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04 August 2026
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Welcome to The Writer's Compass E-bulletin #659 Our next bulletin will be sent on 19/08/2026. Anything sent to Philippa Johnston by 17/08/2026 will be considered. Submission guidance here. |
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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.
Not a full member? Click below to find out more about our membership and benefits & join our network. |
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NAWE Online Conference 2026: Writing Worlds - Early bird tickets on sale
Registration is open for NAWE 2026 with Early Bird member tickets available from just £25 - £78. The full conference programme will be going live at the start of September. Please email admin@nawe.co.uk if you have any queries in the meantime.
Writers' & Artists' Yearbooks 2027 Prize Draw
Thanks to everyone who entered the Prize Draw for a copy of the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook 2027 and the Children’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook 2027 generously donated by Bloomsbury. Revised and updated annually, these bestselling guides contain a wealth of information on all aspects of writing and becoming a published author. The WAYB 2027 winner was Sally Duffin. Congratulations Sally! (We still have a copy of the Children’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook 2027 to give away. Email pjohnston@nawe.co.uk with CWAYB 2027 in the subject line and your name and address in the body of the email by 5pm, Tuesday 11 August for a chance to win.)
NAWE Member Discount: In addition to the prize draw, NAWE members can take advantage of a special 30% Member Discount on both 2027 editions. Just enter the code PUBLISH30 at checkout on Bloomsbury.com before the end of June 2027.
News around the sector
The Rebecca Swift Foundation is running a 30-day crowdfunding campaign (ends 27 August) so that it can continue its work putting women poets on the map. You can support their work by giving here
NAWE is on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky as well as Facebook - follow us for more NAWE news and updates from around the writing world.
Professor of Creative Writing, University College London (UCL)
Deadline: 06/10/2026 - London
University College London (UCL) is a multi-faculty college of the University of London. The UCL Arts and Sciences (UASc) department is launching a new Creative Writing MA course from 2027/28 and are seeking a Professor of Creative Writing.
Lecturer in Digital and Immersive Storytelling, Birkbeck, University of London
Deadline: 11/10/2026 - London
Are you a researcher and practitioner working with immersive and interactive storytelling? Do you bring hands-on experience of immersive media tools alongside a critical, research-led understanding of what they make possible, and an interest in supporting students to make immersive work of their own?
Bibliotherapy Programme Manager, Exeter UNESCO City of Literature
Deadline: 29/09/2026 - South West England
The Bibliotherapy Programme Manager will coordinate the day-to-day running of our bibliotherapy portfolio and support its ongoing development and expansion.
Call for applications: Visible Communities Residencies 2027
Deadline: 21/09/2026 - East England
The National Centre for Writing are seeking UK-based literary translators to join our 2027 Visible Communities programme as residents (virtual and Norwich-based).
Assistant Professor in Creative Writing, University College Dublin
Deadline: 05/10/2026 - Republic of Ireland
Applications are invited for a temporary part-time post of an Assistant Prof/Lecturer in Creative Writing within UCD School of English, Drama and Film Studies.
Head of Literature and Spoken Word, Southbank Centre
Deadline: 27/09/2026 - London
We are looking for an exceptional creative leader to curate and deliver over 150 extraordinary events each year. From electrifying live poetry and interdisciplinary performance to high-profile talks, debates, and major cultural moments, you will steer a year-round artistic programme where words transform, challenge, and inspire.
Volunteer readers, SI Leeds Literary Prize
Deadline: 04/09/2026 - UK
SI Leeds Literary Prize is looking for volunteers who would like to be part of the SI Readers’ Choice Award team and help select the 2026 winner.
Director, Saltire National Book Awards, The Saltire Society
Deadline: 11/09/2026 - Scotland
Lead Scotland’s National Book Awards, shaping the future of the Awards, fundraising, partnerships and marketing strategy.
Creative Family Groups Lead Writer, New Writing North
Deadline: 21/09/2026 - North East England
New Writing North are looking for a writer or artist to lead its three Creative Family Group programmes in primary schools in Gateshead and Newcastle, working with local families to encourage creativity and improve literacy in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Director of Programming, Edinburgh International Book Festival
Deadline: 24/09/2026 - Scotland
The Director of Programming leads the development and delivery of the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s programme.
Trustee & Chairperson Role, Charles Causley Trust
Deadline: 11/09/2026 - UK
Applications are invited for the position of Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the Charles Causley Trust, a small, dynamic literary charity based in Launceston, Cornwall.
Managing Editor (Maternity Cover), Mslexia Publications Ltd
Deadline: 20/09/2026 - North East England
Mslexia is seeking an experienced Managing Editor to join us on a fixed-term maternity cover contract, initially for a period of ten months.
The People’s Tree – Sycamore Gap, Helix Arts
Deadline: 10/09/2026 - North East England
Helix Arts and George King Architects are proud winners of the Sycamore Gap wood commission. The People’s Tree was chosen from six shortlisted proposals. It is an ambitious collaborative project combining public participation, sound, architecture and storytelling to respond to the loss of the much-loved Sycamore Gap tree.
London Writers Centre: Disabled Writers Commissions 2027
Deadline: 14/09/2026 - London
London Writers Centre are inviting London-based D/deaf and/or disabled writers to apply for this developmental and profile-raising opportunity which aims to showcase new work by three writers.
North East Reads: Readers-in-Residence
Deadline: 02/09/2026 - North East England
New Writing North and Durham County Council are working together to develop innovative new ways to bring reading to the heart of communities and are looking for two readers-in-residence.
Lecturer in English and Creative Writing, University of Plymouth
Deadline: 02/09/2026 - South West England
The University of Plymouth is seeking an ambitious and innovative Lecturer in English and Creative Writing to join a thriving and forward-looking team at a time of significant change in academia and the creative industries.
Facilitator Opportunities with The Scratch Theatre
Deadline: 28/08/2026 - UK
The Scratch Theatre is looking for an imaginative online creative writing facilitator for a pilot project and an inspiring poetry workshop facilitator for workshops in Bristol.
Call for applications for Crawley’s First Poet Laureate, New Writing South
Deadline: 28/08/2026 - South East England
Are you a poet with a connection to Crawley who can help celebrate the town and connect with local people through poetry? We are looking for Crawley’s first ever Poet Laureate.
Poet opportunity to share and test your next show, Apples and Snakes
Deadline: 21/09/2026 - North West England
Apples and Snakes is hosting Scratch Poetry Festival, and we are looking for bold and ambitious poets to apply.
Editorial Assistant, Modern Poetry in Translation (MPT)
Deadline: 31/08/2026 - UK
Modern Poetry in Translation (MPT) is looking for an Editorial Assistant with a passion for poetry across languages and cultures and a commitment to the magazine’s vision, mission and values.
Dithering Chaps Poetry Chapbook Submissions Window
Deadline: 30/09/2026 - International
Dithering Chaps is a Dorset-based, not-for-profit publisher of poetry chapbooks (30-60 pages). Our submissions window is open for ten-page samples of your work. Open to writers worldwide.
Bath Flash Fiction Award (October 2026)
Deadline: 04/10/2026 - International
The Bath Flash Fiction Award is an international rolling flash fiction competition. The current round closes on Midnight GMT, 4 October 2026.
The Exeter Novel Prize 2027
Deadline: 31/01/2027 - International
The Exeter Novel Prize is now open for submissions until January 31st 2027. The top prize for the winning entry is £1000, an engraved, silver bookmark and certificate. Five other finalists will each receive £100, a bookmark and a certificate.
Launch of Discoveries 2027
Deadline: 11/01/2027 - Republic of Ireland
Discoveries is the Women's Prize Trust's transformative flagship writer development programme, run in partnership with Audible, the Curtis Brown Group, and the Curtis Brown Creative writing school.
Scratch A4 short story competition 2026
Deadline: 24/10/2026 - UK
Scratch Books have opened submissions for the Scratch A4 short story competition (for stories of 1000 words and under). The submissions window closes on 24 October 2026.
Submissions open for Gutter Issue 35
Deadline: 30/09/2026 - Scotland
Submit fiction, poetry and essays to Scotland's leading literary magazine before midnight on 30 September.
Speaking Volumes: Writing Opportunity for British Asian Women
Deadline: 20/11/2026 - UK
Are you an older British Asian woman with a story to tell? Writer, artist, and filmmaker Raman Mundair and editor/writer Sharmilla Beezmohun are collating an anthology of 100 voices to make visible the stories of Britain’s older Asian women - an invisible backbone of UK society whose experiences are seldom heard.
2027 Next Generation Short Story Awards - 2 Weeks Left to Enter Early Bird Special
Deadline: 30/09/2026 - International
The 2027 Next Generation Short Story Awards is open to all authors, even first time authors, in the US, Canada, or internationally who have an original unpublished short story (5,000 words or less) written in English. Early Bird Special: Enter by September 30, 2026 and 2nd category selection is free.
NAWE Flash Fiction Contest 2026 ‘Writing Worlds’
Deadline: 16/10/2026 - International
The inaugural 2026 NAWE Flash Fiction competition welcomes 200-word entries from writers across the globe on the NAWE online conference theme of ‘Writing Worlds’, interpreted broadly and with imagination.
Mslexia Women's Fiction Competition 2026 - Closing on Monday!
Deadline: 21/09/2026 - International
The Mslexia fiction competition is open with categories for novel, short story, and flash fiction. The judges this year are Sarah Moss, Ingrid Persaud, and Sherrie Flick respectively. The winning entry receives £5,000 for novel, £3,000 for short story and £1,000 for flash fiction, as well as a host of other prizes including publication and feedback. Enter by 21 September.
Caledonia Novel Award 2027
Deadline: 15/10/2026 - International
Edinburgh-based, international writing competition for unpublished and self-published novelists, in all genres for adults and YA. Open to writers over the age of eighteen of any nationality and resident in any country.
Submissions are open to issue 103 of Oxford Poetry
Deadline: 30/11/2026 - International
Poetry submissions are now being accepted to the print edition of Oxford Poetry, issue 103. We welcome submissions of poems by emerging as well as established writers, and all submissions are read by the editors.
Writing Magazine and Writers Online Children's Book Prize: Chapter Book 2026
Deadline: 31/10/2026 - International
Win a valuable consultation with literary agent Julia Churchill or a critique from children's author Amy Sparkes in the Writing Magazine and Writers Online Children's Book Prize.
Wildfire/Frosted Fire Single Poem Competition 2026
Deadline: 31/10/2026 - International
Our 7th annual single poem competition invites entries from poets worldwide on the theme of 'Free Speech or Fake News'. Poems can be in any style, form or genre.
Writers' & Artists' Short Story Competition 2027
Deadline: 12/02/2027 - International
Free annual short story competition open to writers worldwide. Prizes include a place on an Arvon Residential Writing Week (worth £985) and an annual subscription to the online listings Writers' & Artists' service.
Call for submissions for The Frame Magazine
Deadline: 01/10/2026 - International
The Frame is an independent mental health magazine publishing writing, art, poetry and lived experience. Our fifth issue launches on 1 November 2026 and explores artificial intelligence: how it is changing our relationships, creativity, work, therapy, mental health and understanding of what it means to be human.
Call for essay proposals for special issue of Women’s Writing
Deadline: 15/11/2026 - International
Essay proposals are invited for a special issue of Women’s Writing: Reading, Writing and Translating Early Modern Women’s Fiction: Imagined Communities. Guest editors: Line Cottegnies (Sorbonne Université) and Sonia Villegas-López (University of Huelva).
Café Writers Poetry Competition 2026
Deadline: 15/11/2026 - International
Café Writers Poetry Competition 2026 is now open (1 September to 15 November). First prize £1000, Second prize £300, Third prize £300.
Sunspot Lit: Open Call for flash, poetry, graphic novels, art
Deadline: 30/09/2026 - International
Sunspot Lit, an international magazine, invites flash, poetry, graphic novels, stories, CNF and art submissions. All genres and art forms accepted.
2027 IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship
Deadline: 02/10/2026 - UK
Applications for the 2027 IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship are now open for playwrights and theatre makers for a £12,000 commission with the University of Edinburgh and the Traverse Theatre.
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Worldwide Writers Association
Region: International
Worldwide Writers Association is a free online writing group via Zoom. We meet three times a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm UK time for exercises, free writing, and practical help with current writing problems.
Moniack Mhor Online: Non-Fiction with Dan Richards
Region: International
An introduction to the craft and skill sets needed to write non-fiction in its many forms – travel, reportage, biography, memoir and nature writing – the better to tell stories.
Writing Mothers with Anna Wharton
Region: International
Come and join this four-week online course for women focused on writing mothers and motherhood narratives.
TLC Conscious Writing Month 2026
Region: International
A five-week series of workshops, readings, and talks for writers wanting to lead more conscious lives. Hosted by The Literary Consultancy.
The Mourning Pages 2026
Region: International
The Mourning Pages is a new kind of creative programme, designed to help you recover and rejuvenate after completing a big creative project, or when you feel creatively ‘spent’ and & "burned-out".
Let This Poem Be A Hand Upon Your Shoulder – Poetry Therapy Workshops with Charmaine Pollard (Online)
Region: International
In times of crisis and uncertainty, poetry can bring comfort and healing. Join us for an inspiring and experiential online workshop designed to uplift your spirit through the power of poetry and expressive writing.
One-to-one Mentoring and Manuscript Critique service from award-winning children’s and feelgood fiction author Tamsyn Murray
Event Type:Mentoring and Coaching
Region: International
Need support, encouragement and constructive advice on your writing? Help is available from an award-winning, bestselling author with sixteen years’ publishing experience. With 31 traditionally-published books across a wide range of genres and age-ranges, I can help.
Arvon Residential: Fiction - The world aslant with Adam Marek and Zoe Gilbert
Region: West Midlands
Writers like George Saunders, Angela Carter, Karen Russell and Lucy Wood combine the fantastic with the everyday in order to explore human truths. How can you look at the world aslant and nurture the fantastic in your own writing? How can you harness your wild imagination and use it to create fiction that inspires a state of wonder in your readers?
Poetry School: The Talking Dead with Lewis Buxton
Region: International
Join poet and zombie enthusiast, Lewis Buxton, for a workshop all about horror, zombies and deadness in poetry.
Writing Kit Six Month Writing Course with Kit de Waal
Region: International
A structured programme of creative writing essentials with live online sessions, writing prompts and expert advice from bestselling author Kit de Waal.
Ilkley Literature Festival 2026
Region: Yorkshire
Ilkley Literature Festival has been bringing together the very best writers of contemporary fiction, non-fiction and poetry with book-loving audiences for over 50 years. It's back this year from Friday 2 October – Sunday 18 October 2026.
Authors North Conference: AI and the creative workforce
Region: Yorkshire
Our friends at the Society of Authors are holding a day conference in Sheffield this month, with a focus on the skills authors need for professional life in the age of AI. Special Friends price of £55 (full non-member price £70) for NAWE members.
Irish Writers Centre: Rewriting History with William Ryan
Region: International
This 6 week course is aimed at writers who are interested in writing long form historical fiction and who wish to use primary/secondary research to develop their story.
Oxford Playwriting – Foundation Course
Region: South East England
Ready to develop your playwriting and take your work to the next level? Our 9-month Foundation Course for playwrights begins in October 2026 and runs through to late June 2027, offering a focused, supportive environment in which to strengthen your craft and grow your confidence as a writer. Don’t miss this opportunity to join a small, committed group of playwrights and make significant progress in your writing.
Dead [Women] Poets Society at The London Library
Region: London
Dead [Women] Poets Society is back to resurrect Christina Rossetti and Amy Levy at The London Library on 10 November 2026.
Dobunni Poetry Festival 2026
Region: South West England
The Dobunni Poetry Festival is an annual celebration of poetry, people and placeheld in Stroud, Gloucestershire, showcasing poets of the West/South West alongside local talent.
Online Writing Course with Linda Davies
Region: International
Do you yearn to write a book but somehow just can't make it happen? Do you have lots of good ideas but can't get them down on the page? Have you started writing and then given up because you're stuck or you doubt yourself or your story? Do you have lots of material but struggle to organise it into a coherent story?
Poetry Spa Day with Jane Commane and Daniel Sluman
Region: West Midlands
Enjoy a Poetry Spa, an inspiring and immersive day devoted to reading and writing with host poet Jane Commane and guest poet Daniel Sluman.
VERVE SUNDAY @ Birmingham Literature Festival 2026
Region: West Midlands
VERVE Poetry Festival, Birmingham's only poetry festival, running from the Hippodrome for nine years, is collaborating with Birmingham Literature Festival for the first time this year. BLF has invited us to programme a full day of poetry, VERVE SUNDAY, on 11th October 2026 at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
Creative Writing Mentoring with Eleanor Wasserberg (online)
Event Type:Mentoring and Coaching
Region: International
A published novelist with over a decade of creative writing teaching experience, I can help you to:
• Establish a writing routine that suits your lifestyle, with the accountability of regular check ins and measurable progress
• Find innovative and creative ways into your story and characters, helping you discover the most effective ways to craft your narrative
• Grow your project: from notes, to drafts, to finished manuscript.
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.
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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