Your basket is currently empty!
Southword Creative Non-Fiction Award
Open for entries 1 March – 30 June
Word Limit: 4,000 words
Closing date: 30th June (midnight)
Entry fee: €20
We are looking for compelling writing, as memoir or as innovative essays or as an admixture of both. Simon Van Booy, Sandra Beasley, Thomas Lynch, Kim Addonizio & Yoko Tawada have all published creative non-fiction in Southword, why not join that illustrious company?
Prizes
1st Prize
up to 8 Runners-up
Judge
Patrick Cotter
Current Poetry Editor of Southword
Patrick Cotter is an Irish poet, born in Cork City where he still lives. His poems have been published in journals such as the Financial Times, The London Review of Books, Poetry and Poetry Review. He is a recipient of the Keats-Shelley Prize for Poetry. Quality Control at the Miracle Factory, his fourth full-length collection, is published by Dedalus Press in 2025.
Submission Details
Email entry only
Send to: essaycomp@munsterlit.ie
Subject: Creative Non-Fiction Award
Attach the submission in a single document (Word / RTF/ ODT – we cannot accept PDFs or weblinks such as Google Drive). As the competition is judged anonymously, we request that you do not write your name or personal details anywhere on this document.
Attach the cover letter (separate text document (Word / RTF / ODT – we cannot accept PDFs or weblinks such as Google Drive) attached to the same email, not in the body of the email ). The cover letter should include:
- Your name
- Non-fiction title
- Email address
- Email associated with your PayPal account (if different from your contact email address)
- Phone number
- Postal address
- Image of PayPal receipt or the PayPal transaction ID number
- How your heard about the competition
- A brief bio (optional)
Payment of the €20 entry fee can be made through this PayPal button only (available during submission period). PayPal will deduct the fee in your own currency.
More about the competition
Winning entries will be published three per issue from issue 49 winter 2025. Prize-money will be paid upon publication of the essays.
Due to the large volume of entries, the judge will not be able to notify the authors of non-winning entries or give individual feedback. If you need to withdraw an entry, please email info@munsterlit.ie. We recommend following us on social media or signing up for our newsletter to stay up to date with all competition developments directly:
Join Our Mailing List
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
The Munster Literature Centre is a not-for-profit organisation; all money raised from the competition benefits writers and writing.