The Awards will run from January 2026 – January 2027. During the programme, awardees receive:

A £2,500 cash award, allowing them to focus on their work (the bursary will be paid in two instalments)
Tailored personal development opportunities, which can include mentoring from writers and industry professionals
PR, performance, social media and presentation training
The opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents
A week-long retreat offering time, space and the freedom to create new work in idyllic surroundings (subject to circumstances)
A year's free membership to Society of Authors as well as an SoA training session
All mentoring, training and performances include an option for remote attendance as needed. We're very happy to discuss anyone's individual access requirements prior to applying.

Entries are invited in English, Scots and a combination of both. In 2026, there will be a place awarded for The Kavya Prize, an award supporting emerging writers of colour. This award is open to writers entering any of the five categories. There are also two awards for Gaelic writers, run in association with the Gaelic Books Council.

You can apply if you:

Are aged 18 or over
Are based in Scotland fulltime. This means you have a Scottish postcode and are living in Scotland
Are committed to developing your writing, whether that's fiction, narrative non-fiction, poetry, spoken word, YA, picture books or graphic novels (although the panel will only consider your writing, not any associated images)
Haven't published a full-length book, collection or show in the category you're applying for

Find out more here

Deadline: Wednesday 24 September 2025 at noon