Organization · Bedford, UK
Bedford Competition
The Bedford Competition is a UK-based nonprofit organization founded in 2012 in Bedford, England, running annual international competitions in poetry, short story, and flash fiction. Judged anonymously by acclaimed authors and literary agents, the contests offer a £2,000 first prize alongside regional Bedford and Cygnature (ages 17–25) awards, plus paperback anthology publication for winners and shortlisted entrants. Submissions run annually from May 1 to October 31.
Open to poets
- International Short Story and Poetry Awards. Annual; May 1 – October 31 (closes 23:59 GMT; 2026 cycle closed). Fee: £8.50 per poem or £17 for three (students £6 / £12). Pays: £2,000 first prize (£400 second, £300 third); £200 Bedford Poetry Prize; £300 Cygnature Prize for ages 17–25; anthology publication. Simultaneous submissions: allowed, but notify organisers immediately if the poem wins a prize or is published elsewhere before judging.. Up to 3 poems.
Official site: bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk. Please confirm the details there before you submit.
Checked 2026-11-12. Find more places to send your poems on Poetry Marketplace, free.
More places to send your poems
- beestung
- Before Columbus Foundation
- Behemoth Magazine
- Belladonna's Garden
- Belle Point Press
- Bellevue Literary Review