Genre: Fiction

Short Fiction Prize

Desperate Literature
Entry Fee: 
$23
Deadline: 
April 19, 2026
A prize of €2,000 (approximately $2,334), publication in the Desperate Literature prize anthology, and a weeklong residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation’s castle in the Umbria region of Italy is given annually for a work of short fiction. Winners also receive a consultation with literary agent Charlotte Seymour (Johnson & Alcock Literary Agency), an editorial meeting with the Literary Consultancy, and the opportunity to give readings at the Desperate Literature bookshop in Madrid. Two runners-up receive €1,000 each (approximately $1,167). Claire-Louise Bennett, Ottessa Moshfegh, and Joanna Walsh will judge. All entries will be considered for publication in Bennington Review, Folly, Helter Skelter, Kill Your Darlings, London Magazine, Minor Literature[s], Souvenir Magazine, and Tenement and by Monitor Books. Submit a story of up to 2,000 words with a €20 (approximately $23) entry fee by April 19. To apply for a full or partial fee waiver, submit by April 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Narrative Prize

Narrative
Entry Fee: 
$27
Deadline: 
April 30, 2026
An award of $5,000 is given annually for a poem, short story, novel excerpt, or work of creative nonfiction by an emerging writer. Previously unpublished work and work published in Narrative during the year are eligible. The editors will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Using only the online submission system, submit up to five poems or between 2,000 and 15,000 words of prose with a $27 entry fee by April 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Chapbook Contest

DIAGRAM/New Michigan Press
Entry Fee: 
$28
Deadline: 
April 30, 2026
A prize of $1,000, publication by New Michigan Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a chapbook of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or hybrid-genre work. Ander Monson will judge. Submit a manuscript of 18 to 44 pages with a $28 entry fee by April 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Winter Story Contest

Narrative
Entry Fee: 
$27
Deadline: 
March 31, 2026
A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a work of flash fiction, an essay, a memoir, or an excerpt from a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also awarded. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 15,000 words of prose with a $27 entry fee by March 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Train Dreams: Reimagining Denis Johnson

Caption: 

In this LIVE From NYPL event, director Clint Bentley screens clips from his latest film, Train Dreams, and discusses the timeliness of its release amidst concerns about ecological disaster and racial violence. The film is an adaptation of the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson.

Genre: 
Fiction
Tags: 
Train Dreams
Denis Johnson
Clint Bentley
LIVE From NYPL
film adaptation
interview
2025

Far From Home

The Time Is Now
2.4.26

Recent and unusual, “fish out of water” animal sightings include a coyote swimming through the San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz Island, and a rare Galápagos albatross flying high up above the Pacific off the central coast of California, likely having traveled over three thousand miles beyond its typical range. This week write a short story about a character who takes off on a journey of vast distances, possibly one filled with potential risks and unknown factors. Will you reveal your character’s motivations right off the bat, gradually, only in the final moments of the narrative, or at all? You might decide to experiment with writing sections of the story from different points of view and shifting from more zoomed-out descriptive passages to moments of interior monologue.

Madeline Cash: Lost Lambs

Caption: 

“I think that you kind of put everything into a first novel.” In this event hosted by the University of Notre Dame’s Creative Writing Program, Madeline Cash reads from her debut novel, Lost Lambs (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2026), and talks about her range of influences, including artist Henry Darger and filmmaker Wes Anderson.

Genre: 
Fiction
Tags: 
Madeline Cash
Lost Lambs
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
novel
University of Notre Dame
reading
2026

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