Philip Hoare Competition

1. Dates: The Philip Hoare Prize is open for entries from 22 May 2025 (14:00 BST). The deadline for receipt of entries is 31 July 2025 (23:59 BST).

2. Language: All entries must be in English.

3. Geographical restrictions: There are no geographical restrictions on entry: while the Prize is UK-based, all writers – within and outside the UK – are welcome to enter.

4. Length: The maximum length of submissions is 500 words, not including the title. There is no minimum length.

5. Non-fiction: Entries to the Prize should be previously unpublished prose non-fiction. There are no limits on subject matter. As non-fiction, the entries should be based on real people and events rather than fictionalised characters, situations or events.

6. Entry fee: For the competition’s first year, there is no entry fee.

7. Blind judging: Entries will be read and judged anonymously; entrants’ names and contact details should only appear on the accompanying email and not anywhere on their entries. The entries must be free of all personal information about the author. This includes age and address.

8. Entry format: Entries should be in a standard 12pt font and double-spaced, unless the form of the flash non-fiction demands otherwise. Entry is online-only, via email. The file format must be .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .txt. Entries sent to any other than the competition email address will be discarded.

9. Accompanying email: This should include Your full name, Your pen name (if different), Your age, Your ethnicity, Title of piece, Email address, and a 100 word Biography.

10. Multiple entries: Writers may enter as many pieces as they like; each separate piece requires a separate email.

11. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please withdraw your entry as soon as possible if the piece is accepted for publication elsewhere, in print or online (including self-published, e-book, magazines, journals, audio, websites, blogs, social network sites), or broadcast.

12. Age restriction: Entrants must be 18 years old or over on the closing date. There is no maximum age limit.

13. Corrections: No corrections or alterations can be made after receipt of an entry.

14. New work only: Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, in print or online (including self-published, e-book, magazines, journals, audio, websites, blogs, social network sites), or won a prize in another writing competition. Any entry found to have been plagiarised will be disqualified.

15. Judging process: Each entry will be read by at least two members of a diverse panel of experienced non-fiction readers from the University of Southampton. An anonymised shortlist, announced on 30 August 2025, will then be forwarded to the judges, Toby Litt, Carole Burns, Rebecca Smith, and Philip Hoare, who will select the winner, runner-up and third prize for a final announcement on 28 September 2025. The panel’s and Judges’ decisions are final and no individual correspondence will be entered into.

16. Prizes: £300 (or equivalent) for the first place writer; £100 for the runner-up; £50 for third place.

17. Publication: The winners of the main Prize, the runner-up and the third placed entry will be published in the University of Southampton’s annual Avenues Creative Writing anthology. Acceptance of any prize implies agreement for the relevant non-fiction to be published here and online. Authors will retain worldwide copyright on their work (including film, broadcast and dramatic rights), while the Philip Hoare Prize has first publication rights to publish the first, second and third prize pieces in the Avenues anthology.

18. Results: Entrants will not be contacted individually about the competition results unless they are selected for the shortlist.

19. Rules acceptance: Entry implies an acceptance of these rules. Entries that fail to comply with the entry rules and requirements may be disqualified. Judges cannot correspond with entrants or give feedback on submissions.

20. Artificial intelligence. Entries deemed to have been written by or using Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, and LLMs, will be disqualified. Artifical Intelligence may be used for research purposes.

21. Data protection. By entering the competition you will be providing University of Southampton’s School of Humanities with your email address. We will use this to contact entrants in regards to this competition.  We are committed to protecting your data and privacy. You can read more about what we do with your data in the University of Southampton’s privacy notice.