And the Winners are Announced!

The Bedford Competition celebrated its successful 2022 competition with a great finale, a Presentation Event at the Quarry Theatre, Bedford on 31st March. 

The competition received some 2,000 entries from 41 countries across the World.

The six judges revealed the winners in the Short Story and Poetry competitions, with the 1st prize going to Damen O’Brian from Australia for poetry and David Shelley Jones from the USA for Short Story. 

There were separate awards for young writers and Bedford residents in each category. 

The local writers receiving prizes in The Bedford awards were;

Jesse Perrin for his short story Troubled Nights

Lucia Wilde for her poem Holy.

An Anthology of all short-listed stories and poems is in production and will be released soon. Check our website for full details of all the prizes: www.bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk.

The Bedford Competition is based in Bedford and is a not-for-profit organisation with our proceeds donated to local and national charities promoting literacy. This year we presented three charities with £1000. CHUMS, who help young people with their mental health, SchoolReaders, assist children in their reading skills and the Rothsay Education Centre (REC), providing on-going education for over 50’s.

Our 2023 competition runs from 1st May until 31st Oct, with 50% increase in prize money on 2022 and no increase in the entry fee!

Prizes are £1,500, £300, £150, with £200 for Cygnature Prize for 17-25 yr olds and £100 for local Bedford residents. Come share your words with us in 2023.