Enter the Lacuna Writing Competition

The annual Lacuna Writing Competition is now open for entries. The competition invites entries from all current undergraduate and postgraduate students at Warwick Law School and the Warwick Writing Programme.

COMPETITION GUIDELINES:

Write a short story (or the beginning of a story) on a current issue that includes themes of injustice and human rights. Your story must be no longer than 800 words and we’re not looking for an academic essay but a piece of journalism, creative writing, memoir or some other artistic expression that appeals to the general public. You choose the topic and the style. You may choose to write a journalistic feature, a piece of creative non-fiction, a short fictional story, an opinion piece or some other creative response. We are looking for potential, not perfection! Your aim is to:

  • challenge indifference to suffering,
  • inspire action for change,
  • promote wider understanding of complex rights issues and/or
  • shine a light on injustice.

You can find out more about Lacuna’s various writing styles here. The best entry will receive valuable feedback from our editors and, where feasible, the opportunity to develop their story for publication by Lacuna Magazine*.

For more information about Lacuna, visit our site, read our stories and find our writing guidelines. You can find some previous competition submissions below. Your submission must be your own original work. It must not have been published anywhere else and cannot be (or have been) submitted in any form to a university assignment. The competition is open to all current UG and PG students studying law and all UG and PG students of the Warwick Writing Programme.

How to enter

Complete the form here.

Deadline

All entries must be submitted by midday on Monday 17th November 2025.

*Publication of winning entries may not always be possible and will be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of editors.