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: Peter Janzen)
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Defenestration Lengthy Poem Contest. Genre: Lengthy poem (at least 3 pages). Prize: $300. Deadline: January 1, 2023.
Electa Quinney Award for Published American Indian Stories. Genre: Story. "This award seeks to highlight the work of story creators who continue the tradition of teaching through narratives often crossing the boundaries of genres, formats and disciplines. To celebrate the dissemination of stories into spaces where they can be shared all published stories qualify including small press and fine arts printing." Prize: $250. Deadline: January 1, 2023.
The Blossom Contest. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: $200.00 USD Prize in Poetry, $200.00 USD Prize in Prose. Deadline: January 1, 2023.
The European Society of Literature. Genre: Prose. "The theme for this European Writing Prize is ‘Anxiety’. Writers should incorporate the notion of anxiety into their work however they see fit." Length: between 1500 and 3500 words. Prize: 50 euros paid via PayPal or bank transfer and publication. Deadline: January 1, 2023.
PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative. Restrictions: Applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. Prize: Grant, amount not specified. Deadline: January 1, 2023.
Northern California Book Awards. Restrictions: Books written by authors based in northern California and published for the first time the previous calendar year are eligible for nomination. Genre: Published book. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 13, 2023.
Novella-in-Flash Award. Genre: Flash fiction/Novella. 6000 to 18000 word limit – each flash should not be more than about 1000 words. Prize: £300 prize for the winner, two runner-up prizes of £100. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. Prize: $8,000 cash awards are made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline: January 25, 2023.
The Hillman Prize for Journalism. Genre: Journalism. "Since 1950, the Sidney Hillman Foundation has honored journalists, writers and public figures that pursue investigative journalism and public policy in service of the common good." Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 30, 2023.
The Danuta Gleed Literary Award for best first collection of short fiction in the English language was initiated by John Gleed in honour of his late wife to promote and celebrate the genre of short fiction, which she loved. Restrictions: Canadian residents only. Prize: A $10,000 prize will be awarded for the best first collection of published short fiction in the English language. Two finalist will also be awarded $500 each. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. "The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America." Genre: previously unpublished work of short fiction. Prize: $150.00. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Japan Center-Canon Essay Competition. The aim of the Japan Center Essay Competition is to promote awareness and understanding of Japan in the United States and to help young Americans broaden their international horizons. Genre: Essay. Contestants should write, in English, one or more aspects of Japan including art, culture, tradition, values, philosophy, history, society, politics, business, and technology in relation to their personal views, experiences, and/or future goals. (Contestants do not need to have any experience in visiting Japan or studying Japanese. Prize: Best Essay Award in the High School Division: 1st Place: $3,000 and a Canon camera, 2nd Place: $1,500 and a Canon camera, 3rd Place: $750 and a Canon camera; Best Essay Award in the College Division: $3,000 and a Canon camera; Uchida Memorial Award: $1,000 and a Canon camera; Merit Award: $200 (each) for up to five awards. Deadline: January 8, 2023.
Dr. Paul Kalanithi Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to medical students, residents, fellow. Genre: Short stories, essays or poetry addressing patients and providers facing chronic or life limiting illness. Fiction and non-fiction submissions are welcome. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 8, 2023.
Penguin: Write Now. Restrictions: Open to UK/Ireland-based writers, for people from a background or community that is currently under-represented in UK and Irish publishing. Genre: Commercial fiction. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: January 8, 2023.
Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) provides direct support to individual Bronx artists who create literary, media, visual, and performing works of art. Prize: 25 BRIO grants of $3,000 each are awarded to Bronx artists. BRIO award winners complete a one-time public service activity. Deadline: January 9, 2023.
Spectator Contest No. 3282: new look. Genre: In Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future, one chapter is narrated by a carbon atom, another by the market. You are invited to submit a short story narrated from an unusual perspective. Please email entries of up to 150 words to lucy@spectator.co.uk Prize: £30. Deadline: January 11, 2023.
The Tomorrow Prize & The Green Feather Award. Restrictions: Open to Los Angeles County high school students. Genre: Science fiction, and environmentally focused sci-fi story. Prize: Tomorrow Prize: $250, $150, and $100 USD. Green Feather Award: $250.00 & online publication by the Nature Nexus Institute. Deadline: January 9, 2023.
Jericho Prize. Restrictions: Open to unpublished and self-published Black-British children's writers. Genre: Picture book. Prize: A guaranteed publishing contract from Scholastic UK, with a £1500 author advance plus mentoring. Deadline: January 9, 2023.
Stephen Dixon Award for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to wrkiters who have not published a book or have a book forthcoming at the time of submitting. Genre: Short fiction up to 9,000 words, Prize: $750 and publication online at mcsweeneys.net. Deadline: Opens on January 9, 2023. Submissions will be open until they reach 200 stories (this may take minutes, days, or weeks)
Bethesda Urban Partnership Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Essays. Length: 500 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January 10, 2023.
Bethesda Magazine Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Short stories. Length: 4000 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January 10, 2023.
Bethesda Magazine Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Genre: Short stories. Length: 4000 words maximum. Prize: $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (ages 14-17). Deadline: January 10, 2023.
John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest is sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Restrictions: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades nine through twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools; US students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program; and US citizens attending schools overseas. Genre: Essay on an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1956. Prize: The first-place winner receives $10,000 comprised of a $5,000 cash award and $5,000 from John Hancock. The second-place winner receives $1,000. Up to five finalists receive $500 each. Deadline: January 13, 2023.
French-American Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: Book. Best English translation of French in both fiction and non-fiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 13, 2023.
Encore Award. Restrictions: Open to British or Commonwealth citizens. Genre: Second published novel. Book must have been first published in the UK. Prize: 10,000 pounds. Deadline: January 13, 2023.
Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: January 14, 2023. See themes.
Garden Party Chapbook Contest. Genre: Prose, poetry, and hybrid between 20 and 30 pages. Prize: Publication. January 14, 2023.
Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. Restrictions: Open to women, US citizens only. Genre: Novel. All entries must be submitted by publishers who wish to have the work of their authors that were published in the year 2018 considered. No self-published works or works from vanity presses will be accepted. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
Penrose Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQIA+ writers. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $200 prize, a written review from guest judge + publishing. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $1,500 top prize. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
The Levis Reading Prize is sponsored by the Department of English and its MFA in Creative Writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Restrictions: The prize is given annually for the best first or second book of poetry published in the previous calendar year. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $5000. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
Discoveries Prize. Restrictions: Open to female novelists of all ages and backgrounds, from across the UK and Ireland. Genre: Novel in progress. Prize: The winner will be offered representation by Curtis Brown Literary Agency and a cash prize of £5,000. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award. Genre: Poem, 3-10 pages long, that demonstrates a "truly inventive spirit." Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
Ballard Spahr Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of MN, IA, ND, SD, WI, or MI. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $10,000 & book publication with Milkweed Editions. Deadline: January 15, 2023.
Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, all genres. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 16, 2023.
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. Restrictions: The Orwell Prize for Political Writing is open to nonfiction first published in the UK or Ireland. (See publication deadlines.) Genre: Nonfiction, including entries addressing political, social, cultural, moral and historical subjects. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: January 16, 2023.
The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Restrictions: The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction is open to novels and short story collections first published in the UK or Ireland. (See publication deadlines.) Genre: Fiction that explores ideas and issues, political themes, dilemmas and injustices through imagined narratives. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: January 16, 2023.
RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Candidates must be: A Canadian citizen or permanent resident; Under the age of 35; Unpublished in book form and without a book contract. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Prizes: Up to C$10,000. Deadline: January 16, 2023.
Bethesda Poetry Contest. Genres: Poetry. Adult and high school student categories. Restrictions: Residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are eligible. Prizes: First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mention: $75. Prize for high school students, $75. All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase. Deadline: January 17, 2023.
Spectator Contest No. 3283. Genre: Poem. You are invited to submit a poem entitled ‘A Peer’s Lament’. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk by midday on 18 January. Prize: £30. Deadline: January 18, 2023.
Poetry Society of Virginia - Student Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in Virginia, grades 3 - 12. Prize: $10 - $25. Deadline: January 19, 2023.
Sparks Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: January 19, 2023.
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to authors who either are citizens or permanent residents of Western Australia. Genre: Book published during the preceding calendar year in a variety of genres. Prize: Up to A$60,000. Deadline: January 19, 2023.
Writers & Artists x Questo Challenge. Genre: "The Writers & Artists x Questo Challenge is a competition that is all about creating your very own city exploration game. You will develop a script following any theme you’d like, but must include elements of fiction writing, location selection, puzzle creation and fact-finding." Prize: £1,000 top prize. Deadline: January 19, 2023.
Zocalo Public Square Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to US poets only. Genre: Poetry that evokes a connection to place. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 23, 2023.
“Boston in 100 Words” is an annual flash fiction writing contest in the greater Boston metropolitan area. The contest invites anyone living, working, or going to school in Boston and some surrounding towns to write stories of 100 words or fewer that depict everyday life in their communities. A team of local, renowned writers select winning stories, which are made available to the public for free in the form of large, illustrated posters installed throughout the city. “Boston in 100 Words” seeks to impact the largest number of Bostonians possible, as authors and readers of 100-word stories. Participation in the contest is free to everyone. Prize: $300. Deadline: January 23, 2023.
Nine Dots Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors age 18+. Genre: Summary response to "Why has the rule of law become so fragile?" The winner will expand on the ideas expressed in their summary response by participating in a seminar at the University of Cambridge and by writing a short book (25,000-40,000 words) to be published by Cambridge University Press. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: January 23, 2023.
Caine Prize for African Writing. Restrictions: Open to writers born in Africa, or nationals of an African country, or with a parent who is African by birth or nationality, Genre: Short fiction (published). Prize: £10,000. Deadline: January 26, 2023.
Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Genre: 500- to 1,000-word essay about technology addiction. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: January 30, 2023.
International Booker Prize. The International Booker Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. The work must be published by a UK or Ireland publishing house. Authors are not permitted to enter their own works. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: January 30, 2023.
Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada. Self-published books are not eligible. Genre: A book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Prize: Winner: $25,000; Finalists: $2,500. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
International Young Theatre Playwriting Contest. Genre: Plays for young audiences (no plays for children or adult audiences, or musicals), written in any official European language. Prize: €2,400 for Category A, €1,000 for Category B and other prizes. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Arnold Bennett Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers based in Stoke on Trent, the wider North Staffordshire area or living anywhere in the world if their work features North Staffordshire. Genre: Published fiction, nonfiction, poetry books, plays, including self-published works. Each submission should have an ISBN number and two copies should be either mailed or delivered to Jenny Amphlett, Staffordshire University, 3rd Floor, The Catalyst Building, Leek Road, Stoke on Trent. ST4 2DF. Prize: £500. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Annual Hortensia Anderson Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize:? Deadline: January 31, 2023.
A. C. Bose Grant for South Asian Speculative Literature. Restrictions: Open to South Asian or South Asian diaspora writers. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Cheshire Prize for Literature. Restrictions: The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire, UK. Age ranges from 4 to adult. Genre: Short story, piece of poetry, script or children’s literature piece (this can be a script, story or poem, for children ages seven to 14) on the theme of Sustainability. Prize: Cash prizes. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Michael E. DeBakey Medical Student Poetry Awards. Restrictions: Only undergraduates currently enrolled in accredited United States medical schools are eligible. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 top prize. Deadline: January 31, 2023. Note: Winners do not retain copyright.
James Welch Prize for Indigenous Poets. Restrictions: The prize is open to new, emerging, and established poets who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its trust territories (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and American Samoans). Only poets who have not published more than one book-length collection are eligible; however, previous publication is not a requirement. Eligible contestants must be community-recognized members of their tribal nation. Formal tribal enrollment is not the only way of acknowledging belonging, and this prize aims to recognize all Native writers who are in community. Previous first place winners of this prize are not eligible, but previous finalists are welcome to submit work. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Imagine Little Tokyo. Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) seeks fictional short stories in Japanese or English for its “Imagine Little Tokyo” writing contest. The setting of the story should be in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA– either past, present or future. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
The John Byrne Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Scotland. Genre: A piece of creative work on a chosen theme or value (written work must be no more than 15,000 words in length). Prize: £250. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Dolors Alberola Poetry Prize. Genre: Full-Length poetry collection. Prize: Winner receives translation to another European language; publication of the collection (bilingual edition); 50 copies; and royalties. Finalists receive publication of the collection (Spanish edition), 10 copies of the book, and royalties on Publisher’s edition and subsidiary rights. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. See themes. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
The Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Prize 2023. Restrictions: Open to current students (both BA and MA) at British universities. Genre: Dystopian narratives of 3,000 words. Prize: £500. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: January 31, 2023. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
Hurston/Wright Awards for College Writers. Restrictions: Open to Black artists in fiction and poetry enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate school program anywhere in the United States. For the past four years, Amistad, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, has sponsored the award. Genre: Fiction, poetry. 20 pages max for fiction. Up to 3 poems. Prize: Cash prizes. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award. Genre: Any published book, whether fiction or nonfiction, that promotes public understanding of Chicago; titles must be available for purchase by the general public in either hardcover or bound paperback form; All subject areas, disciplines, and genres are eligible, including but not limited to: history, biography, the social sciences, art, architecture, poetry, drama, graphic novels, or fiction; Translations, textbooks, anthologies, reprints or new editions of previously published works, pamphlets, digital publications, travel guides, children’s books, or self-published works are not eligible. Prize: $25,000. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest for Michigan Students. Restrictions: Open to students attending or being home-schooled in an Upper Peninsula School District. Genre: Short story, 5,000 words max. Prize: Up to $250. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Scriptlab. Genre: TV script or short screenplay. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
RH Blyth Award. Genre: Haiku. Prize: 300GBP (British pound sterling). Deadline: January 31, 2023.
The Miracle Monocle Award for Young Black Writers. Restrictions: Writers must be 25 years old or younger and identify as Black. Genre: All. Prize: $200. Deadline: January 31, 2023.
Harlequin: Romance Includes You Mentorship. Restrictions: Open to debut writers in Canada and the US. Genre: Romance novel. Prize: A contract advance plus grant with a value of $5,000 U.S. Deadline: January 31, 2023. (?) Opens January 1, so submit early.
Laureate Prize. Genre: Full-length poetry book. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 31, 2023. No entry fee for BIPOC writers.
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