Brighton Independent Press Trans Voices Anthology Competition 2026
What is the Brighton Independent Press Trans Voices Anthology Competition 2026?
Welcome to the first ever Brighton Independent Press Trans Voices Anthology Competition. As you may know, we’re proudly queer owned and operated, and Trans Pride is a key event for us not only for our company, but for our team. This year, we decided to do something special and launch our first ever writing competition!
The Brighton Independent Press Trans Voices Anthology Competition aims to give trans writers an opportunity to have their stories told. We welcome stories in any genre, as long as they are from trans, intersex, non-binary, genderqueer or otherwise gender-diverse identifying authors. Your story does not necessarily have to feature trans characters or be about your experience as a trans or gender-diverse person. The main purpose of this competition is to offer trans people—who are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing industry—an opportunity to see their writing printed in a real book by an IPG member publisher (yes, it’s a big deal)!
Selected stories will be published in an anthology collection which will be sold by the Brighton Independent Press. The anthology title will be chosen using our favourite quote from the collection.
The submission window will run from June 10th (10/5/26) to July 30th (30/7/26) to coincide with Trans Pride Month. Authors selected for publication will be informed by the end of September (30/9/2026).
This competition will also be raising money for Trans Pride Brighton and Hove – the largest Trans Pride protest outside of the USA! Every year, Trans Pride Brighton and Hove creates a safe space for gender-diverse and trans people (and their allies) to have fun and celebrate whilst peacefully campaigning for rights for trans and gender-diverse people. In the past year alone, we’ve seen massive losses to the trans rights we have collectively fought so hard to earn. This year, more than ever, it is vital that we come together and show the world that the trans-community is here to stay. That we are people, and that we deserve to be heard.
We will be charging a £5 entry fee to submit to this competition—half of which will be donated to Trans Pride. The remaining half is to cover our costs, allowing us to run competitions like this and future competitions.
So, if you’re a trans or gender-diverse author with a story to tell, check out our rules and guidelines before submitting.
Rules and Guidelines
The word count for this competition is 1,500 words. We allow up to 10% over this limit as a grace, meaning you can still finish your sentence even if you’ve reached the word count. Stories that surpass the 10% limit cannot be published due to printing limitations and will not be read.
This competition, as well as all of Brighton Independent Press, is firmly opposed to the use of generative AI. By submitting your work, you declare that you have not used generative AI to create your work. Submissions written by generative AI will not be read.
This competition is open to submissions from any genre including but not limited to horror, romance, fantasy, adventure and sci-fi as well as crossover fiction that blends genres. This is an adult competition, as such, the only genre we will not be accepting is Young Adult (YA).
Entries are National, limited to the UK only – you must live in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) to enter.
Works are to be submitted in English. Terminology or phrases in other languages (such as Latin) are acceptable as long as English is the primary language used. Where necessary, you may choose to include a translation of non-English terminology in the footer text.
When submitting, please use your real name as we will need this for legal purposes. If you have a pen name, we will ask for this in the event that you are selected for publication.
Work submitted must be unpublished. If you are accepted for publication elsewhere during the judging period, please let us know so we can withdraw your submission from consideration.
We ask that we retain exclusive publishing rights for one year from the date of the competition close, meaning we will be the only people with the right to publish your work until 30/7/2027. After this date, we will continue to sell the anthology collection, but you are welcome to also submit your story to other publishers, magazines, online publications or to self-publish.
IMPORTANT: When submitting, please include the title of your work and any trigger warnings should you wish to include them. Do not include any identifying features such as your name, address, email, or age in the body of your text – answer these questions in the dedicated form.
Please submit your work in plain text format – no bold or italics.
NOTE: Our submission window requires you to copy and paste your work into a text box. This does not save. Please ensure you save your work on your device or on cloud and copy and paste your work into the submission window. If you exit the submission window before completing the checkout, you will have to start over and may lose your work.
Ready to Submit?
Click the button to go straight to our submissions portal or keep reading for some advice from our judges and to check out our FAQs.
Winner of the London Writer’s Award 2026 Prize; the Love Letters To London 2025 Writing Prize; and a 2024-2025 National Parks ‘New Perspectives’ storytelling grant, Felix C. Bill is a transgender author writing across magical realism, urban fantasy, and cosmic horror. His stories feature mundane situations interrupted by Eldritch beasts and fantastical quests where you can still use maps on your phone (at least until your glowing screen attracts the attention of something hungry). His work exists at the intersection of the ordinary and the unknowable – with a healthy helping of dry British humour.
What Felix is Looking For
I’m looking for moving character moments, worldbuilding that plays with the unexpected, and above all, dazzling prose. A good short story haunts readers long after they finish the last line. I want thrills, chills, and moments I’ll never forget, delivered with prose that sings on the page
Petrichor (or Petra as her friends call her) is the head of the Brighton Independent Press and has three novellas currently published, ranging from the swoonworthy sapphic summer romance of California Dreaming to the wild and dangerous tales of faeries found between the pages of The Nocturne’s Fables. You’ll recognise a Petrichor Moss book anywhere thanks to her signature style of flowing prose, viciously and lovingly woven together in ways that shatter the heart and linger in your mind long after the final page.
What Petra is Looking For
I’m looking for stories that have something to say and promise, and do so with grace. The kind of works that aim to ensure that no one feels lonely, scared and unheard; and wrap potent emotions in prose that feels almost like poetry.
One of our commissioning editors, Cait has been published across multiple mediums from prose to poetry and playwriting—including with the prestigious Hay Festival. With a post-graduate in screenwriting, Cait’s books and scripts always feature witty dialogue and characters you just can’t bear to leave behind. She’s presently focused on finishing a debut-worthy novel—which she keeps promising she’ll write eventually, just as soon as she can commit to an idea.
What Cait is Looking For
I’m looking for incredible characters that feel fleshed out and real. It’s a lot to ask for in 1,500 words, but even in a short story your characters should have a clear sense of wants, needs, and obstacles to overcome. It can be as big as saving the world or as simple as just wanting to get home after a long day at work, but everyone should desire something.
This competition, as well as all of Brighton Independent Press, is firmly opposed to the use of generative AI. By submitting your work, you declare that you have not used generative AI to create your work. Submissions written by generative AI will not be read.
Contest Submission Form
FAQs
When does the Trans Voices competition close?
The Trans Voices competition closes on the 30th of July 2026 at the end of Trans Pride Month. Be sure to mark it in your calendar!
When will the winners be announced?
We aim to announce the lucky authors selected for publication no later than the 30th of September 2026. We will contact the winners directly via email, so keep an eye on your inbox and make sure you check your spam folder. Winners will also be announced via our social media, blog, and newsletter. Be sure to sign up and follow so you don’t miss the announcement.
Do you accept international submissions?
Unfortunately, we are only accepting submissions from the UK (including England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) at present.
What is the fee for this competition?
The fee for entering this competition is £5—this covers our costs for running this contest, plus it allows us to make a donation to Trans Pride Brighton and Hove.
What if my story has been published elsewhere?
We’re seeking original, unpublished works. That means if your piece has been published already, we will not accept it for this competition—this includes self-publication. If you are a previously published author, we’re happy to hear from you, provided that the piece you’re submitting is previously unpublished. If your piece is accepted for publication elsewhere, please let us know so we can take you from the running.
Do I have to be a published writer or have writing experience to submit?
No, not at all! We’re debut friendly, that means we don’t care what your level of experience is. This could be your fifth book or your first time having a go at writing. We’re interested in finding people who can tell good stories, regardless of their experience.
Why is the word count so short? Don’t you accept longer pieces?
In order to give as many authors a chance to have their work published in this anthology, we’ve agreed to keep the word limit to 1,500 words (plus 10% grace). This also helps to keep our printing costs low and make sure we can continue to run competitions like this in future. So, please don’t send us your 40,000 word cosmic-horror novella here. Unfortunately, we just won’t be able to print it in this anthology. For longer pieces, see our submissions page—we’d love to read your manuscript there!
Do I have to be a trans author to submit to this competition?
This competition has been specifically designed to support trans intersex, non-binary, genderqueer or otherwise gender-diverse identifying authors who are traditionally underrepresented in publishing, giving them a vital career opportunity that they may not otherwise get due to barriers in the traditional publishing industry. We respectfully ask that you do not submit to this competition if you do not identify as one of the above categories. There will be plenty of other competitions throughout the year that are open to everyone, so you’ll have plenty of chances to send us your work then. Alternatively, our novella submissions are presently open for manuscripts up to 40,000 words.
Does my story need to have trans characters or talk about what it’s like to be trans?
No, not at all. The aim of this competition is to help those who are currently underrepresented in traditional publishing due to gender-diversity discrimination. We’re accepting works in all genres, and your story does not need to explicitly mention trans characters or have any discussion about what it means to be trans/non-binary/genderqueer, nor does it need to have any mention of the LGBT+ community. Your story can be about anything you want. Please tell us tales of robots, magic, lost love and dragons!
How long will you retain the exclusive right to publish my work?
We get it, it sounds scary, but it actually makes a lot of sense when you get past all the legalese. The exclusive right to publish your piece simply means that we love your work so much, we want to keep it for ourselves for a little bit before you let anyone else have it. We’d like to be the only ones who publish your piece for one year from the end of the competition date, meaning by 30/7/2027, you’ll be allowed to send your piece to other publishers, magazines etc and show them how good your writing is! We’ll still keep selling the anthology, including your work, after this date. This applies only to the piece you submitted and doesn’t entitle us to any of your future work. None of this means that you give up the right to your work or that we “own” any of your writing—you will always be the owner of your intellectual property. We just ask that we get to be the first ones to show it to the world.
Will AI be used to judge my work?
Absolutely not. We have an extremely strict anti-AI policy. Your work will be reviewed by our team of judges; Felix, Petra, and Cait. Whilst Petra is an ethereal fox spirit and Cait is a mischievous cat possessed by gremlins, none of them are AI.
What if I want to use a pen name?
If you use a pen name, please submit your work with your real name as we need this for legal purposes. If we select your piece, we will contact you to confirm if you’d prefer to use a pen name.
What opportunities will I have if I win?
Here at the Brighton Independent Press, we’re interested in fostering long term relationships with writers. If you’ve been chosen for publication, this isn’t the end of our relationship. We want to keep hearing from you and stay up to date with all your writing, supporting you in your career wherever possible, even if that career takes you away from publishing with us (though we’d love for you to decide to publish all your writing with us)! We’re here to back you up and celebrate your wins with you, even after the competition ends.
What other competitions will you be running throughout the year?
Trans Voices is our first competition we’ve ever run, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be our last! If everything goes according to plan, we’d like to make these writing contests a regular fixture in our schedule. Whilst we can’t reveal anything yet, be sure to follow our social media and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about upcoming events and competitions.
