Genre: Creative Nonfiction

A prize of $12,000 is given annually for a book of creative nonfiction published during the current year that asks readers “to engage with or reflect on the complexities of the U.S. South.” The winner will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Oxford, Mississippi, for the awards ceremony in March 2026. Submit a hard copy of a published book, or an advance reader’s copy of a book to be published in October, November, or December, by September 30. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $1,500 and publication by Dzanc Books will be given triannually for a book of nonfiction, including essays, memoir, polemical writing, historical writing, and biography. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 40,000 words, a synopsis, and a brief bio with a $25 entry fee by September 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Short Édition website and in Principal Foundation’s Short Story Dispensers (located in six cities across the United States) will be given annually for a short story or essay “on themes related to money and personal finance.” Mateo Askaripour, Paco de Leon, David Drury, Bourree Lam, and Daniel Lefferts will judge. Using only the online submission, submit a manuscript of up to 7,500 characters of prose by October 12. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Four prizes of $25,000 each are given annually to Minnesota poets, prose writers, and spoken word artists. Fellows will also receive an all-expenses-paid, one- or two-week residency in partnership with Artist Communities Alliance and have the opportunity to attend one-on-one career consultations, workshops, and networking events run by the nonprofit organization Springboard for the Arts. The prizes are offered in poetry/spoken word and prose in alternating years; the 2026 fellowships will be awarded in poetry and spoken word. Writers who have been residents of Minnesota for the year prior to the deadline and who will reside in Minnesota for the duration of the fellowship are eligible; writers must also have published at least one book, have had work appear in several journals, or have been booked to perform their work. Using only the online submission system, submit 15 to 18 pages of poetry by November 15. Spoken-word poets can also submit 8 to 10 minutes of recorded poetry. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.