Bold Types: Scottish Women’s Creative Writing Competition 2018

Be bold and submit your short stories and poems to Scotland’s only free creative writing competition for women. Our theme this year is Rebel. As ever, we are looking for diverse interpretations of this idea, so give your creative muse free rein and email your short stories and poems of up to 1,000 words to info@womenslibrary.org.uk in a Word Document or typed in the body of the e-mail with ‘Bold Types Competition Entry’ in the subject line. You can enter once in each category and it’s completely free to enter. The closing date for entries is Friday 2nd November.

Shortlisted writers will read their stories on Thursday 22nd November at our Bold Types Creative Writing Showcase event. Our wonderfully supportive and encouraging panel of judges at the event include: , including: prize-winning poet Vicki Husband; Science Fiction novelist Safina Mazhar; and GWL’s own librarian, Wendy Kirk. Winners will be announced on the night and prizes include a one to one mentoring session with one of our judges and a selection of covetable books. You can read the work of our 2016 winners here.

Do you want to get involved but need a bit of help? Have no fear because our Bold Types workshops are here to help you be bold! We have a Creative Writing For Fearties sessions on Wednesday 3rd October, the ideal place to fire up your literary mojo, discover your poetic powers and story strengths with some thought-provoking writing exercises. If your work is almost there, perhaps our Editing Mistress-Class on Thursday 25th October is for you? This session will support you to polish your writing gem until it sparkles.

Closing date: Friday 2nd November 2018 at 5pm.

Submitting your work: email your short stories and poems of up to 1,000 words to info@womenslibrary.org.uk in a Word Document or typed in the body of the e-mail with ‘Bold Types Competition Entry’ in the subject line.  Writers retain full copyright of their work.

Who can enter? If you are a woman* who was born in Scotland or you live or have lived in Scotland, you can enter the Bold Types competition. *This is inclusive of Trans and Intersex women, as well as non-binary and gender fluid people who identify in a significant way as woman or female.

Supported by Book Week Scotland.

 Terms and Conditions

1. Entries received after 5pm on Friday 2nd November 2018 will not be eligible for the Bold Types competition.
2. Writers may submit only once to each category (one story and one poem).
3. Writers retain full copyright of their work and we will only publish work on womenslibrary.org.uk with the permission of each winning writer.
4. The competition is open to women residents of Scotland, women who have previously lived in Scotland, or women born in Scotland of any age.
5. There is no entry fee, no purchase necessary and you do not need to attend any of the Bold Types workshops to enter this competition.