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Opportunities for writers
There are lots of opportunities for writers in Scotland. We've collected and listed the current crop below.
For more opportunities (including workshops, retreats and advice), you might also want to look into our resources for writers, and our writing programmes; the New Writers Award and Ignite Fellowship. If you're under 18, why not check out our offering for Young Writers.
Please note that we curate this list but don't run the opportunities listed. You can find free guidance on copyright and other issues on the Society of Authors' (this link will open in a new window)advice page.
Always read the organiser's submission criteria.
Want to share an opportunity with us? Email eilidh.akilade@scottishbooktrust.com(this link will open in a new window).
No Deadline
The White Pube Creatives Grant
A one-off £500 grant to be given out to a different working class creative practitioner based in the UK once every month. It is run by The White Pube and funded by Creative Debuts. Open to those working on writing, art, performance, sound, music, craft, comedy and games.
Primo Poetica
Looking for football poetry that will strike a chord across Europe.
Entry fee: None
Scottish Women's National Team Poets Society
Julie McNeill – the First Makar of the Scottish Women's National Team Poets Society - is looking for poetry inspired by the national women's team.
Entry fee: None
Find out more about Scottish Women's National Team Poets Society
Loud Coffee Press
Currently open to flash fiction, poetry and art submissions.
Entry fee: None
page one mentoring scheme - Johnson & Alcock
The Johnson & Alcock Agency are offering an online mentoring programme to underrepresented writers (including - but not limited to - Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates, those living outside of London and the South East, people with disabilities, and those from low-income families), with the aim of demystifying their industry.
Kalopsia Literary Journal
Looking for poetry, prose and visual art. Feedback will be offered where possible.
Entry fee: None
Bella Caledonia
Bella Caledonia is currently looking for essays, articles, reviews, analysis and features.
Entry fee: None
Creatives - Scottish Mountaineering Press
Looking for fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual arts inspired by the Scottish landscape.
Entry fee: None
Find out more about Creatives - Scottish Mountaineering Press
Kelso Writers: Creative Writing for Well-being
Kelso Writers is offering an opportunity for people over the age of 16 who live in the Scottish Borders. As a result of funding from the Communities Mental Health and Well-being Fund, Kelso Writers is able to offer a series of twelve free online workshops and two in-person workshops designed to help people develop and improve their creative writing skills. The course will look at all kinds of writing including short stories, poetry, flash fiction and life writing. Topics covered will include the writing process; creating characters; use of dialogue; how to structure and plot a story; nature writing; and editing and presentation. To register interest and find out more please email kelsowriters@gmail.com
Entry fee: None
Find out more about Kelso Writers: Creative Writing for Well-being
Interpret Magazine
Interpret are open to any genre or form of poem or short story. More details at the link below.
Entry fee: None
Leopard Arts
Looking for poetry, prose, non-fiction, visual arts and music from the North East of Scotland.
Entry fee: None
February
Heroica Poetry Prize
The Heroica Poetry Prize is now open for submissions. The winners - as well as all longlisted poems - will be published in the first Heroica Poetry Anthology. The winning poem will receive £125; second place will receive with £50; and, third place will receive £25.
Entry fee: £2 per poem, £5 for 3 or £10 for unlimited entries
Deadline: Thursday 29 February
Edinburgh Short Story Award
The Edinburgh Short Story Award welcomes stories in all genres - literary, historic, crime, romance, contemporary, humour and more. Publication in Scottish Arts Trust's next anthology will be offered to the top 20 stories.
While the Edinburgh Short Story Award is open to all writers based in Scotland, the award also has two subcategories: the Isobel Lodge Award is open to unpublished writers living in Scotland; and, the Write Mango Flash Award is open to writers worldwide.
Entry fee: £10 per story
Deadline: Thursday 29 February
The London Library Emerging Writers Programme 2024/25
The London Library Emerging Writers Programme 2024/25 is now open to applications, from writers aged over 16 and looking to develop their practice. Applicants should be working, or planning to work, on a specific project, with the aim of publication or production, and have a clear idea of how they might use the Library’s resources to achieve that aim. Successful applicants will attend monthly sessions (either peer support meetings or workshops) at the London Library.
Entry fee: None Deadline: Wednesday 28 February
Find out more about applying to the London Library Emerging Writers Programme
March
Neil Gunn Writing Competition 2023/24
Poetry & short story entries are welcome for the Neil Gunn Writing Competition 2023/24. Writing should respond to the following line from Bloodhunt by Neil Gunn: “Mystery. That was the last word, the word you came to at the end. No corner of its coverlet could you lift.”
Deadline: Friday 8 March 2023
Entry fee: £10 per single entry, £18 for both a poem and short story
Anne Brown Essay Prize 2024
Entries are now open for the Anne Brown Essay Prize 2024. Essays can be on any topic, with a maximum word count of 4,000. Unpublished essays are especially welcome.
Entry fee: None
Deadline: Sunday 31 March
Short Fiction International Short Story Prize 2024
Short Fiction International Short Story Prize 2024 welcomes short stories up to 5,000 words of any theme, topic, or genre. £1000 will be awarded to the main prize winner; the runner-up will receive £300, and the third place story will win £100. The prize will be judged by Yan Ge and Wendy Erskine.
Entry fee: £10 in January & February, and £12 in March
Deadline: Sunday 31 March
Find out more about Short Fiction International Short Story Prize
Fitzcarraldo Editions/Mahler & LeWitt Studios Essay Prize
Fitzcarraldo Editions/Mahler & LeWitt Studios Essay Prize is now open to entries for unpublished writers. The prize awards £3,000 to the best proposal for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words) by a writer resident in the UK & Ireland. The winner will also be offered a two month residency at the Mahler & LeWitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy, to work on their book. The book will then be published by Fitzcarraldo Editions. They're looking for work that explores and expands the possibilities of the essay form; there is no set theme or topic.
Entry fee: None
Deadline: Sunday 17 March
Find out more about the Fitzcarraldo Editions/Mahler & LeWitt Studios Essay Prize
Edwin Morgan Poetry Award
The biennial Edwin Morgan Poetry Award (EMPA) is one of the largest literary prizes in the UK. With a prize pot of £20,000, which may be split between 1 to 4 winners, the EMPA aims to support emerging Scottish poets under 30 who are yet to publish a full-length collection. Applicants are asked to submit 10 unpublished poems.
Entry fee: None Deadline: Sunday 31 March
May
Creative Future Writers' Award
Underrepresented writers are invited to apply to the Creative Future Writers' Award. The award has three categories: poetry, fiction, and narrative non-fiction. The winners will receive a cash prize as well as writing development opportunities.
This year's theme is 'Reveal'; however, this is a prompt, rather than a requirement.
Entry fee: None
Deadline: Friday 31 May
August
Aesthetica Creative Writing Award
Aesthetica Creative Writing Award is open to Poetry & Short Fiction submissions on any theme, but they are particularly interested in work that reflects on our ever-changing world. They're looking for exciting, innovative work that shows excellence in form and technique. A cash prize of £2,500 will be given to both the Poetry & Short Fiction winner, along with publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual & further writing development opportunities.
Entry Fee: Poetry £12 & Short Fiction £18
Deadline: Saturday 31 August
Call for Submissions
Deadline
The Fiction Desk
Anthology publisher The Fiction Desk's winter submission call is open for general short fiction from September, and supernatural fiction from October.
Deadline: Wednesday 31 January 2024
No deadline
Speculative Books
Speculative Books is currently accepting unsolicited submissions of poetry. Send in a maximum of two poems.
Entry fee: None
The Dark Horse
The Dark Horse Magazine is accepting unsolicited submissions of poetry by post only.
Entry fee: None
Thi Wurd
Thi Wurd is a fiction magazine based in Glasgow. Submissions of short fiction and illustrations are welcome.
Entry fee: None
Eemis Stane
Published digitally three times a year, Eemis Stane furthsets poetry, fiction, essays and polemics in Scots o ony and ilka variety, frae ilka airt and pairt. Poetry submissions can consist o up tae three poems, totallin up tae 75 lines. Prose submissions, o baith fiction and non-fiction, should be nae langer than 2000 wirds.
Entry fee: None
Glasgow Review of Books
Glasgow Review of Books is looking for translations and poetry.
Entry fee: None
Lallans
Lallans is published twice a year and is the journal of the Scots Language Society. It includes poetry, fiction, reviews and articles in Scots.
Entry fee: None
The New Shetlander
The New Shetlander is a bi-annual publication looking for contributions of prose and poetry with a Shetland interest: all will be considered for publication.
Entry fee: None
Product Magazine
Product Magazine is currently looking for fiction, art and photography.
Entry fee: None
Shoreline of Infinity
Shoreline of Infinity is looking for science-fiction poetry and book reviewers.
Entry fee: None
SNACK Magazine
SNACK Magazine are regularly seeking poetry submissions.