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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
Gival Press Novel Award A prize of $3,000, publication by Gival Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a novel. Submit a manuscript of 30,000 to 100,000 words with a $50 entry fee by May 30. Send an SASE, call, e-...	$50	Fiction	$3,000	Publication	5/30/13
Dylan Thomas Centre Dylan Thomas Prize A prize of £30,000 (approximately $45,880) is given annually for a book of poetry or fiction published in the preceding year that “displays creative, imaginative, and innovative use of the English...	$0	Poetry, Fiction	$45,880		5/31/13
New England Poetry Club Daniel Varoujan Award A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poem in honor of Daniel Varoujan, an Armenian poet killed in the genocide in Turkey in 1915. Submit a poem with a $10 entry fee by May 31. Send an SASE, e-mail,...	$10	Poetry	$1,000		5/31/13
Oberlin College Press FIELD Poetry Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Oberlin College Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Using the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 50 to 80 pages with a $28 entry fee, which...	$28	Poetry	$1,000	Publication	5/31/13
Sonia Raiziss-Giop Foundation Bordighera Poetry Prize A prize of $2,000 and bilingual publication by Bordighera Press is given annually for a poetry collection written in English to be translated into Italian. The prize is evenly divided between the poet,...	$0	Poetry	$2,000	Publication	5/31/13
River Styx International Poetry Contest A prize of $1,500 and publication in River Styx is given annually for a poem. All entries are considered for publication. Terrance Hayes will judge. Submit up to three poems totaling no more...	$20	Poetry	$1,500	Publication	5/31/13
Glimmer Train Press Short Story Award for New Writers A prize of $1,500 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given quarterly for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not been published in a nationally distributed publication with a...	$15	Fiction	$1,500	Publication	5/31/13
University of Georgia Press Flannery O’Connor Short Fiction Awards Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by University of Georgia Press are given annually for collections of short fiction. Submit a manuscript of 40,000 to 75,000 words 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
Astounding Beauty Ruffian Press Poetry Chapbook Award A prize of $10,000 and publication by Astounding Beauty Ruffian Press is given biennially for a poetry chapbook by a U.S. poet. Submit a manuscript of 10 to 20 pages with a $25 entry fee by May 31. Visit...	$25	Poetry	$10,000	Publication	5/31/13
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
Creative Nonfiction Walton Sustainability Solutions Best Creative Nonfiction Essay Award A prize of $10,000 and publication in Creative Nonfiction will be given for an essay on the theme “The Human Face of Sustainability.” The editors will judge. Submit an essay of up to 4,000 words...	$20	Creative Nonfiction	$10,000	Publication	5/31/13
Late Night Library Debut-litzer Award Three prizes of $1,000 each will be given annually for books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published in the previous year. In addition, the winners will be featured on the Late Night...	$25	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000		5/31/13
Winning Writers Sports Fiction & Essay Contest Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication on the Winning Writers website are given annually for a story and an essay on the theme of sports. Jendi Reiter will judge. Submit up to 6,000 words of prose...	$15	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	5/31/13
Boulevard Emerging Poets Contest A prize of $1,000 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a group of poems by a poet who has not published a poetry collection with a nationally distributed press. All entries are...	$15	Poetry	$1,000	Publication	6/1/13
Philadelphia Stories Marguerite McGlinn Prize for Fiction A prize of $2,000 and publication in Philadelphia Stories is given annually for a short story. Writers currently living in the United States are eligible. Michael Martone will judge. Using the...	$10	Fiction	$2,000	Publication	6/1/13
Southern Indiana Review Thomas A. Wihelmus Editors’ Award A prize of $1,500 and publication in Southern Indiana Review is given annually for a work of creative nonfiction. All entries are considered for publication. Submit an essay of up to 35 pages...	$20	Creative Nonfiction	$1,500	Publication	6/1/13
Boston Review Poetry Contest A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boston Review is given annually for a poem or group of poems. All entries are considered for publication. Linda Gregerson will judge. Submit up to five poems...	$20	Poetry	$1,500	Publication	6/3/13
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
Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition A prize of $3,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to meet with editors and agents is given annually for a poem, a short story, or an essay. Prizes of $1,000 each are also given for a work...	$32	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$3,000	Travel	6/3/13
American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prizes A prize of $2,000 and publication of an excerpt in Scandinavian Review is given annually for an English translation of a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish work of poetry, fiction...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$2,000	Publication	6/7/13
University of Akron Press Akron Poetry Prize A prize of $1,500 and publication by University of Akron Press is given annually for a poetry collection. David Kirby will judge. Submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages with a $25 entry fee by June 15...	$25	Poetry	$1,500	Publication	6/15/13
Southern Poetry Review Guy Owen Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication in Southern Poetry Review is given annually for a poem. Submit three to five poems totaling no more than 10 pages with a $20 entry fee, which includes a...	$20	Poetry	$1,000	Publication	6/15/13
Towson University Prize for Literature A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by a writer who has lived in Maryland for at least three years and is currently a resident. Books published...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000		6/15/13
Pulitzer Prizes Prizes in Letters Three prizes of $10,000 each are given annually to U.S. writers to honor books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published in the United States during the current year....	$50	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$10,000		6/15/13

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