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 has passed, you can prepare for next year.
Good luck!
(Image: Pixabay)
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Parsec Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to non-professional writers. Genre: Speculative fiction. The theme for the contest is: Preserve or Purge. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue…the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing. Prize: $200 and publication. Best youth story (age 19 and under) receives $50. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
Malahat Review: Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to writers who have yet to publish a book. Genre: Short Fiction. Prize: CAD $1,250. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
The Questions Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to young Australian writers (18 to 30 years). Genre: Fiction and nonfiction on any topic as long as the piece remains between 1,500 and 2,000 words. Prize: $3,000 AUD top prize. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
Queer Scifi Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Fantasy, paranormal or horror LGBTIQA stories of no more than 300 words on the theme of Rise. Prize: The top three winners will receive cash prizes of $75, $50, and $25 respectively. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
Jane Austen Literacy Foundation Writing Competition. Genre: Original, fictional short story. "The theme of the competition is ‘The Wonder of Words’ and you are invited to write an original, fictional short story. Your short story can be inspired by our theme in any way." Prize: "The winning stories (the winner and two runners up) will be recorded as an audiobook by multi-award winning and best-selling Austen narrator, Alison Larkin, published WORLDWIDE and promoted for all to hear!" Deadline: May 1, 2023.
Sunlight Press. Genre: Flash fiction. Prize: $750. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
CINTAS Creative Writing Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to any Cuban author (including those of direct Cuban lineage; need not reside in Cuba). Genre: Novel excerpts, short stories, plays, or poems of up to 25 pages. Prize: $20,000 fellowship. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
Rabbi Sacks Book Prize. Genre: Published nonfiction book that contributes significantly to the arena of modern Jewish thought. Prize: $50,000. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
Questions Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors aged 18-30. Genre: Short stories of any genre or nonfiction between 1500 and 2000 words. Prize: First place winners (or prize pool for a tie) is $2000. The work will also be published in a book. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
West Virginia Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to West Virginia residents or students. Genre: Short fiction, 5,000 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
LIGHT Contest. Genre: Letters, short stories, art, poetry. "How might we reflect and reimagine wellness in public health through art, letters, stories, and poetry?" Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. Genre: Literary non-fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between March 1, 2023 and May 2, 2023. Deadline: May 3, 2023.
Grouse Grind Lit Prize for V: Short Forms. Restrictions: No fee for black and Indigenous writers. Genre: Flash fiction and nonfiction, hybrid forms and experimental work welcome. Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: May 2, 2023.
Writers' Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian LGBTQ+ writers. Genre: Debut book for books published between March 1, 2023 and May 2, 2023. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: May 3, 2023.
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between March 1, 2023 and May 2, 2023. Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: May 3, 2023.
RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award. "The RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award is an annual award that aims to encourage new writing and to provide a space where unpublished Canadian writers can submit short stories, creative nonfiction, journalism, and poetry. The shortlisted submissions are judged by a distinguished jury of Canadian writers." Prize: The winning entry will receive a $3,000 CAD cash prize and mentorship from a distinguished Canadian author. Deadline: May 5, 2023.
On The Premises Mini-Contest. "For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which the word “unicorn” (singular, not plural) is used exactly ONCE." Prize: First place pays $35, second pays $25, and third pays $15, all in US dollars. Honorable mentions get published, but make no money. Deadline: May 5, 2023.
Love the Words 2023: Dream. ‘Love the Words’ is an annual celebration of the magic and power of words, and is part of International Dylan Thomas Day. Genre: Poems on theme: Dream. Prize: Publication. Deadline: May 6, 2023.
Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. "On the first Friday of every month, a new set of story prompts will be revealed. You will have 55 hours to submit your best 500-word (or fewer) story." Prize: $500AUD. Deadline: May 7, 2023. Opens on May 5.
Lab42 Essay Competition. Genre: Essay. "The objective of this Essay Challenge is to come up with ideas on how to solve the Abstraction and Reasoning Coprus (ARC) Challenge. The ARC Challenge is like an IQ test for machines. The goal of the challenge is to develop a program that can solve 100 secret ARC tasks, which are not accessible to the public." Prize: $2,000 top prize. Deadline: May 7, 2023.
Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $500 in any single year. Genre: Animal Nonfiction. “Stories should be factual and true accounts of an encounter or encounters by the author with a wild animal or animals. These include, but are not limited to, birds, fish, butterflies, snails, lions, bears, turtles, wombats, etc., as long as it is not a pet.” Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: May 7, 2023.
The Future Bookshelf: Mo Siewcharran Prize. Restrictions: The contest is open to BAME writers in the UK. Genre: Picture book. Prize: £2,500, £1,500 and possible publication. Deadline: May 8, 2023.
Create 4 Freedom. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers in the contiguous United States (48 states plus Washington, DC). Genre: Essays and poetry. This year’s contest focuses on Reflections on Freedom. Prize: $750. Deadline: May 8, 2023.
Queer Writers of America Contest. Restrictions: Open to writers between the ages of 13 and 18. Genre: Short story, poetry, essay. Writing must contain queer themes and characters/content. Length: 5000 words max. Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: May 10, 2023.
Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Black writers of African descent who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press. Authors of chapbooks and self-published books with a maximum print run of 500 may apply. Genre: Unpublished, original collections of poems written in English. Prize: $1,000, publication by University of Pittsburgh Press in fall 2023, 15 copies of the book, and a feature reading. Deadline: May 10, 2023.
Limp Wrist: Glitter Bomb Award. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQ/non-binary poets and their allies. Genre: Poem by a poet of any stage of her/his/their career. Prize: $600 and publication in Limp Wrist. Deadline: May 11, 2023.
Creative Future Writers’ Award. Restrictions: Open to underrepresented writers in the UK only, who are over 18 years old. Genre: Poetry, fiction. This year’s theme is ‘How It Started.’ Prize: Publication, unspecified monetary award (?) Deadline: May 14, 2023.
Apparition Lit. Genre: Speculative flash fiction inspired by the monthly photograph prompt. (See site for photo.) Length: 1000 words max. Prize: $30. Deadline: May 14, 2023.
Bacopa Literary Review. Genres: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry. "This is a call for writing on the topic of censorship in all six of our current submissions categories." Prizes: First ($200) and Runner-Up ($160) prizes in each genre. All published will receive $20 and a copy of the print journal. After publication, Bacopa will be promoted online. Deadline: May 14, 2023.
Governor General's Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre: The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and French-Language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: May 15, 2023.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words about sweat. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: May 15, 2023.
Pulitzer Center's "Fighting Words—Poetry in Response to Current Events" Contest. Restrictions: Current K-12 students anywhere in the world may enter. Students may write in any language, and are welcome to submit multilingual poems. Judges will have reading fluency in English and Spanish. Genre: Poetry. Theme: How can poetry be an effective response to current events and underreported stories? How can journalism and poetry help us make connections between global issues and our local and personal contexts? Prize: $300 top prize. Deadline: May 15, 2023.
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: May 15, 2023.
The James Laughlin Award is sponsored by the Academy of American Poets. Genre: A second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. Must be under contract with US publisher. Restrictions: Open to US citizens and residents only. Prize: $5,000, an all-expenses-paid week long residency in Florida, and the Academy will purchase approximately 1,000 copies of the book for distribution to its members. Deadline: May 15, 2023.
Leeway Foundation: Transformation Award. Restrictions: Women and transgender poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the Philadelphia area who have been creating art for social change for five or more years. Writers who have lived for at least two years in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties, who are at least 18 years of age, and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Award: $15,000. Deadline: May 15, 2023.
Singapore Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry. "We are looking for poems that use the word “snail” in imaginative ways." Prize: USD300, 200, and 100 will go to the top three winners. Deadline: May 15, 2023.
Northern Territory Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Several awards for adults. Youth Award is for ages 12 - 18. Genre: Theatre, Creative Non-Fiction, Essay, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Poetry. Prizes: $500 - $1000, depending on category. Deadline: May 15, 2023.
FIYAH Literary Magazine Grant Series. Restrictions: Open to Black writers and editors. Genre: Speculative fiction. Grant: $1000. Deadline: May 15, 2023. (?)
Write the World Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Nonfiction essay about food. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: May 16, 2023. (Note: This is a monthly contest)
Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant. Genre: Articles, books, and short-form writing about contemporary art—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. The program also supports art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. Grant: $15,000 to $50,000. Deadline: May 17, 2023.
Roscommon New Writing Award. Restrictions: All entrants must have a connection with the county of Roscommon (born in, living in, currently working in, went to school in, etc). Genre: Short story. Prize: €600.00. Deadline: May 19, 2023.
Whole Life Soaps Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $100 and publication of your haiku on packages of Whole Life Soaps, a natural soap brand based in California. 2023 theme is Aging and the Cycle of Life. Deadline: May 20, 2023.
A Voice for Animals Teen Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students between the ages of 14-18. Genre: Essays on an animal rights topic. In the 16-18 year olds category, essays must be 800-1,000 words long and be accompanied by a photograph; in the 14-15 year olds category, essays should be between 1,400-1,500 words. One climate change prize (both age categories compete) will be awarded for an essay on how climate change affects a particular animal species. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 21, 2023.
Changing Light Prize for a Novel-in-Verse. Genre: Novel-in-Verse. Prize: $500 and publication for a novel-in-verse, 90-160 pages. Deadline: May 25, 2023.
RTÉ Radio Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to Irish writers and residents of Ireland. Genre: Short story. Prize: Up to 5,000 euros. Deadline: May 26, 2023.
Quay Words Young Writers’ Flash Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open writers aged 10 to 18-years. Genre: Flash fiction on theme ‘Trading Places.' Prize: £200 top prize. Deadline: May 28, 2023.
David Harold Tribe Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to anyone normally resident in Australia for at least three years prior to entry. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $20,000. Deadline: May 29, 2023.
Buckmxn Journal Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to Oregon and SW Washington residents only. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: May 29, 2023.
Irene Adler Prize for Women Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian women. Genre: Creative nonfiction. Prize: $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the U.S. or Canada. Deadline: May 30, 2023.
bpNichol Poetry Chapbook Award. Restrictions: Canadian publishers only. Genre: Published poetry chapbook. Prize: The author receives $4,000 and the publisher receives $500. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Furphy Literary Award. Genre: Short stories up to 5000 words, Theme: Australian Life in all its diversity. Prize: First prize of $15,000 in the open category (2nd prize - $ 3,000, 3rd prize - $2,000. A junior & youth category with a prize pool of $1800 will seek entries for short stories and poetry. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Shallow Waters. Genre: Flash fiction on theme: Red. Max 1,500 words. Prize: $0.03 per word and publication. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Awards. Restrictions: Open to aboriginal youth, 18 years or younger, residing in Ontario, Canada. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Vancouver Writers Fest's Youth Writing Contest.Restrictions: Open to students in British Columbia. Genre: Short stories and personal essays: 1,000 word limit (for elementary school student submissions) and 1,500 (for high-school student submissions). Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Unpublished fiction approximately 1,000 - 5,000 words. Story should pertain to music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Prize: $100 and publication in Jerry Jazz Musician. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry based on art. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
The Center for Fiction / Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowships offer grants, editorial mentorship, and other opportunities to early-career New York City-based practitioners who are at a critical moment in their development as fiction writers. Genre: Fiction. Grant: $5,000. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
The Wolfe Pack Black Orchid Award. Genre: Mystery novellas in the style of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novellas. Manuscript length: 15K-20K words. Prize: $1,000, plus recognition and publication in a forthcoming issue of AAMM. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant. Restrictions: Open to writers who are fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Fountain Magazine Essay Contest. Genre: Essay on theme: How to focus in an era of distractions. 1,500 - 2,500 words. "We are constantly bombarded with breaking news, online notifications, unscheduled visits, calls, and so on. What are your distractions? How do you cope with them? How do you remain focused on what really matters?" Prize: 1st Place - $1,000, 2nd Place - $500, 3rd Place - $300, Two Honorable Mentions - $150 each. Deadline: May 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: May 31, 2023.
CNO Naval History Essay Contest. Genre: Scholarly essay on naval history. Prize: First Prize: $5,000. Second Prize:$2,500. Third Prize: $1,500. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Genesis Jewish Book Week Emerging Writers' Programme. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers over 18 years of age, of any background living in the UK. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Prize: Up to £1,500 and mentorship. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Jenny Brown Associates Over 50 Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished and unrepresented UK writers aged 50 and above. Genre: Debut novel. Prize: £1,000, plus a week’s placement at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre for the winner including reasonable travel expenses. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
The Eighth Annual H. Gene Murtha Senryu Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: 1st Place: $50.00, 2nd Place: $25.00, 3rd Place: $25.00 Deadline: May 31, 2023.
Kit Sora Flash Fiction Photography Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents in the Atlantic Provinces. Genre: Flash fiction inspired by a Kit Sora photo, 250 words max. Prize: 10 cents/word. Deadline: May 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: May 31, 2023. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
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