The mini peaches from our mini peach tree still feel quite firm, but they are a good colour and have started to drop off the tree of their own accord (I blamed the foxes at first), so they have to be picked. They are in fact ready to eat – I think they might be nice grilled with a bit of crème fraîche or similar.
We’ve had some civilised vegetables this year, but the carrots…
This month I’m trying the experiment of just putting the competition information into a table. It’s slightly simpler for me and it’s probably easier for readers? Let me know if this causes problems. If you’re looking at this on a phone, I suggest holding it sideways.
Full disclosure: I am running Croydon Writers’ Michael Round Prize, which is listed below – not as a judge but as the administrator.
| Contest | Max Words | Fee | Prize | Deadline | Comments |
| River Styx | 3,000 | $20 | $1000 | 01/09/2025 | |
| American Literary Review | 8,000 | $15 | $1,000 | 01/09/2025 | |
| Terrain | 5,000 | $20 | $1,000 | 02/09/2025 | |
| Masters Review summer | 6,000 | $20 | $3000 | 07/09/2025 | |
| Aesthetica | 2,000 | £18.00 | £2500 +course etc | 08/09/2025 | |
| Santa Fe Writers Project Award | No limit | $30 | $1,500 | 15/09/2025 | |
| Paul Cave Prize | 1,000 | £15.00 | £75.00 | 30/09/2025 | |
| Write Time | 1,501 | £5.00 | £50.00 | 30/09/2025 | Only writers over 60 |
| NAWG | 500-2k | £5.00 | £200.00 | 30/09/2025 | |
| Hammond House | 1-5k | £10.00 | £1,000.00 | 30/09/2025 | Theme: Secrets |
| Henshaw (Hobeck) | 2,000 | £6.00 | £200.00 | 30/09/2025 | |
| Juniper | 55-75k | $30 | $1000 | 30/09/2025 | |
| Michael Round Prize | 2,000 | Free | £100.00 | 30/09/2025 | Theme: Far and Wide |
| Writer’s College | 2,000 | $15 | $1000 | 30/09/2025 | Theme: All the things we didn’t learn |
| The Ghost Story | 10,000 | $20 | $1,500 | 30/09/2025 | |
| Creative Writing Ink | 3,000 | £12.00 | £1,000.00 | 30/09/2025 | |
| Pudding Press Detritus | 20p | £10.00 | Publishing contract | 30/09/2025 | For stories rejected elsewhere |
| Letter Review Short Story | 5,000 | $20 | $333 | 30/09/2025 | |
| Crowvus ghost Story | 4,000 | £3.00 | £100.00 | 30/09/2025 | |
| George Garrett Prize | 100k | $28 | $2000 | 30/09/2025 |
And a quick mention for the good people at Chaotic Creators, who have a poetry competition going. Up to 40 lines, deadline 12th September, £10 entry, £50 prize plus publication and a printed copy of the magazine. Theme: autumnal, gothic, horror vibes.
We only have one plant, but it is currently producing 2-3 yellow courgettes a day, so I’ve tried a new way of eating them…
Hurrah! My poem Plaints of the Old Git has won first place in the ‘rhyming poetry’ category of the annual Writers’ Digest competition! The prize is $1,000 plus various other goodies.
I’m not quite sure whether I’m allowed to share the poem here, but if so I will. It consists of three sonnets, with two lines filleted out of the second so as to come within the 40 line limit.
For the last couple of years I’ve made sloe gin. This year I thought I’d try a batch of mirabelles. So here it is, just needs three months of regular turning.
Seen and Done 