11 November 2021

Cúirt New Writing Prize 2022

The Cúirt New Writing Prize, kindly sponsored by Tigh Neachtain in memory of Lena McGuire, is now closed for submissions.

Please keep an eye out for an announcement of the winners, to be announced on 7 March.

There are two categories: poetry & short fiction.

The winner in each category will be awarded a  €500 cash prize and the opportunity to read at the 37th annual Cúirt International Festival of Literature which will take place in Galway between Wednesday, 6th and Sunday, 10th April 2022.

This year we are delighted to announce that Poet Gail McConnell will judge the poetry prize and author Lisa McInerney will judge the short Fiction.

Cúirt New Writing Prize Guidelines for Entry

  • Poetry entries must consist of three poems under 50 lines each

  • Short stories should be no longer than 2,000 words.

  • Entry costs €10 in total which covers one story or up to three poems.

  • Entries are welcome in English and Irish. An Irish language adviser will be approached to assess entries in the Irish language.

  • Writers submitting work should not have had a full collection or work published in the category in which they enter (novel or short collection for fiction, poetry collection for poetry); this does not include the publication of single poems, stories or chapbooks. If you have had single poems or stories published, you are still eligible to submit.

  • The story or poems submitted should not have been accepted for publication elsewhere.

  • There is no restriction on theme or style.

  • The judges’ verdict is final.

  • Stories cannot be altered or substituted once they have been entered.

  • Judging is anonymous. Please DO NOT include your name or contact details within the body or title of your submission.

  • Entries should be submitted as follows:

    • in a single document

    • In .doc or .docx format

    • Double spaced, in 12 pt font

    • Please title your submission in the following format ‘TITLE _CATEGORY’, for example ‘The Shift_SHORT FICTION’.

  • Entries in the body of an email will not be accepted.

  • International writers can enter the competition, but we are unable to  provide travel expenses to attend the 2022 festival, should they be successful.

  • Entries submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

  • Entry fees will not be returned if stories are withdrawn after entering.

  • Entry is taken as acceptance of these rules..

Submitting Your Entry

Now Closed.

Fees

The entry fee for each separate submission is €10.

It is important to us that the prize is accessible to as many writers as possible from all backgrounds around the world. Because of this, we are offering a limited number of subsidised entries. There is capacity for 35 subsidised entries for the 2022 prize. If you would like to avail of subsidised entry, please contact info@cuirt.ie. Subsidised entries should be accompanied by an explanation of the entrant’s need for subsidised entry (up to 200 words).

Closing Date

Submissions are now closed.

The closing date for submissions was Monday, 31st January 2022 at 5pm.
Contact info@cuirt.ie for any further enquiries.

Read Next