The Mslexia Women's Fiction Competition 2025 - Adult Novel is now open! 1st prize £5,000. Finalists receive manuscript feedback from The Literary Consultancy and personal introductions to literary agents arranged in partnership with New Writing North.
For unpublished novels of at least 50,000 words in any genre adult, or young adult, readers. Submit first 5,000 words only in the first instance. Longlisted entrants will be asked to submit their finished manuscripts along with a synopsis later in the judging process.
Our judges this year award-winning novelist Bernardine Evaristo, literary agent at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency Olivia Maidment, and writer, editor and arts critic Lucy Popescu.
Entry fee: £26
We accept entries from all women of any age of any nationality from any country. This includes under-18s. You do not have to subscribe to Mslexia to be eligible.
Find out more here
Deadline: 23.59 GMT, 22 September 2025