Everyone’s journey has twists and turns along the road. Some may seem small but have a universal message. Others may literally be life changing. Perhaps you started over, embarked on a personal adventure, learned something new. Did an event occur that changed everything all at once or was it a slow realisation about a situation? Every life has a story. Discover more about writing memoir and how to make it personal.

Joe has supported writers professionally for ten years. He works at The Literary Consultancy running their editorial service division as Head of Writing Services. He has a Publishing MA from Kingston University, and is on the Board of Trustees at Spread the Word. Joe began work as a Literary Agent at Seventh Agency in 2024 and is actively looking for non-fiction and literary fiction from global voices and writers who are under-represented in the UK publishing industry.

Joanne won our inaugural memoir competition. About to turn 60, she decided the entry fee would be a birthday present to herself. She wrote about the relationship with her dad, what happened and what became of him. Those words became her debut memoir The Scientist Who Wasn’t There that launched in June 2025 with Ithaka Press. ‘None of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for The Bridport Prize,’ says Joanne.

Instagram @jobriggswriter and at AM Heath Literary Agency.

Margie is our current memoir winner. During lockdown in Scotland she wrote about her sister’s tragic murder. Those words about Alix became her winning memoir, The Matter of My Sister. Margie graduated from Birkbeck University with a distinction in Creative Writing in 2022. A descendant of the Scottish artist, Sir Joseph Noel Paton, Margie now lives in London and is working on her second memoir.

Run by international creative writing competition The Bridport Prize. Previous winners include Kate Atkinson and Kit de Waal. Discover more at www.bridportprize.org.uk

Memoir entry deadline: 30 September 2025.

Make your memoir true to life