📌 About the Event

An integral part of the annual Wells Festival of Literature, these international creative writing competitions offer a prestigious platform for poets and authors to get their work recognized. The 2026 edition features four distinct structural categories spanning poetry, prose, and children’s literature.

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ℹ️COMPETITION CATEGORIES & RULES

General Rules for All Categories: All entries must be written in English. Submissions must be completely original, unpublished in any format or location, and must not be concurrently entered into any other active competition.

1. Open Poetry Competition

• The Rules: Open to all themes and subjects. Submissions must not exceed 40 lines of text.
• Entry Fee: £8 per poem.

2. Short Story Competition

• The Rules: Fiction on any subject or genre. Manuscripts must be strictly between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length.
• Entry Fee: £8 per story.

3. Book for Children Competition

• The Rules: Targeting literature for children aged 7 up to Young Adults (YA). Submissions require a maximum 2-page synopsis alongside either the first 3 chapters or the first 30 pages (whichever is shorter).
• Entry Fee: £8 per manuscript submission.

4. Young Poets Competition

• The Rules: Open to young writers aged 16 to 22 (inclusive). Poems can cover any subject and must not exceed 40 lines.
• Entry Fee: £3 per poem.

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🏆 PRIZE DISTRIBUTION

Cash awards are allocated across the top three places in each independent track:

Category Track	🥇 1st Prize	🥈 2nd Prize	🥉 3rd Prize
Open Poetry	£1,000	£500	£250
Short Story	£750	£300	£200
Book for Children	£750	£300	£200
Young Poets (Ages 16–22)	£200	£150	£100