Be bold and submit your short stories and poems to our annual writing competition. We’re following Book Week Scotland’s theme – HOPE. Feel free to interpret the theme in any way you like and we can’t wait to be enthralled by your entries!
Email your short stories and poems of up to 1000 words (either in a Word Document or typed in the body of the email) 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 Monday 23rd September and shortlisted entrants will be notified by 5pm on Thursday 17th October. Four poems and four short stories will be shortlisted.
Shortlisted writers will read their stories and poems on Thursday 21st November at our online Bold Types Creative Writing Showcase. Our wonderfully supportive and encouraging judges are: Karen Campbell, the award-winning writer of eight novels and creative writing teacher; Titilayo Farukuoye, winner of the 2022 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and co-director of the Scottish BPOC Writers’ Network; 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.
In addition, this year, GWL will be hosting a takeover event at Push The Boat Out Festival in Edinburgh (22nd-24th November). The PTBO Festival will be selecting four of the shortlisted entries to be read out at the Festival by their authors (where authors are available). There will be a small fee for those participating. Further information will be provided to shortlisted entrants.
Bold Types is supported by Book Week Scotland 2024
Terms and Conditions
Who can enter? If you are a woman* who was born in Scotland or lives or has lived in Scotland at any time, you can enter the Bold Types competition. *This is inclusive of Trans and Intersex women, as well as non-binary and gender fluid people.
- Entries received after 5pm on Monday 23rd September 2024 will not be eligible for the Bold Types competition.
- 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.
- Writers retain full copyright of their work and we will only publish work on womenslibrary.org.uk with the permission of each winning writer.
- The competition is open to women residents of Scotland, women who have previously lived in Scotland, or women born in Scotland of any age.
- There is no entry fee, no purchase necessary.