Creative Opportunities
Through our UNESCO Cities of Literature Network, we’re able to offer writers, poets, graphic novelists, authors, & other creatives in Devon meaningful creative opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally.
If you are going to apply for any of these activities, please do contact us first to discuss your application so that we can support you as much as possible!
Want to get involved with Exeter City of Literature in your free time? You can join our lovely list of volunteers here >>
Writers’ Mailing list
We share these opportunities with our Writer’s Mailing List before they’re published to the website. We’ll also let you know about any other commissions and opportunities that we can’t share here.
Exeter Northcott Theatre - Elevate
2025 annual script window
Are you a writer based in the South West? Do you have a play you would like to share?
As part of its ELEVATE programme, Exeter Northcott Theatre’s annual script window is returning in which writers can submit plays to be read by the Northcott’s artistic team. We believe the South West is home to a wealth of writing talent and we want to hear from you!
This is an opportunity for writers to introduce themselves to the theatre, but for selected writers, it will also lead to feedback, meetings, and a series of development opportunities tailored to what is needed by those we are working with.
For an example of how we grow support around the writers we are excited by, you can find information about last year’s programme here: Elevate: announcing bespoke support for 23 local playwrights – Exeter Northcott Theatre.
As with last year’s window, if we find the right writer, our script window can be a pathway directly to our main stage: Shortlist and Winner announced for Elevate Playwriting Commission – Exeter Northcott Theatre.
2026 Bucheon Diaspora
Literary Award
Recommendation Qualifications
No restrictions (Anyone, including individuals and groups, can recommend one piece per person. Self-recommendations are not permitted.)
Recommended works
Books published in Korean or English
A novel on the theme of diaspora
Literary works by living authors (excluding out-of-print works)
Work time range
Reflection of the official language of the literary award, based on the year of publication
Korean works (original language - Korean): July 2015 - June 2025
Foreign works (original language - English): July 2005 - June 2025
Translations (original language - other languages, Korean and English translations published): July 2015 - June 2025
If there are works published in both Korean and English, the most recent publication year will be used as the standard. Works published after the application announcement date will be included in the review.
Raw Writing | Funded Placements
Exeter-based Creative Writing and workshop hosts Raw Writing are offering 2 fully-funded placements (worth £300) on their upcoming Raw Reading Club which takes places at Exeter Phoenix from 2pm - 4pm, on the first Wednesday of the month January - June 2026.
To apply for a fully-funded place, please contact Carla (carla@rawwriting.co.uk) and share how you and your writing could benefit from the course.
The Hilary Mantel Prize for Fiction
AM Heath are launching a biennial adult novel prize to honour the much-loved double Booker Prize-winning author Hilary Mantel, who died in 2022. Hilary was a staunch supporter of countless first-time novelists, so the prize will focus on work in progress from unpublished writers, with the aim of offering the mentoring and financial support to assist the best of the next generation in finishing their work. AM Heath will be working with the publisher John Murray and creative writing charity Arvon.
The winner will receive a cash prize of £7,500, an offer of representation from AM Heath (at their discretion), 6 hours of mentoring from an agent at AM Heath and an editor at John Murray and a place on an Arvon residential writing course.
The runner-up will receive £2,500, an offer of representation from AM Heath (at their discretion), 6 hours of mentoring from an agent at AM Heath and an editor at John Murray, and a place on an Arvon masterclass.
Eligibility
The Hilary Mantel Prize is open to writers aged 18 and over resident in Britain (including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) and Ireland (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland).
Entrants must not have previously published a novel or novella. ‘Published’ means work published in print or online, that has been selected or commissioned via an independent editorial process that does not involve the author of the work in question. Authors of self-published novels or novellas will also not be eligible to submit.
The prize is for adult longform fiction.
Entrants who have had other types of books published e.g. poetry, memoir, short stories or non-fiction are eligible.
15,000 words max, taken from the opening chapter/s (and including any prologues) and a 1,000 word synopsis. (Please note, the 1,000 word limit for the Synopsis is in addition to the 15,000 words.)
Granta Magazine
Submissions Now Open
Fiction and non-fiction submissions are now open for Granta.
Granta is committed to championing new voices and is open to unsolicited submissions of fiction and non-fiction. We consider all submissions for both print and online publication.
During every opening period, we offer 200 free submissions to authors on low incomes. If you are a low-income writer and would like to apply for free entry, please read our guidelines for low-income entry below.
We are committed to offering a home to writing by those who are marginalised or underrepresented. We welcome submissions by writers of colour; writers who are working class or on low incomes; writers who are queer, transgender, non-binary and gender-nonconforming; writers with disabilities; as well as any writer who feels that they or their story are underrepresented.
Exeter Novel Prize 2025
Word Kitchen are delighted to announce that the Exeter Novel Prize has a new home with Word Kitchen. The competition is open from JULY 1ST ‘25 to January 1st, 2026.
This prestigious prize welcomes entries in English from all over the world, and is open to all authors who are without representation by a literary agent at the closing date, whether or not they have previously been published.
Hellie Ogden, head of the book dept at WME Agency's London office, will choose the short list and winner for the competition.
First prize - £1000
Five finalists receive £100
By submitting the first 10,000 words of your novel, along with a synopsis, you are in with a chance of not only winning a prestigious prize, but also - by daring to put your work out there in the world - getting your name and work noticed.
Read the rules below carefully, then send us is those first ten thousand words, including a brief synopsis, of a novel that has not been accepted for publication by a traditional publishing house.
The fee for entry is £20, and for entry plus an appraisal report it is £150.
2026 Charles Causley Poetry Competitions are now LIVE!
The Charles Causley Trust Poetry Competitions are now open!
Calling all poets and young writers – our 2026 competitions are officially live! Whether you’re an emerging voice or a seasoned poet, there’s a place for you.
The theme this year for both competitions is Family, whatever that may mean to you.
International Poetry Competition
Enter here: International Poetry Competition
Young Person’s Poetry Competition
Enter here: Young Person’s Poetry Competition
Don’t miss your chance to be part of something special! Submit your poem.
LOORE Network Residencies for
Ukrainian Artists
This Open Call offers seven 7-week residencies for writers and artists based in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian artists who at present live elsewhere because of the war. Residencies are hosted by members of the LOORE network in Estonia from March to October 2026.
Residency hosts are: Estonian Literary Society, Kordon, Kullaaugu, Loovlinnak, Maajaam, Narva Art Residency, Tartu Artist's Union.
Artists will receive 1550€ stipend total and 250€ travel allowance. All residencies provide free accommodation and studio access for artists. For details on residency-specific facilities, please refer to the description of each residency HERE.
Call for Videopoetry by the Québec International Poetry Festival
As part of the first edition of the Québec International Poetry Festival (FIP de Québec), which will take place from March 5 to 7, 2026, we invite artists from UNESCO Cities of Literature to submit videopoems. The festival welcomes videopoems that explore the theme of language as a space of poetic resistance. Special attention will be given to works created in minority languages.
Details
Video length: between 7 and 10 minutes
Language: in French or any other language with French subtitles
Year of production: after January 2024
Rights: the artist must hold the rights for the public screening of the video
Submitting a videopoem
The festival will accept videopoems submitted via hyperlink (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.) sent to fipq@spokenwordquebec.ca. Please include the video title, your city, your first name and your last name.
Selection
From the submissions received, six videopoems will be selected by a jury of three cultural professionals. The selected works will be screened exclusively at La Charpente des fauves during the 2026 edition of the FIP de Québec. For any questions, please contact fipq@spokenwordquebec.ca.
Call for applications open for the 2026 writing residencies at Vil·la Joana
The Barcelona Institute of Culture, within the framework of the Barcelona, UNESCO City of Literature programme, has opened the call for the 2026 international writing residencies at Vil·la Joana. The initiative aims to promote literary creation and foster exchange with other centres and creators from around the world.
The residencies, aimed at writers and translators from outside Catalonia and of any nationality, offer stays in a privileged environment: Vil·la Joana, in Vallvidrera, one of the sites of the Museu d’Història de Barcelona and the place where the poet Jacint Verdaguer spent his final years. The 2026 edition includes eight residency periods, with a maximum of three residents per session, who will have accommodation, workspaces, and a programme of activities to connect with the city’s literary network.
Eligible applicants include authors of fiction, poetry, playwriting, comics, literary journalism, and audiovisual scripts, as well as translators with at least one published or premiered work. The projects must have an explicit link to Barcelona, which will be assessed alongside the applicant’s career and the literary quality of the proposal.
Raise your voice | South West Future Journalists Awards
West Country Voices, Totnes Pulse and the PRSD have put their collective heads together to come up with an award for upcoming and established young journalists and reporters.
The topic is a Manifesto For Change. We invite you to answer the question:
“with the world as you see it, what should those in power be doing right now?”
Write around 500 words or record up to five minutes of audio or two minutes of video – make it shareable, impactful, honest and authentic.
There are two age categories: under 16, and 17-25, and your home must be in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset or Somerset.
The prizes are £50 for first place, £25 for second. Plus, you get to be published across all three titles, adding credibility to your words and amplifying your voice.
Send your submission to: competition@westcountryvoices.co.uk with the subject line: Devon Future Journalist, and include your details (age category and where you live) and why you have submitted what you have.
Literature Works’ Word Space
Literature Works’ annual talent development programme, nurturing and connecting emerging writing talent from around the South West region
Word Space is for developing practitioners who are serious about their work. Participants are selected through an open process of anonymous submissions. Participants are invited to set their own creative writing goals at the outset, reviewing and refining during the twelve months of the programme, with support from their mentor and an online peer writer group.
Word Space is delivered online as a digital programme which supports new writing, inclusivity and knowledge exchange in innovative ways. Word Space is produced by Literature Works working with partners who share our focus on inclusive, diverse writer development opportunities, reaching out to underrepresented groups and to underserved, rural locations.
The programme provides online spaces for the group to collaborate and feedback, adding to this ongoing one-to-one mentoring and monthly presentations from industry insiders.
An open submissions process runs throughout the months of December and January and the twelve-month programme begins in April 2026.
Exeter Writers
Short Story Competition 2026
The competition is open to all writers of any ability, published or otherwise, from anywhere in the world. However, members of Exeter Writers may not enter.
We accept stories of any genre (except children's stories).
There is no lower age limit for entrants, but this is a competition for adult-level writing and all entries will be judged on this basis.
Stories must have neither been previously published nor won a prize in any other competition.
Entrants with Devon addresses will automatically be entered for the Devon Prize as well as the overall prizes but cannot win both. However, the Devon Prize will only be awarded if the story has been placed on the shortlist.
Maximum word count is 3000.
This competition is run and judged by the members of Exeter Writers. Please note we are unable to provide feedback on stories other than the prize winners.
If you have any questions, please email exeterwriters@gmail.com.
Campfire – Exeter’s Quarterly Literary Salon
Location: The Refugee, below The Mermaid, Gandy Street, Exeter
When: TBA
Exeter’s newest quarterly literary salon, a welcoming space for writers and storytellers of all backgrounds and styles. Set in the intimate surroundings of The Refuge, located beneath The Mermaid cocktail bar on Gandy Street, Campfire offers a cozy environment where creativity can flourish and stories can come to life.
Each edition of Campfire centers around a prompt phrase, inspiring submissions of fiction, non-fiction, prose, poetry, or plays. The prompt can be taken literally or more of a jumping off point, it's all up to you. Writers are encouraged to submit works that can be read aloud within 10 minutes, allowing for a dynamic evening of storytelling and shared ideas.
At Campfire, we gather to listen, reflect, and engage in the timeless tradition of storytelling, celebrating the power of words to connect us all. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or someone finding your creative voice, this is your chance to contribute and be heard.
Submission Guidelines: Work must be inspired by the quarterly prompt phrase, with fiction, non-fiction, prose, poetry, or plays up to 10 minutes long when read aloud. Please email campfireexeter@gmail.com in advance if you are planning to come along and read so we can gauge the timings.
Next Prompt Phrase - TBA
Come share your story at Campfire—where the flicker of words and ideas will light up the room. For submissions or more information, contact us at campfireexeter@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @campfireexeter
Step into the circle, share your voice, and let your words kindle the conversation.
Bridport Prize 2026
Poetry. 1st Prize £5,000
You don’t have to be Tennyson Just talented | Up to 42 lines.
Short story. 1st Prize £5,000
Quick to read, impossible to forget | 5,000 words or less.
Flash Fiction. 1st Prize £1,000
The art of just enough | 250 words or less.
Novel. Winner £1,500 plus package
The Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award | 8,000 words and a synopsis - initially.
Up to a year’s mentoring from The Literary Consultancy through their Chapter & Verse scheme (worth £2,640) and a detailed critique from the novel judge.
Runner-up £750 plus package
Full manuscript appraisal and Industry Day place from The Literary Consultancy.
Young Writer Award £500
For the highest placed writer aged 16 to 25 in poetry, short story, flash fiction and novel.
Never Too Late Award
This £500 award is given to the highest placed writer aged 60+ in Poetry, Short Story, Novel and Flash Fiction. The winning piece will feature in our anthology, which counts as being published and opens doors with literary agents and publishers. It also accesses other competitions not available to the public.
Publication
All winning poetry, short story, flash fiction and novel pieces are featured in our anthology, opening doors with literary agents and publishers and giving access to other competitions not available to the public.
Bursaries available
We have a robust scheme of bursaries available for under represented writers. No proof of income is required. Find out more here
