CLOSING DATE: 15th of August 2026.
The Prizes
Short Story
£1000 cash prize for first place.
£300 cash prize for second place.
£200 cash prize for third place.
Poetry
£1000 cash prize.
£300 cash prize for second place.
£200 cash prize for third place.
For both categories:
- All winners and shortlisted works will also be published in the Bournemouth Writing Prize Anthology.
- All contest entrants who are not selected for the Anthology will be considered for publication in the Bournemouth Journal.
- Each of the 1st-place winners will receive 2 free tickets to any talk or workshop held at the Pavilion Dance during the three-day festival.
- Prizes are non-transferable and no alternative (cash or otherwise) will be given.
Bournemouth Journal
Categories
Short Story
- Word count: Maximum 3000 words (excluding title).
- What we are looking for: You can choose whatever style and topic you want! We want passionate storytellers who create great compelling characters and tell fascinating stories. Surprise us!
Poetry
- Up to three poems. Line count: Maximum 30 per poem (excluding title and line spaces).
- What we are looking for: You can choose whatever form and theme works best for you! We’re looking for fresh and unexpected poems – be that about recent world events, stories of hope, or based on personal experience. You may send up to three poems per entry. All poems need to be submitted at the same time in the same document.
Meet the Judges
NB: Readers and editors will vet the entries and create the shortlist, and our judges will make the final determinations.
Ed Wood Bio Short Story Judge BWP 2027
Ed Wood is Agent and Director of Fiction Development at The Blair Partnership, representing authors in crime, thriller, gothic, horror, and general fiction. Prior to this, he was Publishing Director for Sphere Fiction and IP Director for Little, Brown Book Group., where he published numerous Sunday Times bestsellers and award-winning novels. He has worked extensively with creative writing courses and initiatives including including UEA, the Curtis Brown creative writing course, and the Daily Mail Prize.
Matthew West Bio Poetry Judge BWP 2027
Matthew West is the founding director of literature development agency, ArtfulScribe, with fifteen years’ experience of working with writers including curating festivals, workshops, publications, and performance. Matt is Poet Laureate for Children in Southampton and his work is published variously in magazines and journals.
More about the Bournemouth Writing Prize:
The Bournemouth Writing Prize is an annual international short story and poetry competition. Your work will be judged by industry professionals from the publishing world. The prize is created in partnership between Run by the staff and students of the MA in Creative Writing and Publishing at Bournemouth University the competition is entering its tenth year. To help the prize continue to grow and reach new audiences, we are proud to partner with The Bournemouth Writing Festival.
About Bournemouth University’s MA Creative Writing and Publishing course:
The MA in Creative Writing and Publishing at Bournemouth University teaches a broad range of skills. Students learn to craft narratives across multiple genres. They master essential publishing and marketing techniques, learn to analyse their work critically, and create short stories, novels, and cutting edge Interactive Digital Narratives. For more information see the BU web page for the MA in Creative Writing and Publishing.
About the Bournemouth Writing Festival:
The Bournemouth Writing Festival is a community-focused celebration of writing held annually in the seaside town of Bournemouth, UK. Launched in 2023, the festival has quickly earned a reputation for its vibrant programme, accessibility, and community spirit, attracting thousands of authors, readers, publishers, and industry professionals. The main three-day April festival features 100 free and ticketed talks, workshops, panels, networking events, and competitions designed to support and inspire writers at all stages of their journey regardless of their age, background or ability. Alongside the flagship event, the festival runs a growing programme of year-round activities including the Romance Writing Festival (October), Writing Sanctuaries (retreat-style writing days), writing competitions, online forums and in-person writing groups – all designed to connect emerging writers with publishing professionals. For more information see the Bournemouth Writing Festival website.