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Welcome to The Writer's Compass E-bulletin #629 Our next bulletin will be sent on 11/06/2025. Anything sent to Philippa Johnston by 09/06/2025 will be considered.

Like what you’re reading? This E-bulletin is sent to all NAWE members, associate members and e-members, highlighting new additions to the website listings. Some areas of the site and further benefits are restricted to certain membership levels.

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Feature

NAWE Online Conference 2025: Inspiring Writing
Friday 7 & Saturday 8 November 2025, Online

** Call for proposals - Just four days left to submit! **

There is just four days left to submit your proposals for presentations and workshops around our theme of 'Inspiring Writing' for this year's NAWE Online Conference. If you missed our proposal writing guidance session, a recording/PPT is available from admin@nawe.co.uk. We can't wait to hear your ideas! Deadline: Saturday 31 May 2025 at midnight.

NAWE Member Meet-Up / 11 June 2025 - Writing for well-being focus
Registration is open via Eventbrite for our next NAWE Member Meet-Up on Wednesday 11 June 2025 at 18:00 – 19:00 GMT. After a general catch up hosted by NAWE Trustee Jane Moss, we’ll be focusing on creative writing for well-being with writer, researcher and poetry therapist Victoria Field. Free to attend but booking essential. 

NAWE Publication Deadlines

Writing in Education Issue 96: Please submit by 20 August 2025.

NAWE’s Writing in Practice: The Journal of Creative Writing Research Volume 12 (Special issue exploring innovative & reflective approaches to creative writing pedagogy across all educational contexts)Please submit by midnight (GMT), 26 January 2026.

NAWE is now on InstagramLinkedIn and Bluesky as well as Facebook - follow us for more NAWE news and updates from around the writing world. 


Jobs
Ministry of Stories is Recruiting: 2x Writing Facilitators - Community Writing Labs
Deadline: 09/06/2025 - London
We're looking for two ambitious, creative and inspirational Writing Facilitators to bring writing power to the children and young people in our Community Writing Labs.
Digital Marketing Executive, Booker Prize Foundation
Deadline: 09/06/2025 - London
We are looking for a passionate and committed Digital Marketing Executive to develop and create best-in-class social media content and community management for the Booker Prizes’ social media channels
Chair of the Board, Nottingham City of Literature
Deadline: 04/07/2025 - East Midlands
We are looking for a new Chair of the Board of Trustees. The new Chair will be joining us at an exciting and important time as we celebrate 10 years as a UNESCO City of Literature and develop our next five-year strategy.
Marketing and Communications, Wigtown Festival Company
Deadline: 02/06/2025 - Scotland
Wigtown Festival Company is seeking to commission a Marketing and Communications professional to support our activity and delivery of the annual Wigtown Book Festival.
Public Programmes Manager, Exeter UNESCO City of Literature
Deadline: 31/08/2025 - South West England
Join us to shape bold, inclusive programmes that celebrate Exeter and Devon as a region of stories, culture, and creativity. This role is 4 days per week, primarily based in our Exeter office.
Subject Leader - Creative Writing (0.4 FTE), West Dean
Deadline: 01/06/2025 - South East England
West Dean College is seeking an outstanding Subject Leader in Creative Writing to lead and develop our validated Graduate Diploma, MA, and MFA Creative Writing programmes.

Competitions/Submissions
Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition 2025
Deadline: 31/08/2025 - International
Open to new, emerging and established poets from any country. The winning chapbooks (16-24 pages) will be published by Southword Editions and launched at the Cork International Poetry Festival.
The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2025
Deadline: 31/07/2025 - International
Poems (max 40 lines) on any theme are invited from young poets aged 11-17 living anywhere in the world. This year's judges are Colette Bryce and Will Harris. Free to enter.
Novel Studio 2025: New Format & Final Deadline
Deadline: 30/05/2025 - International
City St George's University's prestigious Novel Studio programme is now accepting applications for 2025, with a final deadline of 30 May.
Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award 2025
Deadline: 31/08/2025 - International
Britain’s biggest flash fiction prize. £2,000 prize for stories on any topic up to 250 words. Open to writers worldwide.
Writing Magazine Grand Prize 2025
Deadline: 30/06/2025 - International
Win up to £1,000 in the Writing Magazine 2025 Grand Prize, our open competition for your short stories (max 2,000 words) in any form, on any topic.
Applications Open for the Fifth Genesis Emerging Writers’ Programme
Deadline: 30/06/2025 - UK
With mentors including Thomas Harding, Adam Kammerling, Kate Worsley and Olivia Sudjic, the celebrated Genesis Emerging Writers’ Programme supports UK writers across fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
The Leicester Writes Short Story Prize 2025
Deadline: 25/07/2025 - International
Leicester Writes Short Story prize is an international short story competition open to published and unpublished writers. Set up in 2017, the prize is managed by small independent publisher Dahlia Books.
The Aurora Prize for Writing 2025
Deadline: 06/08/2025 - UK
Writing East Midlands invites short stories of up to 2,000 words per entry and poetry of up to 60 lines in any genre, on any subject for this year's Aurora Prize. Open to UK writers aged 18 and above.
Young Walter Scott Prize 2025
Deadline: 31/10/2025 - UK
Entries are invited for this year's Young Walter Scott Prize, a UK-wide competition for writers aged from 11 to 19 with an interest in historical fiction.
The Saltires: Scotland’s National Book Awards 2025
Deadline: 01/06/2025 - Scotland
The Saltires: Scotland’s National Book Awards 2025 are open for entries for fiction, non-fiction and poetry titles published between 1 June 2024 and 31 May 2025 by writers born and/or resident in Scotland. Work by debut writers is invited in each category in addition to general submissions.
Stanley Arts & Apples and Snakes: Scratch Lab
Deadline: 30/05/2025 - London
Apply now for Scratch Lab, a free performance development programme for early-career poets, rappers, and lyricists aged 18–35 led by world-class artists.
World of Books Sustainable Story Award
Deadline: 06/07/2025 - UK
World of Books has launched the Sustainable Story Award celebrating authors across fiction, non-fiction and children's literature who engage with urgent environmental and social themes. Free to enter.
The Bath Children’s Novel Award 2025
Deadline: 30/11/2025 - International
The Bath Children’s Novel Award is a £5,000 international prize for children’s novels, YA, chapter books and picture book texts.
The Astley Prize 2025
Deadline: 30/06/2025 - International
Nairn Book & Arts Festival has launched The Astley Prize, a new short story competition honouring the memory of Veyatie Astley, a talented young writer. A celebration of bold, original storytelling, it is open to writers worldwide aged 16 and over.


Events
Writing for Wellbeing Workshop (June 2025)
Region: Yorkshire
In person event at The Conservatory, Scampston Walled Garden, Malton, Yorkshire, hosted by The Bothies – a registered charity. This month's theme: Water – Going with the Flow.
Read Write Express – Writing for Wellbeing and self-awareness (June 2025)
Region: International
Read Write Express offers writing for wellbeing workshops for adults who wish to explore writing as a means of improving wellbeing, gaining confidence and moving forward with life.
Poems for Family & Loved ones with Jonathan Edwards
Region: International
Celebrating and exploring those we are close to is one of the key reasons people read poetry - and one of the reasons we write it.
Want to come to Ireland and write?
Region: Republic of Ireland
Not only but also enjoy live traditional Irish music and dance performances, visit an intriguing island with a guide, step inside a castle and be part of a writing workshop inside a 19th century thatched cottage on the beautiful ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ coastline.
The Poetry of Grief & Transformation with Romalyn Ante
Region: International
This two-session Zoom workshop invites participants to explore the profound themes of loss, healing, and transformation. Let’s journey from loss to light through the mindful practice of reading and writing poetry.
The Poetry Business: Workshops in June
Region: International
Coming up from The Poetry Business in June are workshops with Shash Trevett, Kathryn Simmonds, Liz Berry, Rachel Long, Robert Hamberger and many more.
2025 Manchester Writing School Summer Festival
Region: North West England
This four-day intensive course is designed to give participants a taste of life in the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, one of the UK’s most successful literary centres, and home to one of the country’s largest postgraduate English and Creative Writing communities.
Curtis Brown Creative: Join our new one-to-one Mentoring Programme
Region: International
Having provided mentoring for its alumni for some years, Curtis Brown Creative is now rolling out its new one-to-one mentoring programme that is open to all. Get expert, individual guidance as you write and edit your novel, memoir or non-fiction project. 3/6/9 Months | Zoom or In Person | £1,700.
Beyond Form: The Bird That Brings Hope: Building Interspecies Solidarity with Radha Patel
Region: International
The Bird That Brings Hope is a creative writing workshop following the story of the ‘Chitibuck’ - a blue feathered bird that lives on the Planet Luz. In the lore of our galaxy, its duty is to travel to other planets and collect the hopes of different species, and keep them in its stomach. When it dies, these hopes nourish the sacred ground beneath our feet. In 2025, the Chitibuck arrives in the UK.
Reimagining Snow White — An Online Creative Writing Workshop with Deborah Martin
Region: International
Bring your own version of Snow White to life in this supportive creative writing workshop.
Arvon Online Writing Week: The Essay with Amy Key and Eli Goldstone
Region: International
Join Amy Key and Eli Goldstone to explore the many forms a literary essay can take – from memoir and creative non-fiction to literary journalism and the lyric essay. You’ll consider voice, narrative shape, and the ethics of writing about others while writing about yourself.
The Literary Consultancy: Synopsis Surgery with Joe Sedgwick
Region: International
Condensing an entire book into a single side of A4 is no easy task. But it is possible. Join TLC’s Head of Writing Services Joe Sedgwick for this free live webinar and learn how to write a synopsis that will catch the attention of a literary agent.
#SoAatHome: How to build your personal brand with Ronke Lawal
Region: UK
Join Public Relations specialist Ronke Lawal for this interactive and engaging session for authors and creatives to learn how to boost their personal profiles and maintain visibility with their readers and target audience.
European Poetry Festival 2025
Region: East England
The UK’s biggest celebration of continental poetry presents a celebration of words, avant-garde performance and the potentials of collaboration to a bustling audience in the heart of the city.
Writers Online: The Neurodivergent Writer's Toolkit with Amanda Marples
Region: International
Getting to the page and staying there can be tough for any writer, whether you are an academic, novelist, poet or freelancer. If you are neurodivergent (or think you might be), it can be even tougher, and there are good reasons for that.
Write a Podcast Drama in Five Weeks with award-winning writer Helen Cross
Region: International
Join my online classroom and write a complete audio podcast drama over five weekly two-hour long sessions in June 2025. These live, interactive online classes will introduce you to the industry of audio drama and allow you to learn the skills necessary to write drama for radio and podcasts.
Beyond Form: Writing with non-monogamy with Sam Amsler and Ruth Charnock
Region: International
How can writing undo monogamous ways of thinking, being, doing and relating?
Moniack Mhor Online Masterclass: Inhabiting your Fiction with Cynan Jones
Region: International
Use the words you already have on the page to unlock story and bring more authentic detail to your work.
Ty Newydd : Writing YA Fiction: From idea to first draft with Danielle Jawando & Emma Smith-Barton
Region: Wales
From idea to first draft, this course is designed to help you with the entire process of writing compelling and original young adult fiction.
New Writing South: The Playwright’s Toolkit with Testament
Region: UK
Join acclaimed writer Testament to explore the medium of playwriting, focusing on engaging an audience and developing a layered storytelling practice that has something to say about the world.

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The Writer's Compass is the name for NAWE's information and advice services for writers generally, not just those working in education.

The E-bulletin is sent to all NAWE members, highlighting new additions to the website listings, which are openly accessible. Some areas of the site (and other benefits) are however restricted to certain membership levels. For more information, see our Membership page.


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NAWE aims to put creativity at the heart of education. NAWE is a charity funded largely by its members fees and donations.

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