Three prizes of $2,000 each and publication in New Letters are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Using only the online submission system, submit...
read moreWriting 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.
New Letters
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $24
Application Deadline: 5/18/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Great Lakes Colleges Association
Cash Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 5/25/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes are given annually for first books by a poet, a fiction writer, and a creative nonfiction writer. The winners each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to several of...
read moreTwo Sylvias Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000, publication by Two Sylvias Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Kim Addonizio will judge. Submit a manuscript of 17 to 24...
read moreSouthern Poetry Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Southern Poetry Review is given annually for a single poem. Submit three to five poems totaling no more than 10 pages with a $20...
read moreBridge Book Award
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Two prizes of up to $5,000 each are given annually for a book of fiction and a book of creative nonfiction by U.S. citizens or permanent residents published in the previous...
read moreBridport Arts Centre
Cash Prize: $6,699
Entry Fee: $16
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Two prizes of £5,000 (approximately $6,699) each and publication in the Bridport Prize anthology are given annually for a poem and a short story. A prize of £1,500 (...
read moreBoa Editions
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Boa Editions is given annually for a story collection. Peter Conners will judge. Submit a manuscript of 100 to 200 pages with a $30 entry...
read moreUniversity of Georgia Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Georgia Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Lori Ostlund will judge. Using only the online submission...
read moreOversound
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000, publication by Oversound, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Ari Banias will judge. Using only the online submission...
read moreLivingston Press
Cash Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Cross-Genre
A prize of $500, publication by Livingston Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a novel-in-verse. Eleanor Boudreau will judge. Submit a manuscript of 90 to 160...
read moreFence
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $5,000, publication by Fence Books (with distribution by Consortium), and 40 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who identifies as a...
read moreAnhinga Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $28
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000, publication by Anhinga Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives $500 to cover travel costs for the...
read moreRestless Books
Cash Prize: $10,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $10,000 and publication by Restless Books is given annually for a debut book of fiction or nonfiction by a first-generation immigrant. The winner will also receive a...
read moreMichigan Quarterly Review
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Creative Nonfiction, Cross-Genre
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Michigan Quarterly Review is given annually for an essay or a work of nonfiction in hybrid form. Using only the online submission...
read moreJohn D. Voelker Foundation
Cash Prize: $2,500
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 5/31/26
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $2,500 and publication in American Fly Fisher as well as on the John D. Voelker Foundation and the American Museum of Fly Fishing websites is given annually...
read moreSouthern Humanities Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 6/1/26
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Southern Humanities Review is given annually for a “poem of witness in honor of the late poet Jake Adam York.” The winner also...
read moreBoulevard
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 6/1/26
Genre: Poetry
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...
read moreGaudy Boy
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $10
Application Deadline: 6/1/26
Genre: Poetry
A grant of $1,500 and publication by Gaudy Boy, an imprint of the New York City–based literary nonprofit Singapore Unbound, is given annually for a poetry collection by a...
read moreAmerican Short Fiction
Cash Prize: $2,500
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 6/1/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $2,500 and publication in American Short Fiction is given annually for a short story. The winner also receives a weeklong, all-expenses-paid writing retreat...
read moreHost Publications
Cash Prize: $8,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 6/1/26
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $8,000, publication by Host Publications, and 25 author copies will be given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online...
read moreBard College
Cash Prize: $30,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 6/1/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $30,000 and a one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College is given annually to a fiction writer under the age of 40. The winner must give at...
read moreMoon City Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $27
Application Deadline: 6/1/26
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Moon City Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. The editors will judge. Using only the...
read moreThe Moth
Cash Prize: $3,508
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 6/14/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of €3,000 (approximately $3,508) is given annually for a short story. A second-place prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,169) is also given. The winners will be published...
read moreBoa Editions
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 6/15/26
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,500 and publication by Boa Editions is given annually for a poetry collection by a U.S.-based poet who is a woman of color, “including poets who identify as cis,...
read morePEN America
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 6/15/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Two grants of $5,000 each are given annually for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction works-in-progress “by immigrant and refugee writers, recognizing that the literature of...
read more