Contest Database

View our curated results of the best free literary contests!

Name	Deadline	Type	Status	Top Prize	WW Rating
Hayek Essay Contest	05/15/26	Scholarly Essay	Active	$2,500.00	Neutral
Deadline May 15 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $2,500, plus travel grant to biennial conference, for essays of 5,000 words maximum in the spirit of free-market economist F.A. Hayek. Entrants must be aged 36 or younger. Winners must present their papers at the sponsor's conference to receive their award. Sponsored by the Mont Pelerin Society, a libertarian think tank. This contest is held in even-numbered years only. Enter by email.
Pattis Family Foundation Creative Arts Book Award	05/15/26	Published Prose Book	Active	$25,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline May 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before December 15). Highly Recommended contest from the Interlochen Center for the Arts gives $25,000 top prize for a full-length prose book "that centers on the creative process of an artist or the arts--broadly defined--as its theme" and was published in the past two years (2024 and 2025 copyright dates are eligible for the 2026-deadline contest). Sponsor seeks fiction and nonfiction "that inspires, illuminates, or exemplifies the creative process in fields such as creative writing, dance, film and new media, music, theatre, and visual arts". Winner will also receive a multi-day residency at Interlochen Arts Academy and the opportunity to join The National Writers Series lineup. Self-published titles are ineligible. Publisher or author may nominate a book online; sponsor will contact finalists in September to request 7 hard copies and a PDF of those books selected for further review.
RTE Radio 1 Francis MacManus Short Story Competition	05/15/26	Short Fiction	Active	€5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 15 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest for authors born or normally resident in Ireland gives top prize of 5,000 euros for unpublished short fiction of 1,800-2,000 words that is suitable for radio performance. One entry per person.
A Voice for Animals Teen Essay Contest	05/25/26	Scholarly Essay	Active	$400.00	Neutral
Deadline May 25 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 2). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $400 for essays by students between the ages of 14-18 on an animal rights topic. In both the 16-18 year olds and the 14-15 year olds categories, essays should be between 1,400-1,500 words. Writers must be enrolled in middle or high school or be homeschooled. Submit entry online. Co-sponsored by the Humane Education Network, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the Palo Alto Humane Society.
Changing Light Prize for a Novel-in-Verse	05/25/26	Poetry Manuscript Prose Manuscript	Active	$500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 25 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama gives $500 and publication for a novel-in-verse, 90-160 pages. Send the manuscript as a Word attachment including contact information, brief bio, and letter to jwt@uwa.edu. List Novel-in-Verse on your subject line.
GLCA New Writers Awards	05/25/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 25. Recommended free contest gives a reading tour of 12 Midwestern colleges, with a $500 honorarium per visit, for the US author of a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction that is the author's first published book in that genre. One winner in each category. Publisher should nominate a book online and then submit 4 copies of book along with signed author's statement agreeing to the terms of the campus visits. Publisher may enter only one work in each genre. Self-published titles accepted. Books must have been published in the US and bear a publication imprint of 2025 or 2026. Selection process favors recipients of major first-book awards.
Matthew Lanyon Poetry Prize	05/25/26	Individual Poems	Active	£500.00	Neutral
Deadline May 25 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 30). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to 500 pounds for poems of up to 30 lines that respond to or are inspired by Matthew Lanyon's work and interests. UK residents only. 2026 theme is "The Archaeology of Tomorrow". Entrants living in or from Cornwall should disclose this in their submission. Sponsored by Matthew Lanyon Archive.
Irene Adler Prize for Women Writers	05/30/26	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$1,000.00	Neutral
Deadline May 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 30). Neutral free contest gives a $1,000 scholarship for a 500-word essay by a woman commencing or continuing to pursue a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the following academic year (e.g. 2026-27 for the contest with May 2026 deadline). See themes on website. Contest sponsor and judge Lucas Aykroyd is a Canadian journalist and travel writer. He created this award to thank the female colleagues and mentors who have supported his writing career. It is named for a strong female character in the Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia".
Tulipán Art and Culture Award	05/30/26	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$15,000.00	Neutral
Deadline May 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before May 16). Neutral free contest awards grants of up to $15,000 for project proposals that enrich Hungarian-American culture by US citizens or permanent residents with a proven record of professional achievement or cultural advocacy. Eligible disciplines include Literary Arts (poetry, prose, plays, etc.), Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Folk Arts, Multimedia Projects, and Cultural Curation. Submit via sponsor's online form. Sponsored by Tulipán, a nonprofit foundation advancing Hungarian culture.
Black Orchid Novella Award	05/31/26	Prose Chapbook	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31. Recommended free contest gives $1,000 and publication in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine for the best traditional mystery novella. Entries should be 15,000-20,000 words. See website for thematic and stylistic restrictions. Essentially, they are looking for an old-fashioned story of deduction, with a witty style and an engaging relationship between the characters, and no overt sex or violence. Enter online. Contest co-sponsor The Wolfe Pack is the official fan club for Nero Wolfe, a legendary fictional sleuth created by Rex Stout in a series of mystery novels published from 1934 to 1975.
bpNichol Poetry Chapbook Award	05/31/26	Published Poetry Book	Active	C$4,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 31). Recommended free contest awards C$4,000 to the Canadian author and C$500 to the publisher of the best English-language poetry chapbook, 10-48 pages long, published in Canada in the preceding year. Limit of 10 chapbooks per publisher. Author or publisher should submit 3 copies of book plus author's curriculum vitae and completed submission form by Canada Post or courier. Contest now administered by Meet the Presses (formerly Phoenix Community Works Foundation). Named for the late poet, novelist, and indie publisher bpNichol.
Furphy Literary Award Junior and Youth Competition	05/31/26	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	A$300.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 1). Recommended free contest for Australian residents gives prizes up to A$300 to junior and youth entrants (limited to Goulburn Valley residents) for short story of fiction/narrative nonfiction (maximum 2,000), and poems (junior: maximum 20 lines; youth: maximum 30 lines). 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.
Indie Author Project Annual Contest	05/31/26	Published Prose Book	Active	$2,500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 1). Recommended free contest from the American Library Association gives a top prize of $2,500, plus $500 prizes in each genre, for self-published, hybrid, and indie prose books by US or Canadian authors in the following genres: mystery/thriller, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction, general/contemporary fiction, memoir, or YA. Enter online. No limit on publication date.
James Bartleman Indigenous Youth Creative Writing Awards	05/31/26	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	C$2,500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards up to six prizes of C$2,500 for poems, short stories, and essays celebrating Indigenous culture by Indigenous students under the age of 18 who reside and attend school in Ontario. All genres compete together. There are two age categories (up to age 12, ages 13-18) as well as three geographic categories (fly-in community, on reserve, off reserve). A junior and senior winner are chosen from each geographic category. Entries may be of any length. Submit online. Include your creative writing piece, brief description of what inspired you, and contact information for your parent/guardian and school representative. Sponsored by Ontario's Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans	05/31/26	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	$1,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline May 31 (don't enter before May 1). Highly recommended free contest from The Iowa Review gives prizes up to $1,000 and publication for poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by US veterans or active-duty personnel. Poetry entries must be a maximum of 8 single-spaced pages, and prose entries cannot exceed 25 double-spaced pages. Offered in even-numbered years only.
Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest	05/31/26	Short Fiction	Active	$150.00	Neutral
Deadlines January 31, May 31, and September 30 (must be received by these dates). Thrice-yearly free neutral contest awards $150 and web publication for short fiction. The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film, and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-20th century America. Entries should appeal to a reader with these characteristics. Submit a story of up to 4,000 words (3,000 words is ideal), along with a brief 100-word story synopsis, by email.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	05/31/26	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.
Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant	05/31/26	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before May 1). Recommended free contest awards one grant of $1,000 for unpublished writing samples (poetry, drama, fiction, or nonfiction) by writers aged 50+ who are just starting to write professionally. Submit a sample of up to 10 pages of poetry or drama, or 5,000 words of fiction or creative nonfiction. Along with your writing sample, send a 500-word autobiographical statement as well as a bibliography of any previously published work. If sending a segment of a novel, novella, or novelette, include a 1-page synopsis. See website for other submission requirements. Enter online.
ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction	06/01/26	Short Fiction	Active	$5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest gives $5,000 for a short story up to 5,000 words that "illuminates the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society". Open to US citizens or legal permanent residents age 21+. Entries may be unpublished, or published no earlier than December 1 of the previous year. Submit via email. Sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA) Journal.
Bard Fiction Prize	06/01/26	Published Prose Book	Active	$30,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards $30,000 for US authors aged 39 and under who have published a book of fiction. Winner also receives one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College. Send 3 copies of book, proposal for new project, and CV.
Fred Otto Prize for Oz Fiction/C. Warren Hollister Prize for Oz Nonfiction	06/01/26	Short Fiction Scholarly Essay	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives prizes of $100 and $50 in each genre for previously unpublished short fiction and scholarly essays about the Land of Oz. Maximum 10,000 words per entry. Postal entries must be postmarked on or before May 15; online entries will be accepted through June 1. Winners will be announced in July at The Wizard of Oz Club National Convention in Aberdeen, South Dakota. All entries considered for publication.
Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Awards	06/01/26	Individual Poems	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives publication and prizes up to $200 for an English-language haiku. Sponsor welcomes both modern, freestyle haiku and traditional haiku. No simultaneous submissions permitted. Limit of 2 haiku per poet. No senryu, renku, haibun, or tanka accepted. All haiku must be previously unpublished. Enter by email. Sponsored by The Heron's Nest, an online journal that publishes haiku quarterly. Contest named after haiku poet Peggy Willis Lyles.
The Australian Fiction Prize	06/01/26	Prose Manuscript	Active	A$15,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 30). Highly Recommended free contest awards A$15,000 advance and a publishing contract with HarperCollins Australia for a book-length work of adult fiction by an Australian resident. Complete online entry form and upload the four required application materials: your adult fiction manuscript, between 75,000 and 100,000 words; 3-sentence pitch summarizing the main premise of your novel; 500-word synopsis of your book's plot, major characters, themes, and settings; and 200-word author bio. Co-sponsored by The Australian newspaper and book publisher HarperCollins Australia.
The Novel Prize	06/01/26	Prose Manuscript	Active	$10,000.00	Recommended
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 1). Recommended free contest gives $10,000 advance and simultaneous publication by co-sponsors New Directions, Fitzcarraldo Editions, and Giramondo for a book-length work of literary fiction written in English by a published or unpublished writer. Although the author may have had other works published previously, the manuscript entered for this prize must be unpublished both in print and in digital formats. Author or their agent should submit full manuscript of the novel (minimum 30,000 words) online to the correct publisher, depending on author's place of residency: if based in Africa and Europe, submit to Fitzcarraldo Editions; if based in Asia and Australasia, submit to Giramondo; and if based in the Americas, submit to New Directions. Be sure to include a cover letter, biographical note, and brief outline of the novel.
Alan Andres Picture Book Writer Fellowship	06/05/26	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$25,000.00	Recommended
Deadline June 5 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from Associates of the Boston Public Library awards a $25,000 stipend for a children's book proposal for ages 0-2 or 3-8 by a US citizen or green card holder residing in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont). Submit a proposal (max 2 pages), writing sample (max 5 pages), and required questions via Submittable. Eligible projects may include fiction, nonfiction, memoir, or poetry. Graphic novels are not eligible. Contest is limited to authors who have not published any books for children.
Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest	06/05/26	Scholarly Essay	Active	C$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline June 5 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest for Canadian high school, college, and graduate students awards prizes up to C$1,500 in each age category for short scholarly essays, 1,000-1,500 words long, on an annual theme dealing with current events. 2025 topic is "What would the Fraser Institute's Essential Scholars say about Canadian economic prosperity today?". Enter online. The Fraser Institute is a Canadian free-market think tank.
Dream Foundry Speculative Short Story Contest	06/08/26	Short Fiction	Active	$1,500.00	Neutral
Deadline June 8 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 13). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to $1,500 for a previously unpublished speculative fiction short story, 10,000 words maximum, by early-career writers in the genre. To qualify, an author must have published no more than 4,000 words of paid or income-earning speculative fiction in English and have earned less than $320 from those words. Author must also have never been nominated for any major speculative fiction award. Submit your story online. Sponsored by Dream Foundry, a Chicago-based nonprofit that seeks "to bolster and sustain the nascent careers of professionals working in the field of speculative literature."
Ocean Awareness Student Contest	06/08/26	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	$1,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 10 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 16). Highly recommended free contest gives prizes up to $1,000 in each genre for poetry/spoken word, creative writing (fiction and essays compete together), performing arts (music/dance), film, visual art/handcrafted, visual art/digital, and interactive/multimedia by students aged 11-18 about climate change and ocean conservation. 2026 theme is "Your Story, Our Ocean". Junior division is for students ages 11-14; Senior division is for students ages 15-18. See website for length limits in various genres for each age division. To qualify, works submitted must have been created during the current academic year (September 2025-June 2026). All entries must also include a brief reflection/artist's statement, 100 words minimum, on your work, along with contact information for an adult sponsor. Enter online. Contest sponsor Bow Seat is a nonprofit that fosters the next generation of environmental activists.
Anne Brown Essay Prize	06/15/26	Creative Nonfiction	Active	£1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline June 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 16). Recommended free contest from Scotland's Wigtown Book Festival gives 1,500 pounds for a literary essay, maximum 4,000 words, by an author aged 16+. Entrants must be resident in Scotland, born in Scotland or have a longstanding association with Scotland. Unpublished essays are preferred, but authors and their publishers are also invited to submit work published no earlier than July 1 of the year preceding the deadline year. Enter by email. This prize commemorates Anne Brown (1942-2021), former Wigtown Book Festival chair of trustees and a widely respected BBC radio producer.
Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Writing Contest	06/15/26	Short Fiction	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline June 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 15). Neutral free contest awards top prize of $250 for a science fiction, fantasy, or horror story with a speculative fiction element, written by a Maryland resident or college student over 18 who is not a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America and has not been published in a professional science fiction/fantasy magazine. Send one story, between 1,000-5,500 words. Enter by email. No simultaneous submissions, fan fiction, or works previously published in print or online.
Blessing the Boats Selections	06/15/26	Poetry Manuscript	Active	$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline June 15 (don't enter before May 1). Recommended free contest from BOA Editions gives $1,500 honorarium and publication with a standard royalties package to a US woman poet of color for a book-length manuscript, between 65-120 pages. Cis, trans, and nonbinary people who are "comfortable in a space that centers on women's experiences" are encouraged to enter. Limit one entry per poet. Enter online or send your paper MS. by mail, along with your cover letter.
Dan Veach Prize for Younger Poets	06/15/26	Individual Poems	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline June 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 15). Neutral free contest awards $100 and publication in the Atlanta Review for poems by college-age students, aged 18-23, on any subject or style. Note that sponsor is particularly interested in "poems with an international focus". Enter up to 2 English-language poems, 40 lines maximum for each poem, via sponsor's online submissions portal. Be sure to include 500-word author's statement and 500-word letter of recommendation with your entry.
James Laughlin Award	06/15/26	Published Poetry Book	Active	$5,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 18). Highly recommended free contest for a US poet's second book of 48-100 pages in length, under contract to a US publisher and forthcoming in 2027. The Academy of American Poets will award the winner $5,000, a weeklong residency in Miami Beach, FL, and buy 1,000 copies of the winning book for distribution to its members. Publisher should submit entry form online and upload PDF of manuscript with author's name removed.
Norton Writer's Prize	06/15/26	Creative Nonfiction Scholarly Essay	Active	$1,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 15). Highly recommended free contest gives three $1,000 prizes for essays, 1,000-3,000 words, by undergraduates age 18+ (one prize to be awarded in each of the following categories: first-year students in 2- or 4-year colleges/universities, students in 2-year colleges/universities, and students in 4-year colleges/universities). Any excellent writing done for an undergraduate class will be considered (e.g., literary narratives, literary and other textual analyses, reports, profiles, evaluations, arguments, memoirs, proposals, multimodal pieces, and more). Contest is open to students enrolled during the current academic year (ending in June of the deadline year) at an accredited 2- or 4-year college or university. Must be nominated by college instructor. Enter by email. Sponsored by W.W. Norton & Co., a prestigious literary and academic press.
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children's and YA Novelists	06/15/26	Fellowship	Active	$5,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 15). Highly recommended free contest awards a grant of $5,000 to an author of children's or young adult fiction. An eligible candidate is a writer of children's or YA fiction who has published at least one novel for children or young adults which has been warmly received by literary critics, but has not generated significant sales. The writer's book(s) must have been published by a US trade publisher. Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by a fellow writer. Submit all application materials online, including a cover letter, project outline, excerpt of 50-75 pages from current project (a novel-in-progress that will not be published before April 15, 2027), a letter of recommendation, a professional review, and a letter of utility (explanation of how the funds will be used to complete the project).
Scotiabank Giller Canadian Book Prize	06/19/26	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.
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize	06/24/26	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	06/24/26	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.
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction	06/24/26	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.
Wingate Literary Prize	06/26/26	Published Prose Book	Active	£4,000.00	Recommended
Deadline June 26 (must be received by this date; don't enter before May 1). Recommended free contest from the Wingate Foundation awards 4,000 pounds prize for the best English-language fiction or nonfiction book published between September 1 of the previous year and August 31 of the deadline year that "translates the idea of Jewishness to the general reader". Books must explore Jewish themes and be published and distributed in the UK and Ireland. Author may be of any nationality. Mail 5 copies of the book, along with a completed entry form, and email an electronic version of the book to the contact person listed on sponsor's website.
Gerard Rochford Poetry Prize	06/30/26	Individual Poems	Active	£200.00	Neutral
Deadline June 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 21). Neutral free contest awards top prize of 200 pounds for a previously unpublished English-language poem, maximum 40 lines, on the theme of "Journey". Entrants must be age 18+. Winning entries will be published on sponsor's website, and winning poets will receive bespoke commemorative plates. Exclusive submissions only. Enter via email by sending your poem to the email address listed on the sponsor's guidelines page. Administrated by Aberdeen, Scotland-based Mist and Mountain Creative Residency.
L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest	06/30/26	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.
Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers	06/30/26	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.
Sargeson Prize	06/30/26	Short Fiction	Active	NZ$15,000.00	Recommended
Deadline June 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 1). Recommended free contest from the University of Waikato awards prizes up to NZ$15,000 for previously unpublished short stories by New Zealand citizens or permanent residents aged 16+. Prizes are given in two categories: the Open Division (for New Zealand authors aged 18+) and the Secondary Schools Division (for students enrolled at New Zealand secondary schools who are 16-18 years old as of the contest deadline). A writer may submit in either the Open or the Secondary Schools Divisions, but not both. Stories must be under 5,000 words in the Open Division, and under 3,000 words in the Secondary Schools Division. No simultaneous submissions. Complete entry form online and upload your story, or send your completed form and entry by mail. Prize is named in memory of New Zealand novelist and short story writer Frank Sargeson.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	06/30/26	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.
SUSPECT Poetry Contest	06/30/26	Individual Poems	Active	$300.00	Neutral
Deadline June 30 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards online publication in SUSPECT (formerly called the Singapore Poetry Blog) and prizes up to $300 for poetry containing a particular word or words that change annually. For 2026, poems must include "words 'minor' and 'destructions' or their variants in an imaginative fashion, together or separately". Submit 1-3 poems of any length, along with a brief bio, by email. No simultaneous submissions. Sponsored by Singapore Unbound, a New York City-based nonprofit that celebrates Asian authors. Prior to 2025, this contest was called the Singapore Poetry Contest.
Washington State Book Awards	06/30/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active		Neutral
Deadlines June 30, September 15, November 15, January 16 (must be received by these dates). Neutral free contest recognizes seven authors for published books of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction/memoir, and general nonfiction/biography for adults, along with children's book awards for picture, young reader, and young adult books, that were published during the calendar year. Authors must currently reside in Washington. An author who lives in Washington part of the year and considers Washington to be home is eligible. Publisher or author should complete entry form online and submit 6 copies of book (4 copies for children's books). Sponsored by The Washington Center for the Book at The Washington State Library.