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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
New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships Fellowships of $5,000 each are given every three years to New Hampshire poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. New Hampshire residents who are not enrolled full-time in a degree-...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$5,000		1/31/11
New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowships in Poetry and Prose Fellowships ranging from $7,000 to $12,000 each are awarded biennially to New Jersey poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers to support new work. Full-time New Jersey residents who are...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$7,000		7/15/11
New York Foundation for the Arts Artists' Fellowships Grants of $7,000 are given triennially to New York State fiction writers. Writers who have lived in New York State for two years or more, are at least 25 years of age, and are not enrolled in a degree-...	$0	Fiction	$7,000		12/15/11
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 prize of...	$20	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$2,500	Publication	7/31/12
North Carolina Humanities Council Linda Flowers Literary Award A prize of $500, publication in North Carolina Conversations, and a weeklong residency at Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities in Southern Pines, North Carolina, is given annually for a...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$500	Publication, Residency	8/15/12
New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award A prize of $10,000 is given annually to honor a novel or short story collection by a U.S. citizen who is 35 or younger. Publishers and agents may submit 10 copies of a book (or bound galleys) published...	$0	Fiction	$10,000		8/31/12
Narrative 30 Below Contest A prize of $1,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a poem, a short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a work of fiction or creative nonfiction by a writer under the age of 30...	$22	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,500	Publication	10/30/12
New Rivers Press MVP Competition Two prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for book-length manuscripts of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by emerging writers. The winning works are published by New Rivers Press and...	$25	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	11/1/12
North Carolina Arts Council Writers’ Fellowships Fellowships of $10,000 each are given biennially to North Carolina poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and literary translators. Applicants must have lived in North Carolina for at least...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$10,000		11/1/12
Narrative Fall Story Contest A prize of $2,500 is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a longer work of prose. A $1,000 second-place prize is also given. All entries are considered for...	$22	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$2,500		11/30/12
National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowships Grants of $12,500 to $25,000 each are awarded annually to translators of poetry and prose who are working on specific translations of published works from any language into English. Applicants must have...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$12,500		1/3/13
North Carolina Writers Network Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a short story. The winning story is considered for publication in Thomas Wolfe Review. Submit two copies of a story of no more than 12 pages with a $25...	$25	Fiction	$1,000		1/30/13
New South Writing Contest Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in New South are given annually for a poem and a story or an essay. All entries are considered for publication. Marilyn Kallet will judge in poetry, and...	$15	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	3/15/13
Narrative Winter Story Contest A prize of $2,500 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...	$22	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$2,500		3/31/13
Nimrod International Journal Nimrod Literary Awards Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication in Nimrod International Journal are given annually for works of poetry and short fiction. The winners also receive transportation and lodging to attend...	$20	Poetry, Fiction	$2,000	Publication	4/30/13
Noemi Press Book Awards Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Noemi Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a novel or short story collection. The editors will judge. Submit up to 70 pages of poetry or a...	$25	Poetry, Fiction	$1,000	Publication	4/30/13
New Letters Literary Awards Three prizes of $1,500 each and publication in New Letters are given annually for a group of poems, a short story, and an essay. All entries are considered for publication. Submit up to six...	$15	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,500	Publication	5/18/13
National Book Foundation National Book Awards Three prizes of $10,000 each are awarded annually to honor a book of poetry, a book of fiction, and a book of creative nonfiction written by U.S. writers and published in the United States during the...	$125	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$10,000		6/3/13
New Millennium Writings New Millennium 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...	$20	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	6/17/13

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