The theme for our 10th Awards is ‘Reveal.’ Your work should respond to the theme, implicitly or explicitly, but we’re looking for quality writing first and foremost. The theme is a creative prompt, not a requirement. Send us your best work!

The deadline for entries is Sunday 19 May 2024 at 11:59 pm.

You can submit ONE piece of writing, up to and not exceeding the word limits (excluding the title):

• Poetry: maximum 50 lines
• Fiction: maximum 2000 words
• Creative Non-Fiction: maximum 2000 words

Titles and epigraphs do not count towards the total word count. You are welcome to submit excerpts of longer works so long as they read as stand-alone pieces.

The best way to get a sense of what we’re looking for is by purchasing a previous anthologies here. For more about what we mean by creative non-fiction, please read our blog post here.

Please ensure you read the rules and eligibility criteria (below) before submitting.

ELIGIBILITY

The competition is only open to underrepresented writers living in the UK who are over 18 years old.

The competition is ONLY open to:

• Writers who have not previously published a book/stand-alone publication via an established press/publisher (excluding self-published work, online or as part of an anthology, but including poetry pamphlets) in creative prose, creative non-fiction or poetry.
• UK residents—please do not enter if you live permanently outside the UK, due to the nature of the prizes and opportunities on offer
• People over 18 years old
• Underrepresented writers who face barriers due to:
• mental health issues
• Black, Asian, traveller, mixed heritage or other global majority backgrounds
• LGBTQIA+
• physical disability
• long-term limiting illness
• sensory impairment
• learning disability/dyslexia/dyspraxia
• neurodiversity/ASD/ADHD
• working class background
• substance misuse issue
• survivors

Please choose any and all categories which apply to you when entering. We ask that you self-identify under the above categories and do not ask that you prove your eligibility. We champion people who are underrepresented in a range of ways, on the assumption that people will use their judgement about the barriers and issues they have faced. We have never turned someone away as ‘not underrepresented enough.’

RULES

1. Please DO NOT put your name on your work. Judging is anonymous. You may use a pen name if you wish, up to and including publication/Award announcement and associated publicity.
2. Submissions cannot be altered after entry. You can withdraw your entry and make a new one if needed.
3. We cannot offer feedback on your work or enter into correspondence about your entry.
4. Winners will be notified by 30 September 2023. Judges’ decisions are final.
5. Winning pieces will be published in our anthology and must not have been published previously in magazines, anthologies or online where there is an external selection process (e.g. except on your own blog, website or social media).
6. If you have entered your work into another competition and won, or the piece is accepted for publication elsewhere, please notify us immediately to withdraw your submission.
7. Your work must not have been created using AI software, unless this is done in a transformative or artistic way and this is clearly indicated.
8. Copyright remains with the author, though by submitting you agree to allow us to publish winning work in the anthology and e-book.
9. Employees of Creative Future or our project partners are ineligible to enter the competition.
10. Your personal data will be covered by current UK data protection legislation.
11. We reserve the right to amend the Rules as deemed necessary or where circumstances are beyond our control. Any changes will be posted on the Creative Future website.

If you have any questions related to submitting via Zealous contact [email protected] or via Live Chat (9-5 pm weekdays).

If you have any questions about the Writers’ Award, please get in touch on 01273 234780 (Tuesdays only or leave a voicemail) or [email protected]

We are a small part-time staff team and cannot answer all queries immediately.