Opportunities
Welcome to Literature Wales’ opportunities page where we share internal and external literary opportunities, from competitions to residencies, from Wales and beyond. If you have any opportunities you’d like us to feature, please email us on: post@literaturewales.org
Literature Wales Opportunities
Work Opportunities
Artes Mundi: Assistant Curator of Public Programmes – 28 July
The Assistant Curator of Public Programmes is a key public facing role for Artes Mundi’s audiences and an important position connecting with the Public Programme team. This post is designed to assist with logistical planning, content development and creative delivery for the AM11 Public Programme of events, talks, tours and workshops.
The Assistant Curator in Public Programmes post will be a freelance position, with a fee of £25,500 which equates to £250 per day, 3 days per week for 34 weeks. To be paid in monthly instalments by invoice.
Typical working hours are 9.30am-5.30pm. The post holder will be asked to deliver and undertake work on some evenings and weekends. Appropriate notice will be given. This post involves working with children and vulnerable adults.Assistant Curator of Public Programmes | Arts Council of Wales
Hijinx Theatre: Coordinator: Creative Engagement + Street Theatre – 3 August
Are you someone who brings both creative spark and calm organisation to your work? Are you excited by theatre that happens outdoors, in community spaces, and in ways that welcome everyone?
This is an entry-level role, ideal for someone starting out in producing or arts coordination, with support and learning built in. You’ll be part of a small, collaborative team delivering street theatre and participatory projects that features artists with learning disabilities and/or autism.
- Contract: Permanent role (6 months’ probation)
- Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours / week). Some evening/weekend and travelling is expected, with TOIL offered.
- Based at: Hijinx Office, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay – hybrid working available
- Salary: £25,000 per year
Coordinator: Creative Engagement + Street Theatre (CrEST) | Arts Council of Wales
Call-outs
Black Bee Call for Submissions – Rolling
Black Bee Books is currently open for submissions from under-represented voices in Wales. As a new publishing house based in West Wales, the company want to be reflective of a wide variety of experiences and are actively seeking those who are under-served by the industry.
They are looking to publish both adult and young adult fiction and non-fiction, but not children’s books.
For submission guidelines please see: www.blackbeebooks.wales/contact
Hack Publishing – Rolling
Hack Publishing are looking for 10 writers to join us an exciting project that will explore work now and imagine working culture in the future. This will be a collection of essays with 10 different perspectives, although writers are encouraged to experiment with genre.
In addition, they are also looking for writers to contribute to their upcoming magazine. The first issue’s theme is: resilience. Writers can submit any genre of up to 3,500 words. It is a chance for new writers to see their work published alongside one another.
Find the full details on their website.
Folding Rock – Rolling
Folding Rock is always on the hunt for the best new creative fiction and non-fiction in, from and connected to Wales. We accept work by writers at any stage and age, and we pay for every piece we publish. Submissions are always open but specific themed call-outs for each issue will be made three times a year. We also take pitches for translations, visual essays and multi-media work – check out our website for more details: https://foldingrock.com/submit-your-work/
If you’re an author or publisher with a book out that’s connected to Wales, tell us about it here: https://foldingrock.com/tell-us-about-a-book/
UK Young Academy – 23 July (3.00pm)
The UK Young Academy is an interdisciplinary network of early-career professionals and researchers from across the UK, dedicated to tackling pressing global and local challenges through collaboration, innovation, and leadership. Membership provides access to a dynamic community from diverse sectors, offering networks, leadership opportunities, and professional development to influence policy, lead projects, and drive positive societal change.
Who it’s for: The UK’s best early-career individuals (typically with 3–12 years’ experience) living in the UK who have demonstrated excellence in their respective field and a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and a passion for social impact. We’re particularly interested in getting the call out to those researching and working within the arts and humanities. Learn more here.
More info / apply: https://ukyoungacademy.org/membership/applying/
BookTrust Wales: Big Welsh Rhyme Time Commissions 2026 – 5 September (12pm)
BookTrust Wales are inviting authors, poets, writers, musicians, performers and children’s storytellers to help create some special new content for Big Welsh Rhyme Time 2026.
They are offering up to three commissions of £600 each. Big Welsh Rhyme Time will take place 2nd – 6th February 2026.
This year’s key message will be ‘Rhyming Fun for Everyone’. With this in mind, they are looking for different voices from Wales to help us create fun and engaging content that will encourage children to share and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs during Big Welsh Rhyme Time and beyond.
You can find out more and learn how to submit a proposal here: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/cy-gb/about-us/work-with-us
Competitions
Eisteddfodau Cymru – Ongoing
There are several literary competitions held by various Eisteddfod events across Wales annually.
All the closing dates can be found here. For further information, visit the Cymdeithas Eisteddfodau Cymru website.
The Stephen Spender Prize – 31 July
The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual competition for poetry in translation that celebrates the creativity of young people across the UK and Ireland – and their teachers! The Prize has categories for schools, teachers and individual young people, which welcome translations from all languages, as well as a special ‘Spotlight‘ strand that each year focuses on a different widely spoken language.
For 2025, the rules are simple: translate into English any poem from any language, or a Portuguese poem from the Spotlight booklet, and produce an accompanying creative response . . . for your chance to join the Stephen Spender Prize hall of eternal fame!
Teachers can now register here to involve their students, and more guidance can be found on our Guide for Teachers page. All those who register will receive regular resources to help them to integrate creative translation into their teaching. Stephen Spender Prize – Stephen Spender Trust
Amazon’s £20,000 Kindle Storyteller Award – 31 August
Entries for Amazon’s Kindle Storyteller Award are open now for 2025. Self-published authors both new and established in any genre can win a £20,000 prize fund.
The Kindle Storyteller Award is a literary award celebrating the best of self-published storytelling, championing independent writers across any genre, both new and established, with the winner receiving a £20,000 prize fund.
Previous winners have included Stateside by JD Kirk and King Of War by Peter Gibbons. Since winning the award in 2024, JD Kirk has gone on to write his first psychological thriller, which is due to be released later this year.
The competition is open to authors aged 18 or over writing in English in any genre, who publish their work through Kindle Direct Publishing between 1st May and 31st August. How to enter Amazon’s Kindle Storyteller Award
National Poetry Competition 2025 – 31 October
The 2025 National Poetry Competition is now open for entries!
This year’s judges are Denise Saul, Ian Duhig and Susannah Dickey. The National Poetry Competition is one of the world’s biggest prizes for a single poem, and all entries are judged via an anonymised process, so put your best poem forward! National Poetry Competition – from The Poetry Society
Next Generation Story Awards – February 26 2026
A not-for-profit awards program open to authors writing short stories worldwide is now accepting entries written in English.
Enter by February 26, 2026 to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to have your short story considered for cash prizes, awards, exposure, and recognition as one of the top short stories written this year! Next Generation Short Story Awards – Welcome