It's all to play for! There are competitions for short stories to suit everyone, so get writing. Who knows - the next short story you enter could be the one to bring home the bacon!

Organising a competition? Let me know the details and I’ll try to include it on this page. Website or e-mail address essential. Contact

Mere Literary Festival Short Story Competition
Closing date: 7th July 2008.
Prizes: £300, £200 and £100 plus3 runners-up prizes of £20. Stories up to 2,500 words on any topic. Details from: www.merelitfest.co.uk

The Derbyshire Literature Festival 2008 Mini-Mobile Library Saga
(Where do they get these titles from?)
Closing date: 11th July 2008
Prize: Publication on the festival website. Don't knock it - concentrate on the fame and the glory. No entry fee. Your mini-saga should be exactly 50 words long. Not a single word under or over mind. Download an entry form at: artsderbyshire.org.uk/competition.html

Hay on Wye Short Story Contest
Closing date: 19th July 2008
Prizes: £400, £200 and £100 Entry fee: £6
Stories up to 2,000 words accepted. This competition is being launched in aid of the Hay on Wye Literary Festival which is a charity, and if successful will become an annual event. Details and entry form available on website hayshortstory.com

Darktales Magazine Short Story Competition
Closing date: 31st July 2008
Prizes: 1st Prize - £250, Runner up - £50, £25 Third place. Entry fee: £3 or, if you want a critique of your story - £5. Bargain.
Length up to 3,000 words. Enter by post, email or online. (Non-UK residents - online only.) For all the gory details go to darktales.co.uk

HISSAC Annual Open Short Story Competition
Closing date: 31st July 2008
Prizes: £300 first, £50 second and third and winning stories will be published on website. Entry fee £4.00 per story, £10 per three. Stories up to 2,500 words. Full details from website. www.hissac.co.uk

Dream Quest One Writing Contest
Closing date: 31st July 2008
Prizes: 1st: $500, 2nd: $250, 3rd: $100.
Open to everyone who was a story that's worth telling! Write a short story, 5 pages maximum, on any theme, typed or neatly hand printed, using single or double line-spacing. Multiple entries are accepted. And don't forget to dream... All winners will be announced and published online, August 31, 2008. Entry fee:$10(USD) per story submitted. Mail entries/fees along with title of story, name, address, phone no., and brief bio (tell us a little about yourself), on the coversheet to: Dream Quest One Writing Contest, P.O. Box 3141, Chicago, Illinois 60654. Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com for details or to enter online!

Twyford Writers Short Story Competition 2008
Theme: Chemistry
Closing date: 30th August 2008
Prizes: 1st £200, 2nd £100, 3rd £50. Each story must be accompanied by a £3.50 ($6.90) entry fee. All entries must be previously unpublished and entirely the entrants’ own work and must be no longer than 3,500 words. Full details: twyfordwriters.com/

Mace & Jones Short Story Competition
Closing date: 31st August 2008
Prizes: £500, £250, £150 and £100. Entry fee: £10 per story.
Entries up to 3,000 words on the theme 'Justice' accepted. Full details on website maceandjones.co.uk

Aesthetica Creative Works Competition
For poetry, fiction and artwork.
Closing date: 31st August 2008
Prizes: Three winners in each category will receive £500 each and there are several other prizes too. Entry fee: £10.
Get all the gen at: aestheticamagazine.com/

Hastings Writers' Group Legend Writing Award 2008
Closing Date: 31st August 2008
Six cash prizes: 1st £500, 2nd £250, 3rd £100 Runners-up 3 x £50. Entry Fee: £7.00 for first entry, £5.00 each additional entry.
This competition is for short stories up to 2000 words
and particularly aims to encourage new writers living in the UK. New this year: Optional critique £5 per story. Details at: legendwritingaward.com/

British Science Fiction 50th Anniversary Short Story Competition
Closing date: 5th September 2008.
Prizes: Top prize of £500 plus £50 for each shortlisted runners-up. Entry fee: £10. Entrants should be resident in the UK or Ireland. Stories up to 8,000 words (strewth, something to get your teeth into there then!). More info at: bsfa.co.uk/

People In Action Short Story Competition
Closing date: 30th September 2008
Prizes: 1st £250 plus a year's subscription to Writing Magazine and Writers' News, 2nd £100, 3rd £50 and 10 runners up of £10 each.
Entry fee: 5 per story. Stories up to 2,000 words on the theme of 'Silver' may be entered. For full details download details here: peopleinaction.org.uk/

Asham Award for New Women Writers
Closing date: 30th September 2008
Prize: 1st £1,000 and other winners and runners-up will be featured in an anthology published by Bloomsbury. Open to UK women over 18. Length: up to 4,000 words. In case I've missed anything check out the website at ashamaward.com

The Yellow Room Short Story Competition
Closing date: 30th September 2008
Prizes: 1st - £80 and publication in The Yellow Room magazine, plus second and third prizes of ££45 and £20 respectively. Entry fee: £4 or £10 for 3 stories. All the gen at: theyellowroom-magazine.co.uk

People in Action 25th Anniversary Silver Thread Short Story Competition in association with Writers' News
(Apart from being a worthwhile competition, this one is odds-on favourite for the WritersReign 'Longest Competition Title 2008' Award)
Closing date: 30th September 2008
Prizes £250, £100, £50 plus 10 runners-up will each receive £10. Entry fee: £5. Stories up to 2,000 words on any topic accepted, but not have been previously published. Read the fine print before sending in your entry at peopleinaction.org.uk

Mostly Life Competition
Closing date: Sept 30 2008
Prizes: One winning entry will receive £200 and publication on the Mostly Life website. Other selected entries may also be published if they sufficiently tickle the judges' fancy. Entry fee: £3 per entry, £10 for four entries.
Mostly Life invites you to submit humorous material in any publishable medium imaginable: writing (fiction or non-fiction, including comic verse), videos (live-action or animated), audio files, cartoon strips, still pictures, games and anything else that comes to mind. All original, previously-unpublished and non-offensive material will be considered. Full details on the zany website: mostlylife.com/

Earlyworkspress Open Short Story Competition
Closing date: 30th September 2008.
Prize: £100 1st prize plus publication for best entries. Entry fee £5.00 per 4 000 words. Max length 8000 words. Visit website or send an SAE for details to Earlyworks Press, Creative Media Centre, 45 Robertson Street, Hastings Sussex TN34 1HL earlyworkspress.co.uk

TLC Creative Tall Tales and Short Stories Competition
Closing date: 15th October 2008
Prizes: 1st - £350 plus Runner-up prize of £150. Entry fee £% per story. Unpublished short stories of between 3000 and 5000 words accepted. For further details and entry form go to website tlc-creative.co.uk/

Ballista Magazine 2008 Short Story Competition

Closing date: 31 October 2008.

Prizes: 1st prize: £60.00; 2nd prize: £30.00; 3rd prize: £20.00. Winning entries also included in issue 6. £4.00 entry fee. Max words: 3,500. Full details at mucusart.co.uk/

Southport Writers Circle Open Short Story Competition 2008
Closing date: 31st October 2008
Prizes: £150, £75, £25. Entry Fee: £3 per entry. Length up to 2000 words, unpublished original story, any subject (single spacing welcome). No name on entry, no entry form required. Send cover sheet with title, word count, name and contact details. Send to: Short Story Competition Southport Writers Circle 16 Ormond Avenue Westhead Lancashire L40 6HT

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