Prize worth £12k for young writers launched with Caitlin Moran mentorship
birminghammail.co.uk – Thursday February 26, 2026
The BSME Young Writers Prize is open to those aged 18-25 in the UK, offering a bursary, year-long mentorship and work experience with top editors
A budding writer aged 18-25 in the UK could be set to become the next big name in journalism, thanks to a newly launched competition offering a £12,000 bursary, a year of mentorship from celebrated author and columnist Caitlin Moran, and work experience alongside some of the country's most prominent editors.
The brand-new accolade, established in partnership with the British Society of Magazine Editors, seeks to champion those from underrepresented backgrounds who lack the financial means or industry connections to forge a career in media.
Hopeful entrants should submit original work through the BSME website, which can include a feature, review, opinion piece, column, personal essay, or a piece of creative writing drawn from a real-life experience or event.
New MeetCute Storyteller Prize will offer winner literary representation
firstwriter.com – Thursday February 26, 2026
The MeetCute Romance Book Festival and Kate Nash Literary Agency are launching a new competition for writers of romance fiction with an offer of literary representation for the winner.
"We are searching for the next big voice in romance fiction", said literary agent Kate Nash, "so we are delighted to be partnering with MeetCute for this new prize. It is different from other literary prizes in that the winner will be offered literary representation on the spot, no ifs or buts. We know from past experience we can spot the stars of the future so we will be offering representation based on one chapter. I also think it's important to say in the current climate that all the entries will be human-read by literary agents, no AI involved."
The MeetCute Festival brings together readers and writers of romance fiction in the glorious open air setting of Home Farm, Elstree in Hertfordshire. Coming into its third year in 2026, the fast-growing festival takes place on Saturday 4th of July when the competition winners will be announced.
New Publisher Listing: House of Riviera Books
firstwriter.com – Thursday February 26, 2026
Publishes commercial fiction designed to offer escapist reading, with a focus on romance and women’s fiction. Favours seasonal settings including Christmas stories and summer beach reads. Not seeking thrillers, crime, science fiction, historical fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, or poetry. Open to complete manuscripts only.
Saffron Dodd Steps Up as Literary Agent at ASH Literary After ‘Stellar’ Performance
firstwriter.com – Tuesday February 24, 2026
Saffron Dodd’s promotion to literary agent at ASH Literary marks a significant and well‑earned step in her career, reflecting both her growing influence in children’s and YA publishing and the agency’s confidence in her editorial and client‑building instincts. The announcement, reported in The Bookseller, highlights that she has stepped up from her role as associate agent after what the agency described as “a stellar couple of years”.
A milestone in a fast‑rising career
Dodd’s trajectory at ASH Literary has been defined by a clear vision for the kinds of stories she champions. Her promotion signals not only internal recognition but also her expanding presence in the UK publishing landscape, particularly in categories where ASH Literary has built a strong reputation: inclusive, imaginative, and voice‑driven fiction for young readers.
Her work to date has focused on nurturing writers whose stories bring fresh perspectives to children’s and YA literature. The agency’s praise for her recent years suggests she has already contributed meaningfully to client development, submissions, and deal‑making – key indicators of readiness for full agent status.
New Literary Agency Listing: Europa Content
firstwriter.com – Friday February 20, 2026
A boutique literary management and production company based in Brooklyn. Known for pioneering unconventional deals, developing original scripted audio, and helping authors move from book to screen. Maintains a global foreign rights program selling into nearly every territory. Accepts email queries only with the first 25-50 pages of a manuscript.
New Magazine Listing: Spellbinder
firstwriter.com – Friday February 20, 2026
Quarterly print magazine featuring new writing and visual art. Publishes poetry, short stories, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, flash nonfiction, stage plays, screenplays, monologues, play extracts, and visual art including paintings, drawings, digital art, collage, and photography, with a focus on imaginative, original, and boundary‑testing work from emerging and established creators. Welcomes submissions from all backgrounds and seeks writing up to 3,000 words in fiction and nonfiction, flash pieces between 100 and 1,000 words, poems up to 40 lines, drama up to five A4 pages, and up to three artworks in accepted formats. Emphasises curiosity, inclusivity, and innovation across literary and artistic forms.
New Literary Agency Listing: Starling Literary + Media
firstwriter.com – Thursday February 19, 2026
Boutique agency supporting authors and illustrators at every stage of their careers, emphasizing strategic guidance, creative development, and long‑term career growth. Handles work by bestselling and award‑winning creators as well as debuts, with a focus on developing projects from ideation through editorial revision, submission, contract negotiation, publication, promotion, and opportunities in film, television, and merchandising.
New Literary Agent Listing: Liv Bignold
firstwriter.com – Thursday February 19, 2026
Handles literary and book club fiction with a focus on stylish prose, social commentary, queer stories, and writing from the margins. Seeks fiction that straddles the line between literary and genre, including upmarket thrillers, crime, espionage, folk horror, and crossover work exploring complex relationships or fresh approaches to familiar tropes. Interested in fiction that illuminates subcultures or engages with philosophical questions. Actively seeks nonfiction rooted in the human experience, including narrative nonfiction, memoir, essay collections, philosophy, psychology, social and cultural history, and projects that interrogate or reframe understanding of the world. Also welcomes folk‑related material in both fiction and nonfiction.
New Publisher Listing: Vallentine Mitchell & Co. Limited
firstwriter.com – Wednesday February 18, 2026
Publishes scholarly and general interest books in Jewish, Middle Eastern and Holocaust studies, including works on Jewish history, culture, heritage and thought, as well as Middle Eastern history, politics and culture. Issues Holocaust testimonies and memoirs and continues to consider proposals for new academic and general readership titles in these subject areas.
Writing festival celebrates Arts Council cash
bbc.co.uk – Tuesday February 17, 2026
An annual literary festival attracting entries from authors around the world is celebrating a grant worth almost £59,000.
The 10th Hammond House International Literary Festival, also known as LitFest, is hosting a series of events in Grimsby until 25 February.
The money from Arts Council England will be used to fund the festival over the next two years.
Jessica Johnson, the Litfest project manager, said the grant would allow them to "have the resources to work with a lot more creatives locally, pay them what they deserve and allow us to broaden our projects".
Events include workshops with the writer Paul Basset Davies, who has worked with some of the biggest names in British comedy, and award-winning illustrator Debasmita Dasgupta.
The finale, on 25 February, will include an awards ceremony at University Centre, in Grimsby, where entries shortlisted as part of a competition will be published in an anthology.
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