HG Wells Short Story Competition: The Middle Ground
Applications for this opportunity are closed
The deadline passed on 7 July 2025. The details below are kept for reference.
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Applicant criteria
- NationalityNo specific nationality required
- AgeNo specific age required
- GenderBoth
Opportunity criteria
- Opportunity FieldForeign Languages and Literature
- Deadline2025-07-07
Opportunity description
A literary competition founded by world-renowned BBC Aeronautics Correspondent Reg Turnill and his wife, Margaret, to celebrate the life and works of HG Wells and encourage creative writing, especially among young people. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16.
This year's theme is "The Middle Ground." Your story can be set anywhere, feature any characters, and be written in any style. The length is 1,500 to 5,000 words. Entries must be in English and previously unpublished.
Entry fees: Free for those aged 21 and under. Over 21s must pay an entry fee of \u00c2\u00a310 or \u00c2\u00a35 for students. Prizes: \u00c2\u00a31,000 for the winning entry in the under-21s competition; \u00c2\u00a3500 for the winning entry in the over-21s competition. All shortlisted entries will be published in a professionally published paperback anthology.
Benefits
Cash prizes for winners, plus publication of shortlisted entries in an anthology.
Eligibility criteria
Participants must be over 16 years old. Stories must be written in English, be between 1,500 and 5,000 words, and be previously unpublished.