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The Barbellion Prize

@barbellionprize.bsky.social
192 followers 290 following 40 posts

The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability. SUBMISSIONS OPEN barbellionprize.org **NEW CORRECT OFFICIAL ACCOUNT**

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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The books pictured are all by writers who could have entered The Barbellion Prize, inc. The Journal of a Disappointed Man by the author this award is named after: W.N.P. Barbellion! LAST CHANCE TO ENTER SUBS CLOSE 1ST SEPT! TBP celebrates writing that reps experience of chronic illness & disability.
Spread of books by authors including Virginia Woolf, Hilary Mantel, James Joyce and WNP Barbellion.
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epoquepress.bsky.social @epoquepress.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The 2021 @barbellionprize.bsky.social winning What Willow Says by @lynnbuckle.bsky.social ‘Evocative, carefully crafted and full of heart’ From you local bookshop, as ePub or direct from us:https://www.epoquepress.com/online-store/What-Willow-Says-p300450204 #epoquepress #booksky
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Huge thanks to comedian, author & all round legend, Robin Ince, for just giving W.N.P. Barbellion & The Barbellion Prize a shout out on his Instagram! Subs are open until 1st September for writers living with disability or chronic illness. Please support in anyway you can! 🙏 barbellionprize.org
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Huge thanks to comedian, author & all round legend, Robin Ince, for just giving W.N.P. Barbellion & The Barbellion Prize a shout out on his Instagram! Subs are open until 1st September for writers living with disability or chronic illness. Please support in anyway you can! 🙏 barbellionprize.org
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
A look back at our previous shortlists and longlists 2020-2022 and a reminder that we are OPEN for submissions for the 2026 Barbellion Prize until 1st September. The Prize is awarded to writers who, in the opinion of the judges, have produced works of fiction or non-fiction that best reflect… 1/3
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
A look back at our previous shortlists and longlists 2020-2022 and a reminder that we are OPEN for submissions for the 2026 Barbellion Prize until 1st September. The Prize is awarded to writers who, in the opinion of the judges, have produced works of fiction or non-fiction that best reflect… 1/3
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
You can now read ‘Necessary Hypocritical Luddism’, a piece by our founder @jgoldsmith.bsky.social, from Summer issue 21 @exactingclam.bsky.social online! The Barbellion Prize is open for subs for books of prose literature that represent the experience of chronic illness & disability until Sept. 1st.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Thank you Michael Caines for giving us a mention in @thetls.bsky.social! "A notable revival is the Barbellion prize-named for W.N.P. Barbellion, the diarist, who suffered from multiple sclerosis - which "celebrates & promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness & disability"…
Picture of the newspaper Picture of the newspaper
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
You can now read ‘Necessary Hypocritical Luddism’, a piece by our founder @jgoldsmith.bsky.social, from Summer issue 21 @exactingclam.bsky.social online! The Barbellion Prize is open for subs for books of prose literature that represent the experience of chronic illness & disability until Sept. 1st.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Belated thanks to Chinaza James-Ibe for including us in her Creative Writing News round-up a while back! Thanks also to everyone who has submitted, donated and helped spread the word so far! www.creativewritingnews.com/the-barbelli...
Picture of logo with lilac background from the Creative Writing News article.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Thank you Michael Caines for giving us a mention in @thetls.bsky.social! "A notable revival is the Barbellion prize-named for W.N.P. Barbellion, the diarist, who suffered from multiple sclerosis - which "celebrates & promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness & disability"…
Picture of the newspaper Picture of the newspaper
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Thanks to Martin Doyle for including us in his Friday round-up in The Irish Times! @irishtimes.com “What links Virginia Woolf, Christy Brown, and Hilary Mantel? Beyond their brilliance, each could have been a contender for The Barbellion Prize…
Image is a screenshot of the short article in The Irish Times. The same text is included in the body of the post throughout this thread. Image is a screenshot of the short article in The Irish Times. The same text is included in the body of this post throughout this thread.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
…This award honours writing that explores the lived experience of chronic illness and disability. Named after diarist W.N.P. Barbellion, known for his reflections on life with multiple sclerosis, it recognises outstanding English-language prose across genres…
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
…In 2021, Irish writer Lynn Buckle won for What Willow Says, a moving novel about a deaf child and her grandmother discovering connection through sign language, nature, and myth…
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
…The prize was founded by author Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social, inspired while writing his memoir Neither Weak Nor Obtuse (2019). Living with cystic fibrosis, Goldsmith examines how illness shapes perception and highlights literature's therapeutic and social impact…
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
…A two-year hiatus followed the last award in 2023 and the prize was relaunched in 2025. It is now open for submission until September 1st, 2026.” www.irishtimes.com/culture/book... Read our Terms & Conditions & submit here: barbellionprize.org
irishtimes.com
President opens Ireland’s Home for Poetry and Heritage
Books newsletter: a wrap of the latest news and preview of tomorrow’s pages
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Thanks to Martin Doyle for including us in his Friday round-up in The Irish Times! @irishtimes.com “What links Virginia Woolf, Christy Brown, and Hilary Mantel? Beyond their brilliance, each could have been a contender for The Barbellion Prize…
Image is a screenshot of the short article in The Irish Times. The same text is included in the body of the post throughout this thread. Image is a screenshot of the short article in The Irish Times. The same text is included in the body of this post throughout this thread.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Thanks to Fiona O'Connor for her piece on the return of The Barbellion Prize in The Morning Star online! “Founded by writer Jake Goldsmith & relaunched this year following a hiatus, the prize has built a reputation for promoting talented writing.” Read here: morningstaronline.co.uk/article/good...
Morning Star headline ‘Good news for disabled writers’ and picture of WNP Barbellion.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Thanks to Fiona O'Connor for her piece on the return of The Barbellion Prize in The Morning Star online! “Founded by writer Jake Goldsmith & relaunched this year following a hiatus, the prize has built a reputation for promoting talented writing.” Read here: morningstaronline.co.uk/article/good...
Morning Star headline ‘Good news for disabled writers’ and picture of WNP Barbellion.
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Jake Goldsmith @jgoldsmith.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Submissions are now open for the 2026 prize, until 1st September 2026.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
The Barbellion Prize PAST WINNERS! 🏆🏆🏆 2020: Riva Lehrer Golem Girl: A Memoir (One World/Virago Press) 2021: What Willow Says @lynnbuckle.bsky.social (@epoquepress.bsky.social) 2022: @lettymchugh.bsky.social Book of Hours: An Almanac for The Seasons of The Soul (Self-published w/support from DAO)
Image of the three past winners' books on a red background. Letty McHugh's Book of Hours, which looks like a white quilt, Golem Girl by Riva Lehrer, which has a woman wearing a red polo neck sweater (we can't see the face) on it, What Willow Says by Lynn Buckle, which is cream with the inside of a tree trunk/tree rings as the main image.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Read more about the past winners over at The Barbellion Prize website, where you can also read our Terms and Conditions for the 2026 prize and, if you can, make a donation. Submissions are now open until 1st September 2026. We are a small charitable organisation and rely…
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
…on your support to make the Prize a viable ongoing concern. We aim to reach our target of £20,000 by the end of 2026. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference. The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability…
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
barbellionprize.org
barbellionprize.org
The Barbellion Prize | A prize recognising literary representation of chronically disabled lives.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Meet the judges of the 2026 Barbellion Prize! Read about Letty McHugh, Penny Pepper & David Bolt in this thread. The Barbellion Prize is now open for submissions of fiction and non-fiction which celebrate and promote writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Alt-text for main image: Collage picture of the three 2026 Barbellion Prize judges. David Bolt is standing next to a large CCDS poster, wearing a grey shirt. Letty has a pink shirt, as does Penny, who is also holding a book.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
…He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies and the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Disability Studies. David is Book Series Editor of Routledge's Autocritical Disability Studies and Joint Editor of…
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
…Springer's Literary Disability Studies and Bloomsbury's A Cultural History of Disability. He is also author and editor of a range of academic books. Full details about The Barbellion Prize here: barbellionprize.org
barbellionprize.org
The Barbellion Prize | A prize recognising literary representation of chronically disabled lives.
The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability. The prize is named after the diarist W.N.P. Barbellion, who wrote eloquently on his life with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is a cross-genre award for literature published in the English language. Information about eligibility can be found in the Terms and Conditions section of our site.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
The Barbellion Prize PAST WINNERS! 🏆🏆🏆 2020: Riva Lehrer Golem Girl: A Memoir (One World/Virago Press) 2021: What Willow Says @lynnbuckle.bsky.social (@epoquepress.bsky.social) 2022: @lettymchugh.bsky.social Book of Hours: An Almanac for The Seasons of The Soul (Self-published w/support from DAO)
Image of the three past winners' books on a red background. Letty McHugh's Book of Hours, which looks like a white quilt, Golem Girl by Riva Lehrer, which has a woman wearing a red polo neck sweater (we can't see the face) on it, What Willow Says by Lynn Buckle, which is cream with the inside of a tree trunk/tree rings as the main image.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Meet the judges of the 2026 Barbellion Prize! Read about Letty McHugh, Penny Pepper & David Bolt in this thread. The Barbellion Prize is now open for submissions of fiction and non-fiction which celebrate and promote writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability.
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epoquepress.bsky.social @epoquepress.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
The Groundsmen, the debut novel by @barbellionprize.bsky.social winning author @lynnbuckle.bsky.social ‘fierce and fearless’ Available from your local bookshop, as ePub or direct from our website: www.epoquepress.com/online-store... #epoquepress #books #bookrecommendations #booksky
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Submissions for the 2026 Barbellion Prize are open! The Barbellion Prize celebrates & promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness & disability. Subs open 2nd April-1st September, 2026. Judges: Penny Pepper, Dr David Bolt & Letty McHugh. Full details: barbellionprize.org
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David Collard @davidcollard.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
The Bluesky account for the Barbellion Prize has changed to @barbellionprize.bsky.social Do please follow! The submission window for authors and publisher is open from now until 1st September, and there are full details on the new website barbellionprize.org
barbellionprize.org
The Barbellion Prize | A prize recognising literary representation of chronically disabled lives.
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Disrupted Blue Indie Press Publicity @disruptedblue.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Ok, technical issues resolved. A new account for the fantastic Barbellion Prize set up. Please follow and spread the word! Submissions are open! barbellionprize.org
barbellionprize.org
The Barbellion Prize | A prize recognising literary representation of chronically disabled lives.
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The Barbellion Prize @barbellionprize.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Submissions for the 2026 Barbellion Prize are open! The Barbellion Prize celebrates & promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness & disability. Subs open 2nd April-1st September, 2026. Judges: Penny Pepper, Dr David Bolt & Letty McHugh. Full details: barbellionprize.org
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