Who is it for?

The 2025 prize is open to beginner and emerging writers (fiction or non-fiction) aged 18 and over who are resident on the island of Ireland (or view Ireland as their home) who have yet to publish their first short story or essay in an anthology, literary journal or magazine. This criterion extends to online journals and magazines but does not include online self-publishing, e.g. blogs. Writers working in other genres (e.g. poetry, drama) are welcome to submit on the basis that this is their first time publishing a piece of fiction or non-fiction. 

We encourage writers from backgrounds typically underrepresented in Irish literature to apply. We particularly invite applications from Black, POC (person of colour), Traveller, Roma, LGBTQIA+, disabled and working-class writers, and those who consider themselves to be within the target groups described in the EDI Policy on the Irish Writers Centre website.

How to Apply?

Writers are invited to submit a piece of fiction or non-fiction (i.e. a short story or essay) with a maximum word count of 1,500 words.
All work submitted must be previously unpublished (in print or online).
Alongside their creative work, writers are invited to submit a short biographical statement (max. 150 words) telling us about their writing experience to date, which writers have influenced their work, and what they’d like to accomplish with their writing.
We further ask that you supply us with:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your postal address
• Your phone number

Writers are instructed to submit just one application per person.

Please state in your SUBMISSION FILE NAME whether your piece is a SHORT STORY or an ESSAY.

Any questions? Contact us at projects@irishwriterscentre.ie

This is no entry fee to apply.