The Paul Cave Prize for Literature 2025

Established in 2023 by Tim Saunders Publications, The Paul Cave Prize for Literature is an excellent platform for writers and poets to get their work read by a professional editor and published in a book. Winners receive feedback, cash prizes and copies of the book featuring their work.

Submit all forms of poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and novellas in any genre except erotic. Work must be new and unpublished. International submissions welcome. The rights to any works published remain with the author.

Winners of each category receive feedback, have extracts of their work published on this web page and receive a complimentary copy of The Paul Cave Prize for Literature 2025 book to be published by the end of 2025.

Publisher Tim Saunders reads every single submission and provides feedback to the winners, which is useful for personal development. Unlike other contests, no AI is used whatsoever!

​​All approved submissions will feature in The Paul Cave Prize for Literature 2025. Each writer who submits a piece of approved work is guaranteed to have it published in the book.

Prizes

• Best Novella – £200
• Best Novelette – £100
• Best Short Story – £75
• Best Flash Fiction – £35
• Best Micro Fiction – £20
• Best Poem – £35

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.

Sudowrite
We’re keen to encourage quality, so we recommend writers refine their stories before submitting using Sudowrite – a creative writing tool designed to help you rewrite, expand, and enhance your prose with ease. Whether you need help overcoming writer’s block, finding the perfect phrase, or strengthening your story, Sudowrite offers tools that support your creative flow. Visit their website to explore Sudowrite — free trials are available.