Poets & Writers Blogs

Breakout! Writers Prize Open for Submissions

The deadline is approaching for the fourth annual Breakout! Writers Prize, sponsored by Epiphany Magazine and the Authors Guild. Four prizes of $1,000 each, publication in the Fall/Winter 2021 issue of Epiphany, a membership with the Authors Guild, and a year-long mentorship with Rachel Lyon, Epiphany’s editor in chief, are awarded to undergraduate or graduate writers. Two prizes will be given to poets and two to prose writers. Shane McCrae, Nadia Owusu, and Rachel Lyon will judge.

Using only the online submission system, submit one short story, a novel excerpt, or a work of creative nonfiction up to 5,000 words, or five poems of any length, along with a statement of interest and a $10 entry fee, which includes a digital subscription to Epiphany, by November 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Deriving their name from the “Joycean idea that an epiphany is the moment when ‘the soul of the commonest object…seems to us radiant,’” Epiphany is a semiannual literary journal and independent non-profit based in New York. The Breakout! Writers Prize is meant to celebrate the future of art by honoring and bringing visibility to college and graduate student writers. Students do not have to be enrolled in a creative writing program to apply.

 

Upcoming Contest Deadlines

Embrace sweater weather by curling up indoors and preparing to submit to one of the following writing contests, which all close on October 31. Opportunities abound for writers in all disciplines, but especially poets. Among the poetry awards are two chapbook prizes and a prize for a female translator who has translated a collection by a female poet. All contests offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more.

American Poetry Review Honickman First Book Prize: A prize of $3,000 and publication by American Poetry Review is given annually for a first poetry collection. The winning book will be distributed by Copper Canyon Press through Consortium. Jericho Brown will judge. Entry fee: $25.

Cloudbank Books Vern Rutsala Book Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Cloudbank Books is given annually for a collection of poetry, flash fiction, or a combination of the two. Doug Ramspeck will judge. Entry fee: $25.

Conduit Books & Ephemera Minds on Fire Open Book Prize: A prize of $1,500, publication by Conduit Books & Ephemera, and 30 author copies is given annually for a book of poetry. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $25.

Elixir Press Poetry Award: A prize of $2,000 and publication by Elixir Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Esther Lee will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $30.

Finishing Line Press Open Chapbook Competition: A prize of $1,500 and publication by Finishing Line Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $15.

Hidden River Arts Tamaqua Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press is given annually for an essay collection. Entry fee: $20.

PEN/Faulkner Foundation Award for Fiction: A prize of $15,000 is given annually for a book of fiction published during the current year. Four finalists will each receive $5,000. The winner and finalists will also be invited to read in Washington, D.C., in May 2022. Entry fee: none.

Persea Books Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Persea Books is given annually for a first poetry collection by a writer who identifies as a woman and who is currently living in the United States. The winner also receives an optional six-week, all-expenses paid residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy. Entry fee: $30.

Poetry Society of the United Kingdom National Poetry Competition: A prize of £5,000 (approximately $7,075) and publication on the Poetry Society of the United Kingdom website is given annually for a single poem. A second-place prize of £2,000 (approximately $2,830) and a third-place prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,415) are also given. The winners will also be published in Poetry Review. Poems written in English by poets from any country are eligible. Fiona Benson, David Constantine, and Rachel Long will judge. Entry fee: £7 (approximately $10).

Red Hen Press Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award: A prize of $3,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Major Jackson will judge. Entry fee: $25.

River Teeth Book Contest: A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of New Mexico Press is given annually for a book of creative nonfiction. Rigoberto González will judge. Entry fee: $27 (includes subscription).

Saturnalia Books Malinda A. Markham Translation Prize: A prize of $2,000 and publication by Saturnalia Books will be given annually for a translation of a poetry collection. Translators who identify as female (including those who are assigned-female-at-birth [AFAB] nonbinary, genderfluid, agender, and intersex) and who are translating the work of a woman poet (including those who are AFAB nonbinary, genderfluid, agender, and intersex) are eligible. Entry fee: $25.

Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards: Three prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The winners will also receive scholarships to attend a workshop on the University of Arizona campus in March 2022. Entry fee: $20.

Tupelo Press Sunken Garden Chapbook Poetry Prize: A prize of $1,000, publication by Tupelo Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Entry fee: $25.

University of North Texas Press Vassar Miller Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of North Texas Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Entry fee: $25.

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Omnidawn Fabulist Fiction Chapbook/Novelette Contest Accepting Submissions

Submissions are open for the annual Fabulist Fiction Chapbook /Novelette Contest sponsored by Omnidawn Publishing. The contest honors short works of fiction with fabulist elements. The winner will receive publication by the celebrated indie press, as well as a cash prize of $1,000 and 100 author copies. Theodora Ziolkowski, the author of On the Rocks (Texas A&M University Press, 2018), will judge.

Submit a manuscript of one or more stories or a novelette totaling 7,500 to 17,500 words with an $18 entry fee ($20 to receive a fiction title from the Omnidawn catalogue) by October 18. Visit the website for complete guidelines. The winning chapbook will be published in April 2022.

Omnidawn is an independent, non-profit publisher based in Redmond, California. Its titles have been recipients of or finalists for the Believer Book Award, the Lambda Literary Awards, and the National Book Awards. Previous winners of the Fabulist Fiction Chapbook/Novelette Contest include Kristin Keane, Jennifer Pullen, and David Rothman.

Upcoming Contest Deadlines

Book prizes abound this month! If you are at work on a full-length manuscript, consider submitting to one of the following contests, which all close on September 30. One contest is exclusively open to women poets over 40 who have not yet published a book in any genre. There is also one essay contest and a prize for an individual poem.

Boulevard Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for an essay by a writer who has not published a full-length book in any genre with a nationally distributed press. The editors will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $16 (includes subscription).

California State University in Fresno Philip Levine Prize for Poetry: A prize of $2,000 and publication by Anhinga Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Carmen Giménez Smith will judge. Entry fee: $22 ($25 for electronic submissions).

Carlow University Patricia Dobler Poetry Award: A prize valued at $2,000 is given annually to a woman poet over 40 who has not published a book in any genre. The winner receives $1,000, publication in Voices From the Attic, and travel and lodging to give a reading with the contest judge at Carlow University. Lee Ann Roripaugh will judge. Entry fee: $20.

Dzanc Books Prizes: Three cash prizes and publication are given for a novel ($5,000), a story collection ($2,500), and a nonfiction book ($1,500). Nina Shope, David Tromblay, and Anne Valente will judge for the novel prize. Entry fee: $25.

Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award: A prize of $1,500, publication on the Ghost Story website and in the Ghost Story print anthology, 21st Century Ghost Stories, is given twice yearly for a short story with a supernatural or magic realism theme. Lesley Bannatyne will judge. Entry fee: $20.

Red Hen Press Fiction Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given biennially for a short story collection or a novel. Aimee Liu will judge. Entry fee: $25.

University of Arkansas Press Miller Williams Poetry Prize: A prize of $5,000 and publication by University of Arkansas Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Patricia Smith will judge. Entry fee: $28.

University of Iowa Press Short Fiction Awards: Two awards of publication by University of Iowa Press are given annually for first collections of short fiction. Entry fee: None.

University of Massachusetts Press Juniper Prizes: Five prizes of $1,000 each and publication by University of Massachusetts Press are given annually for a first poetry collection, a poetry collection by an author who has previously published a book, a short story collection, a novel, and a book of creative nonfiction. The creative writing faculty at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst will judge. Entry fee: $30.

Winning Writers Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest: Two prizes of $3,000 each and publication on the Winning Writers website are given annually for a poem in any style and a poem that either rhymes or is written in a traditional style. Soma Mei Sheng Frazier and Vernon Keeve III will judge. Entry fee: $15.

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Deadline Approaches for the Juniper Prizes

Submissions are open for this year’s Juniper Prizes. Five prizes are awarded annually for a debut poetry collection, a poetry collection by an author who has published previously, a short story collection, a novel, and a book of creative nonfiction. Each prize offers a cash award of $1,000 and publication by the University of Massachusetts Press.  

Using only the online submission system, submit a poetry manuscript of 50 to 70 pages, a story collection or novel of 150 to 350 pages, or a memoir, biography, essay collection, or book of narrative nonfiction of 150 to 300 pages with a $30 entry fee by September 30. The creative writing faculty at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst will judge. The winners will be announced in April of next year. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Inspired by Fort Juniper, the name of the house that poet Robert Francis built by hand in the woods of Amherst, and in honor of Francis’s written work, the Juniper Prize for Poetry began in 1975. In 2004 the Jupiter Prize for Fiction was added to the award lineup, and in 2018 the prize for creative nonfiction was included. Previous winners of the Juniper Prizes include poets Lucille Clifton, Richard Jackson, and Susan Leslie Moore; fiction writers Wayne Karlin and Lynn Lurie; and nonfiction writer Jennifer De Leon. The 2022 winners will be published in the spring of 2023.

 

Upcoming Contest Deadlines


Seize the back-to-school spirit—whether or not you have returned to a classroom this fall—and apply to literary grants and awards. Three of the opportunities below require no entry fee. All offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more and close on September 15 or September 17.

Cave Canem Foundation Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Jai-Alai Books is given annually for a poetry chapbook by a Black poet. The winner will also give a reading at the O, Miami Poetry Festival in April 2022. Lillian-Yvonne Bertram will judge. Deadline: September 15. Entry fee: None.

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Writing Fellowships: Fellowships of approximately $50,000 each are awarded annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers on the basis of exceptional creative ability. Citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada with a significant and appropriate record of publication are eligible. Deadline: September 17. Entry fee: None.

Literary Arts Oregon Literary Fellowships: Fellowships of $3,500 each are given annually to Oregon writers to initiate, develop, or complete literary projects in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. A Writer of Color Fellowship of $3,500 is also given. Deadline: September 17. Entry fee: None.

The Moth Nature Writing Prize: A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,191) and publication in the Moth will be given annually for a poem, story, or essay that features “an exploration of the writer’s relationship with the natural world.” The winner also receives a weeklong stay at the Circle of Misse artist’s retreat in Misse, France. Helen Macdonald will judge. Deadline: September 15. Entry fee: €15 (approximately $18).

University of Wisconsin Press Brittingham and Felix and Pollak Prizes: Two prizes of $1,500 each and publication by University of Wisconsin Press are given annually for poetry collections. Additional finalists will be published in the press’s Wisconsin Poetry series. Carmen Giménez Smith will judge. Deadline: September 15. Entry fee: $28.

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

The X. J. Kennedy Prize Open for Submissions

Submissions are open for this year’s X. J. Kennedy Prize. Given for a full-length poetry collection, the prize includes publication with Texas Review Press, a $10,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and twenty author copies. Poets at any stage of their career are eligible to submit and the prize is not limited to a particular style or form of poetry.

Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 50 to 100 pages with a $28 entry fee by September 30. Kazim Ali will judge. The winner will be revealed in December. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

The X. J. Kennedy prize was first awarded in 1998 and the most recent winner was Brooke Sahni for her debut collection, Before I Had the Word. The prize’s namesake, X. J. Kennedy, has been widely celebrated for his poetry and books for young readers. Kennedy earned the Jackson Poetry Prize from Poets & Writers in 2015 and the Frost Medal from the Poetry Society of America in 2009. In his citation for the Jackson Prize, the judges praised Kennedy for delivering “wit, savagery, and compassion” in his work. In admiration of his characteristic brevity, they added, “The size of his poems is small but their scope is vast.”

Off the Grid Poetry Prize Accepting Submissions

The deadline is approaching for the eleventh annual Off the Grid Poetry Prize. Given for a poetry collection by a writer over the age of 60, the award includes $1,000 and publication by Off the Grid Press, an imprint of Grid Books. The prize aims to reward writers “ripened in craft and vision.”

Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 50 pages with a $25 entry fee by August 31. Jimmy Santiago Baca will judge. The winner will be announced by the end of the year. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Poets Tam Lin Neville and Bert Stern founded Off the Grid Press in 2003 with the goal to “provide a forum for older poets who are sometimes overlooked by the current marketplace.” The press later rebranded as Grid Brooks while preserving Off the Grid Press as an imprint. While the Off the Grid Poetry Prize remains reserved for older writers, Grid Books is open to writers of all ages and champions “creative work that springs from the margins.” In addition to poetry, the press also seeks to publish scholarly editions and oral history projects.

 

Upcoming Contest Deadlines


Leave the dog days of summer behind and reinvigorate your writing practice by submitting to one of the following fourteen contests, which close on August 30 or August 31. These contests include opportunities for writers at all stages of their careers; one contest is reserved for poets over the age of 60. All offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more.

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award: Two prizes of £2,500 (approximately $3,434) each and publication in Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual are given annually for a poem and a short story. The winner in poetry also receives a membership to the Poetry Society in London, and the winner in short fiction receives a consultation with the literary agency Redhammer Management. Both winners receive a subscription to Granta and a selection of books from Vintage Books. Oz Hardwick will judge in poetry and Katy Guest will judge in fiction. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: £12 (approximately $16) for one poem and £18 (approximately $25) for one short story.

Black Lawrence Press St. Lawrence Book Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Black Lawrence Press is given annually for a debut collection of poems or short stories. The editors will judge. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $25.

Ex Ophidia Press Poetry Book Prize: A prize of $1,000, publication by Ex Ophidia Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Kathleen Flenniken will judge. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $25.

Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a short short story. The editors will judge. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $7.

Grid Books Off the Grid Poetry Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Grid Books is given annually for a poetry collection by a writer over the age of 60. Jimmy Santiago Baca will judge. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $25.

Gulf Coast Barthelme Prize for Short Prose: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gulf Coast is given annually for a short work of prose. Molly McCully Brown will judge. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $20 (includes subscription).

Gulf Coast Prize in Translation: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gulf Coast is given in alternating years for a group of poems or a prose excerpt translated from any language into English. The 2021 prize will be given for prose. Sophie Hughes will judge. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $10 (include half-year subscription) or $20 (includes full-year subscription).

Journal of Experimental Fiction Kenneth Patchen Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Journal of Experimental Fiction and JEF Books is given annually for an innovative novel. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $25.

Masters Review Short Story Award for New Writers: A prize of $3,000 and publication in Masters Review is given twice yearly for a short story by an emerging writer. Writers who have not published a book are eligible, as are writers who have published a book with a circulation of less than 5,000. The winning story will also be sent to literary agents from the Bent Agency, Carnicelli Literary Management, Compass Talent, Fletcher & Company, Sobel Weber, and Writers House for review. Kristen Arnett will judge. Deadline: August 30. Entry fee: $20.

Munster Literature Center Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition: A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,191) and publication by the Munster Literature Center is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner will also receive accommodations to give a reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival in March 2022. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: €25 (approximately $30)

Omnidawn Publishing Open Book Prize: A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. John Yau will judge. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $27.

Talking Gourds Fischer Prize: A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a single poem. The winner will also be featured in a Bardic Trails reading online. Donald Levering will judge. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $10 for a poem of up to three pages (add an additional $10 for postal submissions).

University of New Orleans Press Lab Prize: A prize of $10,000 and publication by University of New Orleans Press is given annually for a short story collection or novel. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: $28.

Utica College Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize: A prize of $2,000 is given annually for a poetry collection published in the previous year by a resident of upstate New York. The winner will also give a reading and teach a master class at Utica College in April 2022. Deadline: August 31. Entry fee: None.

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Deadline Approaches for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

Submissions are open for the 2021 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Established by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the prize offers $15,000 for a work of fiction by an emerging African American author in order to “support and enable the writer to focus on writing.” Travel expenses will be covered for an award ceremony in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 27, 2022. During the week of the ceremony, the winning writer is also asked to lead local students in writing workshops meant to inspire their creativity and interest in the arts.

Mail a completed registration form and eight copies of a published novel or short story collection (or galleys) to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation by August 15. Entries must be received by the deadline in order to be considered. Writers must be African American U.S. citizens and “not yet widely recognized for their work.” Only books published or scheduled for publication in 2021 are eligible. Anthony Grooms, Edward P. Jones, Elizabeth Nunez, Francine Prose, and Patricia Towers will judge. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines and the mailing address.

Named in honor of the celebrated Louisiana author Ernest J. Gaines, who died in 2019, the prize was conceived “to inspire and recognize rising African American writers of excellence as they work to achieve the literary heights for which Ernest J. Gaines is known.” Gabriel Bump earned the 2020 prize for his debut novel, Everywhere You Don’t Belong.

Dogfish Head Poetry Prize Open for Submissions

The deadline is approaching for the nineteenth annual Dogfish Head Poetry Prize, given for a book-length manuscript by a poet living in Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., or West Virginia. Perfect for beer lovers, the award includes $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, 10 author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head craft beer. The winner is expected to attend a reading and awards ceremony at the Dogfish Inn in Lewes, Delaware, on December 11. Lodging for a two-night stay at the inn is provided, but travel expenses are not included.

Submit a manuscript of 48 to 78 pages to dogfishheadpoetryprize@earthlink.net by August 15. Only writers over the age of 21 are eligible. Hayden Saunier will judge. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

The most recent recipient of the Dogfish Head Poetry Prize was Susan Rothbard, whose winning manuscript, Birds of New Jersey, was praised by Edgar Kunz, the final judge, as a “sometimes shocking, often bemused, and always insightful collection.”

Upcoming Contest Deadlines


As the Olympics kick off, seek out some worthy competition of your own. Opportunities abound for poets, fiction writers, and nonfictions writers in these nine contests with deadlines of July 31. All award a cash prize of $1,000 or more and many award publication. Good luck, writers!

Howling Bird Press Book Contest—A prize of $2,500 and publication by Howling Bird Press is given in alternating years for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. The 2022 prize will be awarded in fiction. Novels, novellas, and story collections are eligible. Entry fee: $25.

Mudfish Poetry Prize—A prize of $1,200 and publication in Mudfish is given annually for a single poem. Marie Howe will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $20 ($3 for each additional poem).

Munster Literature Center Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition— A prize of €2,000 (approximately $2,382) and publication in Southword is given annually for a short story. The winner also receives a weeklong residency at the Anam Cara Writer’s Retreat in West Cork and accommodation at the Cork International Short Story Festival. Simon Van Booy will judge. Entry fee: €18 (approximately $21).

Narrative Spring Story Contest—A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also awarded. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $27.

New Millennium Writings Writing Awards—Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in New Millennium Writings and on the journal’s website are given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, a short short story, and an essay that have not appeared in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $20.

Prairie Heritage, Inc. Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Book Award—A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a published book of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction that “illuminates the heritage of North America’s mid-continental prairies.” Authors, publishers, and the general public may submit two copies of a book published between 2017 and 2020. Entry fee: None. 

Press 53 Award for Poetry—A prize of $1,000, publication by Press 53, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Tom Lombardo will judge. Entry fee: $30.

Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize—A prize of $1,000 and publication in Red Wheelbarrow is given annually for a single poem. The winner will also receive 20 copies of a letterpress broadside of the winning poem, printed by Felicia Rice at Moving Parts Press. Mark Doty will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $15.

Sewanee Review Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction Contest—Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Sewanee Review are given annually for a group of poems, a short story, and an essay. Paisley Rekdal will judge in poetry, Brandon Taylor will judge in fiction, and Stephanie Danler will judge in nonfiction. Entry fee: $30 entry fee (includes a subscription to Sewanee Review). 

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Book Award Accepting Submissions

Submissions are open for the Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Award. Sponsored by the nonprofit organization Prairie Heritage, Inc., the annual award honors a book in any genre “that illuminates the heritage of North America’s mid-continental prairies.” The organization particularly looks to celebrate books that center non-European experiences of life in the region, as well as those that consider how “denizens of the prairie, human and non-human, have lived or can live together without the destruction and exterminations that have characterized the past.” The winner will receive $1,000.

Authors, publishers, and the general public may nominate books for the award. Submit two copies of a book published between 2017 and 2020 by mail by July 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

The mission of Prairie Heritage, Inc., is to “preserve the tallgrass prairie and its heritage,” with a particular concern for sharing the stories of the region’s Black settlers. The organization is based in Junction City, Kansas. The 2020 winner of its book award is Phong Nguyen, who received the honor for his novel The Adventures of Joe Harper (Outpost19, 2016).

Upcoming Contest Deadlines

The summer literary contest season is in full swing! With deadlines of July 15 or July 16, these opportunities include multiple contests for single poems and a set of prizes for work concerned with health and illness. All offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more.

Bellevue Literary Review Prizes in Poetry and Prose: Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Bellevue Literary Review are given annually for a group of poems, a story, and an essay about health, healing, illness, the body, and the mind. Crystal Valentine will judge in poetry, Amy Hempel will judge in fiction, and Michele Harper will judge in creative nonfiction. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: July 15. Entry fee: $20.

Cincinnati Review Robert and Adele Schiff Awards: Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Cincinnati Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Rebecca Lindenberg will judge in poetry, Michael Griffith will judge in fiction, and Kristen Iversen will judge in nonfiction. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: July 15. Entry fee: $20 (includes subscription).

Comstock Review Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Comstock Review is given annually for a single poem. Juan Felipe Herrera will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: July 15. Entry fee: $27.50 for up to five poems (or $5 per poem via postal mail).

Futurepoem Other Futures Award: A prize of $1,000, publication by Futurepoem, and 25 author copies is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid-genre work. The editors will judge. Deadline: July 15. Entry fee: $28.

Ledbury Poetry Festival Poetry Competition: A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,318) and publication on the Ledbury Poetry Festival website is given annually for a single poem. The winner is also invited to read at the Ledbury Poetry Festival in Ledbury, England, in July 2022; travel expenses are not included. Anthony Anaxagorou will judge. Deadline: July 15. Entry fee: £5.75 for one poem (approximately $6), and £3.50 (approximately $4) for each additional poem.

Narrative Poetry Contest: A prize of $1,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a poem or group of poems. The poetry editors will judge. Deadline: July 16. Entry fee: $25 (includes three months of access to Narrative Backstage).

Rattle Poetry Prize: A prize of $15,000 and publication in Rattle is given annually for a single poem. A Reader’s Choice Award of $5,000 is also given to one of ten finalists. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: July 15. Entry fee: $25 (includes subscription).

Regal House Publishing Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Regal House Publishing is given annually for a novel. The editors will judge. Deadline: July 15. Entry fee: $25.

The Story Prize: A prize of $20,000 is given annually for a short story collection written in English and published in the United States in the current year. Two runners-up receive $5,000 each. The $1,000 Story Prize Spotlight Award is also given for an additional short story collection “of exceptional merit.” Larry Dark and Julie Lindsey will select the three finalists and Spotlight Award winner; three independent judges will choose the Story Prize winner. The deadline for books published between January 1 and June 30 is July 15. The deadline for books published during the second half of the year is November 15. Entry fee: $75.

The Word Works Tenth Gate Prize: A prize of $1,000, publication by the Word Works, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who has published at least two full-length books of poetry. Lauren Camp will judge. Deadline: July 15. Entry fee: $25 (fee waivers available).

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

How Houston Leads the Way: A Finale

Hey gente, happy summer! This will be my last post on this blog as the literary outreach coordinator in Houston. It’s been a pleasure sharing news and highlights over the last two years, and calling attention to all the ways that Houston is a major literary city. Things are always happening in the Bayou City and here are a few more folks and events to mention.

All the Books
I wanted to take a moment to talk about some Houstonians who have books coming out in the near future. Ayokunle Falomo’s collection AFRICANAMERICAN’T and Tamara Al-Qaisi-Coleman’s collection The Raven, the Bayou and the Willow will be published by FlowerSong Press, due out sometime in 2022. J. Estanislao Lopez’s debut collection, We Borrowed Gentleness, is forthcoming from Alice James Books in October 2022, and lastly (and as a way to welcome a new Houstonian to her new town) I’m happy to share that Ariana Brown’s debut collection, We Are Owed, will be released from Grieveland Press in July.

More Reading
Shout-out to powerhouse essayist Icess Fernandez Rojas as she interrogates and speaks truth to power about the lack of Black representation in Latinx Hollywood and offers an analysis of the new film, In the Heights, in her essay “When They Forget About Us… Again” published in Sofrito For Your Soul.

Live Events
I am excited to see all the things Houston has to offer as readings are starting to come back in front of live audiences. Last Saturday, Write About Now held their first live event since the pandemic called “Mics + Murals,” a collaborative reading with live painting and music copresented by the Station Museum of Contemporary Art.

One foot in front of the other and let’s walk together to see where the words take us.

Write About Now Mics + Murals event at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art in Houston.
 
Lupe Mendez is the literary outreach coordinator for Poets & Writers in Houston. Contact him at Houston@pw.org or on Twitter, @houstonpworg.