Welcome

Thanks for stopping by.

The Bridport Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the literary world, so you’re in good company.

Whether you’re writing poetry, a short story, flash fiction, novel or a memoir, we can’t wait to read your words.

Let's begin...

Poetry is soul music

Write 42 incredible lines about absolutely anything
£5,000 first prize

Let's begin...

Short stories that linger

5,000 impossible to forget words
£5,000 first prize

Let's begin...

Fiction in a flash

250 words that tell a story in seconds
£2,000 first prize

Let's begin...

Your novel idea

Book your place on the bestsellers list
£1,500 first prize

Let's begin...

Memoir. A moment of truth

Reveal the untold story about a slice of your life
£1,500 first prize

Memoir Award
All categories Enter Now

For writers everywhere

We are committed to discovering new writers in poetry, short story, flash fiction, the novel and memoir. Our alumni reads like a Who’s Who of the literary world: Kate Atkinson MBE, Gail Honeyman and Kit de Waal. Judges have included Roger McGough, Monica Ali and Zoe Heller. Our patron is Kit de Waal. We are a route to being published so send us your words and it could be your name up here next year.

 

Poetry, short story, flash, novel?

The 2027 competition opens on 15 November 2026.

For a full list of key dates, please head to the Writer’s Room.

For inspiration, read previous winners in our latest anthologies available from our online shop.

 

Memoir Competition

The Memoir Award is now closed.

For a full list of key dates, please head to the Writer’s Room.

Thank you to everyone who entered.

 

Background Elements

Meet the Judges

Joelle Taylor

Poetry Judge

Joelle Taylor FRSL is the author of four poetry collections and one novel. C+NTO & Othered Poems won the T.S Eliot Prize, and the Polari Book Prize, and is currently being adapted both for theatre and film. Her novel The Night Alphabet was named both a Spectator and Guardian Book of the Year. She i

Bridport Judges - Left Scroll Bridport Judges - Right Scroll
Line Break

Michelle Elvy

Flash Fiction Judge

Michelle Elvy is a writer and editor in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand. Her books include the everrumble, the other side of better and the poetry collection Motion Sickness. Founder of NFFD NZ, Flash Frontier: An Adventure in Short Fiction and At the Bay | I te Kokoru, Michelle also worked on

Bridport Judges - Left Scroll Bridport Judges - Right Scroll
Line Break

Gurnaik Johal

Short Story Judge

Gurnaik Johal is a writer from west London. His 2022 collection We Move won a Somerset Maugham Award, the Tata Literature Live! Prize and the Galley Beggar Short Story Prize. In 2025, he was named an Observer Best New Novelist, and Saraswati, his debut novel, was nominated for the Waterstones Debut

Bridport Judges - Left Scroll Bridport Judges - Right Scroll
Line Break

Damian Barr

Novel Judge

Dr Damian Barr is an award-winning writer. His latest novel, The Two Roberts, reimagines the lives of artists Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun. It’s a Guardian and BBC Best Book of 2025. He curated a landmark touring exhibition of their work for Charleston. Barr’s memoir Maggie & Me won Sunday T

Bridport Judges - Left Scroll Bridport Judges - Right Scroll
Line Break

Sarah Moss

Memoir Judge

Sarah Moss is an award-winning novelist and memoirist, author of Ghost Wall, Summerwater, Ripeness and My Good Bright Wolf. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, she lives in Dublin.

Bridport Judges - Left Scroll Bridport Judges - Right Scroll
Line Break

I have enormously fond memories of the Bridport Prize. It gave me one of the first affirmations that I could write. The story I wrote for the competition was the first time I felt I found that elusive thing – my ‘voice’. Without the Bridport Prize I would probably not have found my agent and quite possibly wouldn’t have written Behind the Scenes at the Museum so I have a lot to be thankful to it for.

Kate Atkinson, Novelist
Line Break

Latest News

The Novel Shortlist 2026

The Novel Shortlist 2026

The wait is over. We’re delighted to share...
- view article
Memoir writing. Keep it legal <br> By Euan Thorneycroft <br> Literary Agent

Memoir writing. Keep it legal
By Euan Thorneycroft
Literary Agent

Memoirs are fascinating to read because they are...
- view article
The shortlists 2026: short story, poetry, flash fiction Congratulations!

The shortlists 2026: short story, poetry, flash fiction Congratulations!

Congratulations to all the writers on this year’s...
- view article
Curve

Writer's Room

Tips for Writing and Editing Your Memoir

Tips for Writing and Editing Your Memoir

Joe Sedgwick, Head of Writing Services, The Literary Consultancy So, you’ve written your memoir. Firstly,...
- view article
Memoir is Autobiography without the boring bits!

Memoir is Autobiography without the boring bits!

Euan Thorneycroft, agent at AM Heath Literary Agency “I got up at 6.17am, brushed my...
- view article
Key dates for <br> Memoir Award

Key dates for
Memoir Award

Key memoir dates 30 September 2026 Memoir competition CLOSES. 30 November 2026 Twelve long listed...
- view article

AI-assisted writing

The Bridport Prize celebrates original writing. Entries must be the author’s own creative work and must not be written, rewritten, paraphrased or creatively developed using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. Limited use of AI for factual research, spelling or grammar checking is permitted.