Competition 1: Hull Literary Prize - Short Story Award.
Celebrating Exceptional Short Fiction.
Welcome to the Hull Literary Prize: Short Story Award, an annual short story competition celebrating exceptional storytelling and highlighting new and established literary talent across the UK.
Could your story be the next winner?
About the prize
The Hull Literary Prize: Short Story Award is a collaboration between Hull Libraries and the University of Hull, established to foster literary excellence and creative storytelling.
The competition provides a platform for UK-based writers to share their work and gain recognition.
The prize aligns with Hull’s rich cultural and literary heritage, continuing its legacy as a city that champions the arts.
Through this initiative, we aim to celebrate diverse voices in contemporary fiction and provide opportunities for emerging and established writers. We will also strengthen Hull’s literary presence within the UK’s creative landscape.
How to enter
Eligibility
- The Hull Literary Prize 2025: Short Story Award is open to writers aged 18+ based in the UK.
- Entries must be original, unpublished short stories written in English.
- Theme: ‘Uncharted’
- Stories should explore the unexplored, whether physical, emotional, or speculative.
Word count and format
- Maximum 2,000 words.
- Submitted in Word or PDF format.
- Standard 12pt font, double-spaced.
- Entry to the competition is free.
Terms and conditions
See full terms and conditions here.
Submission deadline
April 7, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Read how to enter and what to include here.
Enter now: hlpshortstory@hull.ac.uk
Prizes and recognition
- The winner of the Hull Literary Prize: Short Story Award will receive a £1,000 prize.
- The winner will also receive editorial feedback from Creative Writing staff at the University of Hull and a place in our Hull Central Library awards event, where the winner and shortlisted writers will be celebrated.
- Shortlisted writers will also receive recognition at the event and promotion across Hull Libraries’ and the University of Hull’s literary networks.
Judges and partners
Our 2025 Judging Panel includes:
Dr Caroline Cauchi (University of Hull - Creative Writing)
Dr Jenny Macleod (University of Hull - Head of Humanities)
Dr Catherine Wynne (University of Hull – English)
Dr Colin Veach (University of Hull – History)
Jessica Leathley (Hull Libraries)
The Hull Literary Prize: Short Story Award is a collaboration between Hull Libraries and the University of Hull. This partnership supports literary innovation, access to the arts, and the recognition of outstanding writing talent.
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Key dates for 2025
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Competition launch
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Late February 2025
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Submission deadline
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April 7, 2025
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Shortlist announced
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May 8, 2025
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Winner selection
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May 9 – June 4, 2025
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Awards event and winner announcement
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June 5, 2025
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FAQs
Q: Can I submit more than one story?
A: No, each writer may submit only one entry.
Q: Does my story have to fit the theme exactly?
A: The theme ‘Uncharted’ is open to interpretation, but stories should engage with ideas of discovery, exploration, or the unknown.
Q: Will I receive feedback on my entry?
A: Only the winning entry will receive formal editorial feedback.
Q: Are joint submissions permitted?
A: Yes, as long as both contributors are eligible for the prize.
Competition 2 - Hull Literary Prize - Youth Flash Fiction Award (16–18)
Showcase your creativity in just 101 words!
The Hull Literary Prize: Youth Flash Fiction Award is a flash fiction competition for sixth-form students (aged 16–18) who live in the Humber Region.
Can you tell a powerful, original story in just 101 words? If so, we want to hear from you!
Prize: £101 for the winning story
Winners announced at Hull Central Library on June 5, 2025
Showcase your writing and gain recognition!
Submission deadline: April 7, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Read how to enter and what to include here.
Enter now! hlpyouth@hull.ac.uk
About the prize
The Hull Literary Prize: Youth Flash Fiction Award is part of the Hull Literary Prize, a collaboration between Hull Libraries and the University of Hull.
This competition aims to encourage young writers to experiment with storytelling and promote creative writing as a pathway to higher education. We will celebrate emerging voices in the Humber Region’s literary scene.
We want to hear your voice — no matter your writing experience!
How to enter
Eligibility
- Open to sixth-form students (aged 16–18) based in the Humber Region.
- Entry to the competition is free.
- You must write your own original, unpublished flash fiction in English.
- The wordcount is 101 words exactly (including title – and yes, we will count!).
Theme: Uncharted
Your story can explore anything unexplored — whether it’s a hidden place, a personal journey, or an unexpected discovery. There are no limits, except the 101-word count!
Entry Format:
- Maximum 101 words (title included).
- Submit as a Word or PDF file.
- Standard 12pt font (Arial or Times New Roman).
Terms and conditions
See full terms and conditions here.
Prizes and recognition
- £101 for the winning story
- Featured at the Hull Literary Prize celebration event
- Read your story (or hear your writing being performed by someone else) at Hull Central Library on June 5, 2025
- Promotion across Hull Libraries & University of Hull platforms
- Showcase your writing and gain recognition!
Meet the Judges
Dr Edmund Hurst (University of Hull - Creative Writing)
Dr Caroline Cauchi (University of Hull - Creative Writing)
Philippa Leathley (Author of Inkbound)
Anna Roberts (University of Hull, postgraduate student - Creative Writing)
All entries will be judged anonymously, and the winner will be chosen based on:
- Creativity
- Originality
- Impact within 101 words
Key Dates
| Important deadlines for 2025 |
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Competition launch
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Late February 2025
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Submission deadline
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April 7, 2025
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Shortlist announced
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May 8, 2025
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Winner selection
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May 9 – June 4, 2025
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Winner announced at awards event
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June 5, 2025
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FAQs
Q: Can I enter if I’m not in sixth form but I’m 16–18?
A: Yes! As long as you’re in full-time further education and based in the Humber Region, you’re eligible.
Q: Does my story have to fit the theme exactly?
A: No, we encourage creativity! The theme ‘Uncharted’ is open to interpretation.
Q: Can I enter more than one story?
A: No, each writer may submit only one entry.
Q: Do I need a teacher to submit on my behalf?
A: No, you can submit independently, but if you win, we may need school confirmation for age verification.
Q: Does it have to be exactly 101 words?
A: Yes, including title. And, yes, we will count the words.
By the Rising tide of Humber: Flooding Andrew Marvell’s Hull in VR
AHRC/ XR Stories Creative Industries Cluster Programme Grant, Dr Stewart Mottram
Project dates: 2019-2020
‘Rising tide of Humber’ works across the humanities and sciences and in collaboration with creative industry partners, BetaJester Ltd, to recreate in virtual reality an historical flood of Hull from the time of poet Andrew Marvell, more than 400 years ago. Funded by the AHRC Creative Industries Cluster ‘XR Stories’, the project aims to bring together literature and climate change through technology.
Inspired by Marvell’s representations of flooding in his poetry, the team built a digital model of 17th-century Hull, using old maps and archival and archaeological evidence. This was then embedded into the Energy and Environment Institute’s flood model in order to test out how flood defences in 17th-century Hull would have fared against flooding of the kind experienced in the Humber in recent years - in effect, recreating a known ‘weather event’ from 400 years ago.
Read more about the Rising tide of Humber project, and watch a 360 film of the virtual flood.
Ref! Crossing the Line
Arts Council England/ Heritage Lottery Fund, Dr Sarah Jane Dickenson, in partnership with Space2, Rugby Football League, Red Ladder Theatre Company, and Commonsense Initiative (CSI)
Project dates: 2017-19 (phase 1), 2020-21 (phase 2).
Ref! is a community-inspired play based on the true story of Julia Lee - one of the first women rugby league referees in Britain to be in charge of men’s matches. The play is the catalyst for a larger collaborative project with Space2 – ‘Crossing the Line’ – to uncover and share the stories of women connected to Rugby League.
The project partners with Rugby League Clubs and Foundations based in Hull and West Yorkshire and takes interactive community workshops into those communities. A performance of the play Ref! at the Houses of Parliament (Jubilee room) is being sponsored by the All-Party Parliamentary Committee for Rugby League.
The Key: Engagement with child sexual exploitation and cultural memory
Lincolnshire City Council, Dr Sarah Jane Dickenson working with C. Mogg (Leader of Lincolnshire County Council Child Protection Unit) and V. Kerridge (Bishop Grosseteste University).
Project dates: 2018
The project involves working with the CSE Team and wider Social Services Teams in the County Council.
We All Rise
British Council, Dr Sarah Jane Dickenson
Project dates: 2017- 18
We All Rise evolved out of Hull Rises, which was part of the University programme for the City of Culture, 2017, working with the BBC and the British Council, Kraków, Poland.
Risky Cities: Living with water in an uncertain future climate
AHRC/SPF UK Climate Resilience Programme, Dr Briony McDonagh (PI), Dr Stewart Mottram (Co-I)
Project dates: August 2020-July 2022
The Risky Cities project draws on Hull’s long history of living with water – as recorded in its artistic, literary, and cultural heritage – as a means of engaging communities living in flood risk areas today.
Mottram leads one of the project’s three work packages: Fictions of Flooding, exploring the poetry, prose, drama and (more recently) news media that have arisen alongside, and in response to, the experience of loving with water in Hull, from the early medieval period to the present day.
Read more about the Risky Cities project.