The Bournemouth Writing Prize
The Bournemouth Writing Prize is an international competition honouring exceptional quality prose and poetry. We enjoy supporting writers based in the Southwest of England or who write about themes close to our home and hearts, but our reach is global and our tastes eclectic, so writers from anywhere on the planet are encouraged to send us their very best work. As the award enters its ninth year it is again being organised by the MA in Creative Writing and Publishing at Bournemouth University.
To help the prize continue to grow and reach new audiences, we are proud to be partnering with the Bournemouth Writing Festival.
For 2025, Bournemouth University and the Bournemouth Writing Festival will launch an anthology of prize winners and short-listed works edited and published by the Dorset-based indie publisher Dithering Chaps.
This year’s entrants will also be considered for inclusion in the inaugural issues of the new Bournemouth Journal launching in 2025.
Perform at our Bourn Jammy music event
Each winner will have an Open Mic slot at our live music / improvisation event on the Saturday night of the Writing Festival (26th April 2025) at Pavilion Dance.
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The band mould their notes to your words and rhythm creating a spectacular backdrop to your performance. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The incredible MC Gramski will be returning for another super-high energy improvised performance, taking suggestions from the audience and creating a unique and unforgettable story from the festival crowd.
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If you missed it last year, DO NOT miss this year!
This Year's Competition
Bournemouth has a rich literary heritage. World-renowned writers - from Bram Stoker to Bill Bryson, Mary Shelley to JRR Tolkien, all took inspiration from our seaside oasis on the south coast of Dorset. Originally, Bournemouth was a spa town, attracting people from across the country (and polluted cities!) to use the sea air to revitalise their wellbeing. Where relaxation exists, creativity springs.
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Drawing on Bournemouth's incredible creative scene - including two world-class universities, colleges and language schools - and a thriving, engaged and inclusive creative community, our 2025 writing competition - in partnership with the Bournemouth Writing Prize - invites writers from across the world to be inspired by Bournemouth's rich literary history to send us their short stories (up to 3,000 words) and poems (up to 30 lines) on any subject.
For 2025, the competition will be supporting The Outsider's Project - an arts organisation based in Bournemouth dedicated to giving voice to unheard and marginalised people sidelined from society to write, perform, and create work at the highest level. At the payment screen you are welcome to add a donation to fund their outstanding work and the competition will provide free entries to their artists.
On Thursday 24th April 2025 (the night before the Festival starts) you will be able to watch their show, Tattoo, and then take part in a workshop at the Festival.
Sign up to our newsletter for all the details to released soon.
The costs to enter are:
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£10 for a Short Story (up to 3,000 words)
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£10 for up to three poems (up to 30 lines)
An option to donate to The Outsiders Project will appear at the payment screen​
The process to enter is as follows:
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Pay using the eventbrite link.
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Attach your short story (3000 words or less), or poetry submission (up to three 30 lines or less each) as a separate Word document to your entry email, without your name on it.
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In the body of the email include a short author biography (ca. 75 words and written in third person) along with your name, contact details and the proof of purchase code that came along with your Eventbrite receipt.
Deadline for entries is 15th January 2025.
*External link to the dedicated competition website