This March there are more than seven dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.
Lewis Galantiere Award.
Restrictions: Open to US citizens or permanent residents.
Genre: Translation of book-length literary work from any language, except German, into English. Entries must have been published in the US in the past two years.
Prize: $1000.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
Library of Virginia Literary Awards.
Restrictions: Open to writers who were born in or are residents of Virginia or, in the case of nonfiction, books with a Virginia theme, are eligible.
Genre: Books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published in the previous year.
Prize: $2,500.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
Republic of Letters.
Genre: Short story.
Prize: $500.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
Mississippi Artists Fellowships.
Restrictions: Open to permanent residents of Mississippi.
Genre: Fiction and poetry. (Plus many art forms)
Prize: $5,000.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
Flare.
Genre: Flash fiction, micro fiction, poetry, short story, CNF, experimental. Theme: Disability as a Strength.
Prize: 1st Place Winner: $125 + online publication. 2nd Place Winner: $75 + online publication.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
The Kelpies Prize (Scotland).
Restrictions: Open to Scottish authors.
Genre: Children’s fiction and nonfiction, picture books.
Prize: £1,000, a publishing contract, a writing retreat, and a year of mentoring by an editorial team.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
Future Worlds Prize.
Restrictions: Open to unpublished SFF writers of color.
Genre: Speculative fiction. Submit a 5,000-10,000 word extract of either a short story or the opening chapters of a novel.
Prize: £4,500 top prize.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community. The prestigious award aims to provide promising writers a network for professional advancement. Since Poets & Writers began the Writers Exchange in 1984, 85 writers from 33 states and the District of Columbia have been selected to participate.
Restrictions: Open to Indigenous Writers.
Genre: Poetry and Fiction.
Prize: A $500 honorarium; A trip to New York City to meet with editors, agents, publishers, and other writers. All related travel/lodgings expenses and a per diem stipend are covered by Poets & Writers.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
Steve Miller BSFS Annual Poetry Contest. Sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society.
Genre: Speculative poetry.
Prize: 1st prize: $100; 2nd prize: $75; 3rd prize: $50.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
"It's All Write!" Teen Short Story Contest.
Restrictions: Open to Grades 6-12. Michigan residents only.
Genre: Short story, and flash fiction, unpublished.
Prize: 1st Place $250, 2nd Place $150, 3rd Place $100.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
Voice.club.
Genre: Flash fiction, 350 words max.
Prize: $25 Amazon gift card.
Deadline: March 1, 2026.
Note: You have to join in order to enter.
See themes.
Susan Kamil Emerging Writers Prize.
Restrictions: Any unpublished writer over the age of 18 working on a full-length manuscript, graphic novel, or book-length comic who is also currently employed at (or owns) a physical book or comic store in the U.S. or its territories (as defined by Binc) with a minimum of three months of continuous book or comic store employment.
Genre: Full-length manuscript, graphic novel, or book-length comic.
Prize: $10,000.
Deadline: "Applications accepted in March."
Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism.
Genre: This prize seeks to honor the best book-length works of criticism published in the US in the prior calendar year, including biographies, essay collections, and critical editions that consider the subject of poetry or poets.
Prize: $10,000.
Deadline: February 27, 2026
for first time nominations only. All others, March 2, 2026.
Grant MacEwan Creative Writing Scholarship is sponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
Restrictions: Authors must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate creative writing program of study or mentorship. (Max age 25) Alberta residents only.
Genres: Poetry, Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction, Drama, or Graphic Novel.
Prize: $7000 (CAN).
Deadline: March 2, 2026.
Alabama Arts Council Fellowships.
Restrictions: Open to any author who has lived in Alabama for at least 2 years.
Genre: Fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction of 10-20 pages.
Prize: $5,000.
Deadline: March 2, 2026.
North Carolina State Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to North Carolina residents (including out-of-state and international students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities) with no published books.
Genre: Poetry.
Prize: $500.
Deadline: March 2, 2026.
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: March 6, 2026.
On The Premises. Circles: Words that are normally hyphenated, but generally considered one word, are considered one word for this contest. (Examples: “Twenty-three”, “Jack-o-lantern”, and “Father-in-law” are each one word.) However, stringing a bunch of words together with hyphens for artistic effect will result in each connected word being counted separately. (Example: “It was a get-out-of-my-way day.” That hyphenated phrase counts as five words.) Length: The story needs to be 25 to 50 words long.
Prize: $35 for first place, $25 for second, $15 for third.
Deadline: March 6, 2026.
Reedsy.
Genre: Story on theme.
See website. Prize: $250.
Deadline: March 6, 2026.
Tempest Prize.
Restrictions: Open to LGBTQ+ writers based in the North of England.
Genre: Poetry, fiction and narrative non-fiction.
Prize: £1000, access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network and mentoring from Andrew McMillan.
Deadline: March 10, 2026.
Betty L. Yu and Jin C. Yu Creative Writing Prizes.
Restrictions: Open to writers of Taiwanese heritage (or writers with other significant connections to Taiwan), or have subject matter otherwise relevant to the Taiwanese or Taiwanese American experience. Submissions will be considered in four categories: Middle School (enrolled in 6th-8th grade as of the deadline), High School (enrolled in high school as of the deadline), College (enrolled in community college or as an undergraduate as of the deadline), Adult (in any stage of life beyond college).
Genre: Any literary genre including fiction, poetry, personal essays or other creative non-fiction.
Prize: Grand Prize Winner: $500 – one selection per age category. Finalist: $200 – three selections per age category. Honorable Mention: $75 – at judge’s discretion per age category.
Deadline: March 10, 2026.
Northern Promise TLC Awards. Restrictions: Open to people who may have faced barriers to seeing their work progress for financial reasons or issues connected to disability, ethnicity and/or sexuality. living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months. Genre: Full-length work of fiction, poetry, narrative non-fiction, or children's book in progress. Prize: In-depth editorial report on their work in progress. In addition to the Free Read, writers will receive £500 and access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network.
Deadline: March 10, 2026.
The Finchale Award for Short Fiction.
Restrictions: Open to writers based in the North of England.
Genre: Short story of up to 1500 words.
Prize: £1000 and access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network.
Deadline: March 10, 2026.
Sid Chaplin Award.
Restrictions: Open to writers living in the North of England who identify as originating from a working-class background.
Genre: Memoir, novel, young-adult novel, short-story collection or work of literary essays in progress.
Prize: £2000; a manuscript appraisal from The Literary Consultancy; advisory sessions from the writer Michael Chaplin; an introduction to the North Agency; and access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network.
Deadline: March 10, 2026.
Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award.
Restrictions: Open to students and graduates from any discipline who are: final-year undergraduates; current postgraduate students; or alumni who have graduated from an undergraduate or postgraduate programme at Northumbria University within the last ten years.
Genre: Poetry, fiction and narrative non-fiction.
Prize: £2000.
Deadline: March 10, 2026.
Arvon Award. Restrictions: Open to writers living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months.
Genre: Full-length work of fiction, poetry or narrative non-fiction work in progress.
Prize: Arvon course.
Deadline: March 10, 2026.
The Africa Institute: Global Africa Translation Fellowship.
Restrictions: Open to Translators in the Global South.
Genre: Translations of works from the African continent and its diaspora, into English or Arabic. This is a non-residential fellowship. Projects may be retranslations of old, classic texts, previously untranslated works, poetry, prose, or critical theory collections. The project may be a work-in-progress, or a new project feasible for completion within the timeframe of the grant.
Prize: $1,000-$5,000.
Deadline: March 12, 2026.
Havok.
Genre: Flash fiction.
See themes.
Payment: $50 via PayPal for each one selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication.
Deadline: March 13, 2026.
Reedsy.
Genre: Story on theme.
See website. Prize: $250.
Deadline: March 13, 2026.
The Waterman Fund Essay Contest.
Restrictions: Writers who have not published a book-length work of fiction or narrative nonfiction on topics of wilderness, wildness, or the ethics and ecology of environmental issues are eligible.
Genre: Personal, scientific, adventure, or memoir essays between 2000 and 3000 words. "The Waterman Fund seeks new voices on the role and place of wilderness in today’s world."
Prizes: The winning essayist will be awarded $3000 and publication in Appalachia Journal. The Honorable Mention essay will receive $1000
. Deadline: March 15, 2026.
Brilliant Flash Fiction.
Genre: Flash fiction. Word limit: 350 words, excluding title.
Prize: $200 first prize, $50 second prize, $50 third prize.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
City of Literature Paul Engle Prize.
Genre: This prize does not recognize one work, nor is it solely limited to reflecting literary achievement. Rather, the award seeks to recognize a writer, like Engle, who makes an impact on his or her community and the world at large through efforts beyond the page. It also seeks to raise awareness about Engle and his works.
Prize: $20,000.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
Individual Artist Fellowships.
Restrictions: Open to Kentucky poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers.
Genre: Literary arts.
Prize: $7,500.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest.
Restrictions: Open to Connecticut Student Poets in Grades 9-12.
Genre: Poetry.
Prize: 1st $100, 2nd $50, 3rd $25.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
53-Word Story Contest.
Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme.
Prize: Publication and a free book.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
This is a monthly contest.
Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition.
Restrictions: Open to high school students.
Genre: Poetry.
Prize: Two high school students will be selected and scheduled to read their original work for Café Muse with established poet, Michelle Garcia King, Prince William Poet Laureate, emerita, on Monday, June 1, 2026. They will receive an honorarium.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
NFSPS Annual Poetry Contests.
Genre: Poetry. The National Federation of State Poetry Societies sponsors 50 contests for adults, 34 of which are free and open to the public. There are also 3 free poetry contests for children.
Prize: Monetary awards vary.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
Forward Prizes.
Genre: Collections and single poems published in the UK and Ireland are eligible for the Prizes. Must be submitted by publisher.
Prize: £1,000 to £10,000.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award.
Restrictions: This competition is open to African American poets only.
Genre: Book-length poetry.
Prize: $500 in cash and publication of the manuscript by Broadside Lotus Press.
Deadline: March 15, 2026. (Note: Website deadline is 2025, but their Facebook announcement states that it is 2026)
The Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize.
Genre: Book-length translations into English of either a) poetry or b) source texts from Zen Buddhism (which must not consist solely of commentaries). Both translators and publishers are invited to submit titles. Book must have been published in previous year.
Prize: $6,000
. Deadline: March 16, 2026.
BBC National Short Story Award.
Restrictions: Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing.
Genre: Short fiction.
Prize: £15,000 to the winner, £3,000 for the runner-up and £500 for three further shortlisted writers.
Deadline: March 16, 2026.
The Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize.
Restrictions: Open to writers resident in the UK and Ireland who have yet to secure a publishing deal.
Genre: Proposal for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words).
Prize: £4,000 advance against publication with Fitzcarraldo Editions.
Deadline: March 16, 2026.
ALTA First Translation Prize.
Genre: Debut literary translation from any other language into English published in the previous calendar year.
Prize: 3,000, with $2,000 bestowed to the translator and $1,000 to the editor.
Deadline: March 16, 2026.
Papatango New Writing Prize.
Restrictions: Open to anyone resident in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Genre: Script of roughly 25 – 50 pages.
Prize: £8000. Their scripts will be produced as audio plays and tour the UK in free listening stations. The scripts will also be published digitally by Nick Hern Books.
Deadline: March 16, 2026.
POPP Award: Poetry of the Plains and Prairies.
Genre: Poetry of any style for their annual Poetry of the Plains and Prairies chapbook publication. "While the author(s) may call any place home, their submissions must deftly capture the feeling of, as well as the reality of, living on the plains and prairies. Authors may submit any number of poems equaling thirty to thirty-five pages in length, with no more than one poem per page. (Single poems may extend more than one page.) The selected poetry collection will be published as a limited edition chapbook, hand-printed with antique letterpress equipment."
Prize: $200 and publication.
Deadline: March 17, 2026.
Collaborature.
Restrictions: Submissions must be written by more than one author or include a collaboration of two people (i.e., art and poetry).
Genre: Poetry, prose, art.
Prize: $20.
Deadline: March 17, 2026.
Note: This is a monthly contest.
DAG Prize.
Restrictions: Open to US residents working on a second book.
Genre: Second book of prose in the U.S., written in English.
Prize: $20,000.
Deadline: March 18, 2026.
Reedsy.
Genre: Short fiction. "This week, let’s explore themes of departure, arrival, and distance. Maybe your characters are hopping between cities, crossing galaxies, or trying to bridge the gap through messages — I’m curious to find out where they end up (and if things come full circle… or not!). Grab your bags and let's see where your writing takes us!"
Prize: $250.
Deadline: March 20, 2026.
Savage Mystery Writing Contest.
Genre: Mystery short story.
Prize: Winning stories are published in Toasted Cheese. If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card.
Deadline: March 22, 2026.
Opens March 20.
BBC Young Writers Award.
Restrictions: Open to UK residents, including residents of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, aged 14 to 18 years old,
Genre: Short fiction, 1000 words max.
Prize: Publication and free workshop.
Deadline: March 23, 2026.
Max Afford Playwrights' Award.
Restrictions: Open to Australian playwrights aged 18-40.
Genre: Full-length plays.
Prize: A$15,000.
Deadline: March 23, 2026.
Biennial award.
Write the World Competitions.
Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.
Genre: Screenplay.
See theme.
Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50.
Deadline: March 23, 2026.
This is a monthly contest.
White River Environmental Law Writing Competition is sponsored by the
Vermont Journal of Environmental Law and Vermont Law School.
Restrictions: Open to all students currently pursuing a degree (J.D. or LL.M) at an accredited law school in the United States. Submissions written as a class component, as a journal requirement, or otherwise for academic credit are acceptable.
Genre: Original essays addressing any relevant topic in the fields of environmental law, natural resource law, energy law, environmental justice, land use law, animal law, and agricultural law.
Prize: $1000 cash prize and an offer of publication with the
Vermont Journal of Environmental Law.
Deadline: March 27, 2026.
BlackInk Writing Competition.
Restrictions: Open to writers from the African and African Caribbean Diaspora.
Genre: Short story, maximum of 2,000 words. See theme.
Prize: £500 top prize.
Deadline: March 28, 2026..
Booker Prize.
Genre: Long-form fiction written in English published in the UK or Ireland. Must be submitted by publisher.
Prize: £50,000.
Deadline: For books published between 1 May 2026 and 30 September 2026, all submission forms, physical copies, PDFs and additional assets must be submitted by Monday, March 30, 2026.
Victor Howes Prize in Poetry.
Restrictions: Undergraduate English majors currently enrolled at a New England college (2-year or 4-year).
Genre: Poetry.
Prize: $1000.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
African Human Rights Sustainability Poetry Competition.
Restrictions: Open to poets of African descent resident within the continent.
Genre: Poetry. "We encourage works that reflect, but are not limited to: environmental justice, reciprocality with nature, sustainable living, climate action, personal connection with the environment, etc."
Prize: $100.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Redbud Writing Project Coppice Prize.
Restrictions: The contest is open to writers who identify as belonging to marginalized or under-represented groups (e.g. cultural identity, income level of your family, racial identity, gender identity, disability, or something else).
Genre: Short story. Maximum length is 4000 words.
Prize: $600 top prize.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Claire Harris Poetry Prize.
Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who are writers from Black, Indigenous, or other racialized communities and who have not previously published a book-length collection of poetry.
Genre: Poetry collection.
Prize: $1,000, a contract for the publication of the collection under the icehouse poetry imprint in the following year (2025), and public readings in at least three Canadian cities.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Biennial prize.
Foley Poetry Contest.
Genre: One unpublished poem on any topic. The poem should be 45 lines or fewer and not under consideration elsewhere.
Prize: $1000.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Parsec Ink.
Genre: Speculative short story up to 3,500 words.
See theme.
Prize: First-place receives $200 and publication in the Confluence program book. Second-place receives $100 Third-place receives $50.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
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: March 31, 2026.
Jack London Fiction Writing Contest.
Restrictions: Open to U.S. students in grades 6-8.
Genre: Unpublished stories. Length: 2,000 words maximum. "You and your group of friends go camping in the wilderness for a weekend adventure when an unexpected disaster strikes and leaves you stranded. Then one morning you all awaken to a set of mysterious footprints surrounding your campsite. Who or what has left them? Are they friend or foe? How will your group work together to make it out of the wilderness alive.”
Prize: $250, $150, and $100. Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Jack L. Chalker Young Writers' Contests.
Restrictions: Open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year who reside in, or attend school in Maryland.
Genre: Science fiction or fantasy, 2,500 words max.
Prizes: $150, $100 and $75.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest.
Restrictions: 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.
Genres: Science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words.
Prizes: Three cash prizes in each quarter: a First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500, in US dollars. In addition, at the end of the year the winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.
Genre: Poetry or literary prose. Translation of modern Arabic literature into English. Books must have been published and be available for purchase in the UK via a distributor or online. The source text must have been published in the original Arabic in or after 1967. Must be submitted by publisher.
Prize: £3,000.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness.
Restrictions: Open to a journalist for sustained reportage and/or commentary working in any medium.
Genre: Reportage and/or commentary on homelessness. Entries will be encouraged from people who are experiencing or have experienced all forms of homelessness as well as journalists and others writing about or reporting on homelessness.
Prize: £3,000 for the best political writing first published in the UK or Ireland between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Orwell Prize for Journalism.
Restrictions: Open to a journalist for sustained reportage and/or commentary working in any medium.
Genre: Published journalism.
Prize: £3,000 for the best political writing first published in the UK or Ireland between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils.
Restrictions: Entries must be able to demonstrate a link to the UK and/or Ireland by meeting one or more of the following criteria: a) The articles submitted were first published in the UK and/or Ireland; b) one or more of the authors was based in the UK and/or in Ireland at the time of publication; c) one or more of the authors is a UK or Irish citizen. Entries where only one author is a UK/Irish citizen or resident are eligible.
Genre: Journalism. The winning entry should consist of a story that has enhanced the public understanding of social problems and public policy in the UK, and should strive to meet Orwell’s own ambition ‘to make political writing into an art’.
Prize: £5,000 to the winner, and £2,500 each to two runners-up.
Deadline: March 31, 2026.
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