Deadline: Sunday 9 August 2026, 11.59pm

The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival’s 2026 Writing Competition is open to anyone based in Scotland.

Entries can be fiction, poetry or creative non-fiction, as long as they are inspired by mental health and this year's Festival theme, 'Reflections'.

You can interpret the theme in any way you choose – the limit is your imagination. There are three categories and you can submit one piece in each category:

• Fiction: Short fiction pieces, including short stories, between 500 and 2000 words.
• Poetry: Poems, up to 40 lines.
• Creative Non-Fiction: Creative writing with a factual basis, between 500 and 2000 words. Examples can include journaling, autobiographical writing, personal essays, letters and creative journalism.

There will also be a new prize for a young writer:

• Young Writer Prize: Writers aged 16 to 25 may also be considered for a new young writer prize with entries in any of the above categories.

Find out more and enter