Writing Opportunities December 2023

The latest writing opportunities for December 2023.

If you would like your submissions call listed on our website, please contact us here.

Short Story Competition at Ennis Book Club Festival

Deadline: 5th December

Ennis Book Club Festival is delighted to announce the launch of a new short story competition, with the winner to be revealed at Ennis Book Club Festival 2024.  The 18^th annual festival, which will bring a host of international and Irish authors to Ennis to promote and celebrate the joy of reading, will be held from March 1^st to 3^rd 2024.

Each year Ennis Book Club Festival runs a popular debut authors event and Martina Durac, the Artistic Director, notes that in launching this new initiative the festival aims to support and encourage the development of new writing. This is an exciting development and we look forward to receiving entries from writers who have not yet published a full collection of work. The story competition adds a new dimension to the festival and the winner will have an opportunity to read their story at an event during the festival weekend.

The competition will be judged by writers Aingeala Flannery and Neil Hegarty.  The winner will receive €750 and there will be two runners up with prizes of €500 and €250.

Tolka Issue Seven

Deadline: 7th December

We welcome all forms of non-fiction: personal essay, memoir, reportage, travel writing, auto-fiction, and the writing that falls in between.

Sonder Issue IX

Deadline: 30th December

We are looking for short stories, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction all based on the theme of MADNESS.

We especially encourage work from previously unpublished writers who feel it is their time to be heard.

Channel Issue 10

Deadline: 31st December

We publish two print issues annually, usually in April and October each year. Each of these features a range of poetry, fiction and prose non-fiction (which may include interviews and commentary on creative work or community-based environmental projects, as well as essays and narrative pieces).

Discoveries

Deadline: 8 January 2024

Discoveries invites unpublished and unagented women writers in the UK or Ireland to submit the opening of a novel in English – up to 10,000 words – across any genre of adult fiction for the chance to take part in a bespoke creative writing course, secure personalised mentorship packages, an offer of literary agent representation and a prize of £5000. Unlike most initiatives of this kind, writers are not required to have finished their novel, and Discoveries is completely free to enter.

Cúirt New Writing Prize

Deadline: 29th January 2024

There are three categories for the Cúirt New Writing Prize: poetry, short fiction and short fiction and poetry in Irish.

The winner in each category will be awarded a €500 cash prize as well as the opportunity to perform at the Cúirt International Festival of Literature in April 2024.

The judges for this year are Sara Baume for short fiction, Elaine Feeney for poetry and Doireann Ní Ghríofa for Irish language poetry and short fiction.

New Writers Flash Fiction Competition 2024

Deadline: 31st January 2024

This flash fiction contest has a big purse with a top prize of £1,000, a second prize of £300 and a third prize of £200.

The word limit is 300 so it’s about as flash as you can get and it only costs £10 to enter.

Faerie Press

Deadline: 5th February

Faerie Press is a new indie press based in Belfast. They are the first LGBTQ+ led children’s publishing press on the island of Ireland. Currently accepting poetry, short stories, and comic strips from creatived aged 16–24.

The Dublin Review

Deadline: Ongoing.

The Dublin Review welcomes submissions of fiction and non-fiction previously unpublished in the English language. We do not accept poetry submissions. We especially encourage submissions from members of groups traditionally underrepresented in literary magazines and other cultural forums.

---