MK LitFest Flash Fiction and Poetry Competitions   Closing Date: 31st May 2020. Prizes: £25 for the best story and best poem in each In addition, at least 20 stories and 20 poems will be selected for publication in an anthology. Entry fee: FREE. Looking For: flash fiction of up to 500 words in any genre, or poems up to 14 lines. The theme for both is 'City of Dreams'. Further details: Two age categories: a) 14 - 19 and b) 20+.  Open to anyone living in Buckinghamshire (Milton Keynes' home county) or in the neighbouring counties of Northamptonshire or Bedfordshire. Work must be previously unpublished. Website: https://www.mklitfest.org/mink2020 Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition Closing date: 1st June 2020. Prizes: A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £10,000, plus an offer of representation from top literary agent, Kate Shaw of the Shaw Agency. Entry fee: Amount not stated. Looking for: See website. Website: https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/submissions/ Divine Chocolate Poetry Competition Closing date: 5th June 2020. Prizes: chocolate, goodies, book tokens. Looking for:  poems on a chocolatey theme, 'Where does the chocolate journey begin?', in two kids' and one adults' categories: 7-11 year olds; 12-16 year olds; 17 years and over. Free entry. Website: www.papapaa.org/poetry-competition.html The Solstice Prize for Young Writers 2020 Closing date: 20th June 2020. Prizes: 1st prize: £50 cash for the entrant and a £50 book token for their school/college. Work will be published on www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk. There will also be a range of giveaways and writing treats for the ten most highly commended pieces in each age category. Entry Fee: It's completely free to enter and prizes will be awarded in two age categories, 10-13 and 14-17 years. Looking for: Entries of poetry (up to 40 lines) and short stories (up to 1000 words) on any subject. Website: http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/young- writers/solstice-prize-2020/ Sunday Times/University of Warwick Young Writer of the Year Closing date: 22nd June 2020. Prizes: £5,000, 3 x £500. Looking for: Published or self-published full-length fiction, non-fiction or poetry by an author under 35. Entry fee: Free entry. Website: https://www.societyofauthors.org/Prizes/Other-Prizes- Awards/Sunday-Times Wells Festival of Literature’s Competitions Young Poets Closing date: 30th June 2020 (Open 1st April). Prizes: £150, £75, £50 plus a year’s membership of The poetry Society. Entry Fee: £3. Looking for: Any subject, no more than 35 lines. Other info: Judge, Victoria Adukwei Bulley. Website: www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk HG Wells Fiction Short Story Competition Closing date: 6th July 2020. Prizes: £500 Senior and £1,000 Junior prize and free publication of all shortlisted entries. Entry Fee: None. Looking for: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Other info: This year’s theme is “Vision”. Website: https://hgwellscompetition.com/competition- rules-2020/?v=79cba1185463 Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2020 Closing date: 31st July 2020. Prizes: Winners receive amazing prizes including membership of The Poetry Society and a stack of poetry goodies. Winners also attend a week-long intensive residential Arvon course. Entry fee: Free. Other info: Open to anyone between the ages of 11 and 17. Website: https://foyleyoungpoets.org/ Young Writers' Short Story Competition Closing Date: 31st August 2020. Prizes: £250 1st, £100 2nd, £50 3rd. Entry Fee: None. Looking for: Short Stories: 1500 - 3000 words. Eligibility: UK based 16 - 27 (as there are cash prizes). Website: http://www.outletpublishinggroup.com/short-story- competition-2019-2020/ The Young Walter Scott Prize Closing date: 31st October 2020. Prizes: £500 travel grant and a 2-day trip to the Baillie Gifford Borders Book Festival in Melrose, Scotland where they are presented with their prizes. All winning and highly commended writers see their work published in the special YWSP anthology and runners- up in each age category receive a book token. Looking for: Stories of between 800 and 2000. Entry fee: None stated. Other info: Open to 11 to 15 years and 11-19 year olds. Website: www.ywsp.co.uk The Bedford International Writing Competition Opens on 1st May, 2020. Closing date: 31st October, 2020. Prizes: Poetry, Short Story and Young Writers' Prizes: £500, £150, £100.Special Seniors' Prizes of £500, £150, £100 for the best stories submitted by persons aged 70 years and over. Entry Fee: £6 or 3 for £12, students £4 or 3 for £8. Looking for: poems (40 lines) and short stories (max.3000 words). Other info: This year, proceeds will go to charities helping coronavirus victims. All shortlisted and winning entries will be published as an anthology in paperback and Kindle form. Judge: Leigh Russell Website: https://bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk/BWC/php/ho mepage.php Bedford International Writing Competition - Students Open for entries: 1st May 2020. Closing date: 31st October 2020. Prizes: £500, £150, £100. Entry Fee: £4 or 3 for £8. Looking for: Stories and poems by students. Other info: Judge: Bestselling International author, Leigh Russell. This year, proceeds will go to charities helping Coronavirus victims. Website: https://bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk/BWC/php/sto ry.php Sunday Times/University of Warwick Young Writer of the Years Award Closing date: 22nd June 2020. Prizes: £5,000, 3 x £500. Looking for: Published or self-published full-length fiction, non-fiction or poetry by an author under 35. Entry fee: Free entry. Website: https://www.societyofauthors.org/Prizes/Other-Prizes- Awards/Sunday-Times Wells Festival of Literature's Competitions Young Poets Closing date: 30th June 2020. Prizes: £150, £75, £50 plus a year's membership of The poetry Society. Entry Fee: £3. Looking for: Any subject, no more than 35 lines. Other info: Judge, Victoria Adukwei Bulley. Website: www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award Closing date: 31st July 2020. Prizes: They say "Each year we select 100 winners (top 15 winners and 85 commended poets) of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award who win amazing prizes." Entry Fee: Free. Enter as many poems as you wish. Looking for: "Poems on any theme and any length." Other info: The competition is open to anyone aged 11-17. Website: https://foyleyoungpoets.org/ Ghost Stories Closing Date: Open All Year Round For Prizes see website. Ghost Stories - we've all heard them and we've all been scared by them at one time or another. They can be terribly scary or simply funny, but either way they have been an attention-grabbing form of storytelling for centuries and leave people wondering whether what they've heard is fact or fiction! CLICK HERE… Poetry Idol Closing Date: Open All Year Round Who do you idolise? Is it your mum or dad? Your best friend? Your brother or sister? Perhaps there is a famous person, from a sports or film star to an author or musician that you admire and aspire to be like. Why are they your favourite person and why do they inspire you? CLICK HERE… Teen Poets Closing Date: Open All Year Round Teen Poets invites young adults aged 13+ to write a poem. If you're a teen, your voice needs to be heard and this is the place to get your message across! CLICK HERE… Pet Poetry Closing Date: Open All Year Round Write about your pet, your favourite animal or create a creature! Perhaps you'd like to write from an animal's point of view or about conservation? We can't wait to read your animal-inspired poems! Open to young writers aged 4-18 years old. CLICK HERE…