Take a Break fiction magazine pauses commissions and starts using AI
pressgazette.co.uk – Sunday July 12, 2026
Bauer Media’s monthly Take a Break-branded fiction magazine has told writers it is pausing commissions as it introduces the use of AI tools to help produce more content in house.
According to AI-checking service Pangram, short stories appearing in the title credited to the in-house team are 100% AI generated.
Take a Break Fiction Feast contains short stories aimed at women, written by external writers and members of an in-house editorial team, as well as puzzles.
The magazine costs £3.50 in shops or subscribers can get three issues for £5 and then pay £14.99 for six issues.
Press Gazette understands an email was sent to regular Fiction Feast writers on 12 June announcing a pause in commissions as too many had been received. AI was not mentioned.
Fiction writer Patsy Collins shared a second email sent on 1 July which indicated the magazine would rely on in-house stories using “AI tools” rather than commissioning new work.
Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship 2026 (up to £18,000)
opportunitydesk.org – Friday July 10, 2026
Applications are open for the Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship 2026. It can be difficult for writers, before they become established, to write while simultaneously earning a living. To help meet this need the MMF annually awards a small number of Morland Writing Scholarships, with the aim being to allow each Scholar the time to produce the first draft of a completed book. The Scholarships are open to anyone writing in the English language who was born in Africa, or both of whose parents were born in Africa.
Miles Morland set up the foundation which bears his name in 2013, after a career investing in Africa via two companies he created, Blakeney Management and DPI (Development Partners International). Based in London, the Miles Morland Foundation (MMF) is a UK registered charity which makes grants in areas reflecting its founder’s interests.
What Writers and Literary Agents Are Reading This July
insidehook.com – Thursday July 9, 2026
Recent discourse has begged the question: Why aren’t men reading fiction? Are they reading anything at all? In this monthly series, we’re talking to men in literary spaces about the books they think other guys should check out right now. Whether it’s revisiting a classic, getting engrossed in a memoir or devouring something fast-paced and action-packed, there’s bound to be something here for any reader to enjoy.
If you have yet to pick up a book this summer, you are truly missing out on months’ worth of stellar new releases and debuts. Luckily, we have another superb collection of books to read this month — titles that are both old and new — from literary men with curated taste. Feast your eyes on one of these before the end of July.
If you’re looking for some more recommendations, I thought I’d share what books I currently have on hold at my local library. There’s Yesteryear, the Caro Claire Burke debut about a modern-day “tradwife” influencer who goes back in time to the 19th century; The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, an epistolary novel that follows the life of a retired lawyer through sent letters and Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, a bestseller that feels reminiscent of Tuesdays with Morrie.
Entries open for PEN America Literary Awards (US)
www2.fundsforngos.org – Wednesday July 8, 2026
The PEN America Literary Awards recognize outstanding writers, translators, and literary professionals across a wide range of genres, including fiction, poetry, essays, biography, drama, children’s literature, science writing, sports writing, and translation. The program distributes nearly USD 350,000 annually through awards, fellowships, grants, and prizes, with submissions accepted only from eligible publishers or literary agents.
PEN America Literary Awards
The PEN America Literary Awards celebrate exceptional literary achievement by recognizing outstanding books, authors, translators, and literary works published during the current award year. The awards honor excellence across multiple literary genres while supporting creative expression, literary innovation, and diverse voices in literature.
The program is one of the most prestigious literary award initiatives in the United States and provides national recognition alongside financial awards that help promote outstanding literary works.
Pentabus Opens Applications For 2026 National Young Writers Programme
theqr.co.uk – Tuesday July 7, 2026
Pentabus and Rural Media are looking for their next cohort of young playwrights. Applications have just opened for the 2026 National Young Writers programme. If you are aged between 18 and 30 and want to try your hand at scriptwriting, this free eight-month online course is well worth your attention.
Trading the Stage for the Screen
The QR keeps a close eye on Pentabus. They routinely do the heavy lifting when it comes to bringing high-quality new writing into rural communities. London (and Edinburgh every August) often dominate the theatrical conversation, so companies committed to developing regional talent matter. We thoroughly enjoyed their digital production of The Silence & the Noise. In fact, if you want to see Tom Powell’s Papatango Prize-winning play on stage, a live co-production is running at London’s Park Theatre this winter from 25 November to 12 December.
This 2026 writers’ programme, however, trades physical boards for your phone screen. The brief tasks participants with creating three 90-second micro-plays specifically designed for social media. Writers will film these shorts on mobile phones, with professional actors performing the scripts. The organisers suggest the three pieces could connect via a shared theme, issue, or location.
Electric Literature Is Launching Its First-Ever Emerging Writers Contest | $1,000 Prize, Publication, and a Residency | Enter by July 15
brittlepaper.com – Wednesday July 1, 2026
Electric Literature, the nonprofit literary platform that has spent seventeen years dedicated to uplifting emerging writers, has launched its very first Emerging Writers Contest, with categories in fiction and poetry. It is open to international writers, meaning African writers are eligible, and the prize package is one of the more generous on offer from an independent literary platform right now.
One winner in each genre will receive $1,000, publication in either Recommended Reading (fiction) or The Commuter (poetry), and two weeks at the Writing Downtown residency program in Downtown Las Vegas. Second-place winners will receive $250 and third-place winners $100. All fiction finalists will additionally receive a review with feedback from a literary agent. Winners will be announced in early 2027.
Alberta author urges caution after book publishing deal cost him more than $40,000
cbc.ca – Sunday June 28, 2026
Two years after publication, Charles Schroder says his book is apparently discontinued
An Edmonton-area writer who spent more than $40,000 on a publishing service is urging other aspiring authors to be cautious when looking to put out a book.
Charles Schroder, an 88-year-old writer whose gardening column is a regular feature of the St. Albert Gazette newspaper, told CBC it’s not even possible anymore to buy a copy of his book Urban Gardening: Planning to Preserving, which was published in April 2024.
“As far as I know, Amazon has discontinued it,” Schroder told CBC News this week. “I'm not sure about Barnes and Noble, and I have received no inquiries from any other booksellers.”
Schroder used a Florida-based company called Writers Clique, which he learned about from a friend. He put together a draft, made up of his columns, and submitted it.
"They gave it to one of their writers who wrote an absolutely beautiful review of the book,” Schroder said. “I thought it'd be a bestseller. She had written [the review] so well. And so I was hooked.”
Nominations open for Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing 2026
www2.fundsforngos.org – Wednesday June 24, 2026
The Val Wood Prize 2026 invites writers aged 16 and above to submit original, unpublished short fiction inspired by the titles of Val Wood’s books. The competition theme is “Titles,” and each entrant may submit only one entry based on a title from Val Wood’s published works list.
The prize includes £100 and a signed copy of Val Wood’s upcoming novel for the winner. Two runners-up will each receive a signed copy of the novel, and the winning entry will be published on the Val Wood website and promoted on social media.
What is the Val Wood Prize 2026?
The Val Wood Prize 2026 is a short fiction writing competition for writers who want to create an original story inspired by the title of one of Val Wood’s published books.
The competition encourages writers to explore how a title can shape a story’s idea, mood, character, setting and direction.
The 2026 competition theme is “Titles.”
Laois author to host free creative writing workshops and publishing webinars for aspiring writers
laoistoday.ie – Monday June 22, 2026
A Laois author is set to help aspiring writers take their first steps towards publication through a series of free online workshops and publishing webinars.
Mountrath native Helen Cullen has curated the Brunel University New Writers Programme for the second year running, bringing together award-winning authors, literary agents and publishing professionals to offer guidance and support to emerging writers across Ireland and the UK.
The initiative is designed to help writers develop their craft while also providing practical advice on submitting work to publishers, literary agents, publications and writing competitions.
Speaking about the programme, Cullen said she hopes it will encourage people who have always wanted to write to take the plunge.
Granta stops publishing short story award winners over AI controversy
theguardian.com – Saturday June 20, 2026
Literary magazine will no longer engage in ‘external publishing partnerships’ after Commonwealth prize furore
The prominent literary magazine Granta will no longer publish the winning entries of the annual Commonwealth short story prize after one of this year’s winners drew widespread accusations of AI use.
The magazine said it would no longer be involved in “external publishing partnerships” in which it had no editorial control.
In a statement to the Guardian, Granta said: “The 2026 selection of the regional winners of the Commonwealth prize caused a great deal of controversy, based on the speculation that one or more of the stories may have been at least partially AI-generated, accusations that were strongly rejected by the authors.
“For the sake of our own editorial integrity, the Granta Trust board has now taken the decision that we will no longer engage in external publishing partnerships. We will keep the Commonwealth prize shortlisted stories on our website in the public interest, and wish our former partner, the Commonwealth Foundation, all the best in its work.”
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