Mairtín Crawford Awards for Poetry and Short Story 2026 – deadline 11 March.

The Crescent Arts Centre Mairtín Crawford Awards for Poetry and Short Story 2026 are aimed at writers working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. Published and unpublished writers are invited to submit between 3-5 poems for the poetry award, and a short story of up to 2,500 words for the short story award, on condition that they have not yet published a full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. The Winner of each Award will receive a £500 cash Prize and have the opportunity to take a ‘Time to Write’ package which includes a 3-night stay at a Hotel in Belfast, and 4 days of dedicated writing space in The Crescent. Two Runners Up for each Category will receive a £250 cash prize. The entry fee is £10 for a minimum of 3 poems and maximum of 5 poems. The deadline for submissions is 11 March 2026. For more details see here