If you are a member of INTO -Irish National Teachers' Organisation  - you can enter this.

Poetry Competition in Memory of Séamus Heaney

The INTO is proud of its tradition in supporting the Arts. We were privileged to share the company of one of our most eminent poets Séamus Heaney at the Consultative Conference on Education in Athlone in 2011.

In honour of his memory the INTO, in collaboration with Poetry Ireland, is launching a poetry competition for members. All members, North and South, are eligible to submit a poem. Entries are limited to one poem per member, which can be in Irish or in English.

Closing date is 31 March 2014.

The winner will be announced at Congress 2014. The INTO will publish the winning poem in InTouch.

All entries must be accompanied with an entry form and posted to Poetry Competition, Áras Vere Foster, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin 1.

The INTO and Poetry Ireland will appoint an adjudicator to judge all applications. There will be a prize of €300 for the best poem in English and the best poem in Irish, in addition to an option of spending some time in the Tyrone Guthrie centre in Annaghmakerrig.

Link here

International Women's Day

 It is International Women's Day on Saturday March 8th 

and you are ALL most welcome to:

 'Wild and Precious' 

 Presented by Kilmainham Arts Club

Fun & Inspirational Event to Celebrate the Artistic Spirit of Women

Arthurs Pub, (upstairs)

28 Thomas Street

Dublin 8

Taking to the stage will be a bounteous selection of great women performers and artists. 'The Poetry Divas' will perform 'blurring the wobbly boundaries between page and stage'. Also Comedian Christiane O'Mahoney, Dance performances from 'The Zoryanna', Adele and ‘Tamure Tahiti’. Musically we will enjoy a variety of performances: Sister Abigail, Gwen Moore and Honor Heffernan's wonderful two all-female accapella groups 'High Five' and 'The Plurabelles'. Plus Visual art presentations and more!

There is no cover charge

and ALL are welcome

please note: Doors 8pm show 8.30pm

Arthurs Pub, (upstairs)

28 Thomas Street.

 Dublin 8

The pub is a few minutes walk from Christchurch Cathedral on the opposite side of the road to Lidl it is on the corner just after 

St. Catherine's church. Buses: 13, 123, 40

Southword Submissions

Southword Journal Online is the literary journal published at least twice yearly by The Munster Literature Centre. They have some super poems and poets in their back catalogue and you can read them for free. Link below.

They are now open for submissions until March 18th; poetry and short stories in English or Irish.

Submit online at Submittable where you can track the progress.

They are a paying market too. Link here

To read back issues for free, please visit Southword Journal at: http://www.munsterlit.ie/Southword/issues_index.html

Furies call for submissions

For Books' Sake invites poets to write back on behalf of wronged and radical women for our first ever poetry anthology.

Furies will be published in Autumn 2014, and will showcase established and emerging women writers from across the globe. So, for a chance to be featured, wet your nibs with spite and find your muse among the infernal goddesses of justice and revenge.

We interpret Furies in the widest possible sense, and your hellcat heroines may be modern, mythic, animal or cyborg, women from film, fiction, history, music, art and activism, or rebels in their own home.

Whether you’re penning a tribute to Pussy Riot, a sonnet about suffragettes, a love letter to women warriors from fairytale or folklore, or something else entirely, we can’t wait to read your writing.
Poets should submit a maximum of three poems, each no longer than 40 lines. The deadline for submissions is midnight on Sunday 30th March 2014. The very best will be featured in the Furies poetry anthology, and selected contributors will be contacted by the end of April.

All profits from Furies will be donated to Rape Crisis, an independent, registered charity providing essential support to survivors of rape and sexual violence.

For full terms and conditions and details of how to enter, head on over to our Furies submissions page.

Trocaire-Poetry Ireland Competition

Trócaire and Poetry Ireland now invite entries for the third annual Trócaire Poetry Ireland Poetry Competition on the theme It's Up To Us!
 
The closing date for entries is 28th March 2014.

The judges for this year's competition are acclaimed poet Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Mary Shine Thompson, a former chair of Poetry Ireland, and Trish Groves, Trócaire.

Link here

There are various categories for young poets as well as published and unpublished adults.

P J O'Connor Radio Play Competition

Have you got a good ear for dialogue? Can you tell a story? Why not try a radio play?

RTE Radio Drama is inviting radio plays of 40 minutes in duration - with a first prize of 5,000 euros for the winning script, as well as runner up prizes of 4,000 and 3,000 euro respectively.

Deadline is Friday the 17th March 2014.

Link here

They have lots of advice on layout and how to structure a radio play. The writer should be Irish or resident in Ireland.

The main advice I have is
- Listen to some radio plays and get an idea of what works and what doesn't
- Read it out loud!
- Don't have loads of characters - too confusing
- Grab your listeners early and don't let go

Free to enter. One entry only, Irish residents.