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2026 Writing Competition
Shortlisted announced!
See below the shortlisted poets and writers for the 2026 Writing Competition.​​
Shortlisted Entries
Many congratulations to the writers who have made our shortlist!
All of these writers will be featured in our anthology which will be released in April
Thank you to all entrants who donated a whopping £1,600 to our chosen charity The Story Works.
Poetry
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Sam Aureli
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Gary Bernard
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Aidan Casey
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Elaine Desmond
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Jordan Hamel
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Javeria Kauser
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Kapu Lewis
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Alwyn Marriage
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Saemah Mushtaq
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Estelle Price
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Kerry Rawlinson
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Laura Sargent- Edney
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Deig Sullivan
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Rodney Wood
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Ping Yi Yee
Short Story
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Georgia Allen-Ruthven
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Harriet Bradshaw
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Lyndon Davis
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Frida Galpin
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Jaime Gill & Charlie Rogers
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Cecilia L. Maddison
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Stephen O’Donnell
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Nigel Praities
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Rosieda Shabodien
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Nilles Sonnemans
The Judges
Watch our video with poetry judge Abu Ibrahim
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 entries on any subject.
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Short stories (up to 3,000 words)
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Poems (up to 30 lines).
For 2026, we are supporting The Story Works, whose mission is to help young people in Dorset build confidence in themselves and their own voice by providing them with the space and creative tools to tap into their imagination and tell stories in their own unique way. Creative writing has the power to change lives. When young people have experience of their voice being heard, seen and valued, they develop the confidence to seize opportunities and achieve their true potential.
At the payment screen you are welcome to add a donation to fund their outstanding work.
Watch the video below with The Story Works founder Dee Hughes.
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). All poems need to be in one document.
An option to donate to The Storyworks will appear at the payment screen​.
Submit in either Word or PDF.
Key Dates
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Early bird 20% discount finishes 31st May 2025.
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Deadline for entries is midnight 15th August 2025.
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Shortlisted finalists will be completed by 31st October 2025.
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A winner will be chosen by the judges by 30th November 2025.
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Finalists and the winner will be announced by 15th January 2026.
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Anthologies will be on sale by 24th April 2026 with a celebration event at the 2026 Writing Festival for the winners.​
Watch last year's winner talk about her experience
Hannah Bunting won the Short Story category in the 2025 writing competition and is now being represented by 2025 judge Laura Williams at Greene & Heaton.
In the video below, Hannah talks about getting published, performing and her nervousness entering the competition in the first place.
Guidelines
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Eligibility: students and staff working on the Bournemouth Writing Prize and/or the Bournemouth Journal are ineligible to submit.
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Formatting: prose should be double-spaced with paragraph indents. Only include spaces between paragraphs to indicate a transition to another time or place. Copy edit with care to ensure proper spelling and punctuation. Write in a consistent tense and from a consistent point of view–unless formally justified by the piece.
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Anonymous submission: the stories/poems must be free of all personal information about the author. This includes age and address. Entries will be read and judged anonymously by the Panel
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Word count: include the word count in the top right corner of the page. The title is not part of the word count. The maximum length of submissions for the short story category is 3,000 words (does not include title); there is no minimum length. For the poetry category, up to three poems per submission (in one document), a maximum of 30 lines each; there is no minimum length.
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Content and form: All entries should be in English. Stories may be literary or genre-based (Crime, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Children’s, etc.). We also consider scripts, and hybrid forms such as prose-poetry. Surprise us with your narrative invention. Poems may be in any form the author chooses. Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene, offensive or any other unsuitable material. Please include content warnings include at the top of any works that might disturb readers due to its subject matter.
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Terms and Conditions can be found here.
2025 Anthology
Last year’s entries explore a wide range of topics, from nostalgic longing to opioid dreams to textual embroidery. There is even a surprisingly humorous look at cancer, and of course, love. Love unrequited, love betrayed, and love in its first blushing incarnation.
Our authors also chose to work in a variety of genres. In these pages, you’ll find dystopian fiction, literary realism, fantasy, and much more. You’ll visit mythical realms, ancient eras, and remote deserts.
These works glimpse the world through the eyes of a wise mouse, a bold special needs child, and a suicidal woman in the Sudan. Within these pages dwell dark rituals and radiant vistas. Body horror and bullying appear alongside moments of transcendence and celebrations of human connection.
All of it is proof of what can happen when the writer’s imagination is set free and encouraged to soar.