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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
University of Notre Dame Press Richard Sullivan Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by the University of Notre Dame Press is given biennially for a short story collection. Writers who have published at least one short story collection are eligible....	$15	Fiction	$1,000	Publication	9/1/11
South Carolina Arts Commission Artist Fellowships Two fellowships of $5,000 each are given biennially to a poet and a writer of fiction or creative nonfiction. Residents of South Carolina may submit three copies of up to 20 pages of poetry or prose and...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$5,000		11/1/11
Kenyon College Kenyon Review Fellowships Two two-year fellowships, each including an annual stipend of $32,500, will be given biennially to poets, fiction writers, or creative nonfiction writers who have completed an MFA or PhD in creative...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$32,500		12/1/11
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
PEN American Center PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction A prize of $25,000 and publication by Algonquin Books will be given biennially for a novel that addresses social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships. U.S. writers who...	$25	Fiction	$25,000	Publication	1/1/12
Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowships Grants of $7,500 each are given biennially to Massachusetts poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Using the online submission system, submit up to 15 pages of poetry or 25 pages of...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$7,500		1/30/12
Stanford University Libraries William Saroyan International Prize Two prizes of $5,000 each are given biennially for works of fiction and creative nonfiction. The awards, cosponsored by the Stanford University Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation, are “intended...	$50	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$5,000		1/31/12
Potomac Review Annual Contest A prize of $1,000 and publication in Potomac Review is given biennially for a poem. The award rotates annually between poetry and fiction. All entries are considered for publication. Using the...	$20	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	2/1/12
Artist Trust Literature Fellowships Fellowships of $7,500 are awarded biennially to Washington State poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Writers who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program are eligible. Submit up...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$7,500		2/26/12
PEN Northwest Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency A seven-month residency, which includes a $5,000 honorarium, is given biennially to a poet, a fiction writer, or a creative nonfiction writer to live and work at the Dutch Henry Homestead near the Rogue...	$20	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$5,000	Residency	3/1/12
Creative Capital Artist Grants Grants of up to $50,000 are offered triennially to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Writers also receive advisory and development services from Creative Capital. United States...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$50,000		3/1/12
Carolina Wren Press Doris Bakwin Award A prize of $1,000 and publication by Carolina Wren Press is given biennially for a short story collection, a novel, or a memoir by a woman. Submit a printed copy of the first 50 to 60 pages of a...	$20	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	3/15/12
Kentucky Arts Council Artist Fellowships and Awards Grants of $7,500 each are given biennially to Kentucky poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Emerging Artist Awards of $1,000 are also given biennially to writers in the early stages...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$7,500		3/15/12

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