Winter’s Tale Short Story Competition

Northern Broadsides and Arvon invite writers from across the North of England to submit a winter’s tale (between 2,000 – 3,000 words). The author of the winning story will receive a prize of £750 and it will be recorded by actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, distributed via the Northern Broadsides and Arvon websites and podcast platforms from 11 February – 20 March 2026. Two runners up will receive prizes of £250 and £100 and an Arvon online masterclass.

Your story will be read by Julie Hesmondhalgh

Theatre includes: Punch (Apollo Theatre); An Oak Tree (Young Vic); Punch (Nottingham Playhouse/Young Vic); White Rabbit Red Rabbit (Soho Place); Blue Now (Factory International); The Jungle (St Ann’s Warehouse, New York); The Greatest Play in the History of the World (Trafalgar Studios/National Tour); The Report with Lemn Sissay (Royal Court); Mother Courage and Her Children, The Almighty Sometimes, Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster, Blindsided (Royal Exchange, Manchester); Wit (Royal Exchange, Manchester – winner of Best Female Performer 2017 MTAs); There Are No Beginnings (Leeds Playhouse); God Bless the Child (Royal Court).

Film & Television includes: Alma’s Not Normal, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, You & Me, The Pact, The A Word, The Trouble with Maggie Cole, Dr Who, Catastrophe, Broadchurch (BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress), Happy Valley, Black Roses (Royal Television Society Best Actress 2014), Moving On, Inside No 9, Cucumber, Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street 1998-2014 (National TV Award 2014, Royal Television Society Award 2013).

Julie is a regular voice on BBC Radio 4.

Writing: An Actor’s Alphabet (NHB); A Working Diary (Methuen); These I Love, a one woman show.

Julie co-runs Take Back theatre company in Manchester and the fundraising group, 500 Acts of Kindness. She is a supporter of Arts Emergency.

Creative prompt for the Winter’s Tale Short Story Competition:

Your story should respond to the prompt “winter warmer”

Details:

• Submission deadline: Monday 5 January 2026
• There is one prize available of £750, and the winning piece will be produced as an original podcast and posted on the Northern Broadsides and Arvon websites from 11 February – 20 March 2026.
• The first runner up will receive £250, a written version of their story published on the Northern Broadsides and Arvon websites, and a free Arvon at Home masterclass
• The second runner up will receive £100, a written version of their story published on the Northern Broadsides and Arvon websites, and a free Arvon at Home masterclass
• Eligibility: Open to writers living in the North of England
• Story requirements:
  • Between 2,000 – 3,000 words
  • Original work
  • Must be appropriate for a general audience and suitable for the podcast format
  • Must be an unpublished story, having not appeared in print or online.

How to enter:

• Submit your story as a PDF via email to info@northern-broadsides.co.uk – in your email, please include a brief bio including any relevant writing experience, and your location
• All stories are judged anonymously and therefore the writer’s name must not appear on the PDF
• Complete our anonymous Equality and Diversity Monitoring form: https://forms.gle/1KA5imGsyqtysSyJ9

Judging process:

• All submissions will be read by a panel of readers
• Submissions will be judged on literary merit, originality and response to the brief
• Final decisions will be made by Laurie Sansom (Northern Broadsides Artistic Director) and Helen Meller (Arvon Co-Director) whose decision is final
• Once selected, the winner and runners up will be contacted by email

Terms and conditions:

• Copyright will remain with the writer. However, by entering the competition, the writer grants Northern Broadsides and Arvon the right to record and distribute the winning story and post the runners-up stories on their websites
• Submission of a written piece implies the author’s acceptance of the rules and conditions
• There is no restriction on theme or style but writers should respond to the prompt
• There is no fee to enter

This is a chance to showcase your writing to a wide audience and bring your winter tale to life. Good luck, and we can’t wait to read your stories!