Writing Competition - October 2026

October's Creative Writing Competition

The theme for the month is HAUNTINGS – in recognition of Halloween and our enduring fascination with horror, fear, and the supernatural.

October is a month of longer nights, darkened rooms, unfamiliar sounds, and shadows that seem to move of their own accord. It is a season of ghost stories and strange encounters, of abandoned houses and unsettling dreams, of things concealed, forgotten, or buried that refuse to remain undisturbed. Yet not everything that haunts us is supernatural. Sometimes the most frightening things are those we remember, imagine, or recognise within ourselves.

Writers may work across forms and approaches. This might take shape through suspense, uncertainty, psychological tension, or the gradual revelation of something disturbing. It may emerge through atmosphere, unreliable narration, fragmented memory, or the unsettling relationship between what is familiar and what suddenly becomes strange.

There are no restrictions on the content that writers wish to include. We welcome work drawn from personal experience, memory, or imagination. We are looking for writing that treats the theme in an imaginative way, with a voice that feels present and engaging.

Deadline: Last day of the month.

Standard Entry: Submission is considered for inclusion in the online Sahab Collective Journal. 

Single-Page Feedback: Receive a page of feedback that addresses the strengths and weaknesses of your piece overall, as assessed by one of our in-house editors.

Extensive Editorial Feedback: Extensive mark up of the entire document with notes on what to consider moving forward, and line-edits. 

Following Payment: You will receive an email from Sahab Collective confirming your payment. A second email will detail how to submit your entry for consideration. 

Judging Entries: All entries will be judged within two weeks of the closing date of the competition with writers notified of their success. Please note that we do not provide feedback unless this option has been selected prior to submission.

Selected Entries: Will be featured in our online Journal and included in the Sahab Collective Journal, published three times per year.