Writers urged not to miss out as Cheshire Prize entry deadline approaches
Wordsmiths have less than two weeks left to get their entries in for Cheshire’s foremost and free-to-enter literature competition.
The countdown is on for writers to submit their work for the 2025/26 Cheshire Prize for Literature, run by the University of Chester.
Entrants can write about anything that inspires them, in five categories, across three age groups:
- Primary (four to 11) for short stories or poetry
- Secondary (11 to 18) for short stories or poetry
- Over 18 for short stories, children's literature, poetry, scriptwriting or flash fiction.
Open to anyone with a connection to Cheshire (covering the old and new counties of Cheshire), two entries can be submitted to the competition by each entrant but these must be in different categories.
The competition was founded in 2003 when the then High Sheriff of Cheshire approached the University of Chester to establish and run a Cheshire Prize for Literature. Since then, it has grown to become one of the premier competitions in the area, fostering the writing skills of both new and established writers.
It is one of the few free-to-enter literary competitions and offers a cash prize to winners who are 18 and over, and vouchers for younger winners, as well as the opportunity for the best entries to be published by the University of Chester Press.
Dr Harry Parkin, Senior Lecturer in English Language and Programme Leader for the Master’s in Storytelling at the University of Chester, as well as one of the competition’s judges, said: “We look forward with much enthusiasm to reading and shortlisting the entries; it’s a pleasure and a privilege to be part of this competition and have the opportunity to celebrate the talented writers of our region.
“Our thanks go to everyone who has submitted work so far for this year’s competition, and we encourage any writers yet to enter who are eager to showcase their skills, to do so before the end of the month.
"The winners, runners-up and shortlisted entries will be revealed at our awards evening this summer, with an anthology of their work published later in the year.”
The closing date for entries for the 2025/26 competition is Saturday, January 31, 2026. For further information, please visit: https://www.chester.ac.uk/about/events/cheshire-prize/. More details are also available by emailing cheshireprize@chester.ac.uk or calling 01244 511344.
To find out more about the previous year’s anthology of work by winners, runners-up and shortlisted entrants, Kaleidoscope: Creative Writing from the Cheshire Prize for Literature 2024, and to purchase a copy, please visit the University of Chester Storefront web pages.
Image: Winners, runners-up and shortlisted authors in the previous year's Cheshire Prize for Literature.