5 Writing Opportunities to Apply for in 2025–2026
The end of the year comes with its own rhythm: quieter inboxes, slower days, and a bit more room to breathe. It also happens to be the moment when a handful of genuinely good writing opportunities open up in the UK. From seasonal calls to programmes that only run at this time, here are five chances worth checking out as we close the year and look ahead to what’s next.
Bare Books’ Flash Fiction Christmas Special
Bare Books is producing a Christmas-themed flash fiction episode and is looking for short stories between 500 and 1,000 words. The theme is open to interpretation. Anything that fits the season works, whether it’s warm, funny, eerie, or reflective. Selected pieces will be featured in their Christmas Special, and some writers may also be invited to record their own reading for the podcast. Submissions are sent by email to the team, with a deadline set for 14 December 2025.
Word count: 500 to 1,000 words
Submission: barebookspod1@gmail.com
Deadline: 14 December 2025
The Exeter Novel Prize
The Exeter Novel Prize is a well-established competition aimed at unpublished and unrepresented writers who are working on a novel. It is run by Word Kitchen (formerly Creative Writing Matters) and is open to writers from any country, as long as the submission is in English. Unlike many competitions, you don’t need to have finished your manuscript to take part. The judges only require the first 10,000 words and a synopsis of up to 500 words, making it an accessible option for writers still in the drafting stage.
The prize is designed to spotlight emerging voices who haven’t yet secured a literary agent. A panel of experienced industry professionals reads all entries, and six finalists are chosen. The overall winner receives £1,000, and each finalist receives £100.
There is an entry fee of £20, which covers the reading and consideration of your work. For writers who want feedback, an optional appraisal report is available for an additional fee. All genres are eligible, including literary fiction, commercial fiction, crime, fantasy, historical, children’s fiction, YA, and middle grade.
The competition opens annually on 1 July and closes on 1 January. You have until 11.59pm on January 1st 2026 to submit your work.
Word count: First 10,000 words of a novel + 500-word synopsis
Entry fee: £20
Prize: £1,000 for the winner + £100 for each of 5 finalists
Deadline: 1 January 2026
Write Across Bradford
Write Across Bradford is an eight-week development programme run by BBC Writers for emerging writers living in the Bradford District. The programme focuses on developing early-career screenwriters and guiding them through the process of creating an original TV drama or comedy-drama concept. Over the eight weeks, participants take part in weekly workshops, industry sessions, and group discussions that cover the foundations of storytelling for television.
Up to 12 writers will be selected. The programme is free, and reasonable travel and access needs are covered.
Applicants to Write Across Bradford must provide:
A paragraph about their writing history;
A sample of their previous dramatic writing;
Creative task.
Submissions will open in February 2026 and the deadline for submissions is in March 2026.
Writing on the Wall Seasonal Poetry Competition
This is a local, community-focused poetry competition run through Bournemouth Library and the Bournemouth Writing Festival Forum. The theme is simple and open: writers are invited to submit a poem about what the festive season means to them. Thanks to a recent donation, the competition now offers book-token prizes for the top three entries.
Anyone living in the BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) area, as well as members of the Bournemouth Writing Festival Forum, can take part.
Only one poem can be submitted per person, and the organisers emphasise community-friendly content. Poems are emailed directly, with no attachments allowed, and the formatting requirements are straightforward: no longer than one side of A4, using a standard size 12 font. The top ten poems will be displayed at the entrance of Bournemouth Library throughout the holiday season.
Prize: £15 to £25 National Book Token
Submission: bournemouthpoetrywall@gmail.com
Deadline: 21 November 2025
The Bridport Prize
The Bridport Prize is one of the UK’s most established and wide-reaching writing competitions, open to writers internationally and running several categories at once. The competition is divided into five main strands: Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, and the Novel Award. All categories for the current cycle are now open for submissions.
Current categories (all open now):
Poetry: up to 42 lines; £5,000 first prize
Short Story: up to 5,000 words; £5,000 first prize
Flash Fiction: up to 250 words; £1,000 first prize
Novel Award: first 5,000–8,000 words + 300-word synopsis; £1,500 first prize
The competition closes on 31 May 2026. There is also a Memoir Award, which will open on 15 June 2026.
