The Bournemouth Writing Prize

The Bournemouth Writing Prize is an international competition honouring exceptional quality prose and poetry. The organizer enjoys supporting writers based in the Southwest of England or who write about themes close to their home and hearts, but their reach is global and tastes eclectic, so writers from anywhere on the planet are encouraged to send their very best work. It is organised by the MA in Creative Writing and Publishing at Bournemouth University in collabation with the Bournemouth Writing Festival.

The Bournemouth Writing Prize celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2026, with the largest prize fund of £3,000 for winners. Every year, theyh support a writing charity to help more people to express themselves through words – providing access to writing professionals and offering free workshops. This year, the organizer is proud to support The Storyworks. Entrants can make a donation to the charity helping young people find their voice when submitting their entry.

£3,000 in Cash Prizes – £500 for the overall winner, £300 for second place and £200 for third place for each of the two categories: Short Stories up to 3,000 words and Poetry up to 30 lines.

The overall winners’ entries will be published in Dorset Magazine. All winners will receive a free copy of the resulting anthology.

Is this competition legit?YES! – Based on our research this event is legitimate and the organizer is well established. However, as with any event, please remember to do your own research before submitting your work.

FAQ
If you are curious how writing competitions work, or it’s your first time entering one, we recommend reading our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page first.

ProWritingAid
We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives. Visit their website and try ProWritingAid for free.