Writing Competitions UK Writers Can Enter Every Month
Quick answer: Writing competitions in the UK are mostly annual, with fees of £10 to £26 and a reply only for the shortlist. Writory's monthly short story contest is different: $8 a story, 100 to 3,000 words in any genre, blind judging against a published rubric, and a certificate with a score out of 100 for every entrant on 30 November 2026.
One story of 100 to 3,000 words for $8, closing 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and every entrant comes away with a certificate and a full score out of 100.
How the UK calendar works, and where a monthly round fits
The UK has more writing competitions per head than almost anywhere. Bridport pays £5,000 for a short story and closes each May. The BBC National Short Story Award pays £15,000 but wants a publication history and UK residence. Bristol, Mslexia, the Bath Short Story Award and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize fill the rest of the year. Most charge between £10 and £26; the Commonwealth is free.
Almost all of them share one shape: enter, wait four to eight months, hear nothing unless you are longlisted. Writory is built for the gaps between those dates. Entry is $8, the round closes on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and on 30 November 2026 every entrant, not only the shortlist, receives a certificate and five marks out of 100 against a rubric that was published before they wrote a word.
What we are not, said honestly
Writory is not a prestige credit. Winning here will not carry the weight of a Bridport shortlist in a Granta cover letter, and we would rather you knew that than found out. What a scored monthly round gives a UK writer is a habit and a record: twelve deadlines a year, twelve dated scores, and a clear view of whether your endings or your dialogue are the thing holding a story back.
The rubric is five parts: Storytelling & Structure 25, Character & Emotional Impact 25, Language & Craft 20, Originality & Voice 20, Impact & Resonance 10. Judging is blind. The top story each round wins $100 and free entry to the next round. The sister poetry contest has published dated winners from Ireland, Kenya, the United States, India and Slovenia; the story contest's first results arrive on 30 November 2026.
The deadline in London time
Entries close on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. India runs five and a half hours ahead of Greenwich and has no summer time, so in London that is 6:29 PM while the UK is on GMT, from late October to late March, and 7:29 PM during British Summer Time. Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast keep the same clock. Nobody in the UK needs to stay up for it.
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, and entrants must be 13 or over. Entry is online at /submit-story; there is no postal route and no printed anthology.
Paying from a UK card, and how the prize arrives
The fee is charged in US dollars because Writory is based in India and does not hold a sterling account: $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five. One story is about £6 at current rates. Payment runs through PayPal, which takes a PayPal balance or a debit or credit card as a guest. Monzo, Starling and most high street cards convert without a fee; some legacy cards add a small non-sterling charge.
The prize of $100 is paid by PayPal to the winner's account, and PayPal operates fully in the UK with withdrawal to any UK bank. Free entry is earned, never open: winners enter the next round free, and that is the only free route. Writers keep all rights, so a story scored here stays available to The London Magazine, Ambit or any UK competition afterwards.
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
Who in the UK can enter?
Anyone aged 13 or over, anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, with no residency or citizenship test. Entry is online at /submit-story, and judging is blind, so the panel never sees a name, town or bio.
What does entry cost in pounds?
The fee is fixed in US dollars: $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five. One story is roughly £6; your card or PayPal converts at the day's rate.
Are there any free writing competitions in the UK worth entering?
Yes, and we would tell you to enter them. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is free and pays £5,000, and the BBC National Short Story Award is free for eligible published writers. Writory is not free; free entry here is earned by winning a round.
What is on the certificate?
Your name, the story title, the round, and your score out of 100 with all five rubric marks. Every entrant receives one on 30 November 2026, placed or not, with a verification link.
What time is the deadline in the UK?
25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, which is 6:29 PM in London on GMT and 7:29 PM during British Summer Time. The same applies in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Can I enter a story in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic or another language?
Yes. Any language is accepted and each story is read in its own language. Welsh, Gaelic, Polish, Urdu and English entries all compete in the same pool against the same rubric.
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.