book awards

A prize of $3,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives a weeklong residency at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 88 pages with a $30 entry fee by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Three to four prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published during the previous year that “contribute to our understanding of racism and appreciation of cultural diversity.” Rita Dove, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Joyce Carol Oates, Simon Pinker, and Steven Schama will judge. Submit five copies of a book published in 2020 by December 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Submit a manuscript of 20 to 36 pages with a $25 entry fee by February 28. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $1,200, publication by Main Street Rag, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors and previous winners will judge. Submit a manuscript of 52 to 88 pages with a $25 entry fee ($27 for electronic submissions) by January 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication by Sarabande Books are given annually for collections of poetry and fiction. For the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry, submit a poetry collection of at least 48 pages with a $29 entry fee by February 15. For the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction, submit a collection of stories or novellas or a short novel of 150 to 250 pages with a $29 entry fee by February 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Five prizes of $10,000 each and publication by participating trade, university, or small press publishers are given annually for poetry collections. The 2021 publishers are Beacon Press, Ecco, Milkweed Editions, Penguin Books, and University of Georgia Press. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 64 pages with a $35 entry fee by March 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Two prizes of $5,500 each and publication by a participating press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. In addition, two prizes of $2,500 each and publication by a participating press are given annually for a novel and a book of creative nonfiction. For the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry, submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages; University of Pittsburgh Press will publish the winning collection. For the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, submit a manuscript of 150 to 300 pages; Red Hen Press will publish the winning collection. For the AWP Prize for the Novel, submit a manuscript of at least 60,000 words; New Issues Poetry & Prose will publish the winning novel. For the AWP Prize for Creative Nonfiction, submit an essay collection or memoir of 150 to 300 pages; University of Georgia Press will publish the winning book. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript with a $30 entry fee ($20 for AWP members) by February 28. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $3,000 and publication by Southern Indiana Review Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Michael Waters will judge. Submit up to 80 pages of poetry (no more than one poem per page) with a $35 entry fee by February 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $2,000 and publication by Southeast Missouri State University Press is given annually for a novel, novella, or collection of linked stories by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Submit a manuscript of any length with a $25 entry fee by November 13. Visit the website for complete guidelines.