Bold Types: Scottish Women’s Creative Writing Competition

Be bold and submit your short stories and poems to our annual writing competition. Book Week Scotland’s theme this year is BLETHER and, since that’s something we love to do at GWL, we think it’s a perfect theme. So, summon up your boldest blethering and e-mail your short stories and poems of up to 1000 words (either in a Word Document or typed in the body of the e-mail) to info@womenslibrary.org.uk with Bold Types Competition Entry in the subject line. You can enter once in each category and the closing date for entries is 5pm on Thursday 31^st October.

Shortlisted writers will read their stories on Thursday 21st November at our Bold Types Creative Writing Showcase event. Our wonderfully supportive and encouraging panel of judges at the event include: prize-winning poet Alycia Pirmohamed; Alison Irvine, creative writing tutor and acclaimed author of creative non-fiction; 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 2018 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 session on Wednesday 2nd October, the ideal place to try out some fantastic fiction and ravishing rhymes with thought-provoking writing exercises. If your work is almost there, perhaps our Editing Mistress-Class on Thursday 17th October is for you? This session will support you to polish your writing gem until it sparkles.

Closing date: Thursday 31st October 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 Thursday 31st October 2019 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.