Bournemouth Writing Festival Competition 2025

The Bournemouth Writing Prize is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a unique collaboration with the Bournemouth Writing Festival.

Poetry

Submission Guidelines

• Up to 30 lines per poem
• No theme, submit your best work
• We invite submissions from anywhere in the World
• Optional donation to children’s writing charity The StoryWorks

Judge: Multi-award-winning poet Abu Ibrahim

Entry Fee: £10 for up to three poems. Early bird 20% discount ends 31st May

Prizes:

• First prize £1,000, second prize £300, third prize £200.
• Overall winner published in Dorset Magazine,
• Overall winner can read their entry at the 2026 Bournemouth Writing Festival (accommodation provided)
• Overall winners get tickets to the 2025 Bournemouth Writing Festival
• Winners and shortlisted are published in an anthology
• Opportunities for non-winners or shortlisted to be published in Bournemouth University’s Bournemouth Journals.

Short Story

Submission Guidelines

• Up to 3,000 words
• No theme, submit your best work
• We invite submissions from anywhere in the World
• Optional donation to children’s writing charity The StoryWorks

Judge: Literary agent founder Madeleine Milburn

Entry Fee: £10. Early bird 20% discount ends 31st May

Prizes:

• First prize £1,000, second prize £300, third prize £200.
• Overall winner published in Dorset Magazine,
• Overall winner can read their entry at the 2026 Bournemouth Writing Festival (accommodation provided)
• Overall winners get tickets to the 2025 Bournemouth Writing Festival
• Winners and shortlisted are published in an anthology
• Opportunities for non-winners or shortlisted to be published in Bournemouth University’s Bournemouth Journals.