A Writing Competition Open to Singapore, in Any of Its Four Languages
Quick answer: Writing competition open to Singapore: Writory's monthly short story contest accepts stories of 100 to 3,000 words in any genre, in English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil or any language, for $8 a story. Judging is blind against a published rubric, every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 on 30 November 2026, and the top story wins $100.
One story of 100 to 3,000 words for $8, closing 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and a certificate with a five-part score out of 100 for every writer who enters.
Between the Golden Point and the Literature Prize
Singapore's two big literary honours are both biennial. The Singapore Literature Prize, run by the Singapore Book Council since 1992, is for published books in all four official languages. The Golden Point Award from the National Arts Council is for unpublished writers and comes round every second year. The Singapore Writers Festival fills November, and the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore has read stories since 2001.
A two-year clock is slow for someone who wants to know, this month, whether the new story works. Writory answers within days: enter by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and on 30 November 2026 you receive a certificate and five marks out of 100 against a rubric published in advance, Storytelling & Structure 25, Character & Emotional Impact 25, Language & Craft 20, Originality & Voice 20, Impact & Resonance 10. It is a training round, not a national honour.
Four official languages, each read in itself
Any language is accepted, and each story is read in its own language by a reader of that language. A Tamil story from Little India, a Malay story from Geylang Serai and a Mandarin story from Ang Mo Kio compete in the same pool as the English entries against the same rubric. Singlish dialogue is read as Singlish, not corrected. Nothing is marked down for the variety of English you speak.
Judging is blind, so no name, school or NRIC ever reaches the panel; a secondary student and a working lawyer are read on identical terms. Writers keep all rights, and entering does not publish the story, so it remains eligible for the Golden Point, which asks for unpublished work. The sister poetry contest has published dated winners from India, the United States, Ireland, Kenya and Slovenia.
The deadline in Singapore time
Entries close on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Singapore is two and a half hours ahead of India, with no daylight saving on either side, so the deadline is 2:29 AM the following morning, Singapore time, in every round. Singapore has kept the same offset since it moved its clocks in 1982, so the sum never changes. Submit by your own midnight on deadline day and you are always inside the window.
The first contest runs from 1 September to 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, with results and certificates on 30 November 2026. From December the contest is monthly: entries close on the 25th, results on the 30th, and the next round opens the moment they land. Stories must be original, 100 to 3,000 words, any genre, from writers aged 13 or over, entered online at /submit-story. The Singapore Writers Festival falls in November, the same month the first round closes, which is a convenient reminder.
Paying in US dollars from Singapore
The fee is $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five, in US dollars. One story is about S$11 at current rates. Payment runs through PayPal, which accepts a PayPal balance or a Visa or Mastercard as a guest. DBS, OCBC and UOB cards need overseas transactions enabled, which most people already have on; a multi-currency card such as YouTrip or Revolut converts at close to the interbank rate.
The prize of $100 is paid by PayPal, which operates fully in Singapore and withdraws to a local bank account. Fee and prize are both fixed in dollars, so the exchange rate on results day changes neither. Winners also enter the next round free; there is no other free entry. Writory Academy Story Craft is a free six-lesson course at /academy/story-craft for anyone who wants the rubric explained before writing.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Impact & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 3,000 words by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive on 30 November 2026: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Can Singapore residents enter?
Yes, anyone aged 13 or over, citizen, PR or on any pass, with no residency condition. Entry is online at /submit-story and judging is blind.
How much is the fee in Singapore dollars?
The fee is fixed in US dollars: $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five. One story is roughly S$11; your card converts at the day's rate.
What does every entrant receive?
A certificate in your name and a score out of 100 with all five rubric marks, on 30 November 2026, whether or not you place, with a verification link.
What time does the competition close in Singapore?
25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, which is 2:29 AM the next morning in Singapore. Submit by your local midnight on deadline day and you are safe.
Can I write in Mandarin, Malay or Tamil?
Yes. Any language is accepted, each story is read in its own language, and all entries compete in one pool against the same rubric.
Can secondary school and JC students enter for their portfolio?
Yes, from age 13, individually, with no school sign-up. The certificate carries a verification link, and the five-part score is a more useful line on a portfolio than a participation stamp.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.