Organizer Information
Source Magazine (Source Magazine: Thinking Through Photography) is a quarterly photography magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, dedicated to contemporary photography primarily in Britain and Ireland. It was established in 1992 as part of Photoworks North, a group formed by photographers seeking greater opportunities for photography in Northern Ireland's galleries and education sectors, with Paul Seawright serving as its first editor. Source has grown from an original 8-page black-and-white A4 newsletter into an 80-page review featuring news, features, exhibition and book reviews, and artist portfolios, and is recognized as the longest-running photographic review in the UK following the closure of Creative Camera in 2001, placing it alongside international titles such as Aperture, Camera Austria, and Katalog. The magazine is distributed throughout the UK, Ireland, and internationally, and has received funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Irish Arts Council, and Belfast City Council.
Title & Description
Source Writing Prize 2026
Source is inviting new writers who have not previously written for the magazine to submit an original article for its annual Writing Prize. Most writing in Source takes the form of book reviews, exhibition reviews, or texts introducing sets of photographs, and these are suggested as models, though the magazine is open to other forms as well. The subject need not be limited to photographs appearing in books and exhibitions — entries can explore any aspect of photography's presence in life, from a specific photograph of personal or historical interest to a cultural or philosophical reflection on the medium. Source states it enjoys writing that is thoughtful, funny, well researched, and surprising, whether personal or dispassionate, playful or serious, and that either sheds new light on something familiar or introduces something entirely new.
Theme
No fixed theme; entries may address any subject connected to photography, following forms such as book reviews, exhibition reviews, or texts introducing photographic work, or other forms at the writer's discretion.
Categories
- Writing
- Photography
- Art Writing
- Art Critic
- Essay
- Nonfiction
- Article
Eligibility
- Open only to writers who have not previously written for Source
- Article must not have been published previously
Program Benefits & Awards
- Winning entry receives £500 / €570 (paid)
- Winning entry will be published in Source or the writer commissioned to write a future article
- All shortlisted entries will also be considered for publication or future commissions
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Original article of no more than 700 words
- Article must include the writer's name and contact email
- Completion of the Source Writing Prize Entry Form 2026 (used anonymously to assess Audience Development Goals; not linked to the individual application)
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Submission Deadline: 1 August 2026
- Responses to Applicants: By approximately 20th September 2026
Location
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Additional Details
- All submissions are first read by Source editor Richard West; those he selects are then read by other Source staff members, who collectively choose the winner
- Source may follow up with questions about a submitted article but generally will not enter into extended correspondence about it
- Entry form responses are anonymised, stored separately from the application, and used only to assess the organization's Audience Development Goals; data is handled in line with GDPR (2018) — questions about data use can be directed to marketing@source.ie