Witty Wicklow Writers Contest 2026

Competition deadline: 31st August 2026

Witty Wicklow Writers is a literary initiative and magazine published by Ring of Culture, dedicated to celebrating emerging and established voices through publication, conversation and cultural exchange. The Witty Wicklow Writers Contest invites writers from around the world to submit original work for consideration in Witty Wicklow Writers Magazine – Issue 1. The competition is open internationally and welcomes submissions in the following categories:

• Poetry
• Short Fiction
• Creative Non-Fiction / Memoir

As an Irish-based independent literary initiative published through Ring of Culture, Witty Wicklow Writers aims to provide publication opportunities for both emerging and established writers.

Entry Fee:

€7 Early Bird
€9 Regular Entry

Prizes:

1st Place: Publication + Paperback + Interview on Ring of Culture Podcast
2nd/3rd Place: Publication + Paperback + Ebook
Top 10: Publication +  EBook

The Top 10 entries will be published in Witty Wicklow Writers Magazine Issue 1.

​Originality, literary quality, strong voice and fresh perspectives are encouraged.

Witty Wicklow Writers: What You Can Submit

Genre: Poetry, Short Fiction, Memoir, Creative Non-Fiction, Flash Fiction, Hybrid Forms

Language: English

Length:

• Poetry: up to 1 poem per entry
• Prose: maximum 1,000 words

Original work only.

Entries must not have been previously published in print or online.

Multiple submissions are permitted. Each submission requires a separate entry fee.

Witty Wicklow Writers Judge

All entries will be judged by: Vitor Vicente, Author, publisher and founder of Ring of Culture.

All decisions are final.

Judging Criteria

Entries will be evaluated based on:

• Originality
• Literary quality
• Voice and style
• Clarity and structure
• Emotional or intellectual impact
• Overall merit

Rights and Conditions

• Authors retain full copyright of their work.
• By submitting, authors grant Ring of Culture one-time, non-exclusive rights to publish the selected work in print and digital editions of Witty Wicklow Writers Magazine.
• Rights revert fully to the author following publication.
• Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but entrants must notify the organiser immediately if a submitted work is accepted elsewhere.

Eligibility for Witty Wicklow Writers Contest

• Open internationally.
• Entrants must be 18 years of age or older.
• Work generated primarily by artificial intelligence is not eligible.

See here for further information.

And see here for more competitions on Writing.ie.