Leilanie Stewart’s round-up of FREE writing competitions – update 7

[Updated 15 August 2018: At the time this post was written in 2015, the Melita Hume Prize was free to enter. In 2018 there is now a submission charge. Please note that at the time Leilanie Stewart was longlisted for the Melita Hume Prize in 2014, and Joseph Robert longlisted for the Melita Hume Prize in 2015, there were no submission fees to enter.]

In March last year I entered the Melita Hume poetry prize 2014, held by Eyewear Publishing. My collection of 80 poems was longlisted, and through the competition, my work got noticed and selected for the 20/20 pamphlet series. I picked the best 25 poems from the collection and working with my publisher and editor, shaped those up and chose the best 20. A Model Archaeologist is the finished collection, available this month!

In the world of poetry and fiction, having a stick-to-it attitude will take you a long way. I started writing poetry in my teens and was first published at a 14. Believing in your own work helps a lot…and if you want to sell your stuff, you can’t be shy. Better get out there and promote it!

With that in mind, here is my latest update on FREE writing competitions for teenagers – a good stepping stone to publication! Good luck!

ONGOING – NO DEADLINE. ANYONE, ANY AGE CAN SUBMIT: Cultured Vultures Poetry Competition

OVER 18s ONLY – DEADLINE 15 JULY 2015: Dog Diaries short story competition

UNDER 18s ONLY – DEADLINE 31 JULY 2015: Foyle Young Poets

OVER 18s ONLY – DEADLINE 31 AUGUST: Holland Park Press short story competition

ONGOING – NO DEADLINE. NO AGE SPECIFICATIONS: L Ron Hubbard short story prize

ANYONE, ANY AGE IN THE UK ONLY: United Press poetry competitions

UNDER 18s – UK ONLY: Young Writers competitions

OVER 18s – UK ONLY: The Great British Write-off

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