Bold Types: Scottish Women’s Creative Writing Competition

Be bold and submit your short stories and poems to our annual writing competition!  We’re following Book Week Scotland theme’s this year – FUTURE – and we cannot wait to see where it takes you…

So, cast your mind into the future 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, with a new piece of writing that hasn’t been submitted elsewhere. The closing date for entries is 5pm on Friday 30^th October 2020.

Shortlisted writers will read their stories and poems on Thursday 19th November at our online Bold Types Creative Writing Showcase. Our wonderfully supportive and encouraging panel of judges include acclaimed poet Theresa Munoz, recipient of the Muriel Spark Centenary Award; poet and writer Pamela Beasant, Director of the annual Orkney Writers’ Course, 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!

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 Thursday 10^th September, the ideal place to try out some fantastic fiction and ravishing rhymes with thought-provoking writing exercises. If your work is almost there and you’d like some editing encouragement, keep an eye out for our Editing Mistress-Class this October. This session will support you to polish your writing gem until it sparkles.

Closing date: Friday 30^th 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.

Supported by Book Week Scotland.

Terms and Conditions

1. Entries received after 5pm Friday 30th October 2020 will not be eligible for the Bold Types competition.
2. Writers may submit only once to each category (one story and one poem), with a new piece of writing that hasn’t been submitted elsewhere.
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.