What you need to know

Terms and Conditions

• Submission is open to writers in the age categories of 11 to 13, 14 to 17, 18 to 25 or 26+, who live, work or study in Buckinghamshire (including Milton Keynes), Bedfordshire or Northamptonshire.

• All entries must be written in English. Work should be original and not previously published. You may not use AI in any way in the creation of your submission(s) and work will be checked to ensure it is original and no AI has been utilised.

• Entries must connect in some way to one or both of the themes, which you are free to interpret as creatively as you wish.

• Creative pieces must be no more than 500 words. There is no minimum word limit. Each author can submit one entry.

• Poems must be no more than 40 lines (blank lines between stanzas do not count).

• Entries should be submitted in Microsoft Word, or as RTF or Plain Text files or pdf.

• All work should be typed in Arial size 12 font and should include a word count.

• Writers should not include their name on any part of the file as entries will be judged anonymously.

• Sixteen winners will be selected, 4 in each category, and their entries will be published, one a day, during the 16 Days of Activism.

• A £30 centre:mk Voucher for 4 winners in each category.

• An additional £30 centre:mk Voucher for one overall winner.

• We aim to select the best submissions for their writers (or an actor) to read at an on 25 November 2026, and to publish in a downloadable ebook (PDF format). Writers may be invited to participate in other events and perform their work. Your work can be performed by a reader on your behalf if you're not comfortable reading it yourself. 

• Applicants who attend events related to the competition and who are under 18, must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

• Please do not submit material that would not receive a cinematic rating of 15 or less (i.e. no 18 / R-rated submissions).

• Deadline for submissions Wednesday 7 October.

• Winners will be notified before 4 November.

• Judges cannot correspond with entrants or give feedback on submissions. 

If you are unable to use Googleforms, please contact us for assistance with your submission at: voicesofwomenmk@gmail.com 

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