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Writing Contests, Grants & Awards
The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.
| Sponsor and Award | Entry Fee | Genre | Cash Prize | Prize includes |
Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Black Lawrence Press St. Lawrence Book Award A prize of $1,000 and publication by Black Lawrence Press is given annually for a collection of poems or short stories by a writer who has not published a book-length collection. All entries are... |
$25 | Poetry, Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 8/31/12 |
|
Black Warrior Review Writing Contests Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Black Warrior Review are given annually for a single poem, a short story, and a work of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction). Sabrina Orah... |
$15 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 9/1/12 |
|
Bear Deluxe Magazine Doug Fir Fiction Award A prize of $1,000, publication in Bear Deluxe Magazine, and a residency of up to fourteen weeks at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in central Oregon is given annually for a short story... |
$15 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication, Residency | 9/4/12 |
|
Boston Review Aura Estrada Short Story Contest A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boston Review is given annually for a short story. Nathan Englander will judge. Submit a story of up to 5,000 words with a $20 entry fee, which includes a... |
$20 | Fiction | $1,500 | Publication | 10/1/12 |
|
Briar Cliff Review Writing Contests Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Briar Cliff Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. The editors will judge. Submit three poems or up to 6,000 words of... |
$20 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 11/1/12 |
|
Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Awards Four prizes of $500 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a first novel, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) by an African American writer and published... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $500 | 12/14/12 | |
|
Before Columbus Foundation American Book Awards Awards are given annually for books published in the United States during the preceding year that make contributions to American multicultural literature. Submit two copies of a book published in 2012 by... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | 12/31/12 | ||
|
Boulevard Short Fiction Contest A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a nationally distributed book. The editors of Boulevard will judge.... |
$15 | Fiction | $1,500 | Publication | 12/31/12 |
|
BkMk Press Ciardi/Chandra Prizes Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by BkMk Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. Submit a manuscript of 50 to 110 pages of poetry or 125 to 300 pages of... |
$25 | Poetry, Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 1/15/13 |
|
Bronx Council on the Arts BRIO Awards Grants of $3,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who reside in the Bronx in New York City. Winners must complete a one-time public service activity.... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $3,000 | 1/27/13 | |
|
Balcones Center for Creative Writing Poetry and Fiction Prizes Two prizes of $1,500 each are given annually for a poetry collection and a book of fiction published during the previous year. Submit three copies of a book published in 2012 (poetry collections must be... |
$30 | Poetry, Fiction | $1,500 | 1/31/13 | |
|
Black Lawrence Press Big Moose Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Black Lawrence Press is given annually for a novel. All finalists will be considered for publication. The editors will judge. Submit a manuscript of any length with a... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 1/31/13 |
|
Brown University International Writers Project Fellowship A fellowship, including a stipend of $45,000, is given annually to an established international poet or fiction writer "who is unable to practice free expression in his or her homeland." The fellowship... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction | $45,000 | 2/15/13 | |
|
Banipal Trust for Arab Literature Saif Gobash-Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation A prize of 3,000 euros (approximately $4,804) is given annually for a book of poetry or fiction translated from Arabic into English and published for the first time in English during the previous year.... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction | $4,804 | 2/28/13 | |
|
Binghamton University Book Awards Two prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for books of poetry and fiction published during the previous year. The Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award is given for a poetry collection of at least 48 pages.... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction | $1,000 | 3/1/13 | |
|
Booktrust BBC National Short Story Award A prize of £15,000 (approximately $19,790) is given annually for a short story by an author with a prior record of publication in the U.K. A second-place prize of £3,000 (approximately $3,957) is also... |
$0 | Fiction | $19,790 | Publication | 3/11/13 |
|
Bellingham Review Literary Awards Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Bellingham Review are given annually for works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The 49th Parallel Poetry Award is given for a poem or... |
$18 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 3/15/13 |
|
Black Lawrence Press Hudson Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Black Lawrence Press is given annually for a collection of poems or short stories. All entries are considered for publication. The editors will judge. Using the... |
$25 | Poetry, Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 3/31/13 |
|
Baton Rouge Area Foundation Ernest J. Gaines Award A prize of $10,000 is given annually to an African American author for a book of fiction published during the previous year. Thomas Beller, Anthony Grooms, Phillip Lopate, Francine Prose, and Patricia... |
$0 | Fiction | $10,000 | 4/30/13 | |
|
BOA Editions Short Fiction Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions will be given annually for a short story collection. Peter Conners will judge. Submit a manuscript of 90 to 200 pages with a $25 entry fee by May 31.... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 5/31/13 |
|
Bridport Arts Centre Bridport Prize Two prizes of £5,000 (approximately $7,760) each and publication in the Bridport Prize anthology are given annually for a poem and a short story. A second-place prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,552) and... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction | $7,760 | Publication | 5/31/13 |
|
Bellevue Literary Review Prizes in Poetry and Prose Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Bellevue Literary Review are given annually to a poet, a fiction writer, and a creative nonfiction writer for works about health, healing, illness... |
$15 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 7/1/13 |
|
Bard College Bard Fiction Prize A prize of $30,000 and a one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College is given annually to a U.S. fiction writer under the age of 40. The recipient must give at least one public... |
$0 | Fiction | $30,000 | 7/15/13 |