Here is my latest update of free competitions for young people aged between 12 and 21. As I’ve said in previous posts, there’s no better way for a novice writer to get started in the literary world than competitions. The benefits of winning or being shortlisted are numerous – apart from a possible cash prize, there’s the chance to see your work in print, not to mention building your CV. The odds of winning the top prize might be similar to a lottery win, but getting shortlisted or recognised are more realistic. I once mentored a young man in sixth form who went on to win a prize in a competition run by Young Poets – he was delighted to see his work appear in an anthology along with other shortlisted poets. Maybe you might win one of the top prizes too – read the guidelines on the individual websites carefully and always send your best stuff. And since the competitions are free anyway, what have you got to lose?
SLAMbassadorsUK
Benjamin Franklin Literary Prize
Junior Authors Contests
Writing classes for Kids – competitions
Teen Ink
Leilanie Stewart is a widely published writer and poet. In addition to promoting her own work, she has run creative writing workshops for gifted and talented London secondary school students aged 12 to 18 and is currently a poetry editor for Ashvamegh International Literary Journal. She is married to the writer and poet, Joseph Robert.
A Model Archaeologist
YouTube poetry
Zombie Reflux
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Posted by Leilanie Stewart on September 21, 2014 in Competitions, Fiction, Resources, Short Stories, Writing and tagged fiction competitions, free writing competitions for teenagers, poetry competitions, teenagers, writing competitions, young people.
About Leilanie Stewart
Leilanie Stewart is a novelist and poet. Her debut novel, Gods of Avalon Road was published by Blossom Spring Publishing in October 2019. Leilanie has also published four poetry collections: Chemotherapy for the Soul (Fowlpox Press, 2017); A Model Archaeologist (Eyewear Publishing, 2015); Toebirds and Woodlice (Meandi Books, 2012); Metamorphosis of Woman (Meandi Books, 2012), satirical novella Zombie Reflux (Meandi Books, 2014) and surreal novelette, Til Death do us Boneapart (Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine, 2017). Leilanie is also Editor in Chief of Bindweed Magazine, a poetry and fiction online magazine that also publishes a quarterly print anthology. She currently lives in Belfast with her writer and poet husband, Joseph Robert and their rambunctious toddler, a voracious reader of dinosaur board books.
Literary blog:
https://leilaniestewart.com/
Meandi Books:
http://meandibooks.bigcartel.com/
Bindweed Magazine:
https://bindweedmagazine.wordpress.com/
Here is my latest update of free competitions for young people aged between 12 and 21. As I’ve said in previous posts, there’s no better way for a novice writer to get started in the literary world than competitions. The benefits of winning or being shortlisted are numerous – apart from a possible cash prize, there’s the chance to see your work in print, not to mention building your CV. The odds of winning the top prize might be similar to a lottery win, but getting shortlisted or recognised are more realistic. I once mentored a young man in sixth form who went on to win a prize in a competition run by Young Poets – he was delighted to see his work appear in an anthology along with other shortlisted poets. Maybe you might win one of the top prizes too – read the guidelines on the individual websites carefully and always send your best stuff. And since the competitions are free anyway, what have you got to lose?
Hey, Ms. Stewart? I’m looking for a couple of competitions for 2015. Im 16, and live in Africa. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Nicole. Most of the competitions I have found are open internationally. Teen Ink might be a good starting place as they have a 13-19 year old category for poetry and fiction: http://www.teenink.com/submit. Laura Thomas Communications also run international poetry and fiction contests but they aren’t open until 27th March 2015: http://laurathomascommunications.com/junior-authors-poetry-contest/. Good luck and I hope you have great writing success.