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Wednesday, May 26, 2021

63 Writing Contests in June 2021 - No entry fees

This June there are more than five dozen writing contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to completed novels. Prizes range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline is past, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

Image credit: Pixabay

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Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short FictionRestrictions: Open to US citizens and permanent residents. Genre: Short fiction illuminating the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society. Length: 500 words, max. Prize: $3000. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult NovelistsRestrictions: Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. Genre: Book-length children's or young-adult fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Cromwell Article PrizeRestrictions: Open to early career scholars. Genre: Articles published in the field of American legal history. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Fraser Institute Student Essay ContestRestrictions: Canadian high school, college, and graduate students. Genre: Short essay on "The Ideas of Milton Friedman: Exploring the Connections between Economic Freedom and other Freedoms or Aspects of the Human Condition." Prize: CAD$1,500 in each age category. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Hiett Prize in the Humanities. The Hiett Prize in the Humanities is an annual award aimed at identifying candidates who are in the early stages of careers devoted to the humanities and whose work shows extraordinary promise and has a significant public component related to contemporary culture.  Restrictions: All applicants must reside in the United States. Prize: $50,000. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

The PEN/Heim Translation FundGenre: Book-length works of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and drama in translation. Beginning in 2017, under the administering of the PEN/Heim Translation Fund, PEN will also offer the PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature. From the pool of annual submissions, judges for the PEN/Heim Translation Fund will select one project of narrative prose that has been translated into English from the Italian to receive this award, which will come with a $5,000 prize. Prize: $2000 - $4000. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Dan Veach Prize for Younger PoetsRestrictions: Open to poets aged 18-23. Genre: Poetry. Prize:  $100 and publication in the Atlanta Review. Deadline: June 1, 2021. 

Stony Brook Short Fiction PrizeRestrictions: Only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges for the academic year 2020- 21 are eligible. "This Prize has traditionally encouraged submissions from students with an Asian background, but we urge all students to enter." Genre: Fiction of no more than 7,500 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: June 1, 2021. 

ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction. Sponsored by the American Bar Association. Restrictions: Entrants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. Genre: Original works of short fiction that illuminate the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society. 5000 words max. Prize: $3,000 and publication in ABA Journal. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku AwardsGenre: Haiku. Prize: $150. Deadline: June 1, 2021.

Spectator Contest No. 3202: lost loveGenre: You are invited to choose a well-known book with the word ‘love’ in its title, substitute the word ‘love’ with a word of your choice, and submit a short story with that title. Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk. Prize: £30. Deadline: Midday on June 2, 2021.

Icelandic Festival of Manitoba Poetry & Short Stories ContestGenre: Poetry and short stories. Length; 1200 words max. Prize: $50 - $125. "You do not need to be of Icelandic descent to submit an entry however material reflecting Icelandic culture and interests will be given preference." Deadline: June 4, 2021.

Furious FictionGenre: Flash fiction based on their prompt. Prize: $500.  DeadlineJune 4, 2021.

ReedsyGenre: Short story between 1,000 and 3,000 words based on their prompt. Prize: $50.   DeadlineJune 4, 2021.

On The Premises: Sales Pitch. "For this mini-contest, show, tell, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which someone is trying to sell something (a tool, a service, some kind of idea, etc.) to some audience, and the sales pitch ends up revealing more than the seller intends. You can either write the text of the sales pitch itself or incorporate the pitch into a story." Prize: $250 for first place, $200 for second, $150 for third. DeadlineJune 4, 2021.

Creative Future Writers’ AwardRestrictions: Open to underrepresented writers in the UK only, who are over 18 years old. Genre: Poetry and prose on theme of Essential. Prize: Up to £100 plus noncash prizes. Deadline: June 6, 2021.

DefenestrationGenre: Short story including an incident of defenestration – the art or –ism of throwing people out of windows. It need not be literal. "This can be a sudden, immediate, even violent shift, change, or seismical event between the beginning and the end.” Prize: $75, two runner-up prizes of $30 each. Deadline: June 7, 2021.

#PassOrPages Query Contest. Participating agents give brief feedback on a handful of entries, explaining why they're passing ... or requesting pages! The queries and accompanying feedback are posted on our blog anonymously, which helps querying authors get a peek into agents' minds as they go through their slush piles. Genre: TBA. Deadline: June 7 - 11, 2021.

The Canadian Women Artists’ AwardRestrictions: Open to Canadian women living in New York who are between the ages of 21 and 35 before the application deadline. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Grant: $5,000. Deadline: June 9, 2021.

Spectator Contest No. 32023: the third wayGenre: You are invited to provide an extract from the newly discovered Shakespearean play Charles III. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk Prize: £30. Deadline: Midday on June 9, 2021.

The Pandeism Collegiate Writing CompetitionRestrictions: Open to undergraduate and graduate collegiate students of philosophy, theology, religious studies, social sciences, arts, literature, applied sciences, or comparable disciplines. Genre: Article presenting original thought in exploring implications of the modern theological theory of Pandeism (pantheistic Deism, belief in a Creator wholly becoming our Universe, proposed to be discernible by application of logic and reason). Papers written for course credit are acceptable. Submissions do not need to take a position in favor of or opposed to Pandeism as a theory, but must present original thought about its relative possibility, relation to other areas of theology, or implications for areas such as epistemology, ethics and morality, or science. Submissions must be a minimum of 3,000 words and a maximum of 6,000 words. Only one (1) article may be submitted by each student. Prize: $250 Amazon gift card and publication. Deadline: June 10, 2021.

Wyoming Creative Writing FellowshipRestrictions: Open to Wyoming writers who are U.S. citizens or have legal resident status. Genre: Fiction, Poetry, CNF. Prize: $3,000 and an honorarium/travel stipend, if applicable, to present your work at a fellowship reading at your choice of literary conference: the Casper College Literary Conference (September 2021), WyoWriters Conference (June 2022) or the Jackson Hole Writer's Conference (June 2022). Deadline: June 10, 2021.

Ocean Awareness Youth ContestRestrictions: Open to students in grades 6 - 12. Genre: Art, poetry, prose, film. Theme: "Water Rising" Prizes: $100 - $1,500. Deadline: June 14, 2021.

Books Like Us. Restrictions: Open to writers residing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who have not yet published a novel. Genre: Novel. Prize: $50,000 book deal with Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Deadline: June 14, 2021.

Apparition LitGenre: Flash fiction on theme of Hedy Lamar. Prize: $30. DeadlineJune 15, 2021.

Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Writing ContestRestrictions: Open to Maryland residents or students at a MD 2- or 4-year college, and not a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America or published in a professional science fiction/fantasy magazine Genre: Science fiction short stories. Prize1st place is $250; 2nd place is $100; 3rd place is $50. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Christopher Hewitt AwardGenre: Poetry, fiction, CNF, drama. "The award showcases outstanding responses to the AIDS pandemic and the realities of individuals living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Prize: $75 in each category. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

The Fieldstone Review: EscapismsGenre: Creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry. "The theme of this year’s edition is Escapisms. Topics might include, but are not limited to, imagination, reverie, daydreaming, virtual reality, fantasy, the fantastic, video games, role-play, mental wellbeing, and even simulacra." Prize: $100. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Norton Writer's Prize. Sponsored by W.W. Norton & Company. "The Norton Writer’s Prize will be awarded annually for an outstanding essay written by an undergraduate. Literacy narratives, literary and other textual analyses, reports, profiles, evaluations, arguments, memoirs, proposals, mixed-genre pieces, and more: any excellent writing done for an undergraduate writing class will be considered."  Genres: Creative Nonfiction, Scholarly Essay. Prize: $1,500. Two runner-up prizes of $1,000. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Fred Otto Prize for Oz Fiction/Warren Hollister Prize for Oz NonfictionGenre: Short Fiction, Art & Academic Nonfiction. All work must be related to the world of Oz. Prize: $100 in each genre. 2nd Prize $50 in each genre. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest for Young PeopleRestrictions: Open to people 25 years of age or less. Genre: Essay (max 700 words). Theme: “What is Life?” Prize: 1st US$840, 2nd US$420. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Eden Mills Teen Poetry ContestRestrictions: Open to Canadian teens. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Two $50 prizes, 2 $25 prizes. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Little, Brown Emerging Artist AwardGenre: High-quality picture books that resonate with readers of diverse backgrounds and experience. Diversity includes literal or metaphorical inclusion of characters of underrepresented ethnicity, religious background, gender identity, class, mental or physical disability, or any other nondominant populations. Prize: American Express® gift cards totaling $1,500, round trip travel to New York City, and the honor of a one-day mentorship with a Little, Brown Books for Young Readers’ professional children’s book design and editorial team. Submission will be reviewed for publication. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Vermont Studio Center – Full Fellowship Awards. The Vermont Studio Center offers 54 fellowships; open to anyone in the world. Deadline: June 15, 2021.

Towson University Prize for LiteratureRestrictions: Open to Maryland writers. Genre: Book-length manuscript of fiction, poetry, drama or imaginative non-fiction. The work must have been published within the three years prior to the year of nomination or must be scheduled for publication within the year in which nominated. Self-published works will not be considered. Prize: $1,000.  Deadline: June 15, 2021 (?) See nomination form HERE.

Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist FellowshipsRestrictions: Open to writers who have lived in the state of Maine for at least one year. Genre: Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction. Prize: $5,000.  Deadline: June 17, 2021.

Scotiabank Giller PrizeRestrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Must  be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100,000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: Books published between May 1, 2021, and June 30, 2021 must be received on or before June 18, 2021.

The Greek Bicentennial Poetry Pamphlet PrizesGenre: Poetry with a maximum combined length of 150 lines of poetry. "We are inviting poets and illustrators to reflect on the culture and history of the Greeks, from ancient to contemporary times, on the occasion of the Bicentennial celebration of the creation of Modern Greece." Prize: £10,000 and publication of your portfolio as a pamphlet, with illustrations and Greek translations, distributed internationally. Deadline: June 18, 2021.

A Midsummer Tale Narrative Writing ContestGenre: Non-genre fiction and creative nonfiction.  Theme: Coming of Age. Length: 1,000 words minimum; 5,000 words maximum. Prize: $35 - $50 Amazon gift card. Deadline: June 21, 2021.

Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial WritingGenre: Editorial writing. The Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship was established to enable a mid-career editorial writer or columnist to have time away from daily responsibilities for study and research. Freelancers may also apply. Fellowship: $75,000.  Deadline: June 22, 2021.

Solid Essay ContestRestrictions: Open to high school students. Genre: Essay (See site for topics.) Minimum number of words is 600 and maximum is 800. Prize: Scholarship of $1000. Deadline: June 23, 2021.

Great Lakes Colleges New Writers AwardRestrictions: Open to Americans and Canadians.    GenrePoetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. In each category, the submitted work must be an author’s first published volume. Prize: $500. Deadline: June 25, 2021.

Eerie River PublishingGenre: Horror on theme of Ghouls. Prize: ¢.5 per word CAD (half a cent), with a max of $15 plus a one-time royalty bonus payment based on six months of sales. DeadlineJune 25, 2021.

Molly Keane Creative Writing AwardRestrictions: Open to Irish residents. Genre: Unpublished short story, maximum 2,000 words. Prize: 500 pounds. DeadlineJune 25, 2021.

Bard Fiction PrizeRestrictions: Open to a writer who is an American citizen aged 39 years or younger at the time of application. Genre: Published fiction book. Prize: $30,000 and a one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Rattle's Ekphrastic ChallengeGenre: Poetry responding to visual art. Prize: $100 and publication.  Deadline: June 30, 2021.

ScriptlabGenre: TV script or short screenplay. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

#GWstorieseverywhereGenre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Split Second. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Deborah Rogers Foundation AwardRestrictions: Applicants may not be under contract to any publisher for any work or title. Applications are only open to writers who have not previously published or self-published a full length book of their own prose writing (with the exception of a collection of poetry). Entrants must write in the English language and reside within the British Commonwealth and Eire. Genre: Excerpt: 20-30,000 words of a work in progress, fiction or non-fiction, which is not under option or contract. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Storytwigs micro-writing competition. Restrictions: Open to citizens/residents of United States or Canada. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Genre: Short prose 100 words or fewer on prompt of String. Prize: From $10 to $100. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Kingdoms in the Wild Poetry ContestRestrictions: Open to emerging writers who have yet to publish a collection of poetry (not including self-published chapbooks). Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: $250 & Publication. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize is awarded to the author of the best first novel published in the previous calendar year. Restrictions: Only American authors publishing in English are eligible. Non-eligible books include short story collections, flash fiction, memoirs, biographies and books published solely in electronic format. Prize: $1000. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future ContestRestrictions: Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least 5,000 copies (or 5,000 hits for online publication). Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi or Horror. 17,000 words max. Prize: $1,000 1st Prize awarded each quarter; one of those winners also receives the $5,000 annual "Golden Pen Award" grand prize. 2nd Prize $750, 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

The Patricia Spears Jones 2nd Book Prize For WomenRestrictions: Open to women. Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: $500.00, and a guaranteed first run of a full length book of poetry. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

The Gerard Rochford Poetry PrizeGenre: Poem in English on the theme of ‘Family’ Prize: £150. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry, Griffin Poetry PrizeRestrictions: One prize goes to a living Canadian poet or translator, the other to a living poet or translator from any country, which may include Canada. Genre: Poetry. Books must have been published in English during the calendar year preceding the year of the award. Prize: C$200,000, is awarded annually in two categories – International and Canadian. Each prize is worth C$65,000. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Drue Heinz Literature PrizeRestrictions: The award is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or a minimum of three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals of national distribution. Online and self-publication does not count toward this requirement. Genre: A manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Prize: $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Utah Division of Arts and Museums Original Writing CompetitionRestrictions: Utah writers. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $1,000 top prizes for book-length manuscripts of novels, creative nonfiction & history, collection of poetry or short stories, and juvenile book; $300 top prizes for individual poems, short stories, and personal essays. 2nd Prize $500 for the book-length categories, $150 for poetry. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Blue Mountain Poetry Card ContestGenre: Poetry. "Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although we find that non-rhyming poetry reads better. We suggest that you write about real emotions and feelings and that you have some special person or occasion in mind as you write." Prize: First prize $300. Second prize $150. Third prize $30. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay ContestRestrictions: The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under. Genre: Essay. The theme of the contest is "Community in the Commonwealth." Prize: Past prizes have included certificates, resources for winner's school, visits to Cambridge University, a trip to London and a week of activities, work experience at international organisations, and having your entry featured in worldwide media. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished WritersRestrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $750 in any single year. Genre: General Nonfiction. Stories must be between 1000--10,000 words in length. Prize: First prize in each category will be $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

Emmy Awards - Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting AwardRestrictions: Non-US citizens under the age of 30 only. Prize: $2,500, a trip to New York City, and an invitation to the International Emmy® Awards Gala in November. DeadlineJune 30, 2021

Costa Book AwardsRestrictions: Prize is for books first published in the UK or Ireland by authors who have lived in the UK or Ireland for at least six months of each of the preceding three years. Books must be published between November 1 of the previous year and October 31 of the current year. Self-published works not allowed. Books are entered by publishers only. Genre: Five categories - First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book. Prize: £30,000.00 across all genres. 5,000 pounds in each category (poetry, novel, first novel, biography, children's book). Deadline: June 30, 2021.

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