The Bay Area Book Festival, now in its 11th year, will take place in Downtown Berkeley on Saturday, May 31–June 1, 2025. Over two extraordinary days, 250+ authors from around the world will gather to ignite conversations and showcase the transformative power of literature. This year’s festival, centered around the theme of “Changing the Narrative,” invites attendees to explore how storytelling can bridge divides, foster collective healing, and rethink how we move with each other, and the world. Whether you're a literary enthusiast, organizer, activist, or family seeking inspiration and solace, don’t miss this powerful celebration of diverse voices and transformative conversations.
Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.