Mslexia Memoir Competition

Drum roll please…the brand new Mslexia Women’s Memoir Competition is now open for entries.

The only competition of its type in the UK, this year we’re looking for memoirs of at least 50,000 words of prose that narrate actual events in the writer’s own life. Said writer must not have had a memoir published, but can be previously published in other genres. It’s a crime to let wonderful life stories go untold, so if your writing fits the bill get those fingers typing, you only have until 22 September to submit your entry.

The first prize is a massive £5,000, and the acclaimed judging panel is comprised of memoirist and novelist Julie Myerson, literary agent Jenny Brown and Guardian Women’s Editor Jane Martinson.

Being placed in the competition is a great way to get a foot onto the publishing ladder. As well as the substantial monetary prize, we’ve again joined forces with The Literary Consultancy, who will provide free professional feedback for five finalists – who will also be invited to meet literary agents and editors at a special networking event in London.

The winning novel of our 2011 Women’s Novel Competition, The Palace of Curiosities by Rosie Garland, was published by HarperCollins, and Lu Hersey’s Deep Water – the winning entry in our 2012 Children’s Novel Competition – has recently secured a publishing deal. Winning a Mslexia competition guarantees your work will be noticed. Even if you’ve never attempted memoir before, life writing is an incredibly creative – and often cathartic – genre to dive into; let our competition be the incentive you need to start telling your own story.

Please visit our website for full details of how to enter and specially-commissioned memoir writing workshops.