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Then & NOw Competition

“Then & Now” 

TogetherintheUK Writing Competition 

Overview

Are you a first or second-generation migrant, an asylum seeker, refugee, international student or international worker who has lived or currently lives in the UK?

TogetherintheUK is hosting a ‘Then & Now’ writing competition focussing on your or your family’s migration story.  We want to hear about the traditions you carried with you or have grown up with, the gains and the losses, the moments of joy and challenge as you built your new life. 

We want to hear about how you built your life in the UK:  how you helped shape your community, contributed to the economy in all kinds of ways through work and volunteering and how you or your family navigated living in a new country.
 You can submit a poem or lyrics to a song, an essay or a short story. We have a competition for over 18s and one for Under 18s, an under 18.

The top entries will be showcased on the TogetherintheUK website and may be published in an anthology

Prizes:

1st Prize: £250.00 in each age category.

2nd Prize: A writing master class for each age category

3rd Prize: A gift voucher for a bookstore or cinema near you for each age category

If you win, you will be invited to perform your entry at our TogetherintheUK 10th anniversary celebration on January 31st. The invitation is open and is optional. If you do not want to read your entry in person,  a member of the TogetherintheUK team may read it for you.

To enter go to çlick here to start’. You need to do this before October 31st to be in with a chance of winning. Good Luck!

Writing Formats

Under 18years

18years and over
  • Story or Essay
  • Story or Essay
  • Poetry or Song Lyric
  • Poetry or Song Lyric

Judges

TogetherintheUK is honoured that the following people have agreed to take on the role of judge in the competition. 

Over 18 submissions – Poetry or Song Lyric
Camilla Reeve, Founder of Palewell Press Limited, an independent not-for-profit publisher based in South West London, focused on books about Human Rights and the Environment.
Over 18 submissions – Story or Essay
Goran Baba Ali,  Writer and Co-founder of Afsana Press, an independent publishing hour producing literary works with a direct relation to social, political or cultural issues in countries and communities around the world.

Maryam Qaiser, Award winning senior journalist

Under 18 submissions – Story or Essay, Poem or song lyric

Jane Farrell, Chair of the Mulberry Schools Trust and Organisational Consultant

Sita Brahmachari, Award Winning Children’s & YA Author

 

Rules and Conditions

We recommend that anyone entering the competition read the rules and conditions carefully before entering. If you have any questions, please contact us on tgiuk@togetherintheUK.co.uk

Eligibility

  • First and second-generation migrants and refugees,  asylum seekers, international students and international workers who have lived or are living in the UK
  • People working with migrants/refugees/asylum seekers
  • TGIUK volunteers current and previous and entrants and winners from previous TGIUK competitions.

Your Entry

  • All entries will be moderated before being made live on the togetherintheUK website.
  • The work must belong to the entrant and be their own original work. Any plagiarised work will be disqualified along with any other work submitted by the entrant.  Any story created with the aid of any AI application will be disqualified.
  • Entries should not have been previously published self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast, or submitted to other competitions held in any country.
  • Can be in the form of a poem, a story, an essay or song lyric.
  • All entrants need to need to fill out the form under the heading ‘Participate’.  Your email will only be used for correspondence with togetherintheuk.
  • A maximum of 1500 words (no minimum).
  • Multiple entries are allowed.
  • All entries must be in English – however, it is possible to include some words from your native language if a translation is provided. 
  • Entries must be on the theme as outlined above – “Then & Now”.
  • Entries that express prejudice or violence against any group or person based on race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or sexual preference will not be accepted.
  • Entries that express hatred or violence against the UK will not be accepted. Criticism of systems and processes is permitted.
  • Entries must not include profanities.

Judging the competition

  • The closing date is midnight October 31st, 2025.
  • Winners will be announced on January 31st, 2026, at the ten-year celebration of TogetherintheUK.
    There are three prizes (first, second and third) per age category. All entries will be published on the TogetherintheUK website, 
  • Judging is done in two stages: 

Stage one: All entrants will be uploaded to the TogetherintheUK website. The public will then select by vote, the top ten entries in each category and format

Stage two: The selected entries will then be judged individually by the judges outlined above. With a first second and third prize awarded for each AGE CATEGORY.

  • The winners will have the opportunity to present their submissions in person at the ten year anniversary event however, please note that this is at the decision of the entrant and not a condition for entry.
  • Unfortunately, we cannot return any entries so please be sure to keep a copy.
  • Under no circumstances can entries be edited after submission.
  • We reserve the right to change the judging panel, if necessary.
  • The judge’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • Unfortunately, due to the number of entries we cannot offer feedback on individual entries.
  • Only the winning three in each age category will receive a prize.
  • By submitting an entry, you are agreeing to all contest rules. Contest rules are subject to change and will be kept up to date on our website.

    Copyright

    The copyright of the submission remains with the author however, by entering the competition, entrants give permission for TogetherintheUK to publish or broadcast submissions in whole or part via their website, self-published or published book, social media channels or in any marketing materials without seeking additional approval or permission. TogetherintheUK reserve the right to publish the material and to edit, when necessary, the copy as required, without changing the overall message. TogetherintheUK will aim to seek permission for any edits but if no response is received, atter two weeks,  edits will be made. All works will be credited by first and surname. Prizes are given on a one-off basis, and no payment will be made to any authors in relation to the use of their material.

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