Creative Opportunities
Through our UNESCO Cities of Literature Network, we’re able to offer writers, poets, graphic novelists, authors, & other creatives in Devon meaningful creative opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally.
If you are going to apply for any of these activities, please do contact us first to discuss your application so that we can support you as much as possible!
Writers’ Mailing list
We share these opportunities with our Writer’s Mailing List before they’re published to the website. We’ll also let you know about any other commissions and opportunities that we can’t share here.
Exeter Cathedral 'Book of Riddles Community Choir'
Join Exeter Cathedral’s weekly songwriting choir for the chance to co-write songs inspired by the Exeter Book – the oldest book of English literature in the world!
As part of the choir, you will be writing songs for The Book of Riddles, a new musical that tells the story of the creation of the 10th century Exeter Book and explores the meaning of art and community in a time of crisis. Led by Jack Dean & Company, the choir will meet weekly at Exeter Cathedral to write and rehearse the songs in the lead up to a work-in-progress performance to share the work you have created.
The Book of Riddles Community Choir is open to people aged 18+. There will be no auditions and all singing abilities welcome to this fun and inclusive choir.
Quay Words
Writer-in-Residence
We're seeking to appoint a writer, storyteller, spoken word artist or other wordsmith to be in residence at Exeter Custom House for the calendar month of July 2025, and engage with the Quay Words theme for this Summer: Tides. We’re interested in multiple interpretations of the word as it relates to the Quayside’s past, present and your own work.
The theme for Quay Words Summer 2025 is Tides. We’re interested in multiple interpretations of the word as it relates to the Quayside’s past, present and your own work. For example, there is the waterways and maritime connection of the River Exe and the tidal impact on the working Quayside, and the considerations for heritage vessels now returning to the Quayside following its new Heritage Harbour designation.
Residency package
We offer an inclusive fee for the Residency of £1,000 to include the delivery of the public-facing events. We will encourage our writer to find time to develop their own work at the Custom House and we invite them to spend as much time on site as they wish. We will provide a private writing space in the building for the duration of the residency.
The Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize
The Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize is a writing prize dedicated to celebrating the spirit of Tom Grass, a multi-talented writer, avid reader, and fearless traveller.
The prize is for a short piece of stand-alone prose in either Fiction or Non-Fiction (1,500 - 3,000 words). It can be adapted from a longer work but must be satisfying to read by itself. The prize invites writers from all walks of life, whether writing a short story, essay, memoir, piece of reportage, historical investigation, or other hybrid form, as long as the writer reflects the sensibility of the prize. The prize is not aimed at the action-adventure genre nor limited to the idea of physical adventure. We invite writers to grapple with the spirit of adventure in any way they interpret. Pieces will be read and judged on their literary merit and their engagement with the general reader.
Key dates:
• Submissions open: 1st October 2024
• Submissions close: 31st March 2025
• Shortlist announced: 15th May 2025
• Prize giving reception in London: 4th June 2025
The Prize is a not-for-profit foundation, created and run by friends and family of Tom Grass.
Open to emerging writers over the age of 25, the Prize celebrates creative storytelling with a focus on the spirit of adventure. Through readings and an annual award ceremony in London, we will come together to celebrate life’s bold journeys and the stories they inspire.
2025 Caselberg Trust Margaret Egan Cities of Literature
Writers Residency
The Caselberg Trust and Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature are pleased to offer the Caselberg Trust Margaret Egan Cities of Literature Writers Residency. The aim of the Residency is to provide international and Aotearoa New Zealand writers an opportunity to work on a substantial piece of creative writing and to foster connections among creative writers in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. There are no limits in terms of genre, language, or length of writing, and completion of the project during the Residency is not a requirement.
The Residency is offered annually for a period of six weeks to writers from other UNESCO Cities of Literature and to Aotearoa New Zealand writers in alternating years. In 2025 the Residency is offered to a writer from another UNESCO City of Literature with at least one published work.
The Caselberg Trust Margaret Egan Cities of Literature Writers Residency is run jointly and collaboratively by the Caselberg Trust and Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature. Funding from the Caselberg Trust is provided through a generous bequest by the late Margaret Egan.
When
The Residency is for a period of 6 weeks from arrival on Thursday 2 October until departure on Thursday 13 November 2025.
Who
In 2025 the Residency is offered to a writer from another UNESCO City of Literature with at least one published work. The applicant must normally reside in another UNESCO City of Literature as of the application closing date. The aim of the Residency is to provide an opportunity to work on a substantial piece of creative writing and to foster connections among creative writers in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. There are no limits in terms of genre, language, or length of writing, and completion of the project during the Residency is not a requirement.
What we offer
All residents receive a stipend of NZ$4,000.
International residents will receive up to NZ$3,000 towards travel costs.
Accommodation is provided rent-free at the Caselberg House for the six-week duration of the Residency. Power and heating costs are to be met by the resident. There is an internet broadband connection provided, at no cost to the resident. (There is no telephone landline at the house.)
The international Residency 2025 has been planned to coincide with the biennial Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival and the Festival Trust has generously made available to the resident a Festival Pass and green-room entry to all Festival events. There may also be some involvement in English in the Festival programme (at the discretion of the Festival Trust).
The application window for the 2025 Creative Nonfiction Grant is open. Applications are due by April 23, 2025.
Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant
Click here to view the online application form. Application guidelines are below.
The 2025 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant of $40,000 will be awarded to as many as ten writers in the process of completing a book-length work of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction for a general adult readership. It is intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and focused research, thinking, and writing at a crucial point mid-process, after significant work has been accomplished but when an extra infusion of support can make a difference in the ultimate shape and quality of the work.
Whiting welcomes applications for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays, among other categories. Again, the work should be intended for a general, not academic, adult reader. Self-help titles, historical fiction, textbooks, books primarily for a scholarly audience, and books for young readers are not eligible. Examples of the wide range of previous grantees can be found here.
Projects must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US by April 23 to be eligible. Contracts with self-publishing companies are not eligible.
If you have any questions about the eligibility of your project or the application process, please contact us at nonfiction@whiting.org.
Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers
Gaia (an imprint of the Octopus Publishing Group), Class Nature and The Working Class Writers Festival are on the hunt for a new voice in nature writing.
The winning writer will receive 3 one-hour mentoring sessions with a Gaia commissioner and 1 one-hour mentoring session with a publishing agent, a commissioned piece in a nature-related outlet, two online Arvon masterclasses and one online Arvon writing day, plus a book bundle from Octopus Publishing Group.
To enter, submit your work by Midnight on 25 April 2025.
To qualify, the author must be a UK resident who is not currently represented by an agent. The author must self-identify as working class and not have been published commercially in any form.
The work submitted must not have been previously published digitally or in book form. Your work must be 100% original and 1,000 words or less. Fiction, non-fiction and poetry will all be accepted. Those shortlisted will be notified by 9 June 2025. The shortlist will be announced by 15 June 2025.
Creative Futures Writers’ Award 2025
We’re excited to announce our 2025 Writers’ Award Competition is officially open for entries!
The Creative Future Writers’ Award is the only free to enter national competition for all underrepresented writers: those who face barriers due to mental health challenges, physical or learning disability, neurodiversity, survivors, and those from LGBTQIA+, working class and/or Black, Asian and global majority backgrounds.
The theme for this year’s award’s is ‘Wild’. The theme is a creative prompt, not a requirement, we’re looking for quality writing first and foremost. The competition is open for poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction.
This year we’ve expanded to fifteen winners (5 winners in each category) who will share:
be published in our anthology and eBook
read at our showcase, part of the London Literature Festival 2025
ongoing development support from Creative Future
Our judges are journalist, broadcaster and editor Kieran Yates, author Irenosen Okojie, and poet Nancy Campbell, alongside a panel of publishing industry experts.
You have until Sunday 18 May 2025, 11.59pm to submit your poetry (up to 50 lines), fiction or creative non-fiction pieces (up to 2000 words).
Announcing Campfire – Exeter’s New Quarterly Literary Salon
Location: The Refuge, beneath The Mermaid Cocktail Bar, Gandy Street, Exeter
When: Wednesday 21st May 2025 at 7pm
Exeter’s newest quarterly literary salon, a welcoming space for writers and storytellers of all backgrounds and styles. Set in the intimate surroundings of The Refuge, located beneath The Mermaid cocktail bar on Gandy Street, Campfire offers a cozy environment where creativity can flourish and stories can come to life.
Each edition of Campfire centers around a prompt phrase, inspiring submissions of fiction, non-fiction, prose, poetry, or plays. The prompt can be taken literally or more of a jumping off point, it's all up to you. Writers are encouraged to submit works that can be read aloud within 10 minutes, allowing for a dynamic evening of storytelling and shared ideas.
At Campfire, we gather to listen, reflect, and engage in the timeless tradition of storytelling, celebrating the power of words to connect us all. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or someone finding your creative voice, this is your chance to contribute and be heard.
Submission Guidelines: Work must be inspired by the quarterly prompt phrase, with fiction, non-fiction, prose, poetry, or plays up to 10 minutes long when read aloud. Please email wmarkbest@gmail.com in advance if you are planning to come along and read so we can gauge the timings.
May Prompt Phrase - “Don’t worry, I’m not staying…”
Come share your story at Campfire—where the flicker of words and ideas will light up the room. For submissions or more information, contact us at wmarkbest@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @campfireexeter
Step into the circle, share your voice, and let your words kindle the conversation.
Ronald Duncan Archive Stipend
Ronald Duncan (1914-1982), pictured above in his writing hut on the cliffs of Welcombe, North Devon, was a productive West Country author, journalist, playwright, poet, and scriptwriter. He may be best known as the librettist for Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia (1946) and for his poem The Horse, which is read annually at the Horse of the Year show. Duncan’s writing hut also features on Exeter City of Literature’s Literary Map.
His career encompassed experiments with several writing forms including his epic poem Man (The Complete Cantos, 1980), and a one act play in Stereophonic Sound O-B-A-F-G. Duncan left the legacy of a fascinating archive of literary and personal papers, the Ronald Duncan Collection, which was donated to Special Collections in 2016.
Find out more about Ronald Duncan in their online exhibition
University of Exeter Special Collections is thrilled to launch the annual Ronald Duncan Stipends for Southwest Writing. These Stipends are funded by a donation from the Ronald Duncan Literary Foundation to continue his legacy of experimental and cross-disciplinary writing.
Each year, three talented writers will have the chance to explore our incredible archives to inspire new creative works. We’re looking for innovative minds eager to engage with our collections in fresh and exciting ways, producing original writing and sharing their journey with the public.
While the University of Exeter Special Collections (Exeter & Penryn campuses) will be the core focus, we welcome projects that connect with other heritage organisations, weaving rich narratives across multiple collections.
Each year one of these stipends may be offered in partnership with another organisation and take a specific focus. For 2025 we are partnering with Exeter City of Literature to offer one of the stipends to a writer from another UNESCO City of Literature. You can find more about this particular stipend here.
What’s in it for you?
£2,000 stipend to support your time and expenses
Up to £500 for outreach and engagement activities
Specialist guidance from our expert Special Collections team
Access to a vibrant network of university partners & professionals
If you’re passionate about archives, storytelling, and bringing history to life through writing, this is your chance! Your next great story starts here...
The Coleridge Poetry Prize
The Coleridge Poetry Prize is open for entries!
Submit a poem (up to 40 lines) on any topic for a chance to win £50 and publication in our Exmoor Review journal.
This year, the competition will be judged by Tom Cain, Emeritus Professor and published poet and critic.
Happy Writing!
Closing Date: Monday 30th June 2025
Entry: info@exmoorsociety.com
Could you be Exeter’s first Young City Laureate?
The search is on to find Exeter’s first ever Young City Laureate. Literature Works are looking for an aspiring young writer aged between 14 and 19 years who is ambitious to develop as a writer and performer, voicing the stories of the young people of Exeter.
The role of Exeter Young City Laureate is important. The chosen young writer will be commissioned and paid to create work to celebrate special events or occasions in the city and will be invited to perform in libraries, schools and at festivals.
Submissions are open now and close at midday on Wednesday 16th July 2025.
Who can apply?
The Young City Laureate is open to any young person aged 14-19 who lives, works or studies in Exeter. You will be a writer of either prose (fiction, creative non-fiction) or poetry.
