The Scottish Book Trust's New Writers Awards is an annual awards programme supporting individuals committed to developing their writing.

Awardees receive a £2,500 cash award, allowing them to focus on their work, as well as a tailored package which can include mentoring from writers and industry professionals; training in PR; performance and presentation training; and the opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents. The awards also include a week-long retreat, offering time, space and the freedom to create new work in idyllic surroundings.

Applications for the 2026 New Writers Awards are currently open. The deadline for all applications is Wednesday 24 September 2025 at noon.

The awards are free to apply to, all travel expenses are covered and awardees are chosen by a panel of judges. We have an Access Fund to help support our awardees with any barriers they may face. The programme is flexible, and we work closely with awardees to help them participate as fully as possible.

Entries are invited in English, Scots and a combination of both. There are also two awards for Gaelic writers, run in association with the Gaelic Books Council. There is a separate application form for writers interested in applying for a Gaelic award.

There are five categories:

• Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction (also known as creative non-fiction)
• Poetry
• Children's and Young Adult Fiction
• Spoken Word
• Scots

You can only apply to one category per year.