Entries are now open for the 2026 Laurie Lee Prize for Writing, presented by Stroud Book Festival.
Free to enter, the Laurie Lee Prize for Writing was created in 2022 to acknowledge and honour the work of Stroud’s most famous son, Laurie Lee (1914-1997). It was established under the umbrella of Stroud Book Festival with the blessing of Laurie Lee’s family and his literary estate. The 2025 winners were Belinda Rimmer and Jasper Sones.
The Prize is open to unpublished writers currently resident in Gloucestershire, and to those who were born in the county. The criteria also permit entries from anyone studying (at school or university) or working in Gloucestershire.
The theme for this year’s Prize is BEGINNINGS, and submitted writing on that theme can be fiction, non-fiction or poetry.
Two prizes will be awarded. The first to a writer aged 21 or over who will receive prize money of £1000. The second will go to a writer aged between 16-20 years (1st place: £500, 2nd place: £300, 3rd place: £200).
The closing dates for entries for both awards is Wednesday 15th July, with the shortlists for each prize announced at the end of September. The 2026 winners will be announced at a celebratory Laurie Lee Prize event at Stroud Book Festival (4-8 November).
The 2026 judges are Katie Fforde (chair); Jessy Lee (Laurie Lee’s daughter); Norah Perkins (Laurie Lee’s literary agent); Gloucestershire writers, Jamila Gavin, Adam Horovitz, Jane Bailey; and this year’s guest judge, award-winning scriptwriter Maurice Gran.
Please visit the Stroud Book Festival website for full details of eligibility criteria and how to enter: HERE
