CRAFT Memoir Excerpt & Essay Contest
Deadline: January 25, 2026
Days are short and the air is cold. The season for reflection is upon us. CRAFT encourages you to carve out space for bold, brave creation. For the CRAFT 2025 Memoir Excerpt & Essay Contest, we want to read your best longform creative nonfiction, from 1,001 to 6,000 words total. Excerpts from book-length projects and stand-alone essays will both be considered. Joining us to judge this year's contest is none other than Roxane Gay!
Three winners will receive $1,000 each along with publication, a set of six titles from Graywolf’s The Art Of series, and a free course through Memoir Nation. Our team will also select two "editors' choices" to publish alongside the three grand-prize winners. Send us your best work!
