The Wells Festival of Literature has announced that submissions are now open for its 2025 International Competitions, offering writers worldwide the opportunity to compete for substantial prizes totalling £5,000.

Celebrating its 33rd year in 2025, the Wells Festival of Literature continues its mission to celebrate the written word and encourage the love of books. The submissions will close at midnight on 30 June 2025.

The competition features four categories: Open Poetry, Short Story, Book for Children, and a special Young Poets contest for writers aged 16 to 22. All categories are open to writers from all countries, making this a truly international literary event.

The Open Poetry Competition offers the most substantial prize, with the first prize of £1,000, second and third prizes of £500 and £250 and £100 for the best poem by a local poet. Judge Camille Ralphs will evaluate original, unpublished poems up to 35 lines, with an entry fee of £6.

The Short Story Competition provides prizes of £750, £300 and £200, and a local prize of £100, judged by Judith Heneghan. Writers must submit original, unpublished short stories between 1,000 and 2,000 words.

The best prize for each of these winning entrants is the boost to confidence given by the competition judges, all of whom are successful in their own fields. As the festival organisers note, “that recognition of talent is worth its weight in gold”.

All entries must be original and unpublished, written in English, and submitted online. Entrants to the Young Poets Competition must be aged 16 to 22 inclusive at the closing submission date.

The Prize Giving and Poetry Reading will take place on Monday 20 October starting at 2pm as part of the Festival, with all those on the shortlist invited to come to Wells during the Festival. The 2025 festival runs from 17-25 October in the historic Somerset city of Wells.

For submission guidelines and entry details, writers should visit the Wells Festival of Literature website. This represents an exceptional opportunity for emerging and established writers alike to gain recognition on the international literary stage.

By Eric Opoku