Craft note
This week for writers: BBC Open Call, Booker and Nine Dots
BBC script submissions are open, the Booker announcement is approaching, and Nine Dots has a new question. The dates and practical next steps.
In this piece4 sections
Two submission windows deserve a place in your calendar, and the Booker winner announcement is approaching. Here is the practical writing news checked by Blocwrite on 7 November 2026, with direct links to the organisers.
BBC Writers Open Call is accepting scripts
The BBC's current Open Call opened on 3 November and closes at noon on Tuesday 1 December 2026. It is a route into writer development: submitting a script does not mean the BBC is commissioning that script. The official opportunity page explains the process and links to the submission system.
The call accepts complete original drama or comedy-drama scripts for adults or young adults, between 30 and 130 pages, for television, film, radio or stage. Applicants must be at least 18 and meet the residence and right-to-work requirements. A novel manuscript is not an eligible substitute. Check the full terms and conditions before preparing an entry.
What to do next: choose a complete, eligible script and inspect the PDF you will actually upload. The reading process is anonymous, so remove your identifying details from the script. The BBC also asks for two short application statements; allow time to write those separately from polishing the script. Do not assume your export has removed the author name from an automatically generated title page.
There are online drop-in sessions on 10 November, 12:30–13:00, and 26 November, 17:00–17:30. Use the joining link on the official page. If you need access support, the BBC asks you to contact it by 17:00 on 27 November. These are UK times.
The Booker winner will be announced on Monday
The Booker Prize's official 2026 page says the winner will be announced on Monday 9 November, with the announcement livestream available from 21:45 GMT. As of this briefing, the winner has not been announced. The Booker Prize page lists the six shortlisted books and links to the broadcast channels.
For a writing group, this is a useful prompt for a focused reading discussion. Choose one opening you can access legitimately and ask three questions: whose attention guides the scene, what changes before the extract ends, and what makes you want to continue? Comparing those observations is more useful to your own draft than trying to guess a universal formula for a prize-winning novel.
Nine Dots asks who gains from saving nature
The 2026/27 Nine Dots Prize invites a response to the question “Who gains from saving nature?” Its submission page asks for three documents: a response of up to 3,000 words, a proposed book outline of up to 1,000 words and a statement about completing the book of up to 1,000 words.
There is a small deadline discrepancy to handle carefully: the webpage says noon on 27 January 2027, while the formal rules specify 11:59am GMT. Plan to finish well before the earlier time. The rules set an age minimum of 18, require English submissions and exclude entries created using generative AI. Read all eligibility and submission guidance, including the provisions affecting sanctioned countries.
What to do next: decide whether your argument can sustain a book before drafting an entry. This is a substantial commitment: the winner must deliver a 25,000–40,000-word manuscript by 2 January 2028, with an earlier partial-delivery milestone. Start with a one-page argument map: your central claim, the evidence it needs and the strongest objection you will address.
Keep the dates separate from the writing
Record an organiser's deadline and your own earlier completion date. Leave a separate session for checking file type, word or page limits, identifying information and the submission receipt. If you are balancing an opportunity with a novel, the free Blocwrite writing-goal calculator can help divide the remaining words into manageable sessions; it requires no account.
Published by Blocwrite. Information checked on 7 November 2026. Opportunities and event details can change; the linked organisers' pages and rules are the authoritative sources. This briefing reports opportunities and does not imply an endorsement or partnership.