Edinburgh Short Story Award Guidelines:

OPEN FOR ENTRIES: 1 October 2024

CLOSING DATE: 28 February 2025 at 23.59 UK Time

WORD LIMIT: 2000 words (not including the title)

On 10 August 2025, all candidates will be contacted to let them know if they have made it to the short list. Winners are announced at the Edinburgh Writing Awards Dinner on Saturday 27 September 2025.  The announcement of the winner will be carried on our website, via Facebook, Instagram, through our newsletters and on YouTube. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Prizes

First Prize – £3,000 

Second Prize – £500 

Third Prize – £250

THE ISOBEL LODGE AWARD: £750 – for unpublished writers in Scotland

WRITE MANGO AWARD: £300 – for the most amusing, bizarre story entered in the competition - writers worldwide

FIRST WRITE AWARD £300 – for unpublished writers worldwide

Five Commendations awarded £100 each

Publication is offered to authors of the top twenty stories in The Edinburgh Anthology, published annually.

The Scottish Arts Club will present one year free membership to the Club to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed winners and Isobel Lodge winners.

At least five Mango Stories will be longlisted for the award, and offered publication in the anthology. The First Write winner will be published in the anthology.

Eligibility

• The Edinburgh Short Story Award is open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished, who are over 16 years. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Stories must also be for adult readers.
• Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.
• Simultaneous submission is permitted. Should your short story win a prize or be published elsewhere, please let us know so that we may remove your entry from the current Award.
• No refunds are issued. No amendments or changes are permitted to entries after they have been submitted.

Format

• Maximum length is 2,000 words. The title does not count as part of the 2000 word limit.
• Entries should be typed in a plain legible font.
• Entries will be read and judged anonymously. Do not put your name, address, email, telephone number or any personal identifying information on any page of your document or in the file name.
• Acceptable file types are doc, docx, and pdf. No other format is accepted.

Submitting

• We do not accept postal entries.
• No corrections or alterations can be made after entries have been received. If you want to change the story you will have to submit a new entry.
• Entry is open from 1 October 2024 and close 28 February 2025 (11.59pm UK time).
• You may submit as many entries as you wish.
• All entries will be acknowledged.

Payment and Free Entry

• The entry fee is £11 per story.
• The competition is administered through the Scottish Arts Trust, a registered charity in Scotland. All proceeds are used to support the arts in Scotland.
• Applications for free entry through our bursary scheme are open from 18 September to 10 December 2024. Learn more here

Feedback

• For an additional fee of £15, writers may request feedback on their submissions. This will consist of one page of reaction to the story and advice on how the story could be strengthened. These responses are prepared by our experienced readers. 
• Feedback requests will be acknowledged. Response to stories will be provided by 10 August 2025, after the longlisted and shortlisted stories have been announced.
• We are unable to engage in further discussion of the story after feedback has been provided. 

Copyright

• The author will retain copyright to their story.
• All authors will be asked for permission before any work is published on our website or in the anthology. We expect all prize-winning and commended authors to agree to publication.
• All stories submitted must be entirely the author’s own work, and not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party and not be defamatory of any living person or corporate body.
• Entries must be in the entrant’s own name/names, not pseudonymous (if successful, you can request use of an alternative name in the anthology and online).
• We do not accept stories that have been created using AI.

General

• Entry constitutes acceptance of all Edinburgh Short Story Award Rules, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policies.
• Entries that fail to comply with rules, terms and conditions, privacy policies and requirements will be disqualified.
• No correspondence can be entered into. Judges’ decisions are final.  

Tips on Using Submittable:

• You can save a draft of your entry form if you would like to finish it later.
• Submittable works on Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported. 
• We will follow up with you about your submission by email. Please check your Spam folder if you do not hear from us after submitting your entry.

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.

You can begin your submission by scrolling to the bottom of this page once you have read the guidelines.

Scottish Landscape Awards 2025 Guidelines:

Any questions about the rules please contact Claire Rocha at claire@scottishartstrust.org by Tuesday 28 January. We cannot guarantee that queries received after that date will get a response due to pressure caused by increasing number of entries.

Open for Entries: 10 October 2024

Closing Date: 24 February 2025 at 23.59 UK Time

Results: All entrants will learn the result of their application to the Scottish Landscape Award by 1 April 2025.  

Shortlisted Artists: Immediate action Artists whose work is selected for the exhibition at the Kirkcudbright Galleries will be asked to provide by 12 April 2025 (a) a hi-res image of their work for the catalogue and (b) a statement about the work and their practice as an artist for the catalogue (maximum 80 words).

Scottish Landscape Awards 2025 Exhibition: The Scottish Landscape Awards exhibition will be held at Kirkcudbright Galleries from 5 July 2025 to 28 September 2025 occupying the gallery and mezzanine. Artists will have the option of delivering their work to a location in Edinburgh or directly to Kirkcudbright. 

Awards Announcement and Preview: Winners will be announced at the preview of the Scottish Landscape Awards on Friday 4 July 2025 starting at 3pm. All exhibiting artists will be invited to the preview. Buses will be available from Edinburgh and Glasgow to help transport exhibiting artists to and from the preview/awards event.

The announcement of the award winners will be sent to press and media outlets and carried on our website, via Facebook, Instagram, through our newsletters and on YouTube. 

Sign up for our newsletter here.

Prizes

• First Prize – £10,000 – The Lapeca Scottish Landscape Award – Donated by the Howell family. For works in any medium.
• Second Prize – £5,000 – Donated by the Robert Haldane Smith Foundation. For works in any medium.
• Third Prize – £1,000 – Donated by Joyce Goodwin. For works in any medium.
• The Scottish Landscape Award for Environmental Art – £3,000 –For works in any medium.
• Young Landscape Artist (16-25 years) – £1,000 – Donated by Irene Adams OBE. For works in any medium.
   

HOW TO APPLY

Eligibility

• Open to anyone over 16 years on 1 July 2025, born, living or studying in Scotland. Work may be submitted by an individual artist, by a collective or a collaboration of artists as long as all are over 16 years on 1 July 2025 and born, living or studying in Scotland.
• To qualify for the Young Landscape Artist award, the artist or all artists in the collective or collaboration must be under 25 years on 1 July 2025.
• Work must have been completed after 1 January 2020.
• Works that have been previously exhibited in a major public or leading commercial gallery in Scotland should not be entered. All other exhibitions within Scotland and in major galleries outside Scotland are accepted. 
• Work may also be submitted that has been released through electronic/social media/YouTube/Vimeo or through a website.
• No amendments or changes are permitted to entries after they have been submitted. If artists want to change their entry they will need to re-submit.
• Artists may withdraw their work from the competition at any time. No refunds are issued.

Payment and Free Entry

• The entry fee is £12 per artwork.
• The competition is administered through the Scottish Arts Trust, a registered charity in Scotland. All proceeds are used to support the arts in Scotland.
• Free entry is available for a limited number of talented under-represented artists through the Scottish Arts Trust Bursary Fund. Bursaries may be awarded to artists affected by low household income; any form of discrimination disabilities or any other barrier that may affect entry to our awards. Artists who receive a bursary and are selected for the exhibition will also receive support for the professional framing or presentation of their work and associated delivery and travel costs. Bursary applications must be submitted by 10 November 2024.  Apply here: https://www.scottishartstrust.org/bursary-application

Medium and style

• Submissions may be in any medium in 2D and 3D formats, film and animation. This includes but is not limited to painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, animation, textiles, jewellery, photography, installation, video, performance, audio/sound, multi-media and virtual reality landscapes – and more.
• Artists should indicate the medium of the work on the entry form.
• Works may be in any style: maginary, surreal, abstract, documentary, ecological, realistic – anything is possible as long as the work carries a sense of place or context. 
• Submissions may reflect all dimensions of natural, synthetic or imaginary environments – rural, urban, industrial, suburban, forest, mountain and seascapes, interior/exterior, minute/enlarged, extra-terrestrial and more.

Submissions 

• Entry is open from 10 October 2024 and close 24 February 2025 (11.59pm UK time).
• You may submit as many entries as you wish.
• Acceptable file types are jpegs, MP3, MP4, .MOV, and pdf. No other format is accepted.
• Artwork images uploaded with the entry form should be jpeg or png and no larger than 5mb. 
• Artists may submit up to three images per work amd may include a PDF with further information on the work. 

Restrictions and Dimensions

• 2D works (any medium) should be no larger than 160 cm height x 200 cm wide, or 200 cm x height x 160 wide (framed dimensions). Artwork images should be jpeg or png and no larger than 5mb. Submit up to 3 images. A pdf providing more information may also be submitted.
• Triptychs/Diptychs: A diptych or triptych may include individual components up to 160 x 160 cm each. All elements in a diptych/triptych must be included on one entry form. A pdf providing more information may also be submitted.
• 3D works (any medium) should be no larger than 160 x 160 x 90 cm. For complex works, artists may need to be available to advise on installation. 
• Film / Video / Animation: Ideally these should be no longer than 30 minutes. Longer works may also be submitted. Files up to 400mb may be uploaded. Films may also be submitted via a link to a file sharing platform like DropBox, Vimeo or YouTube. 
• Installation:  The gallery has limited capacity for hanging materials from the ceiling.  Space is also limited for installations. We suggest these should occupy a space no larger than 1m square. Please note that artists are responsible for installing the work and must supply all equipment used.
• Virtual Reality: We will contact you if you have a submitted a virtual reality work to arrange viewing by one or more judges. Please note that artists must supply all equipment used.
• Cabinet pieces: (any medium) Cabinet submissions should be no larger than 30 cm on the longest side and no taller than 5 cm. Artwork images may be jpeg and no larger than 3MB.
• .Audio/ Sound-Scapes: Audio submissions may be 30 seconds to 5 minutes. You may upload an MP3 file (up to 400mb) or submit via a link to SoundCloud or other audio platform.
• Performance and Participatory: Regrettably, the gallery does not have a dedicated performance space. There is no budget to support peformance artists’ travel or accommodation in Kircudbright.

Pricing

• Works may be for sale or not for sale. 
• Artists submitting work from overseas will not be permitted to sell their work through the gallery.
• For insurance purposes all works, including those that are not for sale, must have a value assigned. Artists selected for the exhibition will be asked to supply this value.

Communications

• Communication will be by email. Applicants will contacted directly by phone or email by a member of the Scottish Arts Trust team to inform them of their selection for the exhibition. 
• Artists whom the Scottish Arts Trust team are unable to contact directly may have their work withdrawn from the exhibition. Please ensure the contact details provided on the entry form are accurate and that you will be reachable on 1 April 2025.

Selection

• The Judges will select the works for the exhibition. The Judges will consider all correctly completed submissions. The decision of the Judges on all matters is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• Selection of certain works may be made with conditions and suggestions by the curatorial committee and may require a site visit and/or further discussion. If this is the case, the Scottish Arts Trust will contact you directly.

Insurance

• Artists selected for the exhibition will be asked to provide the value of their work and must provide this information three weeks before the work enters the gallery building. We reserve the right to query an insurance value if it seems inappropriate.
• Responsibility for damage or loss, however and whenever caused, is the responsibility of the artist. Artists are therefore advised to arrange adequate insurance cover against such risks. The sponsors, the carriers, storage facility, the judging venue, the touring venues, any other subcontractor or the Scottish Arts Trust shall not be liable for any loss or damage, whether or not caused by their negligence. We will do our best to ensure all works are protected. 
• Kirkcudbright Galleries undertakes a condition check of every work upon delivery. Artists will be notified immediately in the event of any damage to the loan. Dusting and light cleaning will be carried out as appropriate, but repairs, restoration or extensive cleaning of the loan will not be undertaken without the prior written permission of the lender. Works are checked again at the end of the exhibition.

Presentation, framing, plinths

• Standard: The artist must ensure a high standard of presentation of works. Works with wet paint will not be accepted; the artist is liable for the cost of any damage caused to other works by such items.
• Hanging: 2D works should be fitted with mirror plates fixed at the centre point of the frame of each side of the work. Anything heavy or over 1m square, should have an additional mirror plate in the middle of the bottom edge. Plates may be turned in for delivery. 
• Plinths: Artists should provide their own floor-standing plinths or display equipment at the time of delivery. Plinths should be labelled with the artists name and phone number.
• Equipment: All display equipment must arrive in good condition and ready for use. No painting is permitted within the gallery. Any specialist display and hanging mechanisms must be clearly outlined in the submission proposal and any extra costs incurred should be covered by the artist. Artists must supply their own electronic equipment if needed at the point of delivery. All electronic equipment must be in good working order and PAT-tested prior to handing in. All equipment must be labelled with the artist’s name and contact number.
• Screening equipment: The gallery will provide screening equipment for standard film, videos and animation that do not form part of an installation piece.

Promotion

• All works selected for exhibition may be photographed by the Scottish Arts Trust and used by the Trust and Kirkcudbright Galleries to promote the Scottish Landscape Awards. 
• Works featured in the exhibition may be photographed by the public for non-commercial purposes.

Scottish Landscape Awards Show: Artist Films

• All artists selected for the exhibition will be invited to submit a short film (up to 2 mins) about their work and practice as an artist. Up to 30 of the best films will be combined and released on YouTube. Other films may be released individually. Please note that films will not be selected or released if they have poor sound and poor visual qualities. 
• Paticipation in the Artist Films project is optional. Past experience shows that the Artist Films series by the Scottish Arts Trust reaches large audiences within and outside the UK.

Delivery and Collection

• Further details on delivery and collection of work will be provided.
• Works cannot be removed until the end of the exhibition. Access to collect works cannot be arranged outside the prescribed dates. 
• Any costs incurred in storing uncollected work will be passed on to the artist. The Scottish Arts Trust has the right to dispose of work that is not collected or when storage costs are not met. Artists are responsible for arranging and paying for the collection of their own work if delivered by a carrier. (Arrangements for bursary artists will be handled separately.)
• Artists applying from overseas, must consider how they will get their work to and from the exhibition at the required times. 
• Artists sending work from outside the UK are responsible for any customs and duty charges, declarations and other related documentation for the artwork both entering and leaving the UK, and for ensuring that work is received at the gallery by the specified time. The Scottish Arts Trust and Kirkcudbright Galleries are unable to pay import duty or related fees on any submitted work.

Agreement

By submitting to the exhibition you are deemed to accept and agree to the following:

• The decision of the Judges on all matters Is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• I understand that The Organisers (The Scottish Arts Trust) reserves the right to make such changes to the exhibition arrangements and these Terms & Conditions as may be deemed necessary by circumstances.
• I authorise The Organisers (The Scottish Arts Trust) to process, store, and utilise the data in my submission and agree that, if selected for exhibition, images of my work can be freely used by The Organisers (The Scottish Arts Trust), The Gallery (Kirkcudbright Galleries) and associated organisations for promotional and publicity purposes.
• All information provided is true and accurate and that the work submitted is wholly of my own creation. You have read and understood these terms and conditions and by submitting this application and you accept and agree to observe all the Terms and Conditions therein.

Data Protection

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, the Scottish Arts Trust and Kirkcudbright Galleries will use the information given by entrants for Scottish Landscape Awards purposes only.

By agreeing to the terms of the Scottish Landscape Awards, you consent for us to process the information you have given. It will not be shared with any other party.

As a data provider, you have certain rights regarding your data:

• To obtain access to, and copies of, the personal data that we hold about you
• To require us to correct any inaccurate personal data we hold about you
• To require us to restrict our processing of your personal data
• To object to us processing your personal data
• To object to receiving marketing communications from us
• To withdraw your consent to processing of your personal data
• To require us to erase your personal data ('right to be forgotten')
• To obtain from us the personal data which you have provided, in order to transmit it to another organisation ('data portability')

Please note that the above rights are not absolute, and we may be entitled to refuse requests where exceptions apply. You have the right to refer your concerns or queries to the supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office.

General

• Entry constitutes acceptance of all Scottish Landscape Awards Rules, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policies.
• Entries that fail to comply with rules, terms and conditions, privacy policies and requirements will be disqualified.
• No correspondence can be entered into. Judges’ decisions are final.

Tips on Using Submittable:

• You can save a draft of your entry form if you would like to finish it later.
• Submittable works on Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.

Edinburgh Essay Award Guidelines:

OPEN FOR ENTRIES: 1 October 2024

CLOSING DATE: 28 February 2025 at 23.59 UK Time

WORD LIMIT: 2,000 words (not including the title or captions for images or graphics.

By 10 August 2025 all candidates will be contacted to let them know if they have made it to the short list. 

Prizewinners will be announced during the Edinburgh Awards Dinner to be held at the Scottish Arts Club in Edinburgh on Saturday 27 September 2025. 

The announcement of the winner will be announced on our website, via Facebook, Instagram, and through our newsletters. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Prizes

• FIRST PRIZE – £1,000 plus one year free membership of the Scottish Arts Club
• SECOND PRIZE – £500
• THIRD PRIZE – £250
• At least 15 authors of shortlisted essays will be offered publication in The Edinburgh Essays. All participating authors will receive a free copy of the publication. All funds raised from sales will help to support the Edinburgh Essay Award. 

Eligibility

• The Edinburgh Essay Award is open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished, who are over 16 years. Essays can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. They must also be for adult readers.
• Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.
• Simultaneous submission is permitted. Should your essay win a prize or be published elsewhere, please let us know so that we may remove your entry from the current Award.
• No refunds are issued. If you wish to make changes to your essay you will need to re-enter with the revised version.

Format

• Maximum length is 2,000 words. The title and captions to images or graphics do not count as part of the 2,000 word limit. Footnotes are not permitted.
• Entries should be typed in a plain legible font.
• Entries will be read and judged anonymously. Do not put your name, address, email, telephone number or any personal identifying information on any page of your document..
• Acceptable file types are doc, docx, and pdf. No other format is accepted. Images or graphics must be embedded within the essay and submitted as a PDF file.

Submitting

• We do not accept postal entries.
• No corrections or alterations can be made after entries have been received. If you want to change the story you will have to submit a new entry.
• Entry is open from 1 October 2024 to 28 February 2025 (11.59pm UK time).
• You may submit as many entries as you wish.
• All entries will be acknowledged.

Payment and Free Entry

• The entry fee is £10 per essay.
• The competition is administered through the Scottish Arts Trust, a registered charity in Scotland. All proceeds are used to support the arts in Scotland.
• Applications for free entry through our bursary scheme are open from 20 September to 10 December 2024. Learn more here

Copyright

• The author will retain copyright to their story.
• All authors will be asked for permission before any work is published on our website or in the anthology. We expect all prize-winning and commended authors to agree to publication.
• All essays submitted must be entirely the author’s own work, and not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party and not be defamatory of any living person or corporate body.
• Entries must be in the entrant’s own name/names, not pseudonymous (if successful, you can request use of an alternative name in the anthology and online).
• We do not accept essays that have been created using AI.

General

• Entry constitutes acceptance of all Edinburgh Essay Award Rules, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policies.
• Entries that fail to comply with rules, terms and conditions, privacy policies and requirements will be disqualified.
• No correspondence can be entered into. Judges’ decisions are final.
   

Tips on Using Submittable:

• You can save a draft of your entry form if you would like to finish it later.
• Submittable works on Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported. 
• We will follow up with you about your submission by email. Please check your Spam folder if you do not hear from us after submitting your entry.

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.

Edinburgh Young Adult Fiction Prize Guidelines:

OPEN FOR ENTRIES: 1 October 2024

CLOSING DATE: 28 February 2025 at 23.59 UK Time

WORD LIMIT: Writers initially submit up to 5,000 words of a novel or 6-8 pages of a graphic novel plus 300 word synopsis. At no stage are applicants asked to submit a complete novel/graphic novel.

The longlist will be revealed on 8 May 2025 and the shortlist on 16 June 2025. See Submission process below for details of additional material to be submitted by longlisted and shortlisted authors. Winners will be informed of the results via a Zoom call scheduled for the convenience of the authors, by 27 September 2025. The announcement of the winner will be carried on our website, via Facebook, Instagram, through our newsletters and on YouTube. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Prizes

• FIRST PRIZE – £1,500
• SECOND PRIZE – £500
• THIRD PRIZE – £250
• Two Commendations awarded £100 each.

Eligibility

• All entrants must be over 16 years. They may live anywhere and may be published or unpublished.
• Collaborative works involving more than one author are eligible.
• Writers/illustrators submitting work must not be under current contract to an agent.
• Submitted work should not have been published anywhere. Work that has been excerpted on a website is acceptable.
• Self-published or previously published works are not eligible.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted but anything that subsequently becomes long-or short-listed for another competition should be withdrawn.
• Work that has previously placed in another competition or been published as a result of another competition is not eligible.
• Submissions must be the entrant's own original work. A submission must not, in whole or in part, be generated using artificial intelligence e.g. ChatGPT.
• If a submission is made in breach of the above paragraph, the entrant will be liable (1) to repay any prize money or benefits given to them; and (2) for all losses, costs and expenses which the Edinburgh Young Adult Fiction Prize incurs arising out of or in connection with such breach, including loss of reputation, wasted expenditure and loss of profit.

Submission Process

• Entrants will submit 5,000 words or 6 to 8 pages of a graphic work, plus a 300-word synopsis.
• Acceptable file types are doc, docx, and pdf. No other format is accepted. For very large graphic files, authors may provide a link to  the file on Dropbox or similar.
• At no stage are writers asked to submit a complete novel.
• You may submit as many entries as you wish.
• All entries will be acknowledged.
• The longlist will be revealed on 30 May 2025. 
• Fifteen authors selected for the longlist will be asked to submit 15,000 words or 12 to 16 pages of a graphic work. This should include the pages already submitted plus a 300-word synopsis.
• The shortlist will be revealed on 5 July 2025. 
• Five works will be shortlisted. Authors will be asked to submit 30,000 words or a script/outline for the first 50 pages of a graphic novel.
• Winners will be announced by Saturday 27 September 2025.

Important

• We do not accept postal entries.
• No corrections or alterations can be made after entries have been received. If you want to make edits to your submission you will have to submit a new entry.

Payment and Free Entry

• The entry fee is £15 per work.
• Applications for free entry through our bursary scheme are open from 1 October to 10 December 2024. Learn more here.
• The competition is administered through the Scottish Arts Trust, a registered charity in Scotland. All proceeds are used to support the arts in Scotland.

Copyright

• The author will retain copyright of their work
• All authors will be asked for permission before any work is published on our website or in our anthology.
• All stories submitted must be entirely the author’s own work, and not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party and not be defamatory of any living person or corporate body.

General

• Entry constitutes acceptance of all Edinburgh Young Adult Fiction Prize Rules, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policies.
• Entries that fail to comply with rules, terms and conditions, privacy policies and requirements will be disqualified.
• No correspondence can be entered into. Judges’ decisions are final.
   

Tips on Using Submittable:

• You can save a draft of your entry form if you would like to finish it later.
• Submittable works on Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported. 
• We will follow up with you about your submission by email. Please check your Spam folder if you do not hear from us after submitting your entry.

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.