Contest Database

View our curated results of the best free literary contests!

Name	Deadline	Type	Status	Top Prize	WW Rating
Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition	03/15/26	Individual Poems	Active		Highly Recommended
Deadline March 15 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest for high school students gives two winners an honorarium plus reading for Cafe Muse online with an established poet. Email 5 poems (maximum 2 pages per poem), published or unpublished, along with a brief bio. Sponsored by The Word Works, a literary and educational nonprofit.
Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest	03/15/26	Individual Poems	Active	$150.00	Neutral
Deadline March 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest from the Connecticut Poetry Society awards prizes up to $150 for unpublished poems by Connecticut high school students in grades 9-12. Submit 1-3 poems, maximum 40 lines each, via sponsor's online submissions portal.
Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award	03/15/26	Poetry Manuscript	Active	$500.00	Neutral
Deadline March 15 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest for African-American poets awards $500 and publication by Broadside Lotus Press for a poetry manuscript, approximately 60-90 pages. Authors who have already had books published by Lotus Press or Broadside Press are not eligible. Poems in submitted MS may have been published in periodicals or anthologies, but not in other books. Send 2 copies of MS.
Waterman Fund Alpine Essay Contest	03/15/26	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$3,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 15 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest gives top prize of $3,000 and publication in Appalachia Journal for essays of 2,000-3,000 words that explore the relationship between the human spirit and the environment. Authors must not have been published in a national magazine on the topic of their submission or have previously published a book-length work on topics of wilderness, wildness, or the ethics and ecology of environmental issues. See website for annual theme. Enter by email. The Waterman Fund supports education and stewardship to preserve the Alpine areas of the Northeastern US.
BBC National Short Story Award	03/16/26	Short Fiction	Active	£15,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline March 16 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 14). Highly recommended free contest for UK nationals/residents aged 18+ with "a prior record of publication" awards top prize of 15,000 pounds for the best short story up to 8,000 words. Stories must either be unpublished or have been first published during the previous calendar year. See website for detailed eligibility rules. Enter online. Entries may be submitted by author or by their publisher or agent. Co-sponsored by the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cambridge University.
Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize	03/16/26	Creative Nonfiction Prose Manuscript	Active	£4,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 16 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 12). Recommended free contest awards 4,000 pounds, publication, and a six-week residency for an original and unpublished proposal (max 5,000 words) for a book-length essay by an unpublished author residing in the UK or Ireland. Submit proposal, covering letter, and residency statement via email. No simultaneous submissions. Writers with current or prior book contracts (fiction or nonfiction) are ineligible. Sponsored by the Fitzcarraldo Editions.
Italian Prose in Translation Award	03/16/26	Published Prose Book	Active	$5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 16 (don't enter before January 12). Recommended free contest awards $5,000 for a book of fiction or nonfiction translated from Italian into English and published in the previous year. May be submitted by publisher or translator. Complete nomination form online, then send hard copies of the book submitted to the judges requesting them via the addresses provided in the online entry confirmation email. Sponsored by the American Literary Translators Association.
Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize	03/17/26	Published Poetry Book	Active	$10,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline March 17 (don't enter before January 12). Highly recommended free contest awards $10,000 for a book of poetry translated from an Asian language (i.e., Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Sanskrit, Tamil, Thai, or Vietnamese) into English and published in the previous year. Translations of Zen Buddhist source texts are also eligible. May be submitted by publisher or translator. Complete nomination form online, then send hard copies of the book submitted to the judges requesting them via the addresses provided in the online entry confirmation email. Sponsored by the American Literary Translators Association.
POPP Award: Poetry of the Plains and Prairies	03/17/26	Poetry Chapbook	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadline March 17 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 17). Neutral free contest awards $200 and publication for a poetry chapbook manuscript (25-30 pages) that "deftly captures the feeling of, as well as the reality of, living on the plains and prairies". Submit through the sponsor's Submittable page. No simultaneous submissions. Sponsored by the North Dakota State University Press (NDSU Press).
DAG Prize for Literature	03/18/26	Fellowship	Active	$20,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 18 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest gives a $20,000 fellowship to support the completion of a second book of literary prose by a US resident. Eligible applications should have one published book of prose with a nationally distributed US press, and no major national or international awards. Send a 25-page sample of your work-in-progress with a bio and CV. Sponsored by the DAG Foundation.
Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku and Senryu Competition for Grades 7-12	03/20/26	Individual Poems	Active	$250.00	Recommended
Deadline March 20 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 20). Recommended free contest gives publication and six prizes of $250 apiece for the best haiku/senryu by students in grades 7-12 as of the previous September. Submit 1-3 haiku and/or senryu online using sponsor's submission portal. No simultaneous submissions. Co-sponsored by the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association and the Haiku Society of America.
A Public Space Emerging Writer Fellowships	03/31/26	Individual Poems Fellowship Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction Fellowship	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 1). Recommended free contest awards three prizes of $1,000 and six-month fellowships for aspiring writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a chapbook or book-length work with a US publisher but whose writing shows exceptional talent. Winners also receive publication in A Public Space, guest pass to attend APS Master Classes, one-year subscription to APS, as well as participation in a public reading. Submit a previously unpublished short story or essay, 6,000 words maximum, OR a previously unpublished poetry, 15 pages maximum, AND a comprehensive cover letter containing all the information stipulated in the sponsor's guidelines. No email or postal submissions permitted; submit all application materials online. Sponsored by A Public Space, an independent literary magazine.
Ann Petry Award	03/31/26	Prose Manuscript	Active	$3,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date). Highly Recommended free contest awards $3,000 and publication by Red Hen Press for a work of previously unpublished prose (either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas) by a Black writer. Authors who have already had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press or who currently have a full-length work under consideration by Red Hen Press are ineligible. Submit your manuscript, 150 pages minimum, online.
Archibald Lampman Award	03/31/26	Published Poetry Book	Active	C$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from Arc: Canada's National Poetry Magazine awards C$1,500 for the best published poetry book (at least 48 pages in length) by a resident of Canada's National Capital Region (Ottawa). Send 4 copies of book published during the previous year by a recognized publisher.
Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award	03/31/26	Short Fiction Novel Excerpt	Active	$2,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 1). Highly recommended free contest from Sisters in Crime awards $2,000 grant for crime fiction, 2,500-5,000 words, by an author of color who has not published more than 9 pieces of short fiction or 2 books. (Preference is given to previously unpublished authors.) Prize must be used for "activities related to crime fiction writing and career development". Winner is required to submit a report about how the prize was spent and serve as a member of next year's award selection committee. Send short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript-in-progress, resume, and cover letter describing how the applicant is emerging in the genre and how the grant money would be used. Submit application materials via sponsor's online portal. Eleanor Taylor Bland, after whom the prize is named, was a prolific African-American crime fiction writer.
F. Sean Hodge Prize for Poetry in Medicine	03/31/26	Individual Poems	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest for poetry by doctors and medical students gives two $250 awards (one for medical students, residents, and fellows, the other for physicians who have completed post-graduate training). Winning poems will be published in The Healing Muse, SUNY Upstate Medical University's literary journal. Enter 1-5 poems through the sponsor's online portal.
Foley Poetry Award	03/31/26	Individual Poems	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Recommended free contest from the Jesuit magazine 'America' awards $1,000 and publication for a poem on any topic of 45 lines or fewer. (Past winning poems have touched on morally significant issues, but have not been "religious" poetry in the conventional sense.) No simultaneous submissions. Submit online or by mail.
Ilse Schwepcke Prize	03/31/26	Creative Nonfiction Published Prose Book	Active	£5,000.00	Neutral
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest awards 5,000 pounds for a nonfiction travel book in prose by a female author, published by an established commercial publisher. Publishers must submit five physical copies by postal mail, along with a digital version of the book via the sponsor's online form. Sponsored by the Society of Authors.
Jack L. Chalker Young Writers' Contest	03/31/26	Short Fiction	Active	$150.00	Neutral
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to $150 for science fiction/fantasy stories, maximum 2,500 words, by Maryland residents or students aged 14-18. Winners receive complimentary registrations for Balticon convention for themselves and their parents or guest, and the winning stories are published in the convention's souvenir book as well as online. Up to 3 entries allowed per writer. Submit story along with cover letter via email or postal mail. Sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society.
L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest	03/31/26	Short Fiction	Active	$6,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31. Highly recommended free contest for emerging writers of short science fiction, fantasy, and horror awards quarterly prizes of $1,000 plus an annual $5,000 grand prize for one of the four winners. Send only one story per quarter, maximum 17,000 words. See website for eligibility rules. Entrants may not have professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium.
Lewis Galantiere Award	03/31/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Recommended free contest from the American Translators Association awards $1,000 for a distinguished book-length literary translation from any language, except German, into English. Entries must have been published in the US in the past two years (in 2024 or 2025 for the 2026 contest), and authors should be US citizens or permanent residents. Publishers should submit the book plus supporting materials and excerpts from the original language online. See website for details. Contest runs in even-numbered years only, alternating with the Ungar German Translation Award.
Orwell Prize for Journalism	03/31/26	Published Prose Book	Active	£5,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 28). Highly recommended free contest awards Journalism Prize of 3,000 pounds for the best political writing first published between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. Entries may be published journalistic articles, broadcasts, or blogs. All entries must have a clear relationship with the UK or Ireland as described in the contest rules. Submit 3 or 4 distinct journalistic items, which may be published articles (in print or online), radio broadcasts, podcast episodes, or television packages. If applicable, make sure that the total broadcast/listening time for all items submitted is no longer than 2 hours total. Each entry should be accompanied by a supporting statement, 1,200 characters maximum, offering a brief project summary. No limit to the number of journalists who may enter from a single publication or organization. Enter online.
Parsec SF/Fantasy/Horror Short Story Contest	03/31/26	Short Fiction	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest for fantasy, sci-fi, and horror stories gives prizes up to $200 and publication in the program book for Confluence, an annual convention hosted by Pittsburgh-based Parsec. Send 1 story, maximum 3,500 words, on this year's theme ("Metamorphosis") via sponsor's online submissions portal. The contest is open to non-professional writers (those who have not met eligibility requirements for SFWA full membership or equivalent: who have not earned over $1,000 from the sale of their writing).
Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation	03/31/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	£3,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards 3,000 pounds for a translation of modern Arabic literature into English. Genre can be poetry or literary prose. For current contest, books must have been published between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026 and be available for purchase in the UK via a distributor or online. The source text must have been published in the original Arabic in or after 1967. Must be submitted by publisher. After submitting a completed entry form online and emailing a digital copy of the text in both languages, send 5 hard copies of translation and 4 copies of the original work to The Society of Authors, which administers the prize for the Banipal Trust for Arab Literature.
Sarah Mook Poetry Prize for Students	03/31/26	Individual Poems	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline March 31. Neutral contest gives prizes up to $100 in four age categories for unpublished poems by students in grades K-12. Winning entries will be published online. Submit 1-2 poems, any length. Optional $5 entry fee will be donated to a charity. This contest is sponsored by David Mook in memory of his daughter, a young writer who died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm when she was in third grade.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	03/31/26	Short Fiction	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date), subsequent deadlines on the last day of each month. Neutral free contest for short fiction gives a monthly prize of $100 plus 50% of the site's subscription revenue for that month, and publication in their monthly Substack newsletter that is archived on the website. Entries may be published or unpublished, as long as you have the reprint rights. Send one story, 6-10,000 words, by email to shortstorystack@gmail.com as an MS Word or Google Doc file.
Silvers Foundation Grants for Work-in-Progress	03/31/26	Creative Nonfiction Prose Manuscript Fellowship	Active	$10,000.00	Recommended
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 1). Recommended free contest from the Robert B. Silvers Foundation awards multiple grants of up to $10,000 to English-language writers of any nationality for long-form essays or full-length books in progress in the fields of literary criticism, arts writing, political analysis, or social reportage. Authors should have an editorial agreement with a publication or publishing house for the work under consideration. Submit your writing sample (500-2,000 words), which can be from the work-in-progress or from a previously published essay, article, or book, by email. Be sure to read sponsor's full rules for complete list of required application materials that must accompany your writing sample. Sponsor gives priority to projects that have not been supported by a significant advance.
Victor Howes Prize in Poetry	03/31/26	Individual Poems	Active	$500.00	Neutral
Deadline March 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 27). Neutral free contest from the New England Poetry Club gives $500 for a poem by an undergraduate student currently enrolled at a New England college (2-year or 4-year) who has a demonstrated interest in writing poetry. Enter online by submitting 4 poems of any length, with a brief statement (300 words max) about yourself and what draws you to poetry.
Great American Think-Off	04/01/26	Scholarly Essay	Active	$500.00	Neutral
Deadline April 1 (don't enter before January 15). Neutral free contest for US writers seeks essays up to 750 words on a selected philosophical question that changes annually. Four finalists receive $500 and an expenses-paid trip to New York Mills, MN in June for debate to determine the contest winner. The 2026 topic is: "Has the pursuit of happiness made Americans unhappy?" Enter online, by email, or by mail. Sponsored by New York Mills Regional Cultural Center.
Maya Angelou Book Award	04/01/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$10,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline April 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 15). Highly Recommended free contest from the Kansas City Public Library gives $10,000 prize to a US author age 18+ whose published work "demonstrates a commitment to social justice and diversifies contemporary American literature". Genre alternates between poetry and fiction. 2026 contest is for a full-length work of fiction published the previous year or scheduled for publication by November of this year. Winner will participate in a two-week book tour of Missouri colleges, universities, and libraries. Publisher must complete the online entry form and upload an electronic copy of the book via the submissions portal on the sponsor's guidelines page.
Creative Capital Artist Awards	04/02/26	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$50,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline April 2 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 2). Highly recommended free contest offers 50 grants up to $50,000 for writers of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and socially engaged and/or sustainable text-based practices. (Note that literature entries compete against the visual arts, performing arts, and film categories for 2026.) Entrants must be US citizens or permanent residents, aged 25+, with 5+ years' professional writing experience, and not be students. Proposals for collaborative projects will be considered; limit one project per entrant per year. Submit a project proposal application, including brief responses to several questions and various details about the project, along with one writing sample from a completed, past work (poetry: maximum 3 single-spaced pages; prose: maximum 8 double-spaced pages) via sponsor's online form. Writers who advance to the second round must submit 1-2 additional writing samples (poetry: two 3-page samples or one 6-page sample; prose: two 8-page samples or one 16-page sample).
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize	04/15/26	Published Prose Book	Active	C$70,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 11, April 15, June 24 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada awards C$70,000 for novels or short story collections published in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Deadline varies depending on when the book was published: Books published between October 1 of the previous year and February 10 of the current year must be received by February 11; those published between February 11 and April 14 must be received by April 15; and those published between April 15 and September 30 must be received by June 24. Publisher should send 5 hard copies of the book (or 3 bound galleys, to be followed by at least 2 copies of the book) and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of eligible titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements. Prize is named after Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson, Writers' Trust co-founders.
Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers	04/15/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	C$12,000.00	Recommended
Deadlines February 11, April 15, June 24 (must be received by these dates). Recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada awards C$12,000 top prize for a debut book in any genre published in Canada between October 1, 2025 and September 30 of the deadline year by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Deadline varies depending on when the book was published: Books published between October 1, 2024 and February 10 of the current year must be received by February 11; those published between February 11 and April 14 must be received by April 15; those published between April 15 and September 30 must be received by June 24. Publisher should send 5 hard copies of the book and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of qualifying titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements. Prize is named in memory of editor, writer, and literary manager Dayne Ogilvie.
Edna Staebler Award for Creative Nonfiction	04/15/26	Published Prose Book	Active	C$10,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline April 15 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards C$10,000 for creative nonfiction book published during the previous year with "a Canadian influence or locale" by a Canadian writer. Entry must be author's first or second published book of creative nonfiction, and it "should be distinguished by first-hand research, well-crafted interpretive writing, the writer's personal discovery or experience, and creative use of language or approach to the subject matter". For print books, send 6 copies and a completed entry form; for ebooks, email an electronic file, along with entry form. If the book is available in both print and ebook formats, provide 6 print copies only. Sponsored by Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario.
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction	04/15/26	Published Prose Book	Active	C$75,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 11, April 15, June 24 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada gives top prize of C$75,000 for nonfiction published in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Deadline varies depending on when book was published: books published between October 1, 2025 and February 10, 2026 must be received by February 11; those published between February 11 and April 14 must be received by April 15; and those published between April 15 and September 30 must be received by June 24. Publisher should send 5 copies of the book (or 3 bound galleys, to be followed by at least 2 copies of the book) and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements.
Purorrelato Micro-Story Contest	04/16/26	Short Fiction	Active	€750.00	Neutral
Deadline April 16 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to 750 euros for micro-stories (1,500 characters maximum, including spaces) that "encourage us to feel and think about Africa and to continue showing different realities that approach us to the continent, away from the stereotypes that have marked it for so long." Send 1-3 stories via online submission portal. Entries may be in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese. No simultaneous submissions.
Scotiabank Giller Canadian Book Prize	04/17/26	Published Prose Book	Active	C$100,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 13, April 17, June 19, August 14 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest awards top prize of C$100,000 for a full-length novel, graphic novel, or short story collection written in English (either originally or in translation) by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, that is scheduled for publication in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year. Book must be available for sale in retail/book stores across Canada. Publishers of shortlisted titles must agree to pay C$2,000 per shortlisted book. Shortlisted authors must attend award ceremony in Toronto in November, participate in various marketing activities, and sign 2,000 copies of their book (purchased by sponsor for internal distribution). Deadline varies based on the time of year that the book was published; see website for complete schedule and entry rules. Publisher must send 5 hard copies by post AND provide e-books as PDFs. Founded in 1994 to honor literary journalist Doris Giller, the prize has been sponsored by Scotiabank since 2005.
Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Public Services Journalism	04/20/26	Fellowship	Active	$100,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline April 20 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest from the Society of Professional Journalists awards one fellowship of up to $100,000 to an outstanding editorial writer, columnist, or reporter to have time away from daily responsibilities for study and research by taking courses, pursuing independent study, traveling, and participating in other endeavors that enrich their knowledge of a public interest issue. Candidate must currently be an editorial writer, columnist, or reporter at a US news publication and have worked in this capacity for three years minimum. Freelancers are also eligible. The recipient must provide a post-fellowship written report on how funds were used, and work resulting from the fellowship must be published within 6-12 months of receiving the award. The fellow must agree to become a mentor to the following year's recipient. Complete nomination form online and upload your application materials (cover letter, editor's endorsement, one-page professional biography, and five samples of opinion or analytical writing).
Al Blanchard Short Crime Story Award	04/30/26	Short Fiction	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest awards $100 prize, anthology publication, and New England Crime Bake conference admission for a short crime story, 5,000 words maximum, with a New England setting (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) or by a New England writer. Mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror genres all welcome. Enter up to two stories by email. Named after mystery writer Al Blanchard, who co-founded the annual New England Crime Bake regional writers' conference.
Anthem Essay Contest for Students	04/30/26	Scholarly Essay	Active	$2,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest for 8th-12th graders awards top prize of $2,000, other large prizes, for essays on Ayn Rand's novella 'Anthem'. After registering for the contest online, student will receive instant access to the book, the essay prompt(s), and the word limit. Submit one essay online. Past first-prize winners are ineligible. Sponsored by the Ayn Rand Institute.
Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest for Students	04/30/26	Scholarly Essay	Active	$25,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines April 30, October 31, January 31 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest for high school, college, and graduate students awards $25,000 annual grand prize, three $3,000 top seasonal prizes, and other large prizes, for essays on Ayn Rand's novel 'Atlas Shrugged'. After registering online for the contest, students will receive instant access to the book, the essay prompts, as well as the word limit. The winning essays in the three seasonal contests are eligible to win the annual grand prize. A student can enter any or all of the three seasonal rounds. Enter online. Contest is looking for entries that are sympathetic to Rand's rationalist, libertarian philosophy. See sponsor's website for other student contests.
CNO Naval History Essay Contest	04/30/26	Scholarly Essay	Active	$5,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards publication and two top prizes of $5,000 (one to a professional historian and one to a rising historian) for well-researched essays on a naval historical topic that "relates in some way to achieving and maintaining maritime superiority in today's competitive environment" and "provides readers with a lesson learned from history that can be applied to today". The Professional Historians category includes US and international professional historians (historian jobs including history museum curators, archivists, history professors, PhDs, published history authors); the Rising Historians category includes US Sea Service-wide active, reserve, retired, and civilians who cannot be classified as "professional historians". Author may submit multiple essays, maximum 3,500 words apiece in the Professional Historians category and maximum 3,000 words apiece in the Rising Historians category. Enter online.
Daisy Utemorrah Award for Indigenous Authors	04/30/26	Prose Manuscript	Active	A$15,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest from Magabala Books gives A$15,000 and possible publication for a junior/YA full-length fiction manuscript intended for readers aged 8-18, between 20,000 and 100,000 words long, by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer currently residing in Australia. No simultaneous submissions. See full terms and conditions as well as detailed formatting requirements on sponsor's website. Email your completed entry form and a cover page (including author's details, a synopsis, and any other information relevant to the manuscript) along with your MS.
erbacce-prize for poetry	04/30/26	Poetry Manuscript	Active		Neutral
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest gives top prize of publication of the winner's collected poetry in a perfect-bound edition. Up to two runners-up will be published in either perfect-bound book or chapbook form, and four poets will be selected as "featured poets" in the quarterly poetry journal 'erbacce'. Sponsor prefers "poetry which is radical in form and/or content". Email a 5-page manuscript sample, which may include both published and unpublished poems. Based in Liverpool, UK, erbacce-press was established to give a voice to new and radical poets--those whose work may not have been accepted elsewhere.
Furphy Literary Award Short Story Competition	04/30/26	Short Fiction	Active	A$15,000.00	Recommended
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 1). Recommended free contest for Australian residents gives prizes up to A$15,000 to adult authors for a story, maximum 5,000 words. Contest honors Joseph Furphy (1843-1912), pseudonym Tom Collins, an Australian author whose novels combine an acute sense of local Australian life and colour with the eclectic philosophy and literary ideas of a self-taught workingman.
Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize for Canadian Youth	04/30/26	Individual Poems	Active	C$450.00	Recommended
Deadline April 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 15). Recommended free contest for Canadian citizens or residents attending junior high or high school awards top prizes of C$450 in each of two age categories: Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12). Winning poems will be featured in a special edition chapbook slated for nationwide distribution. Submit 1 poem, 1 page maximum, online. Sponsored by The League of Canadian Poets.
Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers	04/30/26	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadlines April 30, June 30, August 31, October 31 (must be received by these dates). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $200 and web publication for essays, 1,000-5,000 words, by unpublished writers, defined as those whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Nonfiction categories are General, Biographical, Travel, and Animal. April 30 deadline is for entries in the Animal Nonfiction category; June 30 deadline is for entries in the General Nonfiction category; August 31 deadline is for entries in the Biographical Nonfiction category; and October 31 deadline is for entries in the Travel Nonfiction category. The Preservation Foundation is a Tennessee-based nonprofit with the goal of preserving the extraordinary stories of ordinary people. "Since our object is to preserve these stories for future generations, not to put them up one year and take them down the next, all contest entries will be posted on our website and must remain on the site for as long as the Preservation Foundation exists." Submit up to 2 entries in each of the 4 nonfiction categories via email.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	04/30/26	Short Fiction	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date), subsequent deadlines on the last day of each month. Neutral free contest for short fiction gives a monthly prize of $100 plus 50% of the site's subscription revenue for that month, and publication in their monthly Substack newsletter that is archived on the website. Entries may be published or unpublished, as long as you have the reprint rights. Send one story, 6-10,000 words, by email to shortstorystack@gmail.com as an MS Word or Google Doc file.
Toronto Book Awards	04/30/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	C$20,000.00	Recommended
Deadline April 30 (don't enter before January 2). Recommended free contest honors published books of literary or artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto, published between May 1 of the previous calendar year and April 30 of the deadline year. The winning author is awarded C$20,000; shortlisted authors each receive C$2,000. There are no separate categories: novels, short story collections, books of poetry, biographies, histories, social studies, books about sports, children's/YA books, graphic novels, photographic collections, etc. are judged together. No reprints, textbooks, e-books, ghostwritten or self-published works. Publishers must submit six copies of the book for consideration. A brief description of how/why the book is evocative of Toronto must be included with each submission. Sponsored by Toronto Cultural Partnerships.