BSME YOUNG WRITERS’ PRIZE WITH CAITLIN MORAN

FROM THE DESK OF CAITLIN MORAN

HOW TO ENTER

Who can apply?

UK residents aged aged 18-25 from across the UK. All backgrounds are encouraged to apply, and no previous experience is needed.

How do you enter?

Submit a short piece of original writing and a personal statement. We’ll share more information soon!

Who picks the winner?

A judging panel of top editors on the BSME Committee will shortlist the entries, and Caitlin Moran will choose the winner.

What will you win?

• Cash bursary

• One year of personal mentorship from Caitlin Moran

• Internships or work experience placements with leading UK magazines or online publications

• Highly commended writers will receive work experience opportunities

Timeline

The window for submissions will open on 23 February 2026, and close on 29 May 2026. The Young Writers’ Prize winner (or winners) will be revealed at the BSME Awards 2026: the biggest night in magazine media.

More details, including entry requirements, will be available when entries open in February.

HOW TO HELP

Why this matters

In a time when journalism urgently needs fresh voices, this prize will:

• Champion emerging talent from all backgrounds

• Remove financial barriers to entering journalism

• Showcase the industry’s commitment to inclusion and innovation

What you can do

• Share information about the Young Writers’ Prize with your community via socials, Substacks, and newsletters.

• Spread the word about our online workshops and Q&A sessions (schedule coming soon).

• Become a supporting sponsor of the BSME and Caitlin Moran Young Writers’ Prize, and help make this genuinely life-changing for the young writers we find.

PRESS RELEASE

9 DECEMBER 2025

Award-winning journalist Caitlin Moran partners with the BSME to discover the next generation of writing talent from overlooked backgrounds

The British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) has announced the launch of the BSME & Caitlin Moran Young Writers' Prize, a new annual award designed to discover and support exceptional young writing talent aged 18-25 from across the UK.

The Prize, announced at the BSME Awards 2025 at Rosewood London, specifically targets young people who show real promise but lack the connections or financial resources typically needed to break into journalism.

Winners will receive not just prize money, but a year of personal mentorship from Caitlin Moran, work experience with leading UK editors, and genuine pathways into the industry.

Caitlin Moran said: “At fifteen, I was on a council estate in Wolverhampton, obsessed with the idea of being a writer, but clueless as to how I could get ... there. Into the rooms where it all happens. And then I won my whole career - my whole future - in a writing competition. God bless everyone behind the 1990 Observer Young Writer of the Year - who gave me my first bylines, and showed me those rooms.

Now I'm 50, I'm equally obsessed with something else - the idea of "paying on" the shot I got' plus adding bells and whistles to it. The mentorship will allow inexperienced young writers to ask the vital questions I was too scared to ask - such as, "Is it bad to make up quotes for people that you interview, if you think of something quite funny?" (Yes. Marilyn Manson will be very cross with you). And the money - the money is vital.

I know how quickly lack of cash can crush your ambition: a month after I won the Observer prize, I was offered the chance to review a gig in London - but couldn't afford the £28.42 train ticket down there. I was simply too humiliated to explain why I had to turn it down. I don't think l've ever cried more in my life. For months, I was terrified I might never work again. Thank God that, by the time I got my next offer of work in London, l'd had the presence of mind to sell my brother's skateboard, and invest the proceeds in my future.

The BSME Young Writers Competition both wants to open the door to young writers who never thought they'd get to "be in the room", and ensure they never have to sell their brothers' skateboard. I know there is talent out there that will dazzle us. In 2026, it's time to go out there, blow the trumpets, and welcome it in.”

The prize has secured headline sponsorship from Mantis, the contextual advertising technology developed by Reach plc, demonstrating the industry's commitment to investing in emerging talent. The prize also has support from Future PLC, Ralph Magazine and CiteLine.

Andrea Thompson, BSME chair and editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, said: "The magazine industry is at its best when it is reflective of the diverse range of voices and experiences of our society. At the BSME, we are committed to supporting young talent from under-represented backgrounds within the industry. This initiative is about giving life-changing opportunities to brilliant young writers who lack the connections or resources to break into the magazine world but who absolutely deserve to be there. It’s been a pleasure to work with Caitlin on a prize she feels so passionately about, and which creates genuine pathways for the next generation."

The prize will launch for entries on 23 February 2026, with the winner announced at the BSME Awards in November 2026. A judging panel of top magazine editors will shortlist entries, with Caitlin Moran making the final selection.

Young writers can submit original work and a personal statement. The competition is open to anyone aged 18-25 across the UK, regardless of education or experience.

What winners receive:

• Cash bursary

• One year of personal mentorship from Caitlin Moran

• Internships or work experience placements with leading UK magazines or online publications

• Highly commended writers will receive work experience opportunities