An additional bonus is that winning a contest really boosts your chances of getting published.
Many of these contests are held every year, so if you missed one you'd like to enter, you may catch it next year.
NOTE: For further information about each contest, including submission instructions, click on the name of the contest. (It's a link.)
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Good sites to find contests (both free and paid):
Angela Carr publishes a list of competitions every month on her blog, A Dreaming Skin.
Reedsy
Winning Writers - Best Free Literary Contests
Poets & Writers - Writing Contests, Grants & Awards
Creative Writing Contests
NewPages Big List of Writing Contests
Morgen Bailey's Writing Blog
Write Jobs
The Poetry Kit
Christopher Fielden's List
Flash Fiction Writing Contests published quarterly on the last day of January, March, June, September.
Almond Press - easy to read list
International Competitions (free and paid)
The Writing Quarter Lists free and paid competitions
Please note: Months correspond to deadlines.
Related posts:
How to Win Writing Contests and Big Publishing Contracts
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Recurring Awards
Continual
Reader's Digest 100-Word-Story Competition wants true stories about you, in 100 words. Prize: $100.
7-Day Writing Challenges are held throughout the year. You have seven days to write a story. Registration required. Prize: £500.
Monthly
Monthly
Write the World Competitions. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-18. Genre: Essay. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline for entry is the 15th day of each month. Stories sent after the deadline will not be considered.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline for entry is the 15th day of each month. Stories sent after the deadline will not be considered.
Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program. Debuting authors and writers with fewer than three previously published books who have yet to receive a major literary award are eligible for consideration. Exceptions are sometimes made for authors who have published more titles, but have yet to break out to a larger audience. Submissions must be original publications, penned by one author. Self-published works not allowed. Genres: Scheduled to be published fiction and literary nonfiction. (Authors cannot submit their own work.)
Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." The prize is $100 for the chosen story plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is one story that wins and receives the full payout. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
Scottish Book Trust: Monthly Competition. Restrictions: Open to four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers 5-11 and young writers 12-18. Genre: Short story based on prompts. (See site for prompt) Prize: Various items.
Rattle holds a monthly ekphrastic challenge. Winner gets $100 and online publication.
Awesome Foundation Grants. “Have a crazy brilliant idea that needs funding? We award $1,000 grants every month. It couldn’t be simpler! Your idea is yours alone. We don’t want a stake in it. We just want to help you make it happen!” Grant: $1000. No deadline. Grants are awarded every month.
The White Pube Creatives Grant is a one-off £500 grant to be given out to a different working class creative practitioner based in the UK once every month. This grant has been set up to support creatives of all ages who are early in their careers and would benefit from this no-strings attached financial support to help them in whatever they like - be that money to cover time to make, or fund materials, equipment, research, subscriptions, development, travel, or even rent and bills.
Zo Literature Expo. Genre: Flash Fiction Prompt - In under 700 words, create a story of a world in the aftermath of violence, on a new path of peace! Prize: Each winner will be published and receive a $50 Honorarium.
Future Scholar Foundation invites elementary and middle school students to submit short stories (maximum 350 words) based on a monthly theme. Winners receive recognition and prizes, including Amazon gift cards and publication in the Hall of Fame.
Weekly
Poetry Nook offers a free weekly contest. Prize: $20, with $10 for honorable mentions. You must register to enter, but registration is free. (Thanks to John Reinhart for this tip.)
Microcosms is a weekly, microfiction contest, the primary goals of which are to inspire creativity, get writers in the habit of writing, and entertain readers! Prize: They aren't sure yet!
Prose. Genre: Stories of at least 15 words (length varies) responding to prompts. Prize: $100. Registration required.
Writers' Hour. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words or less in any genre on theme. (See website for theme) Prize: $100.
No deadline
Philosophy and Beyond. Genre: Philosophical essay. See theme. Prize: $200. (No deadline posted)
JANUARY 2025
Defenestration Lengthy Poem Contest. Genre: Lengthy poem (at least 3 pages). Prize: $300. Deadline: January 1, 2025.
Vermont Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Vermont. Genres: Short story, poem, play or essay on the theme of Vermont - its people, places, history or values. Entries must be unpublished and fewer than 1,500 words long. Writers may submit only one entry per year. Prize: $1,250 and publication in Vermont Magazine. Deadline: January 1, 2025.
The Fifty & Up Writer Awards. Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry by writers aged 50 and up. Prize: $50. Deadline: January 1, 2025.
The Welkin Mini Writing Prize. Genre: Narrative prose (fiction and nonfiction) up to 100 words. Prize: £50 top prize. Deadline: January 2, 2025.
Jack Hazard Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to writers who teach full time in an accredited high school in the United States. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 3, 2025.
San José State University: Center for Steinbeck Studies – The Steinbeck Fellows Program. Fellowships are currently offered in Creative Writing (excluding poetry) and Steinbeck Studies; Fellows may be appointed in many fields, including fiction, drama, creative non-fiction, and biography. The creative writing fellowship does not require that there be any direct connection between your work and Steinbeck’s. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success but have not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University’s creative writing program. Prize: $15,000. Deadline: January 5, 2025.
Miriam Chaikin Writing Award. Genre: Poetry and prose, including plays, short stories, and other creative writing. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 5, 2025.
Olive B. O’Connor Creative Writing Fellowship. Genre: Fiction and poetry. Prize: $55,100. Deadline: January 6, 2025.
Shepton Snowdrops: Treasures of Nature. Restrictions: No entry fee for poets under 18 years of age. Genre: Poem. See theme. Prize: £50-100. Deadline: January 6, 2025.
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 7, 2025.
Dr. Paul Kalanithi Writing Award. Restrictions: No fee for medical students, residents, fellows. Genre: Short stories, essays or poetry addressing patients and providers facing chronic or life limiting illness. Fiction and non-fiction submissions are welcome. Prize: $300. Deadline: January 7, 2025.
MoCo360 Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper Northwest Washington, DC (20015 and 20016 zip codes). Genre: Short stories between 1,500 and 2,500 words. Prize: Publication in Bethesda Magazine as well as prizes up to $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (grades 9-12). Deadline: January 7, 2025.
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, 2025.
The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. Restrictions: An address in the UK or Republic of Ireland or British Overseas Territory or British Forces Post Office. OR an entry code shared with you for submission to the International Award. Note: The Bruntwood Prize International Award of £8,000 is open to international playwrights who can apply through their partners. (See site for list) Genre: Play. Prize: £16,000. Deadline: January 9, 2025.
Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 6 - 10. Stop the Hate® is designed to create an appreciation and understanding among people of differing religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Genre: Essay, 500 words. (See website for theme) Restrictions: Northeast Ohio 6-10th Graders. Prize: $20,000 scholarship. Deadline: Grade 6-10: January 9, 2025.
The Bechtel Prize. Genre: Essays essays describing a creative writing teaching experience, project, or activity that demonstrates innovation in creative writing instruction. "We are looking for essays that describe a project or activity that got students excited about writing and fostered a vibrant and dynamic culture of literacy in the classroom." Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: January 10, 2025.
Luminarts Creative Writing Fellowship. The Creative Writing Fellowship awards two $10,000 grant Fellowships for excellence in creative writing in the categories of prose and poetry, in fiction and nonfiction. Applicants submit a two-page written piece (either a stand-alone piece or an excerpt of a larger piece such as a novel or short story). Open to writers between the ages of 18 and 30 years old at the time of application; be enrolled in, or have graduated from, a degree program; and live within 150 miles of the Union League Club of Chicago. Genre: Poetry or prose, fiction and nonfiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 10, 2025.
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 10, 2025.
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 10, 2025.
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 13, 2025.
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 13, 2025.
Hachette Children’s Novel Awards. Restrictions: Open to debut authors living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months. Genre: Debut children’s and early teen fiction, including but not limited to, romance, comedy, historical fiction, crime, mystery and fantasy. Prize: £3000 and a programme of mentoring opportunities with professionals at Hachette Children’s Group and a children’s publishing agent. Deadline: January 13, 2025.
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 14, 2025.
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 14, 2025.
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, 2025.
Hektoen Internationa Nurse Essay Contest. Restrictions: Nurses, nurses’ aides, and nursing and midwifery students are encouraged to submit an essay to Hektoen International’s 2024–2025 nurse writing contest. Genre: Essays can be on any topic as it relates to medicine. Prize: $3,000 for the winner and $2,000 for the runner-up. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Moving Words Poetry Competition for Adults. Genre: Poems of 10 lines or less that will be displayed inside Arlington Transit buses. Prize: $250. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Women Artists Datebook. Restrictions: Open to women. Genre: Poems and art. Theme: Peace and Justice. Payment: $200 for art, $70 for poetry. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award. Genre: Poem, 3-10 pages long, that demonstrates a "truly inventive spirit." Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History. Genre: Essay on early American history (up to 1825), not previously published, with preference being given to New England subjects. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. Restrictions: Open to women, US citizens only. Genre: Prose fiction. All entries must be submitted by publishers who wish to have the work of their authors that were published in the previous year considered. No self-published works or works from vanity presses will be accepted. Prize: $15,000. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: January 15, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction book in progress. The project should address the history and/or legacy – broadly defined – of the American Revolution and the nation’s founding ideas. It might focus on the founding era itself, or on the myriad ways the questions that preoccupied the nation’s founders have shaped America’s later history. Fellowship amount: $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, and a nine-month residency (during the academic year) in historic Chestertown, MD. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 11 - 12. Stop the Hate® is designed to create an appreciation and understanding among people of differing religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Genre: Essay, 500 words. (See website for theme) Restrictions: Northeast Ohio 11-12th Graders. Prize: $20,000 scholarship. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards Program. Restrictions: Open to current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2025. Genre: Original literary composition in English in one of the following genres of poetry, spoken word, fiction, personal essay/memoir, or book bans prompt. Prize: $10,000 scholarship. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
French-American Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: Book. Best English translation of French in both fiction and non-fiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $600. Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book: fiction, nonfiction, poetry for adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: January 17, 2025. (For books published Oct. 16-Dec. 31, 2024.)
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 17, 2025.
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: January 17, 2025. Note: This is a monthly contest.
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. The second-place winner receives $3,000. Up to five finalists receive $1000 each. Deadline: January 17, 2025.
Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize. The annual Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize is awarded each spring to honor an outstanding literary translation from German into English published in the USA the previous year. Genre: Published fiction or non-fiction, may include: novels, novellas, short stories, plays, poetry, biographies, essays and correspondence. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 17, 2025.
The Golden Triangle Golden Haiku poetry contest. Genre: Haiku on theme “Bridges of Belonging.” Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: January 19, 2025. Note: The contest is open to all ages.
Poetry Society of Virginia - Student Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in Virginia, grades 3 - 12. Prize: $10 - $25. Deadline: January 19, 2025.
Zocalo Public Square Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to US poets only. Genre: Poetry that evokes a connection to place. Prize: $1000. Deadline: January 24, 2025.
Stephen Dixon Award for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to writers 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 24, 2025. Submissions will be open until they reach 200 stories (this may take minutes, days, or weeks)
The Garden Party Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry on theme: "Neurodivergent / Intersectional writers." Prize: $50. Deadline: January 25, 2025.
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: January 26, 2025.
Nine Dots Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors age 18+. Genre: Summary response to "Is data failing us?" 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 27, 2025.
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 27, 2025.
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 27, 2025.
Scottish Book Trust: Monthly Competition. Restrictions: Open to four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers 5-11 and young writers 12-18. Genre: Short story based on prompts. (See site for prompt) Prize: Various items. Deadline: January 28, 2025.
Future Scholar Foundation invites elementary and middle school students to submit short stories (maximum 350 words) based on a monthly theme. Prize: Winners receive recognition and prizes, including Amazon gift cards and publication in the Hall of Fame. Deadline: January 28, 2025.
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, 2025.
Action! Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents in the UK, Ireland or US and over 18 at time of submission. Genre: Full-length action novel for readers in one of these four age bands 7–9, 9–11, 12–14, 14+. Prize: FIRST PRIZE – A worldwide publishing contract with Faber with a £12,000 advance (subject to contract), SECOND PRIZE: A worldwide publishing contract with Faber with a £9,000 advance (subject to contract), THIRD PRIZE: A worldwide publishing contract with Faber with a £6,000 advance (subject to contract). Deadline: January 30, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025.
The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award. Genre: Short story of no more than 8,000 words that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. Prize: Publication as the featured story on the Baen Books main website paid at the normal paying rates for professional story submissions. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
Story Unlikely Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story. Length: 4000 words max. Prize: First prize $1500. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
Swamp Pink. Restrictions: Submissions are restricted to Indigenous people in the USA. Genre: Short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Prize: $2000. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
The Young Romantics Prizes. Restrictions: Open to anyone aged 16-18 years old. Genre: Essay or poem on theme. (See website for themes). Essays must be no shorter than 750 words and no longer than 1000, including quotations. Poems should be: no more than 30 lines in length and must fit onto a single A4 page. Prize: £5,000. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
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, condigital publications, travel guides, children’s books, or self-published works are not eligible. Prize: $25,000. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
North Carolina Student Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to student poets from 3rd grade to university undergraduates attending schools in North Carolina. Genres: Unpublished poems (submit one poem). Prizes: 1st Place winners will receive a $100 check. 2nd Place winners receive $50. 3rd Place winners receive $25. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
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). Prize: Cash prizes. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of "Hunting With the Wolves." A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025.
Keats-Shelley Essay Prize. Genre: Essay on any aspect of the writing and/or lives of the Romantics and their circles. Length: 3,000 words including quotations. Prize: Total Prizes over £5000. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
Voice.club. Genre: Flash fiction, 350 words max. Prize: $25 Amazon gift card. Deadline: January 31, 2025. Note: You have to join in order to enter. See themes.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme. 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: January 31, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: January 31, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: January 31, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
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, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
JANUARY 2024
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: Opens January 1, 2024.
Quantum Shorts Competition. Genre: Fiction stories, under 1,000 words, that are "clearly inspired by some aspect of quantum physics." Entries also must contain the phrase “Nobody said this was going to be easy” (“Constraint”) Prize: First prize $1,500 and online publication. Deadline: January 8, 2024.
Grass Routes Prize. Restrictions: Open to working class UK writers. Genre: TV script. Prize: £5,000 and other benefits. Deadline: January 8, 2024.
The Bakwin Award. Genre: Full-Length Prose (fiction or nonfiction). Prize: $1000 and publication by Blair. Deadline: January 15, 2024. (Note: Closes when cap is reached) Biennial award.
RAFTA (Rise Against Fanaticism Through the Arts) Prize. Prize. £500. Genre: Stage play script against extremism, intolerance and xenophobia. “The script length must be between 25-35 pages, suitable for up to a one-hour presentation and characters for up to 5 actors. The script can be in any style on any historical, future, or regional context so long as it fulfils RAFTA aims to tackle extremism, intolerance and xenophobia." Prize: £500. Deadline: January 20, 2024.
The Fantastic Other. Genre: Flash fiction of theme of Hope. Prize: 35 USD, for second place is 25 USD, and for third place is 15 USD. Deadline: January 21, 2024.
Annual Hortensia Anderson Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize:? Deadline: January 31, 2024.
JANUARY 2022
Arnold Adoff Poetry Awards. Genre: Poetry books for children and young adults. Novels in verse, memoirs in verse, collections of original poetry, and edited collections are all acceptable formats for the awards. Prize: $500. Deadline: January 15, 2022.
The 2022 Stratford Literary Festival/Salariya Books Children's Picture Book Competition. Restrictions: Open to residents of the UK and Ireland. Writers must be unpublished by a mainstream publisher. Genre: Children's picture book, unpublished. Prize: First prize: £1000. Deadline: January 30, 2022.
FEBRUARY 2025
New Media Writing Prize. Genre: Fiction or non-fiction written specifically for delivery and reading/viewing on a PC or Mac, the web, or a hand-held device such as an iPad or mobile phone. It could be a short story, novel, poem, narrative game, documentary, or transmedia work using words, images, film or animation with audience interaction. Interactivity is a key element of new-media storytelling. Prize: £500. Deadline: February 1, 2025.
Mike Resnick Memorial Award: Best Unpublished Science Fiction Short Story by a New Author. Restrictions: Open to an author who has not had any work published (including short stories, novelettes, novellas, and novels in paper, digital or audio form) that has been paid a per-word rate of 6 cents a word or more or received a payment for any single work of fiction totaling more than $50. Genre: Science fiction short story, up to 7,499 words. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: Feburary 1, 2025.
World History Association Bentley Book Prize. Genre: world history book published in the immediately preceding calendar year. Prize: $500. Deadline: February 1, 2025.
$1000 for 1000 Words Creative Writing Contest is sponsored by the Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation. Restrictions: Students enrolled in grades 6-12. Genre: Short fiction of exactly 1000 words. Prize: Two $1,000 scholarship prizes will be awarded, one for grades 6-8 and one for grades 9-12. Seven $100 cash prizes will also be awarded for winning entries, one per grade level. Deadline: February 1, 2025.
Gannon University Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Entrants must be a US high school student or a home-schooled student in grades nine through twelve. Genre: Poetry. Each student may enter 1 or 2 poems; each poem may be no longer than 50 lines. Prize: First Place: $100.00 Second Place: $75.00 Third Place: $50.00. Deadline: February 1, 2025.
St. Gallen Symposium Global Essay Competition. Restrictions: Writers must be enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university, and be born in 1993 or later. Genre: Essay on "Global power is shifting. What’s your innovative idea to address a related risk or opportunity?" Length: 2,100 words. Prize: CHF20,000, split between three winners; they’ll also cover travel, accommodation, and admission to the symposium in Switzerland. Deadline: February 1, 2025.
Paterson Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry book published in the previous year. Prize: $2000. Deadline: February 1, 2025.
Hodson Trust–John Carter Brown Library Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction (includes creative nonfiction). A book-in-process relating to the literature, history, culture, or art of the Americas before 1830. Award: $20,000. Deadline: February 1, 2025.
Wednesday Club Junior Poetry Prize. Restrictions: High School Students in Grades 9 through 12 in the St. Louis Area. Genre: Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes: $200, $150, $100, $80, $50, and up to five $25 honorable mentions TEACHER AWARDS: $200, $150, $100. (Applies to teachers of first three student winners.) Deadline: February 1, 2025.
Wednesday Club Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Adults over 18; living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis. Genre: Poetry. Two individual poems. Prizes: $500, $300, $150. Deadline: February 1, 2025.
Hurston/Wright Crossover Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished, Black writers who are 18 years and older. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Submissions may be stand-alone essays or excerpts from a book in progress. Prize: $2000. Deadline: February 3, 2025.
Narrative Magazine High School Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students aged 15-18. Genre: Poetry on theme. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: February 5, 2025.
Narrative High School Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students aged 15-18. Genre: Short story on theme. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: February 5, 2025.
Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Genre: Adventure writing novel. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: February 6, 2025.
Northern Writers’ Awards for Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction. 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 novel, work of narrative non-fiction or a short-story collection work in progress. Prize: Winners will receive awards of between £2000 and £5000 to support them to develop work in progress and to complete promising manuscripts. They will also be given access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network. Deadline: February 6, 2025.
Northern Writers’ Awards for Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction and Young Adult. 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, and who are yet to publish a full-length novel or collection of short stories. Genre: Fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult fiction. Prize: £2000, mentoring and access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network. Deadline: February 6, 2025.
The Northern Writers’ Awards for Poetry and Debut Poetry. 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: Poetry collection. Open to both established and debut poets. Prize: Winners will receive awards of between £2000 and £5000 to support them to develop work in progress and to complete promising manuscripts. They will also be given access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network. Deadline: February 6, 2025.
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: February 6, 2025.
Young Northern Writers’ Awards. Restrictions: Open to young writers aged 11-18 in the North of England. Genre: Creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap. Prize: Up to £150. Deadline: February 6, 2025.
Matthew Hale Award. Restrictions: Open to young people aged 11-18 based in the North of England. Entrants must be 18 years or under on 6 February 2025 when the awards close. The Matthew Hale Award is open to young writers who show promise but have had limited opportunities to pursue their talent. This could be due to a number of factors, including physical or mental ill-health, family circumstances, financial circumstances, lack of access to cultural opportunities or other reasons. Genre: Creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap. Prize: Package of support created by New Writing North to the value of £500. The package will be tailored to the specific interests and needs of the winner, but could include anything from one-on-one mentoring with a professional writer, enrolment on a course, books, theatre tickets or a pass to a literature festival. Deadline: February 6, 2025.
The Eva Ibbotson Award. Restrictions: Open to young writers aged 11-15 in the North of England who are writing in English as an additional language. Writers must be aged 11-15 when the awards close on 6 February 2025. Genre: Creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap. Prize: Package of support created by New Writing North to the value of £500. Deadline: February 6, 2025.
Criminal Lines Award. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 18 and over born or living in Britain (including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) and Ireland (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland). Entrants must not have previously published a novel or novella although self-published novels, novellas and self-published e-books are accepted. You must not be represented by a literary agent at the time of submission or at the shortlist stage. Genre: Full-length crime, thriller, mystery and suspense fiction. Prize: £3,500 and an offer of representation from A.M. Heath. Deadline: February 7, 2025.
The University of Chester Flash (Youth). Restrictions: Open to Scottish students aged 16-19 who are studying in the UK. Genre: flash fiction of up to 360 words. Prize: Up to £100. Deadline: February 7, 2025.
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: February 10, 2025. Closes when cap is reached.
Highlights Foundation Scholarships. Prize: 25 full tuition scholarships and 20 partial tuition scholarships for workshops that take place at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center. 30 full tuition scholarships for online courses through the Highlights Foundation. 15 scholarships for personal retreats at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center. Deadline: February 10, 2025.
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: February 14, 2025.
Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between October 1, 2023, and February 28, 2025 to be eligible for the 2025 Prize. 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: February 14, 2025.
Tree2mydoor Valentines Day Poetry competition. Restrictions: Open to UK citizens. Genre: Witty or soppy, romantic or silly Valentines Day poems. Prize: £100 worth of Tree2mydoor gift vouchers. Deadline: February 14, 2025.
Writers' & Artists' Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story. All entries must be original unpublished prose of 2,000 words or fewer. See theme. Prize: A place on one of Arvon's residential writing courses and publication. Deadline: February 14, 2025.
Bar Sagi Prize. Restrictions: Open to Israelis aged 12 to 18 when the poem was written. Genre: Poem. Prize: 400 NIS first prize, 250 NIS second prize, 100 NIS third prize. Deadline: February 14, 2025.
Aniko Press Summer Flash Fiction Competition. Genre: Flash fiction (100 words max) on theme: Wave. Prize: Publication on their website and social media, a copy of rock flight by Hasib Hourani, plus the latest issue of Aniko Magazine. Deadline: February 14, 2025.
Syracuse University's Veterans Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to U.S. veterans and active duty personnel in any branch of the U.S. military and their immediate family members. This includes spouses, domestic partners, and children. Women veteran writers and veterans of color are encouraged to submit. Genre: Unpublished, full-length novels, novella, or short story collections. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Iron Horse 2025 Chapbook Competition. Genre: Prose chapbook, between 40 and 56 pages (10,000 - 20,000 words) Prize: $1,000 honorarium and 15 copies. Deadline: Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on February 15, 2025 for those who cannot afford to pay the entry fee.
The American Prospect Writing Fellows Program. The American Prospect’s Writing Fellows Program offers journalists the opportunity to spend two years developing their skills with the magazine at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. (or working remotely, in pandemic times). Each fellow benefits from an intensive mentoring program with the experts on our editorial team, and is expected to contribute regularly. The annual salary for this two-year fellowship starts at $46,500 and includes a full range of benefits (health, dental, vision) plus union membership in Washington-Baltimore News Guild (Communication Workers of America). Deadline: February 15, 2025.
The Tom La Farge Award for Innovative Writing, Teaching and Publishing. Genre: "literary activity that combines serious play, imagination, erudition and innovative practice." Prize: $10,00. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Harold Morton Landon Translation Award. Genre: Poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Haiku Society of America Merit Book Awards for Excellence in Published Haiku, Translation, and Criticism. Genre: Published book. Books must have been published in 2023 and must clearly contain a printed 2023 copyright. A member, author, or publisher may submit or nominate more than one title. At least 50 percent of the book must be haiku, senryu, or haibun, or prose about these subjects (books mostly of tanka, for example, are not eligible). Prize: $500. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Poetry (Kansas Book Award). Restrictions: Author must establish a connection to Kansas by birth, education, employment, residence or other significant claim. Genre: Novel or collection of short stories. The nominee's book must have a publication date of 2022, 2023, or 2024. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Arts Club of Washington Scholarship Competition. Restrictions: Open to college students (including first two years of graduate school) aged 18-26 in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC. Genre: Photography. Prize: $2000 scholarship. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant. Restrictions: Open to authors under 30 years of age who have not had a book published. Applicant must have been born in Ohio or have lived in Ohio for a minimum of five years. Genre: Short fiction and creative non-fiction. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
CAAPP Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers of African descent. Genre: First or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African and African diasporic experience. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Governor General's Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written or translated 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 the best 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) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Paul-Victor Winters Memorial Creative Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to NJ high school students in private or public schools, grades 9-12. Genre: Flash Fiction and Poetry. Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award. Genre: Poetry - translation into English of a significant work of modern Italian poetry. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: February 15, 2025.
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: February 15, 2025.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: February 15, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students in Michigan. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st place - $250 and publication in The Albion Review, 2nd place - $150 and publication in The Albion Review; 3rd place - $100 and publication in The Albion Review. Deadline: February 16, 2025.
The Island Prize. Genre: Debut novel from an African writer regardless of the country of residence. Prize: £500. Deadline: February 16, 2025.
Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: February 17, 2025.
Sonnet Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Sonnet. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 17, 2025.
Villanelle Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Villanelle. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: February 17, 2025.
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: February 17, 2025. Note: This is a monthly contest.
Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: February 17, 2025.
Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish. Prize: $1000. Deadline: February 17, 2025.
The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award supports the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition. Genres: Nonfiction journalism works in progress with “strong, character-driven narratives with detailed scene writing and lyrical description.” Restrictions: The award will not fund proposals to report on armed conflicts where journalists are already imperiled, nor projects that are mainly investigatory. Prize: $6,000 upon announcement of the winning proposal; $3,000 upon evidence of substantial progress (usually a first draft); and $3,500 upon completion and acceptance by the Award committee.. Deadline: February 19, 2025.
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK students between 16-18 years of age. Genre: Poetry, one poem, maximum 48 lines. See theme. Prize: £5,000. Deadline: February 20, 2025.
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: February 20, 2025.
Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students (grades 9-12) from across the Washington Metropolitan Area (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC). Genre: Poetry. Prize: First, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates. Deadline: February 21, 2025.
Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for one story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: February 21, 2025.
Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History. Genre: First book or monograph in Civil War history published in the previous year. Books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses are eligible. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: February 21, 2025.
The Lakefly Writers Conference. Restrictions: Open to residents of Wisconsin. Genres: Short story fiction: 3000 words or less. Any genre. Poetry: All poems, free verse to formal and everything in between—75 lines max. Personal Essay: 2500 words max. Prize: First place winners will receive a cash prize of $100; second place winners will receive $75; and third place winners will receive $50. Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony. Deadline: February 23, 2025.
Harper’s Bazaar short-story competition. Restrictions: Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over. Genre: Original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘The open road’ up to 2,000 words. Prize: Two-night stay at Chewton Glen in Hampshire (UK). Deadline: February 23, 2025.
The Lancaster Playwriting Prize. Restrictions: The competition is open to applicants living or learning in Lancashire and who must have reached their 12th birthday/must not have reached their 19th Birthday by the date of the submission deadline. Genre: Script (for a play). Scripts must be 15 to 30 minutes long. See theme. Prize: The top three submissions will receive a rehearsed public reading of a 15-20 minute section of their work on 28th March 2025. Runners up will receive £250 each and the winner will receive £1000 cash prize and a trophy. Deadline: February 24, 2025.
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 24, 2025 for first time nominations only. All others, March 3.
Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. Restrictions: Applicants must reside in the U.S. or be U.S. citizens. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no older than 31 years of age as of April 30, 2024. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $27,000. Deadline: March 3, 2025. Please register for the online portal by February 24, 2025 if this is your first application.
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 October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025. Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: February 26, 2025.
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 October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025. Deadline: February 26, 2025.
Writers' Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian LGBTQ+ writers. Genre: Debut book published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: February 26, 2025.
Toronto Star Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to Ontario residents 16 years of age or older. Genre: Short story. Prize: 1st prize - $5000; 2nd prize - $2000, 3rd prize - $1000. Deadline: February 26, 2025.
Sejong Cultural Society Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers ages 19-30. Also see youth and children's divisions. Genre: Essay responding to prompts. (See website) Prizes: $1000, $750, $500, $50 for honorable mention, plus possible publication. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
Springtime on Story Street Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Flash fiction. 100 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: February 28, 2025. Opens February 14. Contest open to first 1000 submissions only.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: February 28, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA) Self-Publishing Literary Awards. Genre: Self-published ebook by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres. BCALA awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. The purpose is to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research including biographical, historical, and social history treatments by African Americans. Prize: $2,500.00, formal recognition at the NCAAL conference, and a BCALA Literary Award Seal to use in their marketing. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
Sejong Cultural Society Sijo Competition. Genre: Sijo. Prizes: Adult: $1000, $750, $500, $50 for honorable mention, plus possible publication. Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300) Deadline: February 28, 2025.
Post Election Emotional Turmoil Contest. Genre: Poetry, art, and prose. "If you went into a depressive spiral in November, you're not alone. Share your grief, your rage, your feelings of helplessness with us." Prize: $50. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
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: February 28, 2025.
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: February 28, 2025.
2025 Sijo Competition. Genre: A Sijo poem. Prize: Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500); Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300) Deadline: February 28, 2025.
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: February 28, 2025.
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: February 28, 2025.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Invent a Word. We invite you to invent a word. Not just any word. A word you think will greatly enhance the English language. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
The Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Open to current students (both BA and MA) at British universities. Genre: Dystopian narratives of 3,000 words. Prize: £750. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
Restrictions: Open to African-Americans. Genre: Self-Published E-Book in fiction and poetry written by African-Americans that depict the "cultural, historical, or sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora." Prize: $2,500. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
Words Without Borders Momentum Grant for Early-Career Translators. Genre: The grant is intended to facilitate the completion of a substantial sample of a book-length work of prose translation suitable for submission to English-language publishers, and will be awarded to an individual translator who has not yet received a book-length contract for translation work into English. We particularly welcome submissions from translators from historically underrepresented cultures and backgrounds. Prize: $3000. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multi-Lingual Texts. Genre: Literary translations and multi-lingual texts. Prize: $200. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities, but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations. Genre: Poetry and fiction: See prompts. Prize: £300 top prize. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
Atlanta Haiku Festival Poetry Competition. Genre: Haiku on Theme: Moments in a Garden. Prize: $100 Grand Prize. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
How Can We Prevent Future Wars? Restrictions: Open to young people ages 9 - 18. Genre: Poetry, art, speech, song. Prize: Unspecified. Deadline: February 28, 2025.
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: February 28, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
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: February 28, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
FEBRUARY 2024
The Write Track. Genre: Full-length historical romance. Prize: $1,000 and a publishing contract with Dragonblade Publishing. Deadline: February 1, 2024. On hiatus.
Max Afford Playwrights' Award. Restrictions: Open to Australian playwrights aged 18-40. Genre: Full-length plays. Prize: A$15,000. Deadline: February 4, 2024. Biennial award.
Hub City Press. Restrictions: Open to writers of all levels who have lived in South Carolina for at least one year prior to submission of their manuscript. Genre: Novel. Prize: $1,500 and book publication, including marketing and tour support from Hub City Press and the series partners, as well as placement in all South Carolina state libraries and readings/events with presenting sponsors. Deadline: February 15, 2024. Biennial award.
Andres Montoya Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Latino authors who are residents of the US. Genre: First book of poetry published by a Latino author. Prize: $1,000 and publication by the University of Notre Dame Press. Deadline: February 16, 2024. Biennial prize.
Young Authors Sacred Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to US students aged 13-18. Genre: Essay discussing the power of love to strengthen communities and transform lives. Explore themes such as compassion, mutual aid, tenderness, justice, reconciliation, and healing. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: February 23, 2024.
Beatrice Medicine Award for Scholarship in American Indian Studies. Genre: Essay or monograph about Native American studies published in previous calendar year. Prize: $250. Deadline: February 28, 2024.
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: February 28, 2024.
Honest Holiday Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. "In the spirit of Scrooge, Santa, and everything in between, we invite you to write your most honest holiday haiku. Use this space to vent about the itchy socks your great aunt insists on gifting you each year or wax poetic about a Valentine's Day mishap." Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: February 29, 2024.
Lilliput at 40 Anthology. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not published a book-length work. Genre: Christmas Party stories and essays. Prize: €500. Deadline: February 29, 2024.
Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize. Restrictions: Open to US writers only. Genre: Full-length manuscript of creative nonfiction by a writer not yet established in the genre. Prize: $12,000 and publication. Deadline: February 29, 2024. Opens February 1.
FEBRUARY 2023
Watson, Little x Indie Novella Prize. Restrictions: Open to all unpublished (self-published are accepted) UK-based authors aged 16 and over. Genre: Fiction of all lengths (novels, novellas, stories). See themes. Prize: Winning entries will receive a one page report and one hour session from an agent at Watson, Little. If, after this process, the finished novel is suitable, Watson, Little Literary Agents will have first option to represent the winner and to offer it to a recommended publisher. Deadline: February 14, 2023.
There Is No Planet B STAFFORD GREEN ARTS FESTIVAL. Genre: Poetry, art, flash fiction, nonfiction, recipes on theme 'environmental engagement'. Prize: Publication. Deadline: February 14, 2023. Open to ages 8 and up.
Ink Bowl's Winter Writing & Art Competition. Restrictions: Open to high school upperclassmen, college, and graduate school students across the globe. Genre: Short story, poetry, CNF. See prompt. Prize: $120 gift card. Deadline: February 20, 2023.
Lex Allen Literary Festival Prizes. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate college students. Genres: Poetry and fiction. Prize: $100. Deadline: February 24, 2023.
The Improve the News Foundation (ITN) Political Satire Writing Contest. Genre: "All candidates will need to write three distinct texts that flag attempts at curtailing democracy, civil liberties and/or scientific debate. These may include attempts at censorship, invasion of privacy, authoritarianism and/or disregard for facts, etc. Each flag should be about 1–2 paragraphs (750 - 1500 characters) long and target these initiatives within the context of democratic countries during the past five years. The first flag should be a critique of a product, corporation or government; the second a critique of left-wing political establishment; and the third a critique of right-wing political establishment." Prize: $1,000 top prize. Cash Prize Winners may be offered jobs on Editorial Team. Deadline: February 28, 2023.
The Welkin Writing Prize. Genre: Narrative prose (fiction and nonfiction) up to 400 words. Prize: £150+ top prize. Deadline: February 28, 2023.
Graywolf Press African Fiction Prize. Genre: Novel. The prize will be awarded for a first novel by an African author primarily residing in Africa. Prize: $12,000 advance and publication by Graywolf Press. Deadline: February 28, 2023.
Great Gift Contest. Genre: Write about a gift. Either a great gift you’ve gotten or that you’ve given. 25 words max. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: February 28, 2023.
FEBRUARY 2022
New England Youth Outdoor Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in grades 6-12 in the New England states. Genre: Nonfiction essay about the outdoors. Prize: Up to $150. Deadline: February 15, 2022.
Gary Fincke Creative Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: February 15, 2022.
Green Stories Adult Short Stories Competition. Restrictions: Entrants must show they have read at least one chapter from successfully published pieces from the Green Stories project. Genre: Short story. "All submissions must conform to the green stories criteria of showcasing positive visions of a more sustainable society or incorporating green solutions into the context of an otherwise mainstream story." Prize: £200. Deadline: February 21, 2022.
Call for Artists: Building Vaccine Confidence. "The Wyoming Arts Council (WAC) is initiating a call for Wyoming-based artists and artist collectives who are interested in creating innovative work that will harness the power of the arts to engage audiences and participants of all ages in overcoming COVID-19 and influenza vaccine hesitancy within the state. Artists of all mediums (to include, but not limited to: visual arts, music, theatre, dance, literary arts, folk and traditional arts) are encouraged to apply. Four selected artists or artist collectives will receive $10,000 each to create a selection of work. WAC will work with a local marketing firm to create a statewide marketing campaign featuring the work." Deadline: February 22, 2022.
Solarpunk Climate Fiction. Genre: Speculative micro-fiction. Length: 250 words max. Prize: $25. Deadline: February 24, 2022.
Past Year Memoir Contest. Genre: "We want you to tell us a true story from your life in 2021…in 21 words or fewer. We want a personal story from your life, which can be hilarious, heartbreaking, puzzling, uplifting, or just plain strange. Look for something intriguing, perhaps something with emotional or intellectual resonance. It’s fine if you want to include current events from the year, as long as it’s mostly about you, or how you feel about it." Prize: Free Gotham class of your choosing. Deadline: February 28, 2022.
MARCH 2026
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.
MARCH 2025
Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC writers. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $1,500 top prize. Deadline: Deadline: March 1, 2025.
Tales to Terrify. Genre: Horror. Length: 1000 words max. See theme. Prize: $50. Deadline: March 1, 2025.
Intrepid Times Travel Writing Contest. Genre: Factual, first-person travel story. Intrepid Times is inviting writers to explore the concept of the pilgrimage. Literary, secular, personal, or spiritual Prize: $300. Deadline: March 1, 2025.
Iron Horse 2025 Chapbook Competition. Genre: Prose chapbook, between 40 and 56 pages (10,000 - 20,000 words) Prize: $1,000 honorarium and 15 copies. Deadline: Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on March 1, 2025.
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 1, 2025.
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, 2025.
Texas Review Press Southern Poetry Breakthrough Series: Virginia. Restrictions: Open to any poet born in Virginia, or currently residing in Virginia, or who lived in Virginia for 5 consecutive years at any point, who has not yet published a full-length collection of poetry. The author may have published chapbooks or books in other genres. Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: Winner will receive a standard royalty contract, and 20 copies of the published book. Deadline: March 1, 2025.
Curae Prize. Restrictions: For writers who are also carers. "A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.: Genre: Short story and non-fiction/creative non-fiction. Prize: £500 top prize. Deadline: March 1, 2025.
The Ungar German Translation Award is bestowed biennially in odd-numbered years. Genre: Book-length literary translation translated from German into English and published in the United States between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024. Prize: $1,000, a certificate of recognition, and up to $500 toward expenses for attending the ATA Annual Conference in San Francisco, California. Deadline: March 1, 2025.
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, 2025.
Mississippi Artists Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to permanent residents of Mississippi. Genre: Fiction and poetry. (Plus many art forms) Prize: $5,000. Deadline: March 1, 2025.
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 1, 2025.
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, 2025.
Deep Wild Graduate Student Prize. Restrictions: Open to students currently enrolled in graduate programs. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. "We seek work that conjures the experiences, observations, and insights of backcountry journeys." Prize:1st Place prize is $200, 2nd Place $100, and 3rd Place $50. Deadline: March 1, 2025.
"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 2, 2025.
The American Buffalo Books Fiction Prize. Genre: Novels — from 40,000 to 80,000 words — that are set in or explore the Midwest, the Great Plains, and/or the alleged flyover portions of the West. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: March 2, 2025. Closes when they reach their cap so submit early.
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 3, 2025.
David Nobbs Memorial Trust New Comedy Writing Competition. Restrictions: Entrants must have at least one credited broadcast comedy writing credit and live in the UK. Genre: Comedy scripts for radio or TV. Prize: £1,000 top prize. Deadline: March 3, 2025.
Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. Restrictions: Applicants must reside in the U.S. or be U.S. citizens. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no older than 31 years of age as of April 30, 2024. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $27,000. Deadline: March 3, 2025. Please register for the online portal by February 24, 2025 if this is your first application.
Hurston/Wright College Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished Black writers who are full-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs at a college or university in the United States. Genre: Full-length fiction and poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: March 3, 2025.
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: March 3, 2025 for all nominations except first time nominations.
Randall Albers Young Writers Award. Restrictions: Open to all Chicago-area students currently enrolled in grades 9–12. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. Prize: $250 top prize, Deadline: March 3, 2025.
Reedsy. Genre: Story on theme. See website. Prize: $250. Deadline: March 7, 2025.
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 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 10, 2025. Extended deadline.
NEA Literature Fellowships are sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $50,000 grants to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Deadline: March 12, 2025.
Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. Restrictions: Open to first-time Canadian authors. Genre: Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, and one of three types of genre fiction: Romance, Speculative Fiction, or Mystery. Prize: $20,000 CAD. Deadline: March 13, 2025.
Beverly Hopkins Memorial Poetry Contest for High School Students. Restrictions: High school students living within 100 miles of St. Louis. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First prize $225, Second prize $125, Third prize $75. Deadline: March 15, 2025.
Angela Jackson Award. Restrictions: Open to Black authors of published, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who have had one full-length book of poetry published by a professional press. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000, publication by Northwestern University Press, and 15 copies of their book. Deadline: March 15, 2025.
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, 2025.
The Massachusetts Poetry Festival First Poem Contest. Restrictions: This contest is open to all New England writers or writers who have previously lived in New England. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: March 15, 2025. For students and those for whom the entry fee represents a financial burden, a no-fee submission option is available.
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 2, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. They will receive an honorarium. Deadline: March 15, 2025.
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, 2025.
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 15, 2025.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: March 15, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
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 16, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025. Note: This is a monthly contest.
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 17, 2025.
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 17, 2025.
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 17, 2025.
American Literary Translators Association Italian Prose in Translation Award. Genre: Translation of a recent work of Italian prose (fiction or literary non-fiction). Both translators and publishers are invited to submit titles. Book must have been published in previous year. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: March 17, 2025.
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 17, 2025.
Nancy Ludmerer Fellowship for Flash Fiction and Nonfiction. Genre: One or more flash narratives up to 1,000 words. Award: A 5-night residency at Porches. Deadline: March 20, 2025. No entry fee for the first 20 submissions received on March 20.
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 20, 2025.
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 20, 2025.
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: Macrh 20, 2025.
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 20, 2025.
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 20, 2025.
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 20, 2025.
Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each one selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: March 21, 2025.
Reedsy. Genre: Story on theme. See website. Prize: $250. Deadline: March 21, 2025.
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 23, 2025. Opens March 21.
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 24, 2025.
Greater Good Science Centre: Spreading Love Through the Media. Restrictions: Open to journalists in North America. Genre: Stories on love—from magazine articles to podcast episodes to videos for the web and social media. Prize: Grants from $5,000 to $50,000 to report and produce stories on love. Deadline: March 24, 2025.
Write the World Competitions. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19. Genre: Essay. See theme. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: March 24, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
On The Premises. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which someone or something important to the story is not where it/they always have been, or where it/they would be expected to be located, or is in the process of changing location from where it/they have always been. The distance it/they have moved or is traveling is not important, but the move itself must be important to the story. Whether this change in location is an improvement or a problem is up to you." Prize: $250 for first place, $200 for second, $150 for third. Deadline: March 28, 2025.
The Solitary Daisy Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First place $25, second place $15, third place $10. Deadline: March 28, 2025.
Garden Party Chapbook Contest. Genre: Prose, poetry, and hybrid between 20 and 30 pages. Prize: Publication. Deadline: March 29, 2025.
Cymera-Scotland’s Futures Forum-Shoreline of Infinity Prize for Speculative Short Fiction. Restrictions: Anyone living in Scotland or who identifies as Scottish by birth or inclination, aged 14 years or over. Genre: Speculative short stories. Prize: £150. Deadline: March 30, 2025.
Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition for High School Students. Restrictions: Open to students in Grades 7-12. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $50. Deadline: March 30, 2025.
Ann Petry Award. Restrictions: Open to Black authors. Genre: Previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize. Genre: Stand-alone prose in either Fiction or Non-Fiction (1,500 - 3,000 words). "We invite writers to grapple with the spirit of adventure in any way they interpret." Prize: £1,000 to the winner and two runner-up prizes of £500 each. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
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, 2024 and March 31, 2025. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
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, 2024 and March 31, 2025. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025.
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 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025.
Silvers Grants for Work in Progress. Restrictions: Open to Anglophone writers of any nationality. Genre: Long-form essays in the fields of literary criticism, arts writing, political analysis, and/or social reportage. Prize: Up to $10,000. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
Ilse Schwepcke Prize for Women’s Travel Writing. Genre: Women’s travel writing in English. Prize: £5,000. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
Sarah Mook Poetry Prize for Students. Restrictions: Students in grades K-12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
Deborah Rogers Foundation Award. Restrictions: 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: March 31, 2025. Biennial award.
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, 2025.
Gwenn A. Nusbaum / WWBA Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to poets at the beginning of their careers, ages 25-35 years. Prize: $1800 scholarship. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
A Public Space Emerging Writer Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book. Prize: $1000 and six months of editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece of prose for publication in the magazine. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
Archibald Lampman Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Canada's National Capital region (Ottawa). Genre: Book of any genre published by a recognized publisher. Prize: $1500. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award. Sponsored by Sisters in Crime. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers of color. An unpublished writer is preferred, although publication of one work of short fiction or academic work will not disqualify an applicant. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
The Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction. Genre: A book-length work of imaginative fiction written by a single author published in the U.S. in English or in translation to English. Prize: $25,000. Deadline: March 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
Booker International Prize. The Booker International 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. 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: For books published between May 1 and Sept 30, 2024 the entry form and physical materials are due by March 31, 2025.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme. 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: March 31, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: March 31, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
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: March 31, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
MARCH 2024
Linda Purdy Memorial Prize. Restrictions: Open to Orange County residents. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Prize: $200 and publication. Deadline: March 1, 2024.
Free Expression Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to US-based students, including homeschooled students; high school-level submissions are open to students ages 15-17; and college-level submissions are open to students ages 18-23. Genre: Essay. “From school board meetings to statehouses, and foreign newsrooms to digital spaces — there are threats to free expression in societies around the world. PEN America wants to know: what do you think about free expression? Why is it important? How can it change the world?” Length: 1000 words. Prize: $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 for college-level essays; and high school-level essayists will receive $1,500, $1,000, and $500. Deadline: March 8, 2024.
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: £7500. 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 11, 2024.
The Hub City Press BIPOC Poetry Series. Restrictions: Open to BIPOC poets of all stages of their careers in thirteen Southern states. Submitters must currently reside or be from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia or West Virginia. Genre: Poetry by Southern writers of color. Prize: Two finalists will receive a prize of $3000 and publication. Deadline: March 15, 2024.
“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: March 15, 2024.
Neltje Blanchan/Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Awards. Restrictions: Wyoming writers. Genres: The Frank Nelson Doubleday Award is given for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script written by a woman writer. The Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award is given annually for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script which is informed by a relationship with the natural world. Prize: $1,000.00. Deadline: March 15, 2024.
Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship. Restrictions: Established and recognized authors are being sought, but emerging and mid-career writers are also encouraged to apply. Genre: Seeking creative writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction), or those in the field of journalism (writer, photojournalist, videographer, documentary filmmaker, online or print media) who demonstrate serious inquiry and dedication to the Greater Yellowstone region through their work. Fellowship: $3,500. Deadline: March 15, 2024.
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, 2024.
Muestras Konsejas ‘Our Tales’. Genre: Previously unpublished work of prose (fictional or memoiristic) that gives voice to the experiences of the Ladino-speaking Sephardic Jewish communities (whether from family lore, lived experience, community heritage, life stories, etc.). Work submitted must not exceed the maximum of 2,000 words and must be written in English prose. Genre may be memoir, (auto)biography or fiction. The competition will feature two categories: ‘Student’ (18+) and ‘Adult’. Prize: One Winner in each category will receive $1,000. One Runner Up in each category will receive $500. Deadline: March 22, 2024.
BlackInk Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers from the African and African Caribbean Diaspora. Genre: Short story, maximum of 2,000 words. Prize: £500 top prize. Deadline: March 28, 2024.
Broadway Arts Festival: Julia & Martin Wilson Short Story Prize. Genre: Short Story, 2,000 words max. Prize: Ages 14-18yrs: £100, Age 13 and under: £50. Deadline: March 28, 2024. Note: No fee for writers under 16 years of age.
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, 2024. Biennial prize.
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: March 31, 2024.
Kyoto Writing Competition. Genre: Short poems, character studies, essays, travel tips, whimsy, haiku sequence, haibun, wordplays, dialogue, experimental verse, etc. In short, anything that helps show the spirit of place in a fresh light. A clear connection to Kyoto is essential. Length: 300 words max. Prize: ~$360 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2024.
Sunken Garden Poetry Festival's Fresh Voices Competition. Restrictions: Connecticut high school students. Prize: Reading at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2024.
Women's Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: March 31, 2024.
The Reporting Award. Genre: Journalism, in any medium, on an under-reported subject in the public interest. Prize: Up to $12,500. Deadline: March 31, 2024.
MARCH 2023
Honor American History Poetry Contest. Genre: Poem. Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: March 10, 2023.
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 20, 2023.
The Nervous Ghost Press Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers anywhere in the United States of America. Genre: Full-length prose manuscript between 50,000 and 100,000 words. Poetry manuscripts also accepted. Prize: $1000 advance. Deadline: March 31, 2023.
Tell Your Story. Genre: Creative nonfiction, 5,000 words max. No minimum. Prize: 1st place ($250), 2nd place ($150), and 3rd place ($100). Deadline: March 31, 2023.
Flash Point SF. Genre: Speculative fiction flash fiction. "We are specifically looking for a series of 3-5 interconnected - yet distinct - flash stories." Prize: $50. Deadline: March 31, 2023.
Frederick Morgan Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to poets making their first appearance in The Hudson Review. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2023.
Richard Wise Creative Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK residents over the age of 18. Genre: Essay, blog, short story, poem, play, letter (to someone real or imaginary), film or TV script or a personal account drawn from your own life on the topic: “Is it a crime to be poor?” Prize: A first prize of £150 and two second prizes of £50 will be awarded in three categories. Deadline: March 31, 2023..
Muriel's Journey Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Canadians or people living in Canada. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2023.
Driftwood Press. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscript. 40 - 100 pages. Prize: Each winner will receive: $500 USD, 20 copies of their collection, a standard royalties package, and a spotlight interview. Deadline: March 31, 2023.
Masks. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: One poet and one prose writer will be awarded a prize of $100 each and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2023.
Redbud Writing Project Coppice Prize. Genre: Short story. Maximum length is 4000 words. Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: March 31, 2023. On hiatus.
MARCH 2022
Saddlebag Dispatches: Second Annual Mustang Award for Western Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Short stories of no more than 1,000 words. The story settings should be in the American west, to include Canada and Mexico, between 1860 and 1920. Prize: $25 and publication. Deadline: March 1, 2022.
EastOver Prize for Nonfiction. Genre: Book-length nonfiction. "We are especially interested in collections of literary essays, but will consider memoirs, mixed genre works, works combining essays and original visual art, speculative nonfiction, and other hybrid works." Prize: $2000 and publication. Deadline: March 15, 2022. Not held in 2023.
Ukraine Lab. "The Ukrainian Institute London in partnership with PEN Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute will run UKRAINE LAB, an online residency for six emerging writers from Ukraine and the United Kingdom. We will support them developmentally and financially to produce creative nonfiction pieces tackling global challenges through the prism of Ukraine. This project is supported by the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute as part of the UK/UA Season of Culture 2022." Deadline: March 21, 2022.
Modern Love College Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to US college students age 18+. Genre: Personal essay that tells the plain truth about what love and relationships are like for college students today. Prize: $1000. Deadline: March 27, 2022.
MARCH 2021
The Gutter & Edwin Morgan Trust Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Contest is open to poets over 40. Poets must not previously have published a full collection greater than 40 pages in length. Genre: Poetry on theme of ‘All things are possible.’ The judges will be looking for fresh single poems that in some way relate to, or spring off from, any aspect of Morgan's life or work. Prize: £500. Deadline: March 31, 2021.
MARCH 2020
Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to Kentucky poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Genre: Literary arts. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: March 15, 2020. Canceled for 2021.
Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative Grant. Restrictions: Open to journalists aged 22-38. Genre: Investigative journalism piece about modern prejudice. Prize: $5,000 grant. Deadline: March 30, 2020.
MARCH 2019
Lake Superior State University High School Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to high school students students residing in the Midwestern United States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) or Ontario, Canada. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2019. On hiatus.
APRIL 2025
The Great American Think-Off. Genre: Essay on the theme: “Is there only one truth, or are there many truths?” Entrants should take a strong stand agreeing or disagreeing with this topic, basing their arguments on personal experience and observations rather than philosophical abstraction. Essay should be no more than 750 words. Prize: One of four $500 cash prizes. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
The Maya Angelou Book Award was founded in 2020 to honor the legacy of Missouri-born author Maya Angelou by celebrating contemporary authors whose work has demonstrated a commitment to social justice in America and/or the world. Restrictions: Entrants must be U.S. Citizens and reside within the United States. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
EACWP Flash Fiction Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to any participant living in Europe (including countries culturally linked to Europe such as Russia, Turkey, and Israel). Eleven different European languages will be leading this year’s competition: Arabic, Catalan, Czech, Dutch, English,, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish. Genre: Flash fiction. Length: 100 words. Prize: €600 top prize. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. Genre: Pieces of any genre up to 2500 words on the theme (See website for theme). Prize: £3,000 cash prize. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
The Lindenwood Review Undergraduate Flash Nonfiction Contest. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate students. Genre: Flash Nonfiction. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry on theme (See website for theme). There is a maximum of 500 words per entry. Prize: £3,000 cash prize. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. This contest seeks today's best humor poems, published and unpublished. Please enter one poem only, 250 lines max. Prize: $3,500 in prizes, including a top prize of $2,000, and publication on Winning Writers. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers. Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians awards fellowships for writers to spend time in McCullers' childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. The fellowships are intended to afford the writers in residence uninterrupted time to dedicate to their work, free from the distractions of daily life and other professional responsibilities. Award: Stipend of $5000 to cover costs of transportation, food and other incidentals. Fellowship recipients will be required to introduce or advance their work through reading or workshop/forum presentations. The Fellow will work with the McCullers Center Director to plan a presentation near the end of the residency. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
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: April 1, 2025.
Natan Notable Books Award. Genre: Nonfiction book on Jewish themes published for the first time between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
Woodrow Hall Top Shelf Award. Genre: Full-length poetry collections that were published or self-published in the previous calendar year. Prize: $500. Deadline: April 1, 2025.
Creative Capital Award. Restrictions: Entrants must be US citizens or permanent residents, aged 25+, with 5+ years' professional writing experience, and not be full-time students. Genre: Visual arts, performing arts, literature, technology, and film. Grant: Up to $50,000. Deadline: April 3, 2025.
Eye Contact Award in Genre Flash Fiction. Genre: Historical flash fiction, 1000 words max. See theme. Prize: $250. Deadline: April 4, 2025.
Chief Minister's Northern Territory History Book Award. Restrictions: You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident to enter. Genre: The Chief Minister's Northern Territory History Book Award recognises the most significant historical book about the Northern Territory published in the previous 12 months. To apply, your book must be a work on Northern Territory history, written in English or one of the First Nations languages of the Northern Territory, available for general sale, and published between 1 January and 31 December 2024. Prize: Recognition. Deadline: April 7, 2025.
Best Bad Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. "We want poetry so bad that you have to be kind of a genius to write it." Prize: £100. Deadline: April 10, 2025.
Write the World Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19. Genre: Poetry. Length: 50-500 words. Prize: Best Written Poem and Best Spoken Word Performance will each receive $100. Best Peer Review will receive $50. Deadline: April 14, 2025. (Note: This is a monthly contest.)
The Light Bill Incubator Microgrant. Restrictions: Open to Black and/or Indigenous writers. Genre: Shapbook in progress. Prize: $500, a slot in Sundress’s reading series, a one-week residency at the Sundress Academy for the Arts in Knoxville, TN, and the potential for digital publication. Deadline: April 15, 2025.
Toyin Falola Prize. Restrictions: Open to Africans between the age of 15 and 35. Genre: Prose (fiction or nonfiction) on theme of Freedom. Prize: $2,500 share between winner and 5 short listed stories. Deadline: April 15, 2025.
Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be Canadian, and an entry must be the writer's first or second published book of any type or genre and must have a Canadian locale and/or significance. Genre: Print books and ebooks of creative non-fiction published in the previous calendar year. Prize: C$10,000.00. Deadline: April 15, 2025.
The F. Sean Hodge Prize for Poetry in Medicine. Restrictions: Open to current medical students, residents, or fellows or physicians who have completed post-graduate training. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250. Deadline: April 15, 2025.
Prose Poetry Contest. Genre: Prose poem. Length: 150 words max. Prize: First place: £50 plus publication; Second place: £25 plus publication; Third place: £15 plus publication; Honorable mention: £10 plus publication. Deadline: April 15, 2025. (Pay-if-you-can format for submissions)
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words. See prompt. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: April 15, 2025.
The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants (AWAW EAG). Genre: Environmental art projects led by women-identifying artists in the United States and U.S. Territories. Prize: A total of $520,000 in funding—up to $20,000 per project. Deadline: April 15, 2025.
Daisy Utemorrah Award for Indigenous Authors. Restrictions: Open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer currently residing in Australia. Genre: Junior/YA full-length fiction manuscript intended for readers aged 8-18. Length: 40,000 and 100,000 words. Prize: A$15,000 and possible publication. Deadline: April 16, 2025.
Casa Africa: Purorrelato. Genre: Micro-stories related to Africa. Length: 1500 characters max. The micro-stories can be submitted in Spanish, English, French or Portuguese. Prize: First award: 750 euros, Second award: 375 euros, Third award: 225 euros. Deadline: April 16, 2025.
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: April 17, 2025.
Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between March 1, 2025, and April 30, 2025 to be eligible for the 2024 Prize. 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: April 17, 2025.
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: April 17, 2025. Note: This is a monthly contest.
Havok. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Payment: $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology. No payment for online publication. Deadline: April 18, 2025.
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: April 18, 2025.
Ibby Rivers Poetry Prize. Restrictions: The prize is open to Oregon and SW Washington residents only. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: April 21, 2025.
Royal Institute of Philosophy Essay Prize: Think. Topic: Essay on themes. Prize: Publication. Deadline: April 22, 2025.
The Women’s Prize for Playwriting. Restrictions: Open to female or non-binary residents in the UK, Republic of Ireland or in a British Overseas Territory, or have a British Forces Post Office address. Genre: Play. Prize: £12,000 top prize. Deadline: April 22, 2025.
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: $12,500. Deadline: April 22, 2025.
Australian Jewish Writer Awards. Restrictions: The author must be an Australian citizen, or ordinarily reside in Australia. Genre: Non-fiction; fiction; fiction/nonfiction/poetry (including children’s/YA literature) by an author aged under 40; and for an unproduced theatre script by a Jewish writer aged 18-45. Prize: Several prizes totaling $30,000. Deadline: April 22, 2025.
Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grant. Restrictions: Open to US citizens and residents only. Genre: Creative nonfiction. Whiting welcomes submissions for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, and personal essays, among other categories. Writers must be completing a book of creative nonfiction that is currently under contract with a publisher. Prize: $40,000. Deadline: April 23, 2025.
Harper-Wood Creative Writing & Travel Award for English Poetry and Literature. Restrictions: Open to any student who has graduated from any university in the UK, Ireland, the Commonwealth or the USA. Genre: The Award Holder is expected to engage in a course of study or research, and produce a piece of original fiction, drama or poetry. Prize: £19,000 is provided to cover accommodation and living expenses during the course of the year. Deadline: April 23, 2025.
The Sophie Coe Prize. Genre: Informative article or essay on any aspect of food history relating to any period, place, people or culture Prize: £1,500 top prize. Deadline: April 25, 2025.
Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers. Restrictions: The author must be a UK resident who is not currently represented by an agent. The author must self-identify as working class and not have been published commercially in any form. The work submitted must not have been previously published digitally or in book form. Genre: Fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Length: 1000 words max. Prize: The winning writer will receive 3 one-hour mentoring sessions with a Gaia commissioner and 1 one-hour mentoring session with a publishing agent, a commissioned piece in a nature-related outlet, two online Arvon masterclasses and one online Arvon writing day, plus a book bundle from Octopus Publishing Group. Deadline: April 25, 2025.
Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors Contest. Genre: Poetry, short fiction, essay, and photography, plus publication in annual anthology from Northwest Missouri State University's GreenTower Press. Prize: $250 in each category. Deadline: April 26, 2025.
Friends of Falun Gong, Poetry Contest. Genre: Poem. Submit one or two poems of no more than 50 lines each. Poems must encompass at least one of the following themes: Advocate for Falun Gong practitioner’s fundamental human rights. Expose the crimes against Falun Gong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party. Share in the beauty, peacefulness and good nature of Falun Gong. Prizes: $500, $250, $100. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Oxford/42 New Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to anyone aged 18 or over living, working or studying in the UK. Genre: "We are looking for talented new voices in fiction and welcome experimental writing as well as work that would appeal to a broad audience, whether on the printed page, the stage, radio, television or the big screen." Prize: £1500 along with professional representation by 42. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Rattlecast Prompt Poem of the Month. Genre: Poetry based on prompts. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
The Black Lawrence Fellowship for New Immigrant Authors. Restrictions: Immigrant authors with no more than one published book. Genre: All genres. Prize: Free 12-month subscription to Sapling worth $50, a gift card in the amount of $150 to purchase books from Black Lawrence Press, a full manuscript consultation for a full-length project worth between $425 and $795, and $150 in cash. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Fieldstone Review. Genre: Creative nonfiction/literature & book reviews, fiction, poetry, and reviews on theme: Colour. Prize: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
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 £1250 cash prize. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Native Voices Award. Restrictions: Open to Indigenous storytellers, such as from Native American, First Nation Australian, and Polynesian communities. Genre: Original, unpublished work in English; short story, flash fiction, nonfiction essay, script, poetry, or visual art collection. Prize: Up to $500 USD. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Writers' Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian LGBTQ+ writers. Genre: Debut book for books published between February 27, 2025 and April 29, 2025. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Iridescence Award. Restrictions: Open to literary or visual artists of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color Community. Genre: Fantasy, folk mythology, science fiction, and the paranormal. Short fiction, poetry. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
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 February 26, 2025 and April 29, 2025. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Student Prizes in Short Fiction and Poetry. Restrictions: Applicants must be 18-25 years old at the time of submission, legal residents of South Carolina, and enrolled full time at a private or public South Carolina institution of higher education. Genre; Short fiction, poetry. "There is no restriction on content, but submissions may not exceed 15 pages double-spaced and must be either one original, unpublished short story or one excerpt from a longer, unpublished work. Submit up to 5 unpublished poems (totaling no more than 10 pages)." Prize: $250 and an invitation to be honored at the SCAA Induction Ceremony. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
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 February 26, 2025 and April 29, 2025. Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Baen Fantasy Adventure Award. Genre: Adventure fantasy, 8K words max. Prize: Winner will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website and paid at industry-standard rates for professional story submittals. The author will also receive a handsome engraved award and a prize package containing $500 of free Baen Books. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Erbacce-prize for Poetry (UK) Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: Winner will be given a publishing contract with erbacce press who will publish a perfect-bound collection of the winner's book. "We will pay all costs including the legal registering of the book and supplying copies to the major libraries. The book will be sold through our sales/shop pages and the poet will be paid 20% royalties." Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Canadian Youth. Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or residents attending junior high or high school. Genre: Poetry. Prize: C$400 in each of two age categories: Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12). Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Author of Tomorrow. Restrictions: Open to children and youth up to age 21. Genre: Adventure writing. Prize: 11 and Under | 500 words | Prize: £100 plus £150 book tokens for your school; 12-15 years | 1,500 - 5,000 words | Prize: £100 plus £150 book tokens for your school; 16-21 years | 1,500 - 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
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: April 30, 2025.
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: April 30, 2025.
Ralph Angel Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
E-waste Scholarship. Restrictions: You must be 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 e-waste. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Science Me A Story. Genre: Scientific stories or poems for children (ages 6-12) of up to four pages by authors over age 18. Stories can be in English or Spanish. Prize: £150, £100 or £50. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Toronto Book Awards. Genres: All genres accepted. Restrictions: Submission "must evoke the city itself, that is, contain some clear Toronto content (this may be reflected in the themes, settings, subjects, etc.). Authors do not necessarily have to reside in Toronto. Ebooks, textbooks and self-published works are not eligible. Prize: A total of $15,000 CD will be awarded. Each shortlisted author (usually 4-6) receives C$1,000 and the winning author is awarded the remainder. Deadline: April 30, 2025. (For books published between May 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025)
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: April 30, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
Al Blanchard Short Crime Story Award. Genre: Crime short story. 5,000 words maximum, with a New England setting (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) or by a New England writer. Mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror genres all welcome. Prize: $100. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 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. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
October Project. Genre: Poetry. Prizes: To be announced. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Descant. Each year, descant offers four awards:
- the $500 Frank O’Connor Award for fiction (for the best short story in a issue)
- the $250 Gary Wilson Award (for an outstanding story in an issue)
- the $500 Betsy Colquitt Award for poetry (for the best poem or series of poems by a single author in an issue)
- the $250 Baskerville Publishers Award (for an outstanding poem or poems by a single author in an issue
There is no application process or reading fee. All published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. Simply submit your work. Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Claudia Ann Seaman Awards For Young Writers. Restrictions: High school students. Genre: Stories and poems. Prize: $200. Deadline: April 30, 2025. Submissions are capped at 200, so submit early.
#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: April 30, 2025. This is a monthly contest.
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: April 30, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
APRIL 2024
Dodge Poetry Festival. Genre: Poetry. Approximately 10-15 poets will be selected to participate in readings and conversations, in person in Newark, NJ, over the three-day Festival. Prize: Poets will receive an honorarium of $350 per day, and travel and lodging will be covered. Deadline: April 15, 2024.
Jane Austen Literacy Foundation Writing Competition. Genre: Original, fictional short story. "The theme of the competition is ‘The Art of Listening’ 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: April 28, 2024.
Sleeping Bear Press: Own Voices, Own Stories Award. Restrictions: Contest is open to new authors who identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+. Applicants must be United States residents and at least 18 years of age. Genre: Short fiction. Submissions should be for ages four through ten and may be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Text must come in at under 1,300 words. Prize: Grand Prize winners will receive a $2,000 cash prize, in addition to a publishing contract with advance and royalties standard for new Sleeping Bear Press authors. Honor Award winners will receive a $500 cash prize as well as one consulting session with a Sleeping Bear Press editor. Deadline: April 30, 2024.
Miami Book Fair’s Emerging Writer Fellowship. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry. "EWF supports developing writers who demonstrate exceptional talent and promise by providing them with time, space, and an intellectually and culturally rich artistic community. The program’s goal is to actively support these writers – who are working to complete a book-length project within a year – and help them launch their literary careers. Emerging Writer fellows are granted professional experience in arts administration, teaching creative writing, and other opportunities; a $50,000 stipend; and strong literary community support to allow for 12 glorious months of uninterrupted time to craft their works." Deadline: April 30, 2024. Will open in 2026.
Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry responding to visual art. (See site) Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: April 30, 2024.
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: April 30, 2024.
APRIL 2023
Tales to Terrify. Genre: Horror based on image provided. Length: 1500 words max. Prize: $50. Deadline: April 1, 2023
Invisible City Blurred Genre Flash Contest. Genre: Flash fiction, prose poetry or a combination. Length: 750 words max. Prize: $500, $200 and $100. Deadline: April 7, 2023. See theme.
Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media. Genre: Nonfiction. "The Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media recognizes a select group of media professionals, including journalists, writers, and others who create exemplary work that contributes to a deeper understanding of and greater public awareness about mental health issues. To be eligible, work must have been written in English, intended for the layperson, and must have been first published/released after April 1, 2022." Prize: $3000. Deadline: April 15, 2023. On hiatus for 2024.
Superhero Competition. Genre: Graphic novel that incorporates green solutions. Prize: The winner will receive a £500 prize, and a scene from the winner’s story turned into a 1-page comic strip, made by a professional artist. Deadline: April 15, 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: April 25, 2023.
Poetry Northwest: Possession Sound Poetry Series. Restrictions: Open to poets who have published at least one full-length collection. Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: Publication (royalties). Deadline: April 30, 2023. Free submissions for BIPOC poets only.
The Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest. Genre: Picture book. Prize: $5,000 top prize. Deadline: April 30, 2023.
MAY 2026
The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans. This creative writing contest for U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel is hosted by The Iowa Review and made possible by a gift from the family of Jeff Sharlet (1942–69), a Vietnam veteran and antiwar writer and activist. The contest is open to veterans and active duty personnel writing in any genre and about any subject matter. Prizes: First place: $1,000 plus publication in The Iowa Review. Second place: $750. Three runners-up: $500 each. Deadline: May 31, 2026.
MAY 2025
The EastOver Prize for a Debut Story Collection. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not published another full-length book. Genre: Debut story collection. Prize: $2000 and publication. Deadline: May 1, 2025.
Occult Detective Anthology. Genre: Occult detective fiction. Prize: "Small payment." Deadline: May 1, 2025.
Neukom Institute Literary Arts Awards. Genre: Play that addresses the question: “What does it mean to be a human in a computerized world?” Prize: $5000. Deadline: May 1, 2025.
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, 2025.
The Waterston Desert Writing Prize. Genre: Literary nonfiction, desert theme. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: May 1, 2025.
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 1, 2025.
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, 2025.
The Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award. Genre: Works of fiction or nonfiction. Prize: $25,000. The award-winner will participate in a 2-3 day residency at Interlochen Center for the Arts in April 2025. Deadline: May 1, 2025.
Rabbi Sacks Book Prize. Genre: Published nonfiction book that contributes significantly to the arena of modern Jewish thought. Prize: $50,000. Deadline: May 1, 2025.
Teen Nib Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to students attending high school (Grades 9-12) in the state of Virginia. Genre: Short story, poetry, nonfiction. Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: May 1, 2025.
Casa Africa Essay Prize. Genre: Essay on the theme, 'Decolonisation’. 15,000-20,000 words. Prize: €2,000. Deadline: May 2, 2025.
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 7, 2025.
Quay Words Young Writers’ Flash Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open writers aged 10 to 18-years. Genre: Flash fiction on theme ‘Generation' Prize: £200 top prize. Deadline: May 11, 2025.
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 11, 2025.
Boroondara Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: More than $5,000 in prize money across various age groups in the Young Writers’ category; more than $3,500 in prize money in the Open Short Story category. Deadline: May 11, 2025.
Brown's Mart Theatre Award. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: Script. There is no word limit. Scripts must have a performance time of more than 30 minutes. Script treatments are ineligible. Prize: The winner of the Brown’s Mart Theatre Award will receive a $1,000 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to select shows in Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 12, 2025.
Flash Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A blog post, fan fiction, short story, fictional diary entry or fictional letter. Word limit: 500 words. Entries limited to three entries per person. Prize: The winner of the Flash Fiction Award will receive a $600 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 12, 2025.
Kath Manzie Youth Award. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A piece of creative writing, either poetry or short story, by a person aged 12 to 18 years as of 1 January 2023. Limit of three poetry entries with a 300-line limit OR a short story with a 3,000-word limit per person. Prize: The winner of the Kath Manzie Youth Award will receive a $600 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 12, 2025.
NT Writers' Centre Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A single poem up to 300 lines. Entries limited to three separate poetry entries per person. Prize: The winner of the NT Writers’ Centre Poetry Award will receive a $1,000 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 12, 2025.
Charles Darwin University Creative Non-Fiction Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A factually accurate work, written with attention to literary style and technique. Can take the form of a biography, autobiography, memoir, diary entry, travel writing, food writing, literary journalism, or criticism. Word limit: 3,000 words. Prize: The winner of the Charles Darwin University Creative Non-Fiction Award will receive a $500 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 12, 2025.
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 12, 2025.
Charles Darwin University Essay Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: A referenced academic essay on a topic relating to the Northern Territory. Word limit: 3,000 words. Prize: The winner of the Charles Darwin University Essay Award will receive a $1,000 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 12, 2025.
Zip Print Short Story Award 2024. Restrictions: Open to all writers from across the Northern Territory, Australia. Genre: An original work of short fiction. Word limit: up to 3,000 words. Prize: The winner of the Zip Print Short Story Award will receive a $1,000 prize, an NT Writers’ Centre membership and a double pass to Brown's Mart’s performance program. Deadline: May 12, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025.
Suspect Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry. "We are looking for poems that use the word “fable” in imaginative ways." Prize: USD300, 200, and 100 will go to the top three winners. Deadline: May 15, 2025.
Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction. Restrictions: Open to a writer committed to nonfiction work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and/or history. The winner of the prize will have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking and challenging work. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: May 16, 2025.
The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence. Restrictions: The award will go to an editor whose commitment to the publication of LGBTQ+ writers and literature contributes significantly to the advancement of the LGBTQ+ community. Candidates can work in any genre, be at any publication, and be at any stage of their career. For 35 years as an editor at Macmillan, St. Martin’s Press, and Crown Publishing, Michael Denneny championed LGBTQ writers and stories as one of the first openly gay editors working at major publishing houses. The Denneny Award for Editorial Excellence is the only editorial award that not only recognizes the support provided by editors to the literary community, but also the importance of editors in the advancement of a social movement. Prize: The winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500. Deadline: May 16, 2025.
The Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing. Restrictions: The award will go an LGBTQ arts critic or literary reviewer committed to examining queer works of art and culture, as Holt ground-breakingly did for 16 years. This award is made possible by Lesbians for Good, a fund of the Horizons Foundation. Prize: $4,000. Deadline: May 16, 2025.
Dr. Jim Duggins Outstanding LGBTQ Mid-Career Novelist Prize. Restrictions: Open to LGBTQ mid-career novelists who have published at least three novels. or two novels and substantial additional literary work (including poems, stories, or essays). Genre: Published book. Prize: $5000. Deadline: May 16, 2025.
Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction. Restrictions: Open to a Black LGBTQ writer whose fiction explores themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and/or history. To be eligible, the winner of the prize must have published at least one book and show promise in continuing to produce groundbreaking work. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: May 16, 2025.
Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers. Restrictions: The nominee must self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. The nominee must have written and published at least one but no more than two books of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: May 16, 2025.
J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50. Restrictions: Open to unpublished LGBTQ writers over 50 working in any genre. Genre: All genres. Prize: $5000. Deadline: May 16, 2025.
The Karla Jay Prize for Emerging Writers in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Restrictions: Open to individuals with an emerging career in Gender and Sexuality Studies research, writing, and publication. Genre: Gender and Sexuality Studies. Prize: $1,500. Deadline: May 16, 2025.
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 ‘Wild.’ Prize: Publication, GBP £75. Deadline: May 18, 2025.
The Kentucky State Poetry Society Student Contest. Restrictions: Open to public, private, and homeschool students in grades 3-12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st prize - $75, 2nd prize - $50, 3rd prize - $25. Winners are invited to read their poems at the annual meeting. Deadline: May 18, 2025.
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 23, 2025.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Contest. Restrictions: 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: May 23, 2025.
Great Lakes Colleges (GLCA) New Writers Award. Restrictions: Open to Americans and Canadians. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. In each category, the submitted work must be an author’s first published volume. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 25, 2025.
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 26, 2025.
Write the World Competition: Your Home. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19. Genre: Reflection about your own environment, close to home. Length: 400-1000 words. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner-Up and Best Peer Review will each receive $50. Deadline: May 26, 2025. (Note: This is a monthly contest.)
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 30, 2025.
A Very Short Story Award. Genre: Short story of ten words or fewer. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: May 30, 2025.
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 30, 2025.
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, 2025.
Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing. Restrictions: Open to first-generation residents of the United States. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated to the U.S., or to American-born residents whose parents were born elsewhere. Genre: Unpublished nonfiction books. Prize: $10,000 and publication. Deadline: May 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
Furphy Literary Award: Junior and Youth Competition. Restrictions: Open to juniors & youth age writers who live in the Goulburn Valley, Australia. Genre: Short stories and poetry. Prize: First prize of $300. Deadline: May 31, 2025.
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. Prize: $200 - $500. Deadline: May 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025.
James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Awards. Restrictions: Open to aboriginal youth, 18 years or younger, residing in Ontario, Canada. Genre: Creative writing. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: May 31, 2025.
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: May 31, 2025.
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, 2025.
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, 2025.
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: $150 and publication in Jerry Jazz Musician. Deadline: May 31, 2025.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: May 31, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
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, 2025. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
MAY 2024
West Virginia Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to West Virginia residents or students. Genre: Short fiction, 5,000 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 1, 2024.
Casa Africa: Essay Contest. Genre: Essay on theme: Intra-African immigration. Essays, of 15,000-20,000 words, can be in Spanish, English, French or Portuguese. Prize: €2,000. Deadline: May 2, 2024.
On The Premises Mini-Contest. "For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which a hat of some kind matters to the story. We’re going with the fairly traditional definition of “hat” for this one. Scarves, hijabs, earmuffs, wigs, hoods, and other head coverings do not qualify. I’m going to say that even helmets don’t qualify. Caps are okay; they’re an informal hat. The judges will not care if anyone wears the hat in the story, so that’s up to you." 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 3, 2024.
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: $10,000, publication by Graywolf Press in fall 2025, 15 copies of the book, and a feature reading. Deadline: May 13, 2024.
Tablet. Genre: Personal essay on theme: Belonging. Prize: The winning selection will be published in Tablet Magazine and will receive $500. All other finalists will receive $100 for their work. Deadline: May 15, 2024.
Brilliant Flash Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. Word limit: 400 words, excluding title. Prize: $200 first prize, $100 second prize, $50 third prize. Deadline: May 15, 2024.
Dark Tales from the Tarot. Genre: Horror based on Tarot card. See website. Prize: $10. Deadline: May 15, 2024. Opens May 1.
Brain Mill Press Chapbook Contest. Restrictions: Open to all Wisconsin poets, with a particular interest in voices under-represented in traditional publishing, such as writers of color, women, indigenous voices, disabled writers, queer writers. Genre: Poetry chapbook, 18-30 pages in length. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: May 15, 2024. Will open in September 2025.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words about sweat. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: May 15, 2024.
Pulp Asylum Fiction Contest. Genre: Drabble. See theme. Prize: $10. Deadline: May 15, 2024.
Reedsy. Genre: Story on theme. See website. Prize: $250. Deadline: May 24, 2024.
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: May 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.
The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of Interstellar Archives. A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: May 31, 2024.
The Michael O’Pray Prize. Restrictions: Open to all early-career writers based in the UK. Genre: Nonfiction writing on innovation and experimentation in the moving image. Prize: £750 top prize. Deadline: May 31, 2024.
On The Premises Mini-Contest. "For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which a specific detail of something that would normally be trivial and uninteresting is in fact extremely important or interesting." 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 31, 2024.
Reedsy. Genre: Story on theme. See website. Prize: $250. Deadline: May 31, 2024.
Genesis 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, 2024.
#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, 2024. This is a monthly contest.
Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry based on art. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: May 31, 2024. Monthly contest.
MAY 2023
Sunlight Press. Genre: Flash fiction. Prize: $750. Deadline: May 1, 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.
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.
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.
FIYAH Literary Magazine Grant Series. Restrictions: Open to Black writers and editors. Genre: Speculative fiction. Grant: $1000. Deadline: May 15, 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. Awarded every 5 years.
Buckmxn Journal Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to Oregon and SW Washington residents only. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: May 29, 2023
Shallow Waters. Genre: Flash fiction on theme: Red. Max 1,500 words. Prize: $0.03 per word and publication. Deadline: May 31, 2023.
MAY 2022
Louise Meriwether First Book Prize. Restrictions: Open to fiction and narrative nonfiction by women of color and nonbinary writers of color who are US residents. Genres: First book of fiction, including novels and short story collections, or narrative memoir, of 50,000 to 80,000 words. Prize: $5,000 and a publishing contract from the Feminist Press. Deadline: May 8, 2022.
The Roadrunner Review: High School Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genre: Poetry, prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: May 16, 2022.
Spectrum: Poetry Celebrating Identity. Genre: Poem. "We’re particularly keen to hear from those who do not see their identity represented in traditional or mainstream media. Anywhere in the world, any age." Prize: 1st prize: £200; 2nd prize: £100. Deadline: May 21, 2022.
Celebrating Black Writers: Voices Calling for Activism and Social Justice. Restrictions: Open to high school and college students of all ages. Genre: Fiction, prose, and essays. Writings should represent various themes raised by Black writers—poets, novelists, literary activists, public intellectuals, civil rights leaders, and historians—who have advocated for social justice. Prize: For college students: first place $4,000; second place $2,000. High school students (includes juniors and seniors): first place $3,000; second place $1,500. Deadline: May 23, 2022
Tales to Terrify. Genre: Nautical horror flash fiction. Prize: $25. Deadline: May 31, 2022.
JUNE 2025
Dan Veach Prize for Younger Poets. Restrictions: Open to poets aged 18-23. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $100 and publication in the Atlanta Review. Deadline: June 1, 2025.
Bard Fiction Prize. Restrictions: 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 1, 2025.
Cromwell Article Prize. Restrictions: Open to early career scholars. Genre: Articles published in the field of American legal history. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: June 1, 2025.
Dream Foundry Emerging Writers Contest. Restrictions: You have published a total of less than 4,000 words of paid or income-earning speculative fiction in English. You have earned a total of less than USD 320 from those words. You have never been nominated for any award listed here as a major award in speculative fiction. Genre: Short speculative fiction, up to 10,000 words. Prize: $200 - $1,000. Deadline: June 2, 2025.
The International Audio Drama Competition is sponsored by the BBC World Service and British Council in partnership with Commonwealth Writers. Restrictions: Open to non-UK residents. Genre: A script for a 53 minute radio play with up to six central characters. Prize: £2500 sterling and a trip to London. Deadline: June 4, 2025.
Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest. Restrictions: Canadian high school, college, and graduate students. Genre: Short essay on "What would our Essential Scholars say about Canadian economic prosperity today?" Prize: CAD$1,500 in each age category. Deadline: June 5, 2025.
Anne Brown Essay Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged over 16 and resident in Scotland, born in Scotland or have a longstanding association with Scotland. Genre: Literary essay, published or unpublished. Prize: £1,500. Deadline: June 6, 2025.
Icelandic Festival of Manitoba Poetry & Short Stories Contest. Genre: 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 7, 2025.
Ocean Awareness Youth Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in grades 6 - 12. Genre: Art, poetry, prose, film. "Use humor, positivity, irony, or other unconventional approaches that are not typically used in environmental communication to address the climate crisis. Think outside the tackle-box, beyond clichés, to create something that makes the topic of climate change and our oceans more approachable and accessible." Prizes: $100 - $1,500. Deadline: June 9, 2025.
Solid Essay Contest. Restrictions: 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 9, 2025.
Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Writing Contest. Restrictions: 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. Prize: 1st place is $250; 2nd place is $100; 3rd place is $50. Deadline: June 15, 2025.
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: Three cash prizes of $1,000 apiece will be awarded in 2025 for coursework submitted during the academic year. Deadline: June 15, 2025.
International Wizard of Oz Club Annual Contests. Genre: Short Fiction, Art & Academic Nonfiction Research Papers. All work must be related to the world of Oz. Prize: $100 in each genre. 2nd Prize $50 in each genre. Deadline: June 19, 2025.
Giller Prize. Restrictions: 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, 2025, and June 30, 2025 must be received on or before June 20, 2025.
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Genre: Novel or short story collection. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to the novel or short story collection published between April 30, 2025 and September 30, 2025. Deadline: June 25, 2025.
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. Restrictions: Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books published by a Canadian press, written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Titles must be published between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. Genre: Literary nonfiction including, among other forms, works of personal or journalistic essays, memoirs, commentary, criticism both social and political, history, and biography. Prize: Winner: $60,000; Finalists: $5,000. Deadline: June 25, 2025.
Writers' Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian LGBTQ+ writers. Genre: Debut book published between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. Prize: $12,000. Deadline: June 25, 2025.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: June 30, 2025. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
My Writing Journey. Genre: Essay on the theme: The worst writing mistake I’ve ever made. Length: 600 words. Prize: $200 (R2 000 or £100). Deadline: June 30, 2025.
Writers College Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to any writer who is unpublished, or has been published fewer than four times. Genre: Short story. See theme. Prize: First prize NZ $1000 and publication; second prize NZ $500 and publication. Deadline: June 30, 2025.
Sargeson Prize for Secondary Schools. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled at a New Zealand secondary school and aged between 16 and 18 years. Genre: Short story, Length: 5,000 words max. Prize: First Prize: $2000; Second Prize: $1000; Third Prize: $500. Deadline: June 30, 2025.
Sargeson Prize. Restrictions: Open to New Zealanders. Genre: Short stories. Length: 5,000 words max. Prize: First Prize: $15,000; Second Prize: $1000; Third Prize: $500. Deadline: June 30, 2025.
Storyhouse: Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. First prize winners of previous contests, while ineligible for prizes in regular contests, can compete in this one. Genre: Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200; Runners-up will receive $100. Deadline: June 30, 2025.
Drue Heinz Literature Prize. Restrictions: 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, 2025.
JUNE 2024
The PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature. Genre: Translation. Work-in-progress of a book-length translation of an Italian work of literary fiction or nonfiction into English. Prize: $5,000 grant. Deadline: June 1, 2024.
The Novel Prize. Genre: Book-length work of literary fiction written in English. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: June 1, 2024. Biennial award.
The PEN/Heim Translation Fund. Genre: Book-length works of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and drama in translation. Prize: $2000 - $4000. Deadline: June 1, 2024.
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists. Restrictions: 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, 2024.
The PEN/Jean Stein Grant for Literary Oral History. Genre: Literary work of nonfiction that uses oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement. Prize: $15,000 each. (Two prizes) Deadline: June 1, 2024.
Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Awards. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First Place - $200, and a miniature crystal turtle; Second Place - $100; Third Place - $50. Deadline: June 1, 2024.
Defenestration. Genre: 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 2, 2024.
Channel 4 Writing for Television Awards. Restrictions: Open to writers from Northern England who would like to work in television. Genre: TV writing. Prize: Mentoring support and a bursary worth £3000. Deadline: June 4, 2024.
Spectator Comp No. 3353: Running on full. Genre: "You are invited to submit a poem about the dine-and-dash phenomenon (16 lines max). Please email entries to lucyATspectator.co.uk" Prize: £30. Deadline: June 5, 2024.
Annual H. Gene Murtha Senryu Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: 1st Place: $50.00, 2nd Place: $25.00, 3rd Place: $25.00 Deadline: June 10, 2024.
Wyoming Creative Writing Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to Wyoming writers who are U.S. citizens or have legal resident status. Genre: Fiction, Poetry, CNF. Prize: $5,000 and an honorarium/travel stipend. One fellowship will be awarded in each category of Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, and Fiction, for a total of three fellowships. Applications are juried by noted authors, literary agents, or writing professionals from outside the state. Jurors may award honorable mentions. Recipients of the Creative Writing fellowships will share their work at one of Wyoming's literary conferences. Deadline: June 10, 2024.
Fabula Press Short Story Contest. Genre: Short Story. Word Count: Not less than 2500 words, and not more than 7000 words. Prize: First Prize: US$500 Second Prize: US$250 Third Prize: US$100. In addition, all authors selected for publication will be paid an honourarium of US$75. Deadline: June 11, 2024.
Molly Keane Creative Writing Award. Restrictions: Open to Irish residents. Genre: Unpublished short story, maximum 2,000 words. Prize: €250 plus a course at the Molly Keane Writers Retreat. Deadline: June 14, 2024.
The Yale Drama Series. Genre: Original, unpublished full-length plays, with a minimum of 65 pages. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: June 15, 2024.
Little, Brown Emerging Artist Award. Genre: 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, 2024.
Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest for Young People. Restrictions: Open to people 25 years of age or less. Genre: Essay (max 700 words). Theme: “My Experience of Overcoming Conflict.” Prize: 1st US$840, 2nd US$420. Deadline: June 15, 2024.
Towson University Prize for Literature. Restrictions: 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, 2024. See nomination form HERE.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: June 15, 2024. (Note: This is a monthly contest)
Voices of Heritage Writing Contest. Genre: Essays, stories, or poems that capture the rich tapestry of Jewish life in America. "We encourage entries that reflect on historical milestones, personal narratives, or profiles of influential Jewish Americans who have shaped the nation’s culture and values. This contest not only celebrates the past and present achievements of Jewish Americans but also aims to educate others about their enduring legacy and continuing impact." 1000 words max. Prize: First prize of $3,000, second prize of $1,500, and up to ten runner-up prizes of $500 each. Deadline: June 15, 2024.
The Queen’s English Society. Genre: Poem. Theme: ANNIVERSARY. Prize: £100. Deadline: June 15, 2024.
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: Science fiction, fantasy, and horror - all ages. Prize: A final group of applicants will be invited to join the year-long editorial program. Deadline: June 16, 2024.
Soho Theatre: The Verity Bargate Award. Restrictions: Open to UK and Ireland based playwrights. Genre: One-hour play written for stage. Prize: £8,000 and full production. Deadline: June 17, 2024.
A Midsummer Tale Narrative Writing Contest. Genre: Non-genre fiction and creative nonfiction. Theme: Summer Olympics. Length: 1,000 words minimum; 5,000 words maximum. Prize: $35 - $50 Amazon gift card. Deadline: June 21, 2024.
Guppy Books. Restrictions: Open to unpublished and unagented authors. Genre: Novel for young adults. Prize: Publication. Deadline: June 21, 2024.
Griffin Poetry Prize. Restrictions: 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: The winner receives C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets each receive C$10,000. Deadline: June 21, 2024, for works published between January 1 and June 30, 2024.
African Diaspora Award 2024. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art. Prize: Up to $1000 and publication in "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora" Deadline: June 30, 2024.
Renard Press Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry on theme: Building Bridges: Poetry Bridging Communities. Prize: £200. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
Theatre503 International Playwriting Award. Genre: Scripts from debut/early-career playwrights around the world. Co-written and translated scripts accepted. Prize: £3,000 in prize money and £3,000 as an advance against 8% of the gross box office. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
International EJCA Spring Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $20 - $30. Deadline: June 22, 2024.
Write the World Competitions. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Essay: Open a Window. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: June 24, 2024. (Note: This is a monthly contest.)
Grist: Imagine 2200. Genre: Short stories. "What we’re seeking: short stories that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress. Our mission is to make the story of a better world so irresistible, you want it right now." Prize: First, second, and third-prize winners will be awarded $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 respectively, and nine additional finalists will each receive a $300 honorarium. Deadline: June 24, 2024.
Emmy Awards - Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. Restrictions: 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. Deadline: June 26, 2024.
Faber Children’s: Faber and Andlyn BAME (FAB) Prize. Restrictions: Open to undiscovered BAME writers and illustrators; entrants must be of black, Asian or minority ethnic background, and UK- or Ireland-based. Genre: Text or artwork for children. Prize: £1,500 and £500 each for a writer and an illustrator. Deadline: June 28, 2024.
Hubert Butler Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to European Union citizens aged 18+. Genre: Essay on theme ‘With narratives of conflict currently distorted by misinformation and the substitution of memory for history, what are the chances of reconciliation?’ 3,000 words max. Prize: First prize of €1,500 and two second prizes of €500. Deadline: June 28, 2024.
Marlborough Lit Fest Love Books Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK residents. Genre: Individual Poems, Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction. "We want you to tell us why you love your favourite book, poem or play. Your response should be in the form of a piece of text of up to 750 words. Entrants should explain what they love about their chosen read, highlighting key areas of interest, and why they think others should try it." Prize: Up to 300 pounds in each of three categories (13-15 years, 16-19 years, 20+ years). Deadline: June 28, 2024.
#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: June 30, 2024. This is a monthly contest.
Fountain Magazine Essay Contest. Genre: Essay on theme: Home. “Home” holds a special place in our lives. A large, luxurious mansion or a small, decrepit place, our homes are hard to replace with anything. Our earliest memories form inside its walls; we utter our first words and take our first steps there. Does everyone feel the same about home? Is it where you were born or where you earn your bread? Is home a physical place? In a world that moves faster than ever and is confined to small screens, how do perceptions about "home" change? Where is home for people who are forced to leave their homes? Where is your home?" Prize: 1st Place - $1,000, 2nd Place - $500, 3rd Place - $300, Two Honorable Mentions - $150 each. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
2024 BCSA Writing Competition. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction. See theme. Entries must deal with either (1) the links between Britain and the Czech and/or Slovak Republics, at any time in their history, or (2) society in those Republics since 1989. Entries should be in English and not more than 2,000 words long. Prize: First prize £400, second prize £150. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
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: $3000. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
Digital Privacy Scholarship. Restrictions: You must be 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 digital privacy. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
The Lindisfarne Crime Prize. Restrictions: Residents of the North East of England, or whose work celebrates the North East of England. Genre: Crime short story of up to 10,000 words. Prize: £2500. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. Restrictions: 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, 2024.
Utah Division of Arts and Museums Original Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to 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, 2024.
Eden Mills Teen Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to Canadian teens. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Two $50 prizes, two $25 prizes. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to women (including trans and nonbinary women) age 18+. Genre: Nonfiction essay, 1200 words max, on images. See website for details. Prize: $200. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
Vweta Chadwick Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to female high school and college students in Nigeria. Genre: Unpublished poems, 40 lines maximum. See theme. Prize: $200. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
Last Stanza Poetry Journal. Genre: Poetry. Prize: A single $100 award will be given for an outstanding poem. Deadline: June 30, 2024. See theme.
Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, fiction, nonfiction, poetry: adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: June 30, 2024 (for books published Jan. 1-May 31, 2024).
FSG Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to emerging writers from an underrepresented community. US resident or citizen. Genre: Debut work of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Submit work samples as part of the application: 8-12 pages for poetry, and 40-50 pages for prose. Work samples can include previously published work and need not be from a single selection of the work. Prize: Stipend of $15,000 and mentorship. Note: Farrar, Straus & Giroux is part of Macmillan. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry based on art. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: June 30, 2024.
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: June 30, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
JUNE 2023
Stone Canoe: Poetry in Flight. Restrictions: Participants must be residents of any of the 12-county region served by the Syracuse Hancock International Airport: Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, Tompkins, Jefferson, Tioga, Oneida, Lewis, Madison, Cortland, Chemung, Broome. Poems by people who are not current residents of one of these counties will not be considered. Genre: Poem on the theme of Aviation and Travel. Prize: One winning poem will receive a pair of round-trip plane tickets good for travel in the 48 contiguous states or Canada, courtesy of Delta Air Lines, up to a $1200 value. Youth Prize: Gift basket from Barnes and Noble with a value of $500, as well as one-year of enrollment to the Young Authors Academy at the YMCA's Downtown Writers Center in Syracuse. Deadline: June 1, 2023.
Abrams Amplify Award. Restrictions: Entrants must be un-agented writers who are at least 18 years. old at the time of entry, are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia, and have not previously had any children’s fiction or children’s nonfiction published. "We encourage the work of creators who self-identify as Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latinx, Middle Eastern, or Native American/Indigenous." Genre: Picture book. Prizes: One (1) winner will receive $5,000, editorial notes, and a one-on-one video conference meeting with an ABRAMS editor to discuss the Submission. Two (2) winners will receive $2,500 and editorial notes on the Submission from an ABRAMS editor. Two (2) winners will receive $1,000 and editorial notes on the Submission from an ABRAMS editor. All winners will have an opportunity for their full Submission to be reviewed by the ABRAMS Books editorial team for a possible offer of publication. Deadline: June 1, 2023.
The OFIC Press Prize. Genre: Novels and novellas that don't really fit in a traditional publishing category. Prize: The prize for a novel is $1000 and a novella $250. Novels will be published as standalone books and novellas will be compiled into an anthology. Deadline: June 1, 2023.
On The Premises. "For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which the same thing, place, or incident is seen from two very different points of view." Prize: $35 for first place, $25 for second, $15 for third. Deadline: June 2, 2023.
Cave Canem Northwestern Press Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. The Cave Canem Northwestern Press Poetry Prize is a second-book award for black poets of African descent, offered every other year. This award celebrates and publishes works of lasting cultural value and literary excellence. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: June 12, 2023. Biennial prize.
QTBIPOC 2021 Poetry Manuscript Contest. Restrictions: Open to QTBIPOC-identified feminist innovative writers/poets. Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: The prize winner will receive publication along with a $1,000.00 cash award to help aid in book promotion, travel, event attendance, etc. Deadline: June 15, 2023.
Sapiens Plurum. Genre: Short stories that personalize the consequences of climate change. Theme: “Inventing Beautiful Futures.” Prize: 1ST PRIZE: $1000; 2ND PRIZE: $500; 3RD PRIZE: $300. Deadline: June 15, 2023.
Reedsy. Genre: Story on theme: Friends. Prize: $250. Deadline: June 16, 2023.
Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing. Genre: 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 19, 2023.
WWPH Writes Pride Contest. Restrictions: Open to LGBT writers living in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Genre: Poetry, micro-prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: June 19, 2023.
Roxane Gay Books/Grove Atlantic Fellowship. “We are currently seeking an editorial fellow interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the inner workings of an independent publishing house and developing a solid foundation for a career in publishing. The fellow will have exposure to the editorial, marketing, publicity, and rights departments of Grove Atlantic, and will directly support Roxane Gay Books, a new imprint at Grove Atlantic, in building an exciting list of fiction and nonfiction. This is a one-year fellowship that will allow the fellow to gain experience in publishing with an emphasis on creating access for candidates from backgrounds underrepresented in publishing….Fellows will receive a $25,000 stipend, for 24 hours a week of work, paid biweekly. The fellow is also eligible for health and dental benefits and paid time off. Candidates can be based anywhere in the United States.” Deadline: June 22, 2023.
Rattlecast Prompt Poem of the Month. Genre: Poetry based on prompts. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: June 23, 2024.
Green Stories Novel Prize. Genre: "Our mission is to create a cultural body of work that entertains and informs about green solutions, inspires green behaviour and raises awareness of the necessary transformations towards a sustainable economy. Currently most green communications preach to the converted i.e. only those who already care choose to watch climate change documentaries or read books with a green theme. Thus a particular aim is to use fiction as a way to reach a wider audience, and support winning authors to translate their stories into published books." Prize: £1000 for the winner and £500 for runner up. Entrants must show they have read at least one of the books from the Green Stories project, one of which is free. Deadline: June 26, 2023.
OutWrite 2023 Chapbook Competition. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry chapbooks. OutWrite is a celebration of LGBTQ literature; entries that explore aspects of LGBTQ culture or identity are encouraged. Prize: Offer of print publication from Neon Hemlock Press, and an opportunity to read at OutWrite 2024. Deadline: June 30, 2023.
The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of "Space Station Duty-Free." A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: June 30, 2023.
Shady Grove Literary. Genre: Any style, genre, tone of flash fiction. Length: 300 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: June 30, 2023.
JUNE 2022
The Lorca Latinx Poetry Prize honors the role of transoceanic friendship in poet Federico García Lorca’s life, work, and legacy. Restrictions: Poet must have published no more than one full-length collection. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Translation of an emerging Latinx poet’s English language chapbook-length manuscript into Spanish and bilingual publication. "The Prize strives to facilitate platforms for this poet to present their work, including at festivals, residences and readings in the United States, and beyond." $500 and 10 copies of the chapbook. Deadline: June 5, 2022. Biennial prize.
Literary Taxidermy. Genre: Short story, must begin and end with lines from one of three chosen novels. Prize: Up to $1500 and publication. Deadline: June 11, 2022. Note: There is a voluntary $10 fee. Entrants are encouraged to pay the fee, but the fee will be waived in the case of financial hardship.
Solarpunk. Genre: Micro fiction 250 words or less based on the monthly contest theme. (See theme) Prize: $25 and publication on the Solarpunk Magazine website. Deadline: June 23, 2022. (Opens June 17)
Christmas Stories: Postcard Poem Competition. Genre: Poem. "Poems must be no longer than 16 lines, including title and stanza breaks, with no more than 10 words per line. Your poem must be in English. It must also be new, unpublished, and not currently submitted elsewhere." Prize: £75. Deadline: June 30, 2022.
BART Short Fiction Contest. Genre: Short fiction by authors (18+) living across BART’s five counties (San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara). "With BART Lines, BART shines a light on the literary voices that make the Bay Area the unique, diverse place that it is. Our riders keep BART moving, and we want to highlight the best writers that the region has to offer and showcase it in our stations on our popular Short Story Dispensers.” Length: 7,500 characters or less (spaces included),” on the theme of “Motion.” Prize: $200. Deadline: June 30, 2022, or when they reach 400 entries.
Rattle Genre: Poetry based on image (See site). Prize: $100 and online publication. Deadline: June 30, 2022.
JUNE 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 Pandeism Collegiate Writing Competition. Restrictions: 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. Biennial.
The Gerard Rochford Poetry Prize. Genre: Poem in English on the theme of ‘Family’ Prize: £150. Deadline: June 30, 2021.
JUNE 2019
Amy Awards. Poets & Writers presents the Amy Award each year to recognize promising women poets, age 30 and under, living in the New York City metropolitan area or on Long Island. Winners receive a modest honorarium and give a reading in New York City. The award was established in 1995 by Paula Trachtman and Edward Butscher of East Hampton, New York, in memory of Ms. Trachtman's daughter, Amy Rothholz, an actor and poet. Genre: Poetry. Deadline: June 1, 2019.
The Vilcek Foundation Awards. Restrictions: Applicant must have been born outside the United States; Applicant must not be more than 38 years old as of December 31, 2019 (born on or after January 1, 1981); Applicant must: be a naturalized citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) of the United States; be a holder of an H1B or O-1 visa and have been living and working in the United States for at least 5 years; or have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); Applicant must not be enrolled as a full-time student; Applicant must have published at least one full-length book (not self-published); Applicant must intend to pursue a professional career in the United States; Applicant must not be a past winner of the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Prize: $50,000. Deadline: June 10, 2019.
JULY 2025
Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest. Genre: An original quotation to accompany a piece of artwork. Length: 20 words max. Prize: $2000. Deadline: July 1, 2025.
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: July 1, 2025.
Iron Horse Prize. Genre: First book of collected prose. Prize: $1000, and the collection will be published in the summer of 2025 by Texas Tech University Press. Deadline: July 15, 2025 Free submissions on July 15 only.
Iron Horse Photofinish. Genre: Brief ekphrastic work that pushes beyond an absolute litera.l read of a photo prompt. "We're looking for work that recognizes what's hidden in the world we see, responding to the physical details that the picture offers or what emotion it conveys or both. We provide the photo on our website and social media platforms every mid-May. Responses should be no longer than 500 words for prose or 15 lines for poetry. Prize: Winner receives $250. The finalists receive: $50. Deadline: July 15, 2025. Free submissions on July 15 only.
Young Scots Writer of the Year Award. Restrictions: You must be aged 11–18 to enter as an individual. Genre: Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing. "We want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes." Prize: £100 book token. Deadline: July 16, 2025.
JULY 2024
Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. Book must be author's first full-length book of poetry, published between between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2024.
Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2024.
Langdon Review Writer-in-Residence Program. This is a two-week residency at Texas-based Tarleton State University, providing an opportunity to present at the Langdon Review Weekend festival, and publication in the school's Langdon Review journal. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 1, 204.
The AutoEthnographer Student Scholarships. Restrictions: Open to creatives anywhere in the world who identify as active students at any age or level. Works must be nominated by an instructor, professor, tutor, or other educator; the author/artist must have been an enrolled student in the 2022-2023 school year. Genre: Works of literary and artistic autoethnography. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: July 1, 2024.
ALCS Award for Educational Writers. Genre: Nonfiction book (with or without illustrations) that stimulates and enhances learning for either 5-11 year olds (in odd-numbered years) or 11-18 year olds (in even-numbered years). For 2023, titles must be for ages 5-11. Books must have been first published in the UK within the previous two calendar years (2021 or 2022 of the current deadline year). Prize: £2,000.00. Deadline: July 1, 2024.
Richard J. Margolis Award. Genre: Journalism. Prize is awarded annually to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. Prize: $5,000 and one month of residency at Blue Mountain Center. Deadline: July 1, 2024.
Local Word Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Entries are welcome from living poets anywhere in Australia 16 years or older. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $2,000 AUD top prize. Deadline: July 1, 2024.
BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest (BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean). Restrictions: All entrants must be of Caribbean heritage/of Caribbean descent or writers who were born/raised and holding nationality in the Caribbean. Genre: Unpublished short fiction (3000 words max). Prize: US$1750 for each contest. Deadline: July 1, 2024.
Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards. Genre: Poetry. "The awards contest is an annual series of awards to encourage poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit." Prize: $200. Deadline: July 1, 2024. Free entry for poets age 12 and under.
Forum Prize. Genre: Essay on the subject of: ‘The Art(s) of Delight’ "We are looking for bold, visionary and persuasive essays that use academic research to pursue innovative questions. The topic may be addressed from the perspective of any of the literatures (including literary linguistics, translation and comparative literature approaches) normally covered by the journal: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish." Prize: £500 and publication. Deadline: July 1, 2024.
Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: 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: July 3, 2024.
The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Open to unpublished Australian residents aged 18 years or older. Genre: Fiction and narrative non-fiction, the first three chapters plus synopsis (max 20,000 words). Prize: $10,000 and a year’s mentorship with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. The Guardian Australia will publish an extract of the first chapter of the winning work on its website. Deadline: July 7, 2024.
Wingate Literary Prize. Genre: Published book that explores Jewish themes. Book must be published between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024, must be published, distributed or easily available in the UK and Ireland, and must be published in English, whether originally or in translation. Prize: £4,000. Deadline: July 7, 2024.
Conversation Piece. Genre: Stories, poems, dialogues, screenplays, etc made up of 100% dialogue/speech. No word limit. Prize: "Modest" Deadline: July 7, 2024.
HG Wells Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story on theme. See site. Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology. Deadline: July 8, 2024. No fee for writers under the age of 21. Those over 21 can enter for a fee.
Diversity in Beer Writing Grant 2024. Genre: Nonfiction article about beer that explores areas of diversity and inclusion in beer. Prize: Chosen writers will receive payment of 50 cents per word for their work, up to $1,000. Deadline: July 8, 2024.
Sine Theta Prize. Restrictions: Open to members of the Sino diaspora. Genre: Fiction (prose) and poetry. See theme. Prize: All authors published in sinθ receive a $10 USD honorarium. For the two contest winners, there is an additional $200 USD prize, amounting to a total of $210 USD. Deadline: July 10, 2024.
Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges are eligible. Genre: Fiction of no more than 7,500 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: July 14, 2024.
Blessing the Boats. Restrictions: Open to all women poets of color in the U.S., including poets who identify as cis, trans, and non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers on women’s experiences, regardless of citizenship and publication history. Genre: Full-length poetry manuscript. Prize: $5,000 honorarium and book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. Deadline: July 14, 2024.
Donn Goodwin and Joseph Gahagen Poetry Prizes: Milwaukee Irish Fest. Genre: Poetry. Entries should have a culture/literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: July 14, 2024.
The Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre: Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
The UNLEASH WIP Prize. Genre: Book-length work in progress of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or hybrid. Prize: Writers will receive editorial feedback, a coaching call, $500 US, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
Singapore Unbound. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates. Genre: Critical essays on topics in Singapore literature. Prize: $250. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 15, 2023 and July 15, 2024. Genre: Books with a mountain, not necessarily mountaineering, theme whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, written in the English language. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
Swamp Pink Prize for Indigenous Writers. Restrictions: Open to indigenous writers in the United States. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Prize: Winners in each genre will receive $500 and publication. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest. Genre: Poetry. Categories: #1 Traditional Sonnet – Shakespearean or Petrarchan; #2 Modern Sonnet. Prize: $50, 2nd Prize $30, 3rd Prize $20, three Honorable Mentions, three Special Recognitions. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
LSU Alexandria English & Humanities Department. Genre: Flash Fiction. Tell a short-story with a title. In a minimum of 6 words and a maximum of 1,500 words, tell a story about what happened, who it happened to, and why. Prizes: First, second, and third place finishers will be awarded $250, $150, and $100 respectively, and the stories will be published on the LSUA website. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genres: Drama, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: July 15, 2024 for fiction and poetry. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.)
Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Restrictions: Books must be first edition English-language books written by a Canadian or American citizen or permanent resident of either country. Works written by women or non-binary authors are eligible for submission. The Prize welcomes and encourages submissions by transgender woman authors. Genre: Published novel, short story collection or graphic novel. Prize: $150,000 Canadian dollars. Deadline: Entries for books published between January 1, 2024 – July 31, 2024, must be received on or before July 15, 2024.
The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. Genre: Review of a contemporary art exhibition. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
Ibby Rivers Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Oregon and SW Washington residents only. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: July 15, 2024.
International Fiction Festival. Genre: Short Story (10,000 words maximum), Novella (10,000-40,000 words), and Novel (40,000 words minimum). Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 18, 2024.
Patricia Eschen Prize for Poetry. Genre: Poetry. Poems can be on any subject that kindles your imagination, to a maximum line length of 40 lines for each poem. Prize: Adults (over 16): 1st prize: £1000. Children (under 16): 1st prize: £150. Deadline: July 19, 2024.
Write the World: Journalism Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: News article: Global correspondents. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: July 22, 2024.
Black Voices in Children's Literature Writing Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to Black authors who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing anywhere in the United States. Genre: Original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring authentic, realistic Black characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Religious and fantasy themes will not be considered. Prize: First Place: $1000. Second Place: $500 cash prize. Third Place: $250 cash prize. Deadline: July 22, 2024.
Nakata Brophy Short Fiction and Poetry Prize for Young Indigenous Writers. Restrictions: The prize is open to Indigenous Australian writers who are 35 years or younger at the closing date of the competition. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First prize includes $5000, an optional writing residency at Trinity College, and publication of the successful piece in Overland. Deadline: July 27, 2024.
SLF Diverse Writers and Diverse Worlds Grants. Restrictions: Open to writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups, such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, working-class writers, etc. -- those whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing / publishing process. Genres: Book-length works (novels, collections of short stories) of speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Hachette UK: The Future Bookshelf – The Robinson New Voices Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished psychology writers from Black, Asian, mixed heritage and multiple ethnic backgrounds, as well as those who are disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from cultural or religious minorities. Genre: Works of commercial non-fiction, aimed at general readers, on any topic within any branch of psychology. Prize: £5000 advance. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Four Palaces Publishing: Solastalgia - 2024 Nonfiction Anthology. Genre: Creative nonfiction essays between 2,000 and 6,000 words. "Solastalgia is the distress that is produced by environmental change impacting on people while they are directly connected to their home environment." Payment: $100 for selected work.The author with the winning creative nonfiction essay will receive $1000 and mentorship in either craft or professional development from our guest judge, Erica Hoffmeister. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: July 31, 2024. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
The Lehrhaus Short Story Contest. Genre: Short stories that explore the depth and diversity of Jewish ideas. The story should be between 1,000 and 5,000 words. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Eucalyptus Lit. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: Winner will receive a prize of $75, and the runner-up will receive $25. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Landfall Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to New Zealand writers. Genre: Essay about New Zealand. Prize: The winner will receive $3000 and a year’s subscription to Landfall. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers. Genre: An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Briefly Write. Genre: Poetry up to 10 lines. Prize: Total prize fund - £75. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Mustapha Matura Award. Restrictions: The competition is open to any playwright of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK. Entrants must be 25 years or under at the time of submission. Genre: Stage play in English. Television, radio plays and film scripts will not be considered. Prize: £3,000 top prize. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
What’s Your Story? Restrictions: Open to Victorian residents. (Australia) Genre: Poetry, short stories, CNF. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
James Berry Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to poets of colour, who are UK residents (permanently reside in the UK: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man) who have not yet published a book-length collection, with special consideration given to LGBTQ+/disabled poets and poets from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 3 equal winners each receive £1,000 prize, expert mentoring & debut collection published with Bloodaxe Books. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Surging Tide. Genre: Poetry, prose. Prize: The winner of each category will be awarded $100 and each runner-up will also be awarded $25. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Arablit Story Prize. Genre: Flash fiction in Arabic. Prize: 1st prize: £300 2nd prize: £200 3rd prize: £100. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards. Restrictions: Scottish writers over 18 years of age. Genres: The awards are divided into three different categories.: Fiction and Narrative Non-fiction in English and Scots, Poetry in English and Scots, Children’s and Young Adult Fiction in English and Scots. Prize: £2,000 and personal development opportunities, which can include mentoring from writers and industry professionals. Training in PR, performance and presentation training, and the opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents. Deadline: July 31, 2024.
The Washburn Chapbook Prize. Restrictions: Open to women or non-binary writers. Genre: Chapbook exactly 10 poems long. Prize: $200 and publication of their micro chapbook online at Harbor Review. Deadline: July 31, 2024. Fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers only.
Shenandoah Literary Review
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Read more at: http://www.freelancewriting.com/freewritingcontests/FWC-bevel-summers-prize.php
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Biopage. Genre: "Inspiring, uplifting, and heartwarming stories." Prizes: Up to $300. Deadline: July 31, 2024. Registration required.
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: July 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
JULY 2023
Limnisa Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story under 1,500 words on theme: A room of one's own. Prize: One-week, all-inclusive writers' retreat in Limnisa, Greece. Deadline: July 2, 2023.
AAAS/Subaru Book Prize. Genre: Published science book. Categories include: Children's Science Picture Book (prize to author and illustrator); Middle Grades Science Book (prize to author); Young Adult Science Book (prize to author); Hands-On Science Book (prize to author). Winning authors and illustrators will be recognized at the AAAS Annual Meeting which will be held February 15-17, 2024 in Denver, CO. Prize: $1500. Deadline: July 7, 2023.
Valiant Scribe Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. "Valiant Scribe calls for submissions that focus on war and peace, despair and hope. In a world filled with war, poverty, natural disasters, human rights violations, and other ills, we seek poetry that evokes thoughts of hope, telling us there is a light at the end of the tunnel." See theme. Prize: $500 CAD. Deadline: July 15, 2023. Biennial contest.
Undiscovered Voices. Restrictions: Current members of SCBWI who live in the UK or one of the current countries of the EU or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Genre: Opening of an already completed novel for children, aimed at any age from 5 years through to Young Adult. You may submit up to 4,000 words – choosing a suitable place to stop your extract. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 20, 2023.
Brannan Prize. Restrictions: Poet must not have published a full-length book at the time the prize is given, although chapbook publication is fine. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 28, 2023.
Kari Ann Flickinger Biennial Memorial Literary Prize. Genre: Poetry chapbook. Prize: $1500 plus publication with Rare Swan Press; four finalists will receive $250 along with a Literati Magazine Portfolio. Deadline: July 30, 2023. Biennial prize.
The Prescription Prizes in Creative Writing. Genre: Prose (including scripts), poetry and hybrid writing. "In 2023 the RCPSG is launching its new ‘the prescription’ competition for creative writing around its historic collection of medical items representing Glasgow’s health care history. You can access our online collections here and you should include the name of the item that inspired you and its catalogue number in your competition entry." Prize: £100 top prize. Deadline: July 31, 2023.
The 1729 Book Prize in Poetry. Genre: Book-length poetry. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: July 31, 2023.
Lune Spark Young Writers' Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to writers 10-13 years old, and 13-16 years old. (Two categories.) Genre: Short story. Prize: $500 for first place; $250, 2nd place; $100, 3rd place. Deadline: July 31, 2023.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Mirage. 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: July 31, 2023.
JULY 2022
Solarpunk. Genre: Micro fiction 250 words or less based on the monthly contest theme. (See theme) Prize: $25 and publication on the Solarpunk Magazine website. Deadline: July 21, 2022. (Opens July 15)
Gasher First Book Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to US residents. Genre: First book. Prize: $250. This scholarship is to provide financial assistance to a writer submitting their first book. Deadline: July 29, 2022.
Rachel Wetzsteon Chapbook Award. Genre: Poetry collection, around 30 pages. Prize: $1010.10 publication, and 25 copies. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Entry is free until July 31, after that there is a fee. Biennial award.
Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Book Award. Genre: Book that illuminates the heritage of North America's mid-continental prairies, whether of the tall-grass, mid-grass, or short-grass regions. Authors' first books receive extra consideration. Books may be in any genre, and topics may include but are not limited to social or natural history; prairie culture of the past or in-the-making; and interactions between society and ecology. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: July 31, 2022. On hiatus.
AUGUST 2025
Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between July 1, 2025, and September 30, 2025. 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: August 15, 2025.
Preservation Foundation Biographical Nonfiction Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Genre: Biographical Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: August 31, 2025.
AUGUST 2024
MoonLit Getaway Writing and Art Contest. Restrictions: Open to submissions from within North America. Genre: Flash fiction, poetry, art. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2024.
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists. Restrictions: 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: August 1, 2024.
PEN/Bare Life Review Grants. Restrictions: Open to immigrant and refugee writers in the US and abroad. Genre: Unpublished work-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2026. The project must be a work of a literary nature: fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 1, 2024.
Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each. Deadline: August 1, 2024.
Granum Foundation Prize helps U.S.-based writers complete substantive literary works—such as poetry books, essay or short story collections, novels, and memoirs—or to help launch these works. Additionally, a Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to support the completion of a work translated by a U.S.-based writer. Prize: One winner will receive $5,000; up to three finalists will be awarded $500 or more; $500 or more will be awarded to one writer working in translation. Deadline: August 1, 2024.
Oregon Literary Fellowships. Two fellowships (one $10,000 grant and one $3,500 grant) are reserved specifically for writers of color. There are also fellowships for women/gender-nonconforming writers as well as special fellowships for fiction writers who have lived in Oregon over the past 5 years. Deadline: August 2, 2024.
Unicorn Mech Suit. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy. Length: 500-1500 words. Prize: $400. Deadline: August 8, 2024.
Peter Blazey Fellowship. Restrictions: Applicants must either be an Australian citizen or have Australian residency. Genre: Non-fiction in the fields of autobiography, biography or life writing. Prize: $15,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre. Deadline: August 12, 2024.
Waterford Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Ireland. Genre: Poem. Prize: First prize is €400 plus attendance at a designated writing course. Deadline: August 12, 2024.
John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada. Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. Prize: $1000. Deadline: August 15, 2024.
Ligonier Valley Writers. Genre: Flash fiction on theme;1000 words max. Prize: The first prize winner will receive $50, second prize $25, and third prize $15. Deadline: August 15, 2024.
Lucky Jefferson Poetry and Prose Contest. Restriction: Open to anyone over the age of 10. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $100, publication, and a swag box. Deadline: August 18, 2024.
Pen and Quill. Restrictions: Only writers between ages 12 and 21 years can enter. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and other (which do not fit poetry or fiction, like nonfiction, experimental work, scripts). Theme: “Longing and Dreamscapes”. Prize: $200, $100, $50; $20 for a middle school standout. Deadline: August 18, 2024.
Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour. Restrictions: Open to British novelists of color with no previous published books and not currently signed by an agent. Genre: Novel. Prize: £500 and a meeting with a literary agent. Deadline: August 19, 2024.
Write the World: Flash Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-19.5. Genre: Flash fiction, 100 words max. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Deadline: August 26, 2024.
On the Premises. Genre: Short story. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which one or more characters with significant expertise in some area matter to the story. The expert(s) DO NOT have to be the story’s main character(s), though it’s fine if they are–the judges won’t care either way. We’re also open to the idea that your story’s character(s) with expertise might be either wrong, or frauds, or idiots. (Or they’re legitimate experts!) However, the idea of expertise, and at least one person who has it (or doesn’t?) has to matter to the story." Prize: Up to $250. Deadline: August 30, 2024.
RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be a resident of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or have been a resident in the UK or ROI for the past three years. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: Two awards – one of £10,000, one of £5,000 – are offered to support writers to complete their first commissioned works of non-fiction. Deadline: August 30, 2024.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of Summer Camp. Your story must be no longer than 101 words. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: August 30, 2024.
RSL V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize. Genre: Short story. Prize: £1,000. No-fee entries are available for the first 50 low-income UK writers. Deadline (for fee-free enries): August 30, 2024.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: August 31, 2024. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
Presence Short Story Award. Genre: Short story on theme: Ghosts. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Northwind Writing Award. Genre: Prose Poetry, Poetry, Short Fiction, and Non-fiction/Essay/Memoir. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry collection (in English), at least 48 pages long, published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year by an upstate New York author. Prize: $2000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students who are FULL TIME, undergraduate students in an AMERICAN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY during the Spring 2024 semester. Genre: Essay on topic: “In this current presidential election year, which some have described as the most important in history, what arguments can be made that the 1864 Lincoln-McClellan race was indeed the most crucial of American history.” Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Morioka International Haiku Contest. Genre: Haiku. Prize: Not specified. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Sundog Summer Collaboration Contest. Genre: "Sometimes teamwork is what makes the dreamwork, so this summer we want to see what you’ve created with another writer (or two or three — there’s actually no limit) for our annual Collaboration Contest. Submit your wildest, most inventive work of any or mixed genre. Just keep your hybrid masterpiece to 1,000 words or less." Prize: $300 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Kindle Storyteller Award (UK). Restrictions: The prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk. Genre: Book. Prize: £20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation or Multi-Lingual Texts. Restrictions: Translators and authors of multi-lingual texts. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
“Kusamakura” Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: (Grand Prize) to one winner : goods worthy of ￥20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Poetry Archive NOW! WordView. Genre: Poetry. "Make a video/film recording of yourself reading or reciting a single poem which you have written in 2024." Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Short story with an overall word-count of 1500 on theme: "Letters to My Love" Prize: £100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
21 Futures: Financial Fallout. Genre: Fiction (up to 3,000 words) "Which catastrophic failures will we see in the next 100 years? And how will it affect ordinary citizens of the world?" Prize: 1st place: $1,000 + feature interview; 2nd place: $500 + podcast appearance; 3rd place: $250 + social media shoutout; 4th place: $100 + signed book. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing. Genre: Scholarly essay. All work submitted must have been written or published within the last year. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poetry based on art. (See website) Prize: $100. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
Institute for Youth in Policy International Essay Writing Contest. Restrictions: Any student, in any country, who is enrolled in an accredited high school or college/university at the time of submitting their essay is eligible to participate. Genre: Essay. "You have been invited to speak at the United Nations Peace Conference. The following topics are recognized by the United Nations as pressing issues for current and future generations. Choose one of these issues below to speak on: Climate Change (UNFCCC); Globalization (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee). Technology (UNCTAD)" Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2024.
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: August 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
AUGUST 2023
Source Magazine. Genre: Book reviews, exhibition reviews or texts introducing sets of pictures. "But we are also interested in others forms of writing so if you want to submit something in a different form then please do. Our interest in photography is not only about the photographs that appear in books and exhibitions, it touches most aspects of life and we like to read about those encounters too." Length: 700 words max. Prize: £500. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
Bennett Nieberg Transpoetic Broadside Prize. Restrictions: Open to trans poets who have yet to publish their first full-length book. Genre: Poem. Prize: $1,000 USD, 25 limited edition letterpress broadsides of the winning poem, and a feature in the upcoming issue of Gasher Journal. Deadline: August 2, 2023.
Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genres: Poetry. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: August 5, 2023. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.)
Live Theatre's North East Playwriting Award. Restrictions: Open to playwrights who are either from or based in the North East of England, age 16 and older. Genre: Full-length play. Prize: £10,000 top prize. A second award will be exclusively for young people aged 16 to 25. This will be a commission fee of £7,000 (under 70 minutes) and a commitment to develop the play at Live Theatre. Deadline: August 7, 2023.
The Gotham “Manuscript-to-Market” Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to people of color who have completed a book manuscript (or nonfiction book proposal) and are ready to go to market with their book. Three fellowships will be offered every year. Prize: Admittance to the Gotham Writers Conference—the panels and presentations as well as a seat at a pitching roundtable with two agents in your genre. The Gotham course How to Get Published or Nonfiction Book Proposal. A one-on-one Agent Evaluation session and a Query Letter Coaching session, both with a literary agent. Deadline: August 15, 2023.
Nan Shepherd Prize. Restrictions: Open to unpublished, underrepresented nature writers in the UK or Ireland. Genre: Nature writing. Prize: £10,000 and publishing contract with Canongate. Deadline: August 25, 2023. Biennial prize.
Scifidea Science Fiction Writing Contest. Genre: Science fiction. 'The submitted works should be within the realm of science fiction, and must show a new worldview that conforms with scientific logic. It needs to conform to the concepts and characteristics of Dyson Sphere scientific theory, including the uses, size, structure of a Dyson sphere and other related basic settings, and reflect and expand them in the story." Length: 30,000-100,000 words. Only finished stories will be accepted. Prize: 10 winners will each receive US$20,000. "If your work is one of those winners, you agree to grant SciFidea a ten-year publishing license to that work, with the US$20,000 prize being an advance against royalties. The author will share 50% of the net income on print publishing rights (including foreign languages in foreign countries), and another 30% of the net income from developing your work into other media (film, television, animation, graphic novels/manga, and so on)." Deadline: August 31, 2023.
AUGUST 2022
Epigram Books Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be Singaporean, Singaporean permanent resident or Singapore-born. Genre: A full-length, original and unpublished novel written in the English language. Prize: $20,000. Deadline: August 1, 2022. Suspended for 2024.
Rebecca Swift Women's Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to women poets in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: August 12, 2022. Biennial prize.
Lee & Low Books New Voices Award is sponsored by Lee &Low Publishers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a children’s picture book published. Genre: Children's books - fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Prize: $1,000 and publication. Deadline: August 15, 2022. On hiatus.
Quarterly West. Genre: Poetry chapbook. Prize: $500. Deadline: August 15, 2022.
Writing Competition: The Story I Needed To Have Read. Genre: Short story - in any genre, fiction or fact - that helped or would have helped you at a pivotal moment in your life. Prize: One winner will receive up to $2000 worth of training and coaching with Exisle Academy, and publication on the website. Deadline: August 28, 2022.
The Canadian Women Artists’ Award. Restrictions: 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: August 30, 2022.
Kikwetu Flash Fiction Contest. Restrictions: Open to writers of African origin. Genre: Flash fiction. Prize: $150. Deadline: August 31, 2022.
Cast of Wonders Flash Fiction Prize. Genre: YA speculative flash fiction. Prize: ? Deadline: August 31, 2022.
Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize. Restrictions: Open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 34. Genre: Short story translation. This year the focus language is Indonesian and entrants will translate an excerpt from the novel Dua Muka Daun Pintu by Triskaidekaman. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: August 31, 2022.
SEPTEMBER 2024
2024 IHLR Long Story: Nonfiction and Fiction. Genre: Long fiction or CNF. Length: 20 to 40 pages. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 1, 2024. Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on September 1, 2024.
2024 Iron Horse Long Story: NaPoMo Contest. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 1, 2024. Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on September 1, 2024.
American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prizes. Genre: English translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose originally written in Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish by a Scandinavian author born after 1800. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: Sept 1, 2024.
Stories Out of School. Genre: Flash fiction. The story’s protagonist, or its narrator, must be a K-12 teacher. Stories must be between 6 and 749 words and previously unpublished. Prize: First-prize winners receive $1000; second-prize winners, $500. Deadline: September 1, 2024.
AILACT Essay Prize. Genre: Papers related to the teaching or theory of informal logic or critical thinking, and papers on argumentation theory. Prize: $700 top prize. Deadline: September 1, 2024.
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: September 6, 2024.
Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize. Genre: Article that furthers the understanding of the history of working people. Articles focused on historical events AND articles about current issues (work, housing, organizing, health, education) that include historical context are both welcome. The work must be published in print or online between August 31, 2022 and August 30, 2023. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 6, 2024.
Literature Matters. Restrictions: UK residents. Genre: "Awards will be given to individual writers or other literary creators, recognising their past achievements and providing them with financial support to undertake a proposed new piece of writing or literary project. Launched as part of the RSL’s new Literature Matters programme, priority will be given to proposals which (a) will help connect with audiences or topics outside the usual reach of literature, and/or (b) will help generate public discussion about why literature matters." Award: £20,000. Deadline: September 6, 2024.
KSP Short Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to Australian residents and citizens. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $100 first place prize for youth. Deadline: September 6, 2024. (Free entry for youth only)
Young Lions Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to US citizens 35 years of age or younger. Genre: Novel or a collection of short stories. Each year, five young fiction writers are selected as finalists by a reading committee of Young Lions members, writers, editors, and librarians. Submissions by publisher only. Authors may not submit their own work. Prize: $10,000.00. Deadline: September 6, 2024.
Mavis Batey Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to any student, worldwide, registered in a bona-fide university or institute of higher education, or who has recently graduated from such an institution. Genre: Nonfiction. Scholarly essay on gardening history. Prize: £250, free membership of the Gardens Trust for a year and consideration for publication. Deadline: September 8, 2024.
The Yale Drama Series. Genre: Full-length play, with a minimum of 65 pages. Prize: $10,000, publication of the manuscript by Yale University Press. Deadline: September 8, 2024.
DC Reid Poets’ Grant. Restrictions: Open to poets of "modest means." Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, living in Canada, who have published at least two books of poetry with a traditional publishing house. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $5000. Deadline: September 9, 2024.
Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to authors aged 18-35 as of December 31 of the deadline year. Books must have been first published in the UK and/or the Republic of Ireland, in the English language. Authors must be UK or Irish citizens, or residents for the three years preceding the award. Genre: Published or self-published book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: September 13, 2024.
Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not previously published any works of fiction for young readers. This includes self-published as well as commercially published work. Genre: Full-length work of fiction in English with universal appeal of Jewish content for readers aged 8-13 years, both Jewish and non-Jewish. It should reveal positive aspects of Jewish life. Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 13, 2024.
Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, fiction, nonfiction, poetry: adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: September 15, 2024. (For books published June 1-Aug.15, 2024.)
Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund. Restrictions: Australian citizens or residents. Applicants must be emerging, midcareer or established Australian writers and literary sector workers (not beginners) with a demonstrated publication and/or career history. Prize: $10,000 for travel expenses. Deadline: September 15, 2024.
Ambroggio Prize. Restrictions: Poet must be a U.S. Citizen; Resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States. Genre: Book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: September 15, 2024.
53-Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline: September 15, 2024.
Ambroggio Prize. Restrictions: Poet must be a U.S. Citizen; Resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States. Genre: Book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: September 15, 2024.
Fractured Lit Elsewhere Prize. Restrictions: Free entry for marginalized groups. Genre: Micro, flash, and sudden fiction stories from 100-1,500 words. "For this contest, we want writers to show us the forgotten, the hidden, the otherworldly. We want your stories to take us on journeys and adventures in the worlds only you can create; whether you make the familiar strange or the strange familiar, we know you will take us elsewhere." Prize: $3,000. Deadline: September 15, 2024.
Society of Classical Poets Haiku Competition. Genre: Haiku. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 15, 2024.
Canning Dock Flash Fiction Competition (UK). Genre: 500-word stories about the history of the Canning Graving Docks. Age categories: under 11, 11 - 17, 18+ Prize: National Museums Liverpool membership for a year, a book bundle from Writing on the Wall and a voucher to spend at NML shops and cafes. Deadline: September 22, 2024.
Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to residents of UK. Genre: Short stories between 2000-6000 words on the theme ‘The Unspoken’. Prize: £500 and 10 shortlisted authors will be published in an ebook anthology. Deadline: September 22, 2024.
Savage Science Fiction/Fantasy Writing Contest. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy 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: September 22, 2024. Opens September 20, 2024.
Palette Poetry Rising Poet Prize. Restrictions: Open to poets without a full-length collection published at the time of submission. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: September 22, 2024. No entry fee for BIPOC and historically marginalized poets.
4thWrite Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic writers aged 18+ living in the UK or Ireland. Genre: Short story, 6,000 words maximum. Prize: £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate and publication of their story on the Guardian website. Deadline: September 22, 2024.
The Michael Marks Environmental Poet of the Year will be given to a poet whose previously unpublished series of poems brings most powerfully, to a wide readership, the subject of the environment and the place of the human within it. Prize: The Environmental Poet of the Year will have their short portfolio of poems published in a pamphlet that will be sold by Wordsworth Grasmere and the British Library. They will also receive £1,000, and be invited to read at a winner’s event at Wordsworth Grasmere. Deadline: September 27, 2024.
Reedsy. Genre: Story on theme: Magical Objects. Prize: $250. Deadline: September 27, 2024.
Michael Marks Award for Poetry Pamphlets. Restrictions: Only pamphlets published in the United Kingdom are eligible. Genre: Poetry pamphlet. Prize: £5,000. Deadline: September 27, 2024.
Michael Marks Illustration Award will recognise outstanding illustration of a poetry pamphlet. The judge will consider illustration in any medium and will be looking for a subtle and sustained relationship between image and text, as well as the overall quality of the images. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: September 27, 2024.
Cullman Center Fellowships. Fellowship. The Cullman Center’s Selection Committee awards up to 15 fellowships a year to outstanding scholars and writers—academics, independent scholars, journalists, and creative writers. Foreign nationals conversant in English are welcome to apply. Award: A stipend of up to $70,000, an office, a computer, and full access to the Library's physical and electronic resources. Deadline: September 27, 2024.
50 Word Halloween Horror Story Contest. Genre: Horror: 50 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 29, 2024.
The Wingate Award for Unpublished Manuscripts (Jewish Subject). Restrictions: The author must be an Australian citizen, or ordinarily reside in Australia. Genre: Unpublished manuscript of fiction or non-fiction (for adults, children or young adults) on a Jewish subject completed at least to a full first draft stage. Prize: A monetary prize of $4,000, a mentorship with judge Lee Kofman, and will have their manuscript reviewed by Morry Schwartz, owner of Schwartz Publishing. Deadline: September 29, 2024.
After the End Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. “This poetry competition invites creative responses from poets that critically engage with ideas of time and temporality and the question of who gets to say that something has ended. Work from poets at every stage of their writing careers is welcome." Prize: First prize is £750, second and third place winners will be offered £125 each. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Rhonda Gail Williford Award for Poetry. Genre: Poetry that incorporates themes of justice, dignity, and resistance. Prize: First Prize: $150; Second Prize: $100; Third Prize: $50. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Don't Text and Drive Scholarship. Restrictions: You must be 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 texting while driving. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The 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 of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Iowa Short Fiction and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards. Restrictions: Any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. Genre: Short story collection. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. Prize: Publication by the University of Iowa Press, royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $150. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Sejong International Sijo Competition. Genre: Sijo poem. Prize: $500. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
The Willie Morris Awards for Southern Fiction and Nonfiction. Genre: Novels and nonfiction books published in 2022. Book has to be set in one of the original eleven states in the Confederacy. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.) Prize: $2,500.00. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry. Genre: Poem that evokes the South. Prize: $2,500 and expenses-paid trip to award ceremony in Oxford, Mississippi. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
SLF Working Class Writers Grant. Genre: Speculative fiction. "These grants are awarded annually, since 2013, to assist writers of speculative literature to working class, blue-collar, poor, and homeless writers who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction, due to the financial barriers which have made it much harder for them to have access to the writing world. Such lack of access might include an inability to attend conventions, to purchase a computer, to buy books, to attend college or high school, to have the time to write (if, for example, you must work two jobs simply to pay rent and feed a family, or if you must spend all your waking hours job-hunting for months on end). " Prize: $1000. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Last Stanza Poetry Journal. Genre: Poetry on theme: Oops! Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Art of Unity Creative Award. Genre: Poetry; essays and short stories (under 2500 words); video; music; dance; performance or visual work around the theme: “Never again: Remembering to heal and overcome.” "The most important hallmark of Holocaust remembrance and education is the phrase ‘never again.’ Unfortunately, tribal divisions, ethnic cleansing and genocides continue in the 21st Century. We are looking for submissions in any creative media (which can be exhibited online), and which highlight aspects of human unity, and positive cross-pollination between groups, ethnicities, religions and/or nations." Prize: First ($100), Second ($75) and Third ($50) place awards, as well as three honorable mentions, in four categories: Poetry, Short Story, Essay. and Youth (18 and under) category. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
Story Street Writers: Hundred Word Horror fiction contest. Genre: Horror. 100 words max. Prize: $100 and publication. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Closes when cap is reached.
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2024. This is a monthly contest.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: September 30, 2024. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
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: September 30, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
SEPTEMBER 2023
Owl Canyon Press – Short Story Hackathon 5. Genre: Short fiction (any genre) written by two writers. Prize: $500 - $2000. Deadline: September 1, 2023.
On The Premises Short Story Contest. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long based on the photograph below. For instance, specific details about the picture can inspire your story. A second approach is to have this photo represent a location where at least part of your story takes place. A third possibility is, one or more of your characters see a digital display, printout, painting, drawing, or other representation of the contents of this photo, and the image itself is somehow important to your story. Any of these approaches will work fine, as long as the judges can tell how the photo below relates to your story." Prize: Winners receive between US$75 and US$250, and publication. Deadline: September 1, 2023.
Shoreline of Infinity Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Science fiction story about a pet. 1000 words max. See theme. Prize: £50. Deadline: September 3, 2023.
Spectator Competition No. 3316: Take Five. Genre: "You are invited to recast Rishi Sunak’s five pledges in verse form. Please email entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk" Prize: £30. Deadline: September 6, 2023.
Texas Teen Book Festival Fresh Ink Fiction Contest. Restrictions: Open to Texas residents enrolled in grades 6 -12. Genre: Fiction, no more than 2,000 words in length. Prize: $150. Deadline: September 13, 2023.
Green Stories Short Story Writing Competition. Genre: Short story on Microbes to the Rescue. Prize: £500 prize (or local currency equivalent). Deadline: September 21, 2023.
Starry Eyed Press’ First Drabble Contest. Genre: Drabble. Theme: The theme of this contest will be science fiction featuring one or more of the following elements: time travel, robots, colonization, military or western elements. Length: Exactly 100 words. Prize: "Cool prizes." Deadline: September 21, 2023. (Or when full)
The César Egido Serrano Foundation: International Flash Fiction Competition. Genre: Flash fiction. Prize: 20,000 dollars is awarded for the best story in any of the languages authorized in the contest: Spanish, English, Arabic or Hebrew. Three prizes of $ 2,000 each will be awarded for the best stories in each of the other remaining languages admitted in the contest, that are not winners of the main prize. Deadline: September 30, 2023.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Instability. 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: September 30, 2023.
Shady Grove Literary. Genre: Any style, genre, tone of flash fiction. Length: 300 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2023.
SEPTEMBER 2022
Secret Life of Data: Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story. "We are looking for creative stories that bring to life the secret life of data – perhaps imagining this life as a journey, a quest, a romance, or a tragedy; thinking of a computer’s internal architecture as a house, a jungle, a zoo, or a city; and the data as characters facing danger in the form of various digital threats and vulnerabilities." Prize: 1st prize - £1000, 2nd prize - £500, 3rd prize - £250. Deadline: September 12, 2022.
Falconer 150 Essay Competition. Genre: Essay relating to Hugh Falconer’s life or the museum bearing his name. Prize: £150. Deadline: September 15, 2022.
Backchannels. Genre: Fiction. Length: Up to 3500 words. Prize: Unspecified. Deadline: September 30, 2022.
From The Horse’s Mouth. Genre: Short story. Prize: Total prize of £150, £100 for the Adult Winner and £50 for the Younger Entrant’s Winner. Deadline: September 30, 2022.
Solstice Shorts Competition: Hiatus. Genre: Flash or poem (max 500 words) on the theme of Hiatus. Prize: Royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2022. Note: Contest closes after 50 submissions. Submit early!
SEPTEMBER 2021
Lee Smith Novel Prize. Genre: Novel (no genre fiction). Prize: $1,000 and publication. Deadline: September 1, 2021. Biennial prize.
IWSG. Genre: Science Fiction. Theme: Dark Matter. Word count: 4500-6000. Prize: The winning stories will be edited and published by Dancing Lemur Press' imprint Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. Deadline: September 1, 2021.
Hektoen International Grand Prix Essay Competition. Genre: Original essay that relates medicine to the humanities. Topics might include art, history, literature, education, etc. as they relate to medicine.1,500 words max. Prize: $5,000 for the winner and $2,500 for the runner-up. Deadline: Sept 15, 2021.
Bergen International Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to everybody under the age of 30. Genre: Essay on theme of My Generation. Prize: The winner will receive EUR 2 500. Three runners up each receive EUR 500. Deadline: September 30, 2021.
OCTOBER 2025
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: October 1, 2025.
Storyhouse: Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. First prize winners of previous contests, while ineligible for prizes in regular contests, can compete in this one. Genre: Travel Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Deadline: October 30, 2025.
OCTOBER 2024
Brave New Weird Award. Genre: Weird Horror reprints. "Any previously published piece of short fiction under 7.499 words originally published in the English language within the previous calendar year. Stories published in other languages are welcome if there is an English translation available." Prize: $25. Deadline: Opens October 1, 2024.
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: October 1, 2025.
Stephen Fraser Encouragement Fund. “The Impact and Legacy Fund of SCBWI is thrilled to announce the establishment of a brand new grant program, the Stephen Fraser Encouragement Fund. Genre: Children's book. Prize: A $2,000 grant will be awarded to three children’s book authors, artists or translators who have traditionally published at least one book. Deadline: October 1, 2024.
Natan Notable Books Award. Genre: Recently published or soon to be published nonfiction book on Jewish themes. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: October 1, 2024.
The Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry, sponsored by the African Poetry Book Fund and in partnership with the literary journal, Prairie Schooner, is the only one of its kind in the world and was established to promote African poetry written in English or in translation and to recognize a significant book published each year by an African poet. A standard edition is 48 pages or more in length. Genre: Open to any book of original poetry, in English, published during 2015 in a standard edition by a full-length collection of poetry. Restrictions: African nationals, African residents, or poet of African parentage with roots from any country, living anywhere in the world. Prize: USD $5,000. Deadline: October 1, 2024.
Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: 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. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000. Deadline: October 1, 2024. (For books published between April 1, 2024 and September 30, 2024)
Changes Book Prize. Genre: First or second collection of poems. Prize: $10,000 and publication, Deadline: October 1, 2024.
The Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World. Genre: Any nonfiction book published for children or young adults, released between January 1 and December 31, 2024, is eligible. If both an author and illustrator are listed on the book cover, the prize will be split between them. Prize: $2500 plus $1000 to purchase copies of the winning book for distribution to schools and libraries. Deadline: October 1, 2024.
Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative. Genre: Short stories (fiction and creative nonfiction) touching on themes related to money and personal finance. Prize: The winner will receive a $1000 honorarium, and each finalist will also receive an honorarium of $150. Deadline: October 2, 2024.
American Antiquarian Society Fellowships for Creative Writers is calling for applications for visiting fellowships for historical research by creative and performing artists, writers, film makers, journalists, and other persons whose goals are to produce imaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history. Successful applicants are those whose work is for the general public rather than for academic or educational audiences. The Society's goal in sponsoring this program is to multiply and improve the ways in which an understanding of history is communicated to the American people. Prize: A stipend of $1,150 to $1,350 and on-campus housing is provided; fellows residing off-campus receive $1,850. Deadline: October 5, 2024.
The Furious Gazelle’s Halloween Writing Contest. Genre: Halloween-themed poetry, fiction, short plays and creative non-fiction. Prize: $50. Deadline: October 6, 2024. (Unfortunately, the website lists a deadline date without the year. So this could be last year's contest deadline.)
Neal Peirce Foundation Journalism Travel Grants. Genre: Journalism. "Grants are intended to support journalists in covering undertold stories about ways to make cities and their metro regions work better for all their people. Grants will cover travel expenses necessary for on-the-ground reporting. Full-time freelancers as well as journalists currently employed by a news organization are eligible to apply. The grants are for journalists to travel to cities within the U.S. to produce one or more stories for publication." Prize: Up to $1500. Deadline: October 7, 2024.
Quarterly West. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $500. Deadline: No fee days: October 7 -8, 2024. (After that point, submissions for BIPOC writers only will remain free.)
Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to fiction writers aged 21+ who have not yet published a book and have never been enrolled in an MFA program. Writer must not have a book under contract with an agent and/or publisher at time of application, and writer cannot have been published by One Story (or have a forthcoming publication with One Story). Genre: Short fiction that "speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference." Prize: Free tuition for all of One Story's online classes and programming, a travel stipend of $2,000 and tuition to attend week-long summer writers' conference in Brooklyn, and a full manuscript review/consultation of a story collection or novel in progress with an executive editor. Deadline: October 9, 2024.
Welter: 60 Years, 60 Words Contest. Genre: "Give us 60 of your most provocative, compelling, relevant words." Prize: $60. Deadline: October 11, 2024.
North Carolina State Fiction Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of North Carolina with no published fiction books. Genre: Short stories. Prize: $500 for fiction (up to 5,000 words) and $250 for shorter fiction (up to 1,200 words). Deadline: October 12, 2024.
Latino Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to Latino authors who are at least 18 years of age or older and residing anywhere in the United States. Genre: Children’s stories written by and about Latino people. Must be original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words). Prize: $1,000 cash prize. Deadline: October 14, 2024.
Waltham Forest Poetry Competition. Genre: Poem on theme: FRIENDSHIP. Prize: 1st £50, 2nd £30, 3rd £20. Deadline: October 14, 2024. No entry fee for writers aged 18 and under.
Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship. Restrictions: Poet must be born in the United States. Genre: Poetry. The sample must not exceed either (1) 40 typed pages or (2) one printed volume plus no more than 20 typed pages of your most recent work. There is no minimum page requirement. Prize: $60,500 for a year of travel and study abroad. Deadline: October 15, 2024.
Peripheries Poetry Prize. Genre: Poem. Prize: $500 - $700. Deadline: October 15, 2024.
Cave Canem Prize. Restrictions: Open to Black writers of African descent. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Winner receives $10,000, publication by Graywolf Press in Fall 2025, 15 copies of the book, and a feature reading with the judge presented by Cave Canem. Deadline: October 15, 2024.
Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Restrictions: Books must be first edition English-language books written by a Canadian or American citizen or permanent resident of either country. Works written by women or non-binary authors are eligible for submission. The Prize welcomes and encourages submissions by transgender woman authors. Genre: Published novel, short story collection or graphic novel. Prize: $150,000 Canadian dollars. Deadline: Entries for books published between August 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024, must be received on or before October 16, 2024.
The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognizes outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures. Awards are given for both fiction and nonfiction. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 16, 2024.
John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize. Genre: Published book of poems. Publishers may submit four copies of a debut full-length poetry collection (or bound galleys) published originally in the English language. Prize: €10,000 (approximately $11,400) Deadline: October 18, 2024.
Manchester Cathedral Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. “We are looking for poems that capture the spirit of a certain place, its texture and histories, that consider water pollution in local/global environments and the damage done to our rivers, or which focus in on the grandeur of an old oak tree, aware of its subterranean network of roots and mycelial webs speaking to other organisms in the forest.” Prize: First prize £200, with £50 for second place, and £25 for third place. There will also be 10 highly commended poems with no financial remuneration. Entrants can be of any or no faith. No previous experience of creative writing or poetry required. All are welcome." Deadline: October 23, 2024.
The Letter Review Prizes. Genre: Short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, unpublished books. Prize: $1000. Deadline: October 24, 2024.
Women's Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK between 1 October 2024 and 3 November 2024. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: October 25, 2024.
Writers' Hour. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words or less in any genre on theme. (See website for theme) Prize: $100. Deadline: October 25, 2024. Note: This is a weekly contest.
Zocalo Book Prize. Genre: US-published nonfiction book that best enhances our understanding of community and the forces that strengthen or undermine human connectedness and social cohesion. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 25, 2024.
The Marfield Prize, also known as the National Award for Arts Writing, is given annually by the Arts Club of Washington to nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience. Genre: Non-fiction book. Self-published books not accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 27, 2024.
T Paulo Urcanse Prize For Literary Excellence. Genre: Poetry and prose. " Whether you be a lonely writer looking for community and wanting to make your literary debut, or a similarly eggheaded and celebrated writer in the vein of the namesake of this prize, we welcome your submissions with open arms, without fees or prerequisites, without ever having known you or met you at a cocktail party where we discussed the terror of contemporary history and post-structuralist theory or the pitfalls of the first person perspective in a short story or weird childhood stories that involve stray cats and the throwing of tennis balls at moving vehicles from behind bushes at night in the summer on the Main Street of the provincial town where we were raised." Prize: $50 - $250. Deadline: October 28, 2024.
Queer Adventurers LGBTQIA Writing Contest. Restrictions; Open to any writer 18+ from anywhere in the world who identifies as LGBTQ+. Genre: 1,000 to 1,500 word personal essays on the theme of Border Crossings. Prize: $150. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Scottish Book Trust: Monthly Competition. Restrictions: Open to four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers 5-11 and young writers 12-18. Genre: Short story based on prompts. (See site for prompt) Prize: Various items. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: October 31, 2024. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
Toad Shade Zine. Genre: Fiction art. See theme. Prize: $50. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
US Naval Institute Essay Prize. Genre: Essay. Length: 3,000 words max. Great power competition will require the Sea Services to rethink how to address national, strategic, and operational challenges and the way they will have to fight. Essays may address any topic. Prize: First Prize: $6000; Second Prize: $3000; Third Prize: $2000. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Shady Grove Literary. Genre: Any style, genre, tone of flash fiction. Length: 300 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
The Solstice Prize. Restrictions: Open to 7-17 year olds. Genre: Short stories, blog posts, and poems. Nature writing. Prize: Publication and cash prizes for winners in three age groups: 7-11, 12-14, and 15-17. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginia Poets. Restrictions: Poets living in or born in Virginia, as well as those who have lived in Virginia for two or more years in the past, are eligible. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: October 31, 2024. (Closes after 500 submissions)
New York Historical Society Children's History Book Prize. Genre: Nonfiction history or historical fiction for middle-grade readers that was published in the US in the current calendar year. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Voice.club. Genre: Flash fiction, 350 words max. See theme. Prize: $25 Amazon gift card. Deadline: October 31, 2024. Note: You have to join in order to enter.
Tom-Gallon Trust Award. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland with at least one short story published or accepted for publication. Genre: Short story, maximum 5,000 words. May be unpublished. Prize: £2,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
The Eric Gregory Awards. Restrictions: Applicants must be under 30 and a British subject by birth and must ordinarily be resident in the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland. Genre: Poetry collection. Previously published work accepted. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Volcano Prize Restrictions: Open to a UK or Irish writer, or a writer currently resident in those countries. Genre: A novel focusing on the experience of travel away from home. Inspired by Malcolm Lowry’s novel, Under the Volcano and in celebration of its author, the prize aims to inspire literary excellence and encourage writers to travel and to write from the resulting experience. Publishers must enter the work. Prize: The winner will receive £2,000 and the runner-up £750. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
McKitterick Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors over age 40. Genre: First novel. The work must have been first published in the UK in the year in which the deadline falls (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
USNI General Prize Essay Contest. Genre: Essay may be on any topic. "We are living in an era of intense global competition. Renewed great power competition will require the Sea Services to rethink how to address national, strategic, and operational challenges and the way they will have to fight. Authors may address any topic." Prize: $6,000. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
ACDI Literary Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors with a disability and/or chronic illness. Authors must be a British national OR resident in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for three years prior to the date of submission for the award, and writing in English and submissions must have been published or self-published in the UK. Genre: Novel which includes a disabled or chronically ill character or characters. Prize: Winner will receive £1,000 and two runners-up £500 each. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to poets of color with US citizenship who have not previously published a book-length volume of poetry. Genre: Poetry chapbook. Prize: $500, publication by Northwestern University Press, fifteen copies of the book, and a featured reading at The Poetry Foundation.. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Writers & Artists Working-Class Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to unagented and uncontracted UK or Republic of Ireland residents age 18+ who self-identify as a writer from a working-class background. Genre: Unpublished work-in-progress. Prize: 200 pounds prize, mentoring sessions, networking event opportunities, a complimentary one-year membership to The Society of Authors, and various Bloomsbury books. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
The Young Walter Scott Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK authors aged 11-19. Genre: Historical fiction between 800 and 2000 words. Prizes: £500 travel and research grant to further explore historical places in the UK, and an invitation to the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, Scotland. Two runners-up in each category receive a £100 book token, and all four winning stories are published in a special YWSP anthology book. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
The Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest is sponsored by Hollins University. Restrictions: Open to young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $5,000 renewable annual Creative Talent Scholarship in creative writing if winner enrolls at Hollins. Free tuition and housing for the university’s Hollins summer creative writing program. $200 cash prize. Publication in Cargoes, Hollins’ award-winning student literary magazine. Ten copies of Cargoes. Deadline: October 31, 2024.
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: October 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.
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: October 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
Lex:lead Essay Competition. Restrictions: Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre: Essay: How can laws regulating climate change and the environment support economic development? Prize: $500 scholarship. Deadline: December 31, 2024. (Registration deadline October 31, 2024)
OCTOBER 2023
Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize. Restrictions: Anyone from a refugee or migrant background is eligible to submit an entry for the prize if they are resident in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland, whether they have previously been published or not. You do not need to have finished writing your book in order to enter. Genre: Narrative non-fiction centred around themes of displacement, identity and/or resistance. Prize: £15,000 award, which includes an advance of £5,000 and a publication agreement with Footnote Press. Deadline: October 1, 2023.
Mallorqueta Inaugural Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story. The narrative must have a connection to Mallorca, either in setting or relevance to Mallorcan culture. Submissions may be in English, Catalan or Spanish. If chosen, stories not in English will be published along with an English translation. Prize: EUR€300. Deadline: October 1, 2023.
Bad Day Joke Contest. Genre: Joke. "Jokes must be about bad days. They don’t have to say the actual words, bad days. But they should be about things that cause bad days, fix bad days, or were bad days. Jokes must not contain any of the Three C Words. No cussing, crass language, or crude references." Prize: $50 first prize. Deadline: October 2, 2023.
Mindfood. Restrictions: Open to Australian and New Zealand residents only. Genre: Short story 2000 words in length and previously unpublished. Prize: U$1000 for the Australian winner and one (1) prize money of NZ$1000 for the New Zealand winner. Deadline: October 13, 2023.
Jewish Renaissance’s Emerging Journalists Programme. Restrictions: Open to people aged 18+ (no upper age bracket) who are interested in journalism, but may have had zero experience so far. Or you may have written for student, local or community publications in print, online or broadcast, but have had fewer than two commissions for national and international outlets. Genre: Journalism. Prize: Masterclasses, expert panels, mentoring and publication opportunities, plus a writing competition with cash prizes. This online programme is free of charge. It is open to emerging journalists around the world, but all events will be scheduled in UK time (GMT). Deadline: October 16, 2023.
The Barbellion Prize. Genre: Fiction, memoir, biography, poetry, or critical non-fiction. “The Barbellion Prize is dedicated to the furtherance of ill and disabled voices in writing. The prize is awarded annually to an author whose work has best spoken of the experience of chronic illness and/or disability." Prize: £600. Deadline: October 31, 2023.
The Young Writers Initiative Manuscript / Chapbook Contest. Genre: Fiction in any genre, book length. Poetry. Prize: One winner in each category $225 each. Deadline: October 31, 2023.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Instability. 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: October 31, 2023.
OCTOBER 2022
Arthur Flowers Flash Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of Color and not have published or been contracted to write a full-length book at the time of submission. Writers with chapbooks are eligible. Genre: story of no more than 1,000 words. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: October 9, 2022.
Tales from the Moonlit Path. Genre: Short story on theme of Halloween based on movie quotes (See site); 2000 words max. Prize: $50. Deadline: October 13, 2022.
Fearless. Restrictions: Contest open to residents of Canada and the United States, aged 13+. Genre: Short fiction (see themes) Story Length: 500-1500 words. Prize: Youth (13-15) $500 USD; Teen (16-18) $750 USD; Adult(19+) $1000 USD. (There are also prizes for honorable mentions.) Deadline: October 31, 2022.
OCTOBER 2020
Expatriate and Work Abroad Travel Writing Contest. Genre: Essays about working abroad. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: October 15, 2020. Discontinued during the pandemic. May return.
NOVEMBER 2024
Otherwise Award. Genre: Work that is changing the way we think about gender through speculative narrative. (Works can be books, stories, music, video, fanfic, social-media posts, or any other form of speculative fiction.) Prize: $500. Deadline: Recommendations for this year’s award close in November, 2024.
Diann Blakely National Poetry Competition. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500 and 25 broadsides of their poem, which will also be archived on the University of Georgia English Department website. Deadline: Opens November 1, 2024.
The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: PEN America will only accept submissions from editors of eligible publications. Authors may not submit their own short story for this award. Genre: First published short story. Prize: $2000 and publication in The PEN America Best Debut Short Stories. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
On The Premises Mini-Contest. "For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which a large group of people all experience a specific feeling. The goal of the mini-contest is to evoke the same feeling in the reader." 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: November 1, 2024.
The Fresh Voices Fellowship supports one emerging Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, or other writer of color who does not have an MFA in creative writing nor an advanced English degree (MA, PhD), and is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program. Prize: $2000. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the British Commonwealth. Genre: Unpublished short fiction (2,000-5,000 words) in English. Short stories translated into English from other languages are also eligible. Prize: Regional winners receive £2,500 (US$3,835) and the overall winner will receive £5,000 (US$7,670). Deadline: November 1, 2024.
Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize. Restrictions: Open to US poets for previously unpublished poems of any length that "help make real for readers the gravity of the vulnerable state of our environment at present." Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $1,000. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
Quarterly West. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: November 1, 2024. No fee for writers of color.
ILA Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction English-language books for children in grades pre-K to 12 and published for the first time during the year preceding the deadline year. Must be the author's first or second book. Prize: $800. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
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: Any imprints that have more than six books to submit to the prize, may nominate the additional titles as call ins. All call-in nomination forms, justification letters, first chapters and full PDFs must be submitted by Friday, 1 November 2024. If no text is available at the time of call-in, it should be sent as soon as it is available.
William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: Writers must not have published a book, short story, or dramatic work in the mystery field, either in print, electronic, or audio form. Genre: Mystery stories of the Agatha Christie type—i.e., “traditional mysteries.” These works usually feature no excessive gore, gratuitous violence, or explicit sex. Prize: Each grant may be used to offset registration, travel, or other expenses related to attendance at a writers' conference or workshop within a year of the date of the award. In the case of nonfiction, the grant may be used to offset research expenses. Each grant currently includes a $1,500 award plus a comprehensive registration for the following year's convention and two nights' lodging at the convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention or meals. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
Evaristo Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: The Prize is open to poets who were born in Africa, or who are nationals of an African country, or whose parents are African. It is for ten poems exactly in order to encourage serious poets. These poems may, however, have already been published. Only poets who have not yet had a full-length poetry book published are eligible. Poets who have self-published poetry books or had chapbooks and pamphlets published are allowed to submit for this prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1500. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
Stowe Prize. Restrictions: US authors only. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction or body of work that "makes a tangible impact on a social justice issue critical to contemporary society." Prize: $10,000. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
PJ Library Sephardic Stories Initiative. Restrictions: Applicants must have no more than one published children’s book, should identify as Sephardic or Mizrahi, and should be able to articulate a potential children's book project (picture book or middle grade chapter book/graphic novel) they would like to work on. Fellows can be based anywhere globally, however they must be writing in English. Genre: Children's book. Prize: Fellowship. This year-long, all-expenses paid fellowship (January – December, 2025) will include monthly virtual workshops with Sephardic experts, established authors, and publishing professionals; individual mentorship; a special in-person writing retreat; and regular editorial feedback. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
Bennington Young Writers Awards. Restrictions: Open to students in the 9th-12th grades. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize: First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250. Deadline: November 1, 2024.
Disabled Poets Prize. Restrictions: Open to deaf and disabled poets aged 18+ currently living full-time in the UK. Genre: Poetry. Deaf and disabled poets will be able to submit to three categories – best single poem, best unpublished pamphlet, and best poem performed in British Sign Language. Prize: In each category, there will be a first place prize (£500), second prize (£250), third place prize (£100), and three highly commended entries, (£50). Deadline: November 4, 2024.
Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: 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. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000. Deadline: November 5, 2024. (For books published between April 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024)
Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. Restrictions: Open to Black poets. Genre: Chapbook-length poetry manuscript. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: November 6, 2024.
Dylan Thomas Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be aged 39 or under. Eligible books must have been commercially published for the first time in the English language between January 1 and December 31 of the year in which the deadline falls. Genre: Published books of poetry, fiction (novel, novella, or short story collection), radio scripts, or screenplays. Prize: 30,000 pounds, plus 1,000 pounds for shortlisted authors. Deadline: November 8, 2024.
Bronx Council on the Arts Community Engagement Grants. Restrictions: Open to residents of Bronx County. Genre: All art forms, including writing. Grant: $1000 - $5000. Deadline: November 8, 2024.
Universe of Threats – Essay Contest. Genre: Essay. "We invite you to submit your story and a one page ground truth document describing a threat scenario related to artificial intelligence. Judges will be looking for unique but plausible threat scenarios, as well as clearly defined and complex cascading impacts of the threat." Prize: $5000 first place; Second place – $2,500 (up to 2 winners); Third place – $1,000 (up to 5 winners). Deadline: November 9, 2024.
Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Student writers in the 11th grade. Prizes: First Prize – $1500, Second Prize – $750, Third Prize – $500. Deadline: November 10, 2024.
Defenestration Flash Suite Contest. Genre: Flash suite. "A series of at least three flash fiction works that correlate, and build to something greater. Recurring characters, extended motifs, harmonious subject matters, and/or sustained narrative are such correlations– but we encourage innovation and new ideas." Prize: $75. Deadline: November 10, 2024.
Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize is sponsored by the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival. Genre: Non-fiction essay between 4 to 10 pages, set in Brooklyn about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters. (Up to 2500 words). Prize: $500. Deadline: November 15, 2024.
Weird Little Guys. Genre: Weird short fiction. Prize: 1st place: $69, 2nd place: $21, 3rd place: $10, Runner-ups: $4.20. Deadline: November 15, 2024.
Gotham Book Prize. Genre: Book. "The Gotham Book Prize is awarded once a year to the best book (works of fiction and nonfiction are eligible) published that calendar year that either is about New York City or takes place in New York City." Prize: $50,000. Deadline: November 15, 2024.
Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of California. Genre: Book of poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Prize: Gold medal. Deadline: November 15, 2024.
Perugia Press Prize. Restrictions: Poets must be women with more than one previously published full-length book. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Book publication and $1,000. Deadline: November 15, 2024. No fee for poets who are Black, Indigenous, and women of color.
Washington State Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Washington State writers. Genre: Published book, fiction, nonfiction, poetry: adults or children. Prize: Recognition (?) Deadline: November 15, 2024. (For books published Aug. 16 - Oct. 15, 2024.)
Prism: Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up. Deadline: November 16, 2024. No entry fee for BIPOC and low income writers.
Happiful Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers based in the UK or Northern Ireland. Genre: Poems that explore the topic of mental health and wellbeing in unique, engaging, and empowering ways. Prize: £100. Deadline: November 18, 2024.
Arts & Letters Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Genres: poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, dramatic script, art, music, and French language. Entries must be unpublished and completed during the previous 12 months. Prizes: C$1,000 and C$250. Deadline: November 20, 2024.
Women's Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK between 1 December 2024 and 31 March 2025. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: November 22, 2024. Read submission details HERE.
Polar Expressions Publications Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Short Story. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 23, 2024.
Write the World: Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to Young Writers (13-19). Genre: Short story. Length: 400-1000 words. Prize: $100. Deadline: November 25, 2024.
Jewish Children’s Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Jewish children’s book authors and illustrators living in Europe and the UK. Genre: Jewish children's book. Submissions are accepted in English, French, German, Italian, Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish and Yiddish. Prize: £1,000 to the winners of the story and illustration categories. All entries will be considered for publication by Green Bean Books. Deadline: November 29, 2024.
Polar Expressions Publications Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
Apex Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Speculative fiction, 1000 words max. Prize: 8 cents/word or $10, which ever is greater. Deadline: November 30, 2024. Note: Apex Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest is open from the 7th until the final day of each month. The contest is themed.
Crossroads Contest. Genre: Short fiction on theme: Crossroads. Entry must consist of no more than 50 words. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
T Paulo Urcanse Prize For Literary Excellence. Genre: Poetry and prose. " Whether you be a lonely writer looking for community and wanting to make your literary debut, or a similarly eggheaded and celebrated writer in the vein of the namesake of this prize, we welcome your submissions with open arms, without fees or prerequisites, without ever having known you or met you at a cocktail party where we discussed the terror of contemporary history and post-structuralist theory or the pitfalls of the first person perspective in a short story or weird childhood stories that involve stray cats and the throwing of tennis balls at moving vehicles from behind bushes at night in the summer on the Main Street of the provincial town where we were raised." Prize: $50 - $250. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
Renee Duke Youth Award Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to poets 19 years old and younger. Prize: $100. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
The Gulliver Travel Grant. The Gulliver Travel Grant is awarded annually to assist writers of speculative literature in their non-academic research. These funds are used to cover airfare, lodging, and other travel expenses. Travel may be domestic or international. You may apply for travel to take place at any point in the following year. Grant: $1000. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
Servicescape. Genre: Short story or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
Betty Trask Prize. Restrictions: Author must be a Commonwealth citizen. Genre: First novels, published or unpublished, written by authors under the age of 35 in a "traditional or romantic, but not experimental, style." Prize: Awards totaling 20,000 pounds. Top prize 10,000 pounds. The prize money must be used for foreign travel. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
Somerset Maugham Awards. Restrictions: Open to UK writers under the age of 35. Genre: Published work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry. Prize: 2,500 pounds apiece to four winners. Prize money must be used for travel. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
The Queen’s Knickers Award. Genre: Children’s illustrated book for ages 0-7. "It will recognise books that strike a quirky, new note and grab the attention of a child, whether this be in the form of curiosity, amusement, horror or excitement." Prize: £5,000, as well as a golden Queen’s Knickers badge. The runner-up will receive £1,000 and a silver badge. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
UNT Rilke Prize. Restrictions: US citizens or residents. Open to authors with at least two prior published books of poetry. Genre: Book of poetry published between November 2022 and October 2023. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
AVBOB Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to any citizen of South Africa. Genre: Poetry. Prize: R10,000. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
Spark Award: Held by SCBWI. Restrictions: Open to members of SCBWI who have self-published. Genres: Fiction and nonfiction. Prize: Envy. The SCBWI is our most prestigious national organization (US) for children's book and YA writers. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
J. F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
2025 Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers who have never been the author of any published mystery novel. Genre: Mystery novel. Prize: $10,000 advance against royalties, Deadline: November 30, 2024.
The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged 18-25 years and living in the UK. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. (See website for quote.) Prize: First prize of £750, second prize of £500. Winning entries will be posted on the website and also published online by The Telegraph. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished prose writers (fiction) living and working in the UK with a collection of short stories or novel in development. Writers can be writing for any age group (including children and young adults) and may have had excerpts or articles published in the past, but have not yet published any major body of work. Genre: Fiction. Prize: “a tailor-made package worth up to £2,000 including tuition via open courses, retreat time and/or mentoring at Moniack Mhor. One highly commended applicant will also receive a course or retreat.” Deadline: November 30, 2024.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Scrap Paper. 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: November 30, 2024.
Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 16-18. Genre: Poem. Prize: Full scholarship to The Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop, an intensive two-week summer seminar for writers aged 16-18. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
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: November 30, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
NOVEMBER 2023
Leaders Igniting Generational Healing And Transformation(Light) Prizes. Genre: Poetry, art, letters, and stories that can be used to reimagine, transform, and process one’s experience with cancer. Prize: 1st: $500, 2nd: $375, 3rd: $125 will be given to the top three contestants of each category. Deadline: November 1, 2023.
TCU Texas Book Award. Genre: Book of fiction, nonfiction, art or photography about Texas, published in the past three years. Prize: $5000. Deadline: November 1, 2023. (Award is given every three years)
Painkiller Prize. Restrictions: UK-based playwrights. Genre: Playwrights will be invited to submit a pitch form for a new idea alongside a sample of their writing. Prize: A commission of £7,500 to write a new play. "We will then work with the selected playwright to develop their play ahead of a rehearsed reading at a theatre in central London. They will also have the opportunity to consult with a range of leading industry figures throughout the drafting process." Deadline: November 13, 2023.
Six Word Wonder. Genre: Stories, memoirs, poems, and jokes that are exactly 6 words. (You can enter up to 4) Prize: $100. Deadline: November 30, 2023.
USNI Information Warfare Essay Contest. Genre: Essay. "The Nation’s adversaries and competitors are proving to be formidable in the digital battlespace—using online platforms, social media, malicious code, disinformation, and cyberattacks to undermine elections, steal intellectual property, spy on governments, sow discord, and weaken alliances." Prize: $5,000. Deadline: November 30, 2023.
Hudson Review Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story up to 10,000 words. Prize: First prize is $500. Second and third prizes are $250. Winning stories will be published in The Hudson Review. All entries will be considered for publication. Payment at regular rates. Deadline: November 30, 2023. Biennial prize.
DECEMBER 2024
Charlotte and Wilbur Award For Compassion for Animals. Genre: Picture book, chapter book, middle-grade book (or graphic novel), or young adult book traditionally or self- published in 2024. Books in translation are welcome. The Charlotte and Wilbur Award for Compassion for Animals will award one winning book and one honor book for their dedication to promoting compassion and respect for animals in their readers. Prize: The winning book will receive a prize of $2,500 and the honor book will receive $1,000. If the winning or honor book is a picture book, the prize will be split between the author and illustrator. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
Weird Christmas Flash Contest. Genre: Weird flash fiction. 350 words max. Prize: $35 - $50. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
The Pushcart Prize honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in small presses and literary magazines. Magazine and small press editors may nominate up to six works. Pushcart Press publishes yearly anthologies of the winning submissions. Prize: Publication and enormous prestige. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
Poetry Center at Smith College Prize. Restrictions: Open to sophomore or junior high school girls in New England. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: Open to African poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
The Schneider Family Book Award is sponsored by the American Library Association. The award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Prize: Three annual awards each consisting of $5000 and a framed plaque, will be given annually in each of the following categories: birth through grade school (age 0-10), middle school (age 11-13) and teens (age 13-18). (Age groupings are approximations). Genre: May be fiction, biography, or other form of nonfiction. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
Ezra Jack Keats Children's Book Award. Genre: Published or self-published picture books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. Restrictions: Open to published writers who are writing from the region. Genres: All. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
The Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award. Genre: All works of fiction with significant Jewish thematic content written in English–novels, short story and flash fiction collections–by a single author published and available for purchase in the United States during 2022 are eligible for the award. Jewish thematic content means an extended grappling with Jewish themes throughout the book, including Judaism, Jewish history and culture, Jewish identity, etc. Prize: The award will include a $1,000 cash prize as well as support to attend the AJL conference to receive the award. Deadline: December 1, 2024.
Subnivean New Writers Award: CNY High School Writing Scholarship Competition. Restrictions: Open to high-school-aged writers in Oswego County, Onondaga County, Oneida County, Herkimer County, Madison County, Cayuga County and Cortland County. Genre: Short stories and poetry. Prize: $100 bookstore gift certificate, $1,000 scholarship to attend SUNY Oswego as a creative writing or English major. Deadline: Opens December 1, 2024.
One Teen Story. Restrictions: Open to writers age 13 -19. Genre: Short story between 2,000 to 4,500 words. Prize: $500 upon publication and 25 copies of the magazine. Deadline: December 2, 2024.
J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Genre: Nonfiction book. Applicants for the award must already have a contract with a U.S.-based publisher to write a nonfiction book. Award: $25,000. Deadline: December 5, 2024.
RSL Christopher Bland Prize. Restrictions: Writers must be a citizen of, or resident in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Books must have been published for the first time in the UK or RoI within the 2023 calendar year. Books must be entered by trade publishers or agents based in the UK or RoI; each publisher, imprint of a publisher, or agent may enter two books only. Genre: Debut novel or non-fiction book first published by a writer aged 50 or over. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: December 6, 2024.
Kim Wall Memorial Fund. Restrictions: Open to "journalists whose work embodies the spirit of Kim’s reporting. The grant will fund women or non-binary reporters covering subculture, broadly defined, and what Kim liked to call “the undercurrents of rebellion.” Kim wanted more women to be out in the world, brushing up against life, and the Kim Wall Memorial Fund honors this legacy.” Genre: Journalism. Prize: $5,000 grants. Deadline: December 8, 2024.
Jane Martin Poetry Prize (UK). Restrictions: Open to UK residents between 18 and 30 years of age. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First prize £1000, second prize, £500. Deadline: December 9, 2024.
Smokelong Fellowship for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: All writers previously unpublished in SmokeLong Quarterly and who do not have a published chapbook or book-length work in any genre (or are not under contract for such) are eligible to apply. Genre: Flash fiction (1000 words max). Prize: $500. Deadline: December 12, 2024. For writers who cannot afford an application fee, there is a free submission option in Submittable.).
THE GEORGE ELIOT FELLOWSHIP ESSAY PRIZE. Genre: Paper on George Eliot's life or work. Prize: £500. Deadline: December 12, 2024.
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: December 13, 2024 for works published between December 31, 2024 and April 30, 2025.
Friends of American Writers. Restrictions: The author must be a resident (or previously have been a resident for approximately five years) of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin; or the locale of the book must be in a region identified above. The author must not have published more than three books under his/her own pen name. Genres: Books can be fiction or creative non-fiction and published in 2024. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize: $500 - $2000. Deadline: December 14, 2024.
The King's English Poetry Competition. Genre: Poem. See theme. Prize: £100. Deadline: December 15, 2024.
Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel Competition. Restrictions: The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any published novel (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Genre: Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 15, 2024.
The sine qua non prizes for prose and poetry. Genre: Prose and poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 15, 2024. Closes when cap is reached.
Eggtooth Editions Chapbook Contest. Restrictions: Open to writers who have not previously published a full-length book. Genre: Chapbook in any genre. Prize: $250 and 20 copies of the chapbook. Deadline: December 15, 2024. Closes when cap is reached.
Massachusetts Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Massachusetts residents. Genre: (1) fiction, (2) nonfiction, (3) poetry, (4) children’s picture books/early readers, (5) middle-grade/young adult literature, (6) translated literature, and (7) graphic novel/memoir published in 2024. Additionally, the Notable Contribution to Publishing award recognizes the exceptional output of the Massachusetts publishing community. Prize: Prestige. Deadline: December 15, 2024.
Fabuly Writer's Challenge. Genre: 2,000-word (max) story on the theme of "An Unexpected Encounter." Prize: $500. Deadline: December 15, 2024. Note: submissions are capped at 200.
Lit Fox Award. Genre: Full-length poetry collection. Prize: $1500 and publication. Deadline: December 15, 2024.
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: December 16, 2024.
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: December 17, 2024.
The Andromeda Award. Restrictions: Open to to anyone based in the UK or USA. Genre: Full-length science fiction or fantasy manuscript. Prize: First Prize - $5,000. Deadline: December 18, 2024.
Love Letters to London Writing Competition. Genre: Poetry and "open." The theme this year is “Dreams for London”What are your passions, hopes and dreams for this incredible city? Just let your imagination run wild. It can be reportage, an historical essay, a ‘think piece’, a spot of futurology, a work of fiction, a poem." Prize: £150 - £500. Deadline: December 20, 2024. Open to all ages. Some reprints accepted.
Porter House Review 2024-2025 Editor’s Prize. Genre: Poetry (submit up to 5 poems), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), and Fiction (up to 8,000 words). Prize: $750. Deadline: No submission fee December 22nd through December 28th 2024.
VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Genre: First novel published in 2024. No self-published books. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 30, 2024.
Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. Restrictions: Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States. Genre: Essay Topic: What challenges awaken your conscience? Is it the conflicts in American society? An international crisis? Maybe a difficult choice you face or a hard decision you had to make? Engage us. Enlighten us. Explore the ethics of any problem, question, or issue, whether close to home or in the world at large. We are eager to learn from you. Prize: First Prize $10,000, 2nd Prize $5,000, 3rd Prize $3,000, two Honorable Mentions $1,000 each. Deadline: December 30, 2024.
Griffin Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. To be eligible for the prize, a book of poetry must be a published first-edition collection (i.e. not previously published in any country), written in English, or translated into English, by a poet/translator from any part of the world, including Canada. Entries must come from publishers only. Inquiries about entries must also come from publishers only. Prize: The winner will receive C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets will each receive C$10,000. Deadline: December 20, 2024, for books published between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The 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 of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Pages in Progress 2025: An AAWW Fiction Contest. Genre: Novel in progress by Asian American writers. Prize: One-month residency with Writing Downtown in Las Vegas, Nevada; One-hour virtual consultation with Third State Books, a new publishing house amplifying stories from Asian America; One-hour virtual consultation with an AAPI literary agent; One complimentary seat to an AAWW workshop; One full-day pass to the AAWW’s 2025 Publishing Conference. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award. Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Chapter House Indigenous Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Indigenous writers. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
PEN Prison Writing Contest. Restrictions: Anyone incarcerated in a federal, state, or county prison is eligible to enter. Genres: Poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction. Prize: $25 - $250. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition. Genre: Fiction. Short story of interest to Jewish women. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Restrictions: Emerging African American writers. Genres: Short story collection or novel published in the current year. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize: $500 and publication in Meridians Journal: feminism, race, transnationalism. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Laureate Prize. Genre: Full-length poetry book. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: December 31, 2024. No entry fee for BIPOC writers.
William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in M.D. and D.O. programs in the US, Puerto Rico, or Canada, and a physician category, open to any rank of physician (M.D. or D.O.) at any career stage, from residency to retirement, in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Canada. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Hooks Institute National Book Award. Genre: Nonfiction book that best furthers understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement and its legacy. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
The Four Quartets Prize. Genre: Unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were brought together and they form a complete sequence. Prize: Three finalists will receive $1,000 each. The winner will receive an additional $20,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
The W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. Genre: Military fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Voice.club. Genre: Flash fiction, 350 words max. Prize: $25 Amazon gift card. Deadline: December 31, 2024. Note: You have to join in order to enter. See themes.
The Caribbean Writer Prizes. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays or one act plays which explore the ideas resonating within the region and its diaspora, written by a US or UK Virgin Islands resident accepted for publication by The Caribbean Writer during the deadline year. See theme. Prize: $300 - $600. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
The Lyric College Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of "Hunting With the Wolves." A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: December 31, 2024.
The Writers College: My Writing Journey Competition. Genre: Essay on the theme: The best writing tip I’ve ever received. 600 words. Prize: $200 (R2 000 or £100). Deadline: December 31, 2024.
Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. Sponsored by Rattle. Genre: Poetry. All published submissions during the year are considered for the prize. Follow their regular submission guidelines. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024. Read more about the award HERE.
Maureen Seaton Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to persons who reside, either full or part-time, in South Florida. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2024. Closes after cap is reached.
Lex:lead Essay Competition. Restrictions: Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre: Essay: How can laws regulating climate change and the environment support economic development?Prize: $500 scholarship. Deadline: December 31, 2024. (Registration deadline October 31)
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme. 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: December 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.
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: December 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
DECEMBER 2023
Scriptlab. Genre: TV script or short screenplay. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: December 1, 2023.
Tony Quagliano Poetry Fund, International Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to poets who have a published body of work over a period of years. Poems must be in English. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 1, 2023. (Biennial award)
Watchword Prize. Genre: Poetry. Theme: Surveillance ("any aspect of the phenomenon of watching and being watched, in both the intimate and public spheres of our lives"). Prize: $2,000 prize, online publication, and a public reading. Deadline: December 1, 2023.
The Arts South Australia Wakefield Press Unpublished Manuscript Award. Restrictions: The competition is open to South Australian writers. Genre: Book-length manuscripts of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Prize: $10,000 and publication by Wakefield Press. Deadline: December 15, 2023.
The Helen Anne Bell Poetry Bequest Award. Restrictions: Open to Australian women. Genre: Collection of poems by an Australian woman poet. Prize: $40,000. Deadline: December 18, 2023. Biennial award.
ReadWrite Strategies. Genre: Funny anecdotes about the workplace. Prize: 1st place will receive $500 and a print copy, 2nd place will receive $200 and a print copy; and 3rd, 4th, and 5th place will each receive $100 and a print copy. Deadline: December 18, 2023.
Rider University Annual High School Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to high school students. Genres: Essays, poetry, fiction. Prizes: 1st-$100, 2nd-$50, 3rd-$25. Deadline: December 20, 2023.
Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas. Restrictions: Open to Jewish students enrolled at 2- or 4-year colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Genre: Essay. "We are currently accepting submissions of 1500-2000 word essays written by Jewish college students that describe an aspect of Jewish life on your campus and then explore what it means to you and what it might mean for other Jews. We are looking for a variety of perspectives, and we want to hear from you, no matter what your Jewish background is, where you go to school, or what you’re studying!" Prize: Up to four writers will receive $500 and publication in Sources. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
Litup: Reese’s Book Club Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to "unagented and unpublished women and nonbinary writers who are also diverse." Prize: LitUp will provide five emerging writers with an all-expenses-paid retreat, a three-month mentorship with a published author, and marketing support from Reese’s Book Club. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
Glencairn Glass Crime Short Story Competition. Genre: Crime short story set in Scotland. Prize: First prize – £1000, Runner Up – £500. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
The AIIRA Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to all high school students. Genre: This season, we're asking you to think about a career you'd like to have in the future. How will AI affect your role in that job within the next decade? How will AI benefit your career, and what responsibilities will become redundant due to AI? You can submit an essay exploring this topic and write a fictional scene depicting how your intended career may look ten years from now. Prize: First Place: $500 USD; Second Place: $400 USD; Third Place: $250 USD. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
Iridescence Award. Restrictions: Open to literary or visual artists of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color Community. Genre: Fantasy, folk mythology, science fiction, and the paranormal. Short fiction, poetry. Prize: Up to $500. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
Wales Young Poets Award 2023. Restrictions: Open to young poets aged 10 - 17. Genre: Poetry in English and Welsh. Prize: £15 - £50 worth of National Book Tokens, writing goodie bag and publication. Deadline: December 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: December 31, 2023.
Tartts Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to Americans. Genre: Short story collection. Prize: Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous library binding and trade paper editions. Winning entry will receive $1000, plus their standard royalty contract, which includes 60 copies of the book. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
Black Caucus of the American Library Association. BCALA presents four awards to an African American writer published in the United States during the previous year: one for adult fiction, one for nonfiction, one for a first novelist and one for poetry. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. Prize: Four $500.00 awards. Deadline: December 31, 2023.
DECEMBER 2022
Flo Gault Student Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Full-time undergraduate college students in Kentucky. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 9, 2022.
Dear Erica,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for listing Verbolatry Laugh-a-Riot Contest here! Much appreciated.
Best wishes,
Devyani
http://devyaniborade.blogspot.com
@v3rbolatry
The Eastern Iowa Review is sponsoring a Longform Lyric Essay Contest. No reading fee. 2000 - 10,000 words. $250 grand prize and three copies of the issue. One honorable mention may also be chosen, and the author will receive three copies of the issue along with a $50 honorarium. In the off-chance that none of the submissions fit our unique aesthetic, we'll roll over the prize money to next year's award. Enter as many times as you wish, but only submit new material once you've heard back from us. NOTE: Longforms may be a compilation, but we do want new material included, and be sure to mention where previously published excerpts first appeared. http://www.portyonderpress.com/2017-guidelines.html
ReplyDeleteHello there,
ReplyDeleteI am with Striking 13, we are a new book review site that is now hosting a quarterly, free to enter, writing contest.
We would love it if you could add us to your comprehensive list.
http://www.striking13.com/free-writing-contest/
Thank you
Sure, how to enter & what are guidelines?
DeleteClick on the links.
DeleteHi Erica,
ReplyDeleteI'm hosting a monthly contest Getting "Sexy With Food" and was wondering if I could get the information on your site. $50 prize. 500 word count. Creatively Naughty. www.sexywithfood.com
Thanks!
I've included it!
ReplyDeleteHere's another one to please include:
ReplyDeleteAt Radiating You, we know the power of getting people to be real and share their truths. We recently sat down and started writing letters…to ourselves.
A letter filled with truth. A letter filled with forgiveness, reflection, motivation, and love.
Maybe the most important letter you can write is to yourself.
Radiating You is launching our first contest to help encourage you to take the step of actually writing your letter. Top entries will be published on our blog and in a compilation book in 2018. The top three entries will also receive cash prizes: 1st place $100, 2nd place $75, 3rd place $50.
Tune out the noise of the world for a few minutes and write the letter that could really inspire others, but more importantly, inspire yourself.
Make it as short or as long as you feel it needs to be. Just most importantly, write it.
The contest is open through April 7, 2017.
Submissions accepted at http://radiatingyou.com/dear-me-letter-writing-contest/
Hi Kathy, I've included your contest!
ReplyDeleteHi Erica,
ReplyDeleteI just wondered if this competition may be a good addition to the list?
https://www.inkitt.com/novelcontest
Thanks for such a great resource!
Hi Joel, Inkitt isn't really a contest, it's a publisher. So, I can't include it on this list. Sorry.
DeleteHi Erica, please consider adding the Best New Fairy Tale Competition to your list. The competition is being held by Fairytalez.com, the internet's biggest library of fairy tales, fables and folklore. We have over 2,300 stories and now we're taking our love of stories to a new level by adding a self-publishing feature where you can share your stories, favorite other writers' stories and more.
ReplyDeleteWe’re celebrating the launch our self-publishing platform with our first competition, Best New Fairy Tale. The competition runs from the 13th of June till the 15th of August, and writers from all over are invited to submit their original stories to Fairytalez.com’s library of new stories.
Find more information at the following link: http://fairytalez.com/competitions/best-new-fairy-tale-2017/
Thank you!