Contest Database
View our curated results of the best free literary contests!
| Name | Deadline | Type | Status | Top Prize | WW Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award | 12/15/25 | Fellowship | Active | $1,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Highly recommended contest gives $1,000 fellowship for completion of a manuscript-in-progress of poetry. Submit 10 pages of unpublished and/or published poetry online. Sponsored by The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization. We highly recommend joining ($55 per year, $35 for students). Free to Poetry Society of America members; $15 entry fee for nonmembers. | ||||||
| Cecil Hemley Memorial Award | 12/15/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $500.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Highly recommended contest awards $500 for a narrative poem. Sponsored by The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization. We highly recommend joining ($55 per year, $35 for students). Submit your entry online. No entry fee to members; $10 entry fee for nonmembers. | ||||||
| Center for African American Poetry and Poetics Book Prize | 12/15/25 | Poetry Manuscript | Active | $3,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 5). Highly Recommended free contest awards publication and $3,000 prize for a first or second book by a writer of African descent "that is, or intersects with, poetry" (e.g. poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation). Open to the full range of writers embodying African American, African, and African diasporic experiences. Enter your manuscript, between 48-168 pages, online. Co-sponsored by the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics at the University of Pittsburgh and Autumn House Press. | ||||||
| Four Quartets Prize | 12/15/25 | Individual Poems Fellowship | Active | $21,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (don't enter before October 1). Highly recommended free contest awards a top prize of $21,000 for a unified and complete sequence of poems, 14 pages minimum, published in the US in a print or online journal, chapbook, or book during the current year. Self-published works are ineligible. Poet, publisher, or agent may send entry form, four copies of the sequence of poems, and four copies of a paragraph-length statement describing its aims. See full application instructions on sponsor's website. Sponsored by the Poetry Society of America. | ||||||
| George Bogin Memorial Award | 12/15/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $500.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Highly recommended contest awards $500 for a selection of 4-5 poems that "use language in an original way to reflect the encounter of the ordinary and the extraordinary and to take a stand against oppression in any of its forms". Submit your entry online. Sponsored by The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization. We highly recommend joining ($55 per year, $35 for students). Free to Poetry Society of America members; $15 entry fee for nonmembers. | ||||||
| Lucille Medwick Memorial Award | 12/15/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $500.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Highly recommended contest awards $500 for a prose poem. Sponsored by The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization. We highly recommend joining ($55 per year, $35 for students). No entry fee to members; $10 entry fee for nonmembers. Submit your entry online. | ||||||
| Lyric Poetry Award | 12/15/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $500.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Highly recommended contest awards $500 for a lyric poem on any subject. Sponsored by The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization. We highly recommend joining ($55 per year, $35 for students). No entry fee to members; $10 entry fee for nonmembers. Submit your entry online. | ||||||
| Massachusetts Book Awards | 12/15/25 | Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book | Active | Neutral | ||
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives statewide publicity for books copyrighted in the current calendar year by Massachusetts residents. Award categories are 1) fiction, (2) nonfiction, (3) poetry, (4) children's picture books/early readers, (5) middle-grade/young adult literature, (6) translated literature (biennial, deadlines in odd-numbered years only), and (7) graphic novel/memoir (biennial, even-numbered years). Fill out form online and follow up with two copies of book by mail. | ||||||
| Robert H. Winner Memorial Award | 12/15/25 | Fellowship | Active | $2,500.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Highly recommended contest awards $2,500 for unpublished or published poetry by a mid-career poet who has not had substantial recognition, and is open to poets over 40 who have published no more than one full-length collection of poetry. Submit brief but cohesive manuscript of 10 pages online. Sponsored by The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization. We highly recommend joining ($55 per year, $35 for students). Free to Poetry Society of America members; $15 entry fee for nonmembers. | ||||||
| Sine Qua Non Prizes in Poetry and Creative Prose | 12/15/25 | Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction | Active | $500.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 15). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to $500 for poetry (1-3 poems, 10 pages maximum) and creative prose (15 pages maximum) that exemplify traits of New Romanticism. Early submissions are encouraged. Submit online via sponsor's Submittable page and include a cover letter and brief third-person bio. Sponsored by the Sine Qua Non journal. | ||||||
| The Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award | 12/15/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $250.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Highly recommended contest awards $250 for a short poem, 16 lines maximum. Sponsored by The Poetry Society of America, the nation's oldest poetry organization. We highly recommend joining ($55 per year, $35 for students). No entry fee to members; $10 entry fee to nonmembers. Submit your entry online. | ||||||
| Griffin Poetry Prize | 12/19/25 | Published Poetry Book | Active | C$130,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadlines June 20, December 19 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest gives C$130,000 for English-language poetry books published in the current calendar year, as well as C$10,000 for shortlisted entries and a debut Canadian author. Translations are eligible, with the prize split between author and translator. See website for detailed eligibility rules. Publisher should send 4 copies of book plus entry form and a press packet. This is one of the most lucrative poetry prizes, as well as one of the most prestigious. Prize is awarded once a year, but there are ordinarily two deadlines depending on when the book was published. For the "2026" award, books published between January 1-June 30, 2025 must be received by June 20, 2025, and those published between July 1-December 31 must be received by December 19, 2025. | ||||||
| VCU Cabell First Novelist Award | 12/30/25 | Published Prose Book | Active | $5,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline December 30 (don't enter before July 1). Recommended free contest from Virginia Commonwealth University gives between $3,000 - $5,000 prize (varies based on sponsor's budget, but will be at least $3,000) for a first novel published in the US during the calendar year. Winner must attend an award event, which includes a public reading and other publicity opportunities. Email a digital copy as a PDF and send 5 hard copies of published book. | ||||||
| Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards | 12/31/25 | Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book | Active | $10,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 10). Highly recommended free contest for published books gives four awards of $10,000 each: one for a book of fiction, one for a poetry collection, one for a book of nonfiction, and one for a memoir or autobiography. This award honors books that have made important contributions to the understanding of racism or the appreciation of cultural diversity. Books must have been published in the current calendar year. Plays, screenplays, e-books, unpublished, print-on-demand, and self-published works not eligible. Author, publisher, editor, or publicist should submit the entry form online and then send 5 hard copies of the book. Sponsored by The Cleveland Foundation, the world's first community foundation. | ||||||
| Benjamin L. Hooks Book Award | 12/31/25 | Published Prose Book | Active | $1,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline December 31. Recommended free contest gives $1,000 for a nonfiction book published in the current calendar year that best furthers understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement and its legacy. Send one copy of the book by the deadline date; finalists may be asked to send additional copies. Sponsored by the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute, an an interdisciplinary center for civil rights studies at the University of Memphis. | ||||||
| Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Awards | 12/31/25 | Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book | Active | $1,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 31 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards four prizes of $1,000 for books of fiction, nonfiction, first novel, and poetry written by African-American US citizens and published in the US during the current year. The awards honor books that depict the "cultural, historical, or sociopolitical aspects of the African Diaspora". Sets and multi-volume works are eligible, but inspirational and self-help books are not. Send hard copy to each member of the judging committee, along with all available information regarding the submission (e.g., promotional material, author biography, available news articles, and reviews). | ||||||
| Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award | 12/31/25 | Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction | Active | $500.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline December 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 15). Neutral free contest gives $500 for creative writing that engages with feminism, race, and transnationalism (all genres compete together). Send 3-5 poems OR one story or essay, maximum 7,500 words, OR one play script, maximum 5,000 words. No simultaneous submissions. Enter online. Meridians is a literary journal at Smith College, a women's liberal arts college in Western Massachusetts. | ||||||
| Hilary Mantel Prize for Fiction | 12/31/25 | Prose Manuscript | Active | £7,500.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 22). Highly recommended free contest gives 7,500 pounds and mentoring support to first-time novelists for an unpublished novel manuscript in any genre. Submit the opening chapter (15,000 words maximum) and a brief synopsis (1,000 words maximum) of the work via sponsor's online form. Open to residents of the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and Ireland. Sponsored by A.M. Heath, the oldest independent literary agency in the UK, in partnership with publisher John Murray and creative writing charity Arvon. | ||||||
| L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest | 12/31/25 | 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. | ||||||
| Lex:lead Essay Competition | 12/31/25 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $500.00 | Neutral | |
Deadlines October 31 (must be registered online by this date) and December 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before December 1). Neutral free contest awards up to 15 one-time scholarships of $500 each for English-language essays on a law and economic development topic that changes annually, written by law students who are studying in and citizens of the world's least developed countries, across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. See list of eligible nations in sponsor's downloadable rules document. For 2025, the question to be addressed is "How can legal frameworks be strengthened to promote sustainable infrastructure while balancing economic growth, environmental protection and social equity?" Although any and all references used by the writer must be cited within the essay, sponsor is "looking for insight and ideas that solve the problem posed; not a review of academic literature on the subject". Send your essay, maximum 5 single-spaced pages, via email. Based in New York City, Lex:lead is a nonprofit organization of lawyers seeking to create greater economic advancement and development worldwide. | ||||||
| Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition | 12/31/25 | Short Fiction | Active | $300.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline December 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 1). Neutral free contest gives $300 for unpublished stories touching on the experience of Jewish women. Send one story, maximum 3,000 words (shorter stories preferred). Sponsored by Lilith, a Jewish feminist magazine. Contest is open to writers of all genders. Enter online or by email. | ||||||
| Maureen Seaton Poetry Prize | 12/31/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline December 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Recommended free contest awards $500 and publication for an unpublished poem, up to 3 pages, on any theme by an LGBTQIA+ poet. Submit online via the sponsor's Submittable page. Sponsored by South Florida Poetry Journal. | ||||||
| Natan Notable Books Award | 12/31/25 | Published Prose Book | Active | $5,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 31 (rolling deadline). Highly recommended free contest gives $5,000 and marketing support for a recently-published or about-to-be published nonfiction title that will catalyze conversations aligned with the themes of Natan's grantmaking: reinventing Jewish life and community for the twenty-first century, shifting notions of individual and collective Jewish identity, the history and future of Israel, and the evolving relationship between Israel and world Jewry. Submit application online and send electronic copies of the book proposal and manuscript by email. Co-sponsored by the Jewish Book Council and Natan, a nonprofit that supports Jewish and Israeli social innovation through funding new and emerging initiatives, leaders, and thinkers working in a variety of focus areas around the world. Award will be made twice each year. | ||||||
| Neil Postman Award for Metaphor | 12/31/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $2,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 31 (rolling deadline). Highly recommended free contest awards $2,000 for the best use of metaphor in a poem published in Rattle, a prestigious journal. Submissions are accepted year-round. Send up to 4 unpublished poems, any length. Wait for a decision on your first entry before submitting more. All poems published in Rattle in a given year are automatically considered for this award. No separate application process. | ||||||
| Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest | 12/31/25 | 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. | ||||||
| The Lyric College Poetry Contest | 12/31/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline December 31 (don't enter before October 1). Recommended free contest gives prizes up to $500 for poems in traditional forms by full-time US or Canadian undergraduates. Submit up to 3 poems, each 39 lines maximum. Founded in 1921, The Lyric is the oldest magazine in North America in continuous publication devoted to traditional poetry. Note that contest address differs from magazine's regular address. Enter by email or by post. | ||||||
| Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing | 12/31/25 | Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book | Active | $500.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline December 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 1). Neutral free contest gives $500 for a published book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction (all genres compete together) by an Appalachian author. Author or publisher may nominate a book by sending 3 hard copies. Contest sponsor Morehead State University is a college based in Eastern Kentucky. | ||||||
| W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction | 12/31/25 | Published Prose Book | Active | $5,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline December 31. Highly recommended free contest gives $5,000 for the best published book of fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. Both young adult and adult fiction are eligible. Book must have been published during the deadline year. Submit 7 copies of the book and complete the online application form. Administered by the American Library Association, sponsored by William Young Boyd II. | ||||||
| Blossom Contest | 01/01/26 | Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction | Active | $250.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 21). Neutral free contest from table/FEAST Literary Magazine gives prizes of $250 apiece in poetry and prose for unpublished work by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color) writers. Submit 1-5 poems (maximum 2 pages each) or one story or essay (maximum 3,000 words) with a brief cover letter by email. | ||||||
| Vermont Writers' Prize | 01/01/26 | Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction | Active | $1,250.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 1 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards two prizes of $1,250 (one for prose and one for poetry) and publication for the best previously unpublished writing about "Vermont: Its People, Its Places, Its History, or Its Values". Entries may be an essay, short story, play, or poem. Maximum 40 lines for poetry, maximum 1,500 words for prose. Contest is open to current Vermont residents and students. Submit your entry online. Co-sponsored by Green Mountain Power, an environmentally conscious utility company in Vermont, and Vermont Magazine. Formerly known as the Ralph Nading Hill Contest, it was renamed in 2013. | ||||||
| BRIO Literary Arts Awards | 01/02/26 | Fellowship Fellowship | Active | $5,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 2 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 7). Recommended free contest awards approximately 40 grants of $5,000 to literary, visual, media, and performing artists aged 18+ who reside in the Bronx, NY. Full-time college and graduate students are not eligible. Works submitted must have been created in the past 5 years. See website for rules and length limits for each genre as well as other application materials that need to be submitted along with the work sample. Submit online. Sponsored by the Bronx Council on the Arts. | ||||||
| Bethesda Urban Partnership Short Story Contest | 01/06/26 | Short Fiction | Active | $500.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 6 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards publication in Bethesda Magazine as well as prizes up to $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (grades 9-12) for previously unpublished short stories by residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper Northwest Washington, DC (20015 and 20016 zip codes). Stories must be between 1,500 and 2,500 words. One entry per person. Enter via online submissions portal only. Sponsored by the Bethesda Urban Partnership. | ||||||
| Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing | 01/07/26 | Published Prose Book | Active | C$25,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadlines September 10, November 5, January 7 (must be received by these dates). Recommended free contest awards C$25,000 for literary nonfiction books about Canadian politics by Canadian citizens or permanent residents and first published in Canada during the deadline year. Deadline varies depending on when the book was published: Books published between January 1, 2025 and August 31, 2025 must be received by September 10; those published between September 1, 2025 and October 31, 2025 must be received by November 5; and those published between November 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 must be received by January 7, 2026. Publishers should complete online entry form and upload author and book cover images as well as a PDF copy of each submitted title. Send 5 copies of the book. Sponsored by the Writers' Trust of Canada and named after Shaughnessy Cohen, an outspoken and popular Member of Parliament from Ontario. | ||||||
| Japan Center-Canon Essay Competition | 01/08/26 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $3,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 8 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest for high school and college students in the New York Metropolitan area gives scholarships up to $3,000 for essays, 500-750 words, on the spirit of Japan. Finalists also receive Canon cameras. Entrants must be 13 years old or older and enrolled in New York Metropolitan area high schools or undergraduate programs during the current school year. Entrants must be US citizens or legal permanent residents of the US except void in Maine and wherever prohibited by law. Winners are required to present their essays during an award ceremony at Stony Brook University in May. Enter online only. | ||||||
| Bechtel Prize | 01/11/26 | Creative Nonfiction | Active | $1,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 11 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Recommended free contest from Teachers & Writers Magazine gives $1,000 and publication for an essay, 2,500 words maximum, about teaching creative writing. Editors say, "We are looking for essays that describe a project or activity that got students excited about writing and fostered a vibrant and dynamic culture of literacy in the classroom." Judges are prominent authors. Enter online. | ||||||
| Golden Triangle Poetry Competition | 01/11/26 | Individual Poems | Active | $500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 11 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 18). Recommended free contest for haiku on an annual theme gives prizes up to $500 for adults and $150 for youth. Winning haiku will be displayed on tree boxes in the Golden Triangle neighborhood of Washington, DC from March through May. Contest is sponsored by the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District. Send 1-2 haiku via online form. 2026 theme is "The Joy of Nature". | ||||||
| Discoveries Prize | 01/12/26 | Novel Excerpt | Active | £5,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 12 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 16). Recommended free contest gives top prize of 5,000 pounds and representation from the Curtis Brown Literary Agency for the first 10,000 words of a novel-in-progress by a female UK or Ireland resident age 18+. All shortlisted authors will be offered personalized packages of mentorship from an agent tailored to their individual needs, as well as free or discounted Curtis Brown Creative writing courses and Audible subscriptions. Prize is intended to discover and promote "the most talented and original new female writing voices". Writers must be unagented, and submissions must be previously unpublished. Writers need not have completed their novel at the time of entry. Enter online by completing the submission form, including the introductory extract of your work-in-progress and a concise synopsis (up to 1,000 words allowed, but sponsor prefers 500 words). Co-sponsored by the Women's Prize Trust, Curtis Brown Literary Agency, Curtis Brown Creative Writing School, and Audible. | ||||||
| French-American Foundation Translation Prizes | 01/12/26 | Published Prose Book | Active | $10,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 12 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest gives prizes of $10,000 apiece for the best published book-length translations of French fiction and creative nonfiction into English. Entries must have been published in the US during the calendar year preceding the deadline. Three excerpts from the translated book (the first 6 pages, 6 pages in the middle, and 6 pages at the end of the work) along with the three corresponding excerpts from the original work in French must be submitted online by the publisher, agent, publicist, or translator. Hard copies will be requested for finalists later on in the judging process. See detailed application requirements and instructions on sponsor's website. | ||||||
| John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest | 01/12/26 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $10,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 12 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 1). Highly recommended free contest for US high school students under the age of 20 awards a top prize of $10,000 for essays about how an elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born, risked their career to take a stand based on moral principles. Essays should be between 700-1,000 words and cite at least five varied research sources. Must complete and submit a registration form online for student and school information, including the name of a nominating teacher. | ||||||
| Bethesda Urban Partnership Essay Contest | 01/13/26 | Creative Nonfiction | Active | $500.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 13 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards publication and prizes up to $500 in adult category (age 18+) and $250 in high school category (grades 9-12) for essays by residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. Essays should be 500 words maximum. One entry per person. Obscene or objectionable material will be disqualified. Enter via online submissions portal. Sponsored by the Bethesda Urban Partnership. | ||||||
| Bethesda Urban Partnership Poetry Contest | 01/13/26 | Individual Poems | Active | $350.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 13 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to $350 in adult category (ages 18+) and $75 in high school category (ages 14-18 and enrolled in grades 9-12) for previously unpublished poetry by residents of Washington, DC and select counties in Maryland and Virginia. All winners will be published on Bethesda.org and honored during Bethesda's Local Writer's Showcase in March; winner in adult category will also receive publication on The Writer's Center "First Person Plural" blog and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center. Poems should be 21 lines maximum. One entry per person. Enter via online submissions portal only; no mail or email entries accepted. Sponsored by the Bethesda Urban Partnership. | ||||||
| Story Unlikely Short Story Contest | 01/14/26 | Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction | Active | $3,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 14 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 14). Recommended free contest gives prizes up to $3,000 and online publication for a short story or essay in any genre, maximum 4,000 words. No simultaneous submissions. To qualify for this contest, and receive the results, you must subscribe to their free monthly newsletter. Email your entry following the detailed formatting instructions on sponsor's rules page. | ||||||
| Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize | 01/15/26 | Published Prose Book | Active | $15,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 15 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards prize of $15,000 for a book-length work of prose fiction by a US woman, published in the preceding calendar year. Entries may be a novel, a collection of short stories, or experimental writing. A digital file must be submitted by publisher, and application form must be completed online; if a title is chosen as a finalist, sponsor will contact publisher for hard copies of the book. Sponsored by the University of Rochester's Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. | ||||||
| Levis Reading Prize | 01/15/26 | Published Poetry Book | Active | $5,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 15 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards $5,000 for a first or second book of poetry by a US resident published during the preceding calendar year. Winner also receives an expenses-paid trip to Richmond, VA for a reading in the fall. Publisher must email a PDF of the book AND send three copies of the book, a cover letter, and a brief author bio by mail. Awarded by the Department of English and its MFA in Creative Writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University. | ||||||
| Lit Fox Award | 01/15/26 | Poetry Manuscript | Active | $1,500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 15). Recommended free contest from Lit Fox Books, a literary press in Austin, TX, offers $1,500 and publication for a full-length poetry manuscript (at least 48 pages). Enter online. | ||||||
| Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards | 01/15/26 | Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction | Active | $10,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 15 (must be received by this date). Highly Recommended free contest gives six $10,000 scholarships to current US public high school seniors age 21 and under for creative writing, 4-10 pages, "with a strong, clear voice by authors who are daring, original, and unafraid to take risks" in one of the following categories: poetry, spoken word, fiction, personal essay/memoir, or book bans prompt. Winners also receive virtual meetings with editors, networking workshops, a panel about career opportunities in publishing, and chats with authors. Winners must plan to enroll in an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school in the Fall of the deadline year, and the scholarships will be paid out over four years. Enter early because sponsor will only accept the first 1,000 applications received, which may occur before the deadline date. Co-sponsored by Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books. | ||||||
| Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award | 01/15/26 | Individual Poems | Active | $500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 1). Recommended free contest from Fourteen Hills: The San Francisco State University Review awards $500 and publication for a poem, 3-10 pages long, that demonstrates a "truly inventive spirit". Open to all poets except current SFSU students. Limit one poem per writer. Enter online via sponsor's submissions portal. | ||||||
| Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 11-12 | 01/15/26 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $30,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 1). Recommended free contest awards scholarships and prizes up to $30,000 for essays, fewer than 500 words, on fighting discrimination. Essays must be true accounts, not fictitious stories. 2026 prompt is inspired by a quote from Alex Stojsavljevic, the 2011 grand prize winner of Stop the Hate. Open to 11th and 12th graders in certain counties in Northeast Ohio. Enter online using sponsor's submissions portal. Sponsored by the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio. | ||||||
| Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out Essay Contest Grades 6-10 | 01/15/26 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $400.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 1). Neutral free contest sponsored by the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage awards five top prizes of $400 to students (one in each grade level) as well as a $1,000 award for Teacher of the Year for essays, maximum 500 words, on fighting discrimination. Essays must be true accounts, not fictitious stories. 2026 prompt is inspired by a quote from Alex Stojsavljevic, the 2011 grand prize winner of Stop the Hate. Open to students in grades 6-10 in certain Northeastern Ohio counties. Enter online using sponsor's submissions portal. | ||||||
| Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History | 01/15/26 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $2,500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 15. Recommended free contest from the Colonial Society of Massachusetts awards $2,500 and publication in the New England Quarterly for a previously unpublished scholarly essay on pre-1825 American history. Essay must be a maximum of 14,000 words, use footnotes rather than endnotes, and follow Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition). Preference is given to New England subjects. Email your essay as both a Word document and a PDF or mail a hard copy of your essay. Electronic submission is strongly encouraged. | ||||||
| Women Artists Datebook | 01/15/26 | Individual Poems | Active | $70.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 15 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards $70 for inspirational poems that "promote activism and/or healing" by writers who self-identify as women, to be included in a spiral-bound datebook with original art. Syracuse Cultural Workers describes itself as a "peace and justice publisher" with interest in the environment, social change, and marginalized groups. Submit up to 4 previously unpublished poems, 30 lines maximum apiece, via sponsor's online form. | ||||||
| Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize | 01/16/26 | Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book | Active | $5,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 16 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest sponsored by the Goethe-Institut New York honors an outstanding literary translation from German into English published in the US or Canada during the preceding calendar year. Novels, novellas, short stories, plays, poetry, biographies, essays, and correspondences are eligible. Prize is $5,000, a fully funded trip to the Frankfurt Book Fair, and an invitation to the award ceremony in New York. American publishers should complete online submission form and then send 5 copies of the book. | ||||||
| Washington State Book Awards | 01/16/26 | 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. | ||||||
| Poetry Society of Virginia Student Contest | 01/19/26 | Individual Poems | Active | $25.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 19 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards online publication and prizes of $25, $15, and $10 in the elementary through high school categories for poems in any form and on any subject. Age categories are Grades 3-4, Grades 5-6, Grades 7-8, Grades 9-10, and Grades 11-12. One poem, 35 lines maximum, per entrant per category. Submit your poem online. Sponsored by the Poetry Society of Virginia, the second oldest state poetry society in the nation. | ||||||
| Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest | 01/20/26 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $10,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 20 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest for US college students gives top prize of $10,000 and other large prizes for essays about ethical issues and the place of ethics in human life. Entries should be 2,500-3,500 words. See website for specific themes. Entrants must be registered full-time undergraduate juniors or seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the US during the fall semester in which the contest opens for submissions, and they are encouraged to have a faculty sponsor. Enter online only. Sponsored by the Elie Wiesel Foundation. | ||||||
| Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets | 01/21/26 | Published Poetry Book | Active | £5,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 21 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest gives two top awards of 5,000 pounds: one for the author of a poetry chapbook published or self-published in the UK between September 28, 2024 and October 1, 2025, and one for an outstanding UK publisher of poetry chapbooks. Additional award of 1,000 pounds will be given for the Environmental Poetry Pamphlet. Winning poets will become Harvard University's Michael Marks Poet in Residence in Greece. Books should be no more than 36 pages. Poet or publisher should complete entry form online before sending 6 hard copies of book. Co-sponsored by the Wordsworth Trust and the British Library. | ||||||
| Zocalo Public Square Poetry Prize | 01/23/26 | Individual Poems | Active | $1,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline January 23 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 8). Recommended free contest awards $1,000 for a poem by a US author that best evokes a connection to place. "Place" may be interpreted by the poet as a location of historical, cultural, political, or personal importance; it may be a literal, imaginary, or metaphorical landscape. Send 1-3 unpublished poems, no length limit, by email. Zocalo Public Square connects people to ideas and to each other in an open, accessible, non-partisan, and broad-minded spirit. | ||||||
| Orwell Prize for Political Fiction | 01/26/26 | Published Prose Book | Active | £5,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 26 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 28). Highly recommended free contest awards 5,000 pounds for the best book of political fiction first published in the UK or Ireland between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026. In addition, a Special Prize may be awarded at the judges' discretion. Entries may be novels, collections of short stories, graphic novels, or YA. Publisher, agent, or editor should complete entry form online, upload 1 copy of the book in electronic form as well as other required materials, and mail 2 hard copies of the book (a further 4 copies may be requested by the sponsor); a publisher or imprint may enter up to 5 titles. The Special Prize is not a separate submission category, and it includes no monetary award unless specifically stated. | ||||||
| Orwell Prize for Political Writing | 01/26/26 | Published Prose Book | Active | £5,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 26 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 28). Highly recommended free contest awards 5,000 pounds for the best political nonfiction first published in the UK or Ireland between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026. In addition, a Special Prize may be awarded at the judges' discretion. Publisher, agent, or editor should complete entry form online, upload 1 copy of the book in electronic form as well as other required materials, and mail 2 hard copies of the book (a further 6 copies may be requested by the sponsor); a publisher or imprint may enter a maximum of 5 titles. The Special Prize is not a separate submission category, and it includes no monetary award unless specifically stated. | ||||||
| Pegasus Poetry Book Prize | 01/26/26 | Poetry Manuscript | Active | $10,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 26 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 12). Highly recommended free contest from the prestigious Poetry Foundation in partnership with Graywolf Press offers $10,000 and book publication for a first or second poetry collection, 48-80 pages, by a US author aged 40+. Enter online. This is an occasional contest that is not held annually. Entrants must register online by January 26 and send their manuscript by February 2. | ||||||
| Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest for Students | 01/31/26 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $25,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadlines July 31, 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. | ||||||
| Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest for Michigan Students | 01/31/26 | Short Fiction | Active | $250.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 1). Neutral free contest gives publication and prizes up to $250 for short stories, between 500 and 4,000 words, written by secondary and middle school students in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Also open to home-schooled students. See sponsor's detailed formatting requirements before entering. Teacher or school representative must submit student's entry via sponsor's online entry form. No limit to number of entries a teacher can make, but only one story per student may be submitted. Sponsored by the Michigan-based nonprofit Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association. | ||||||
| Danuta Gleed Literary Award | 01/31/26 | Published Prose Book | Active | C$10,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 12). Highly recommended free contest awards top prize of C$10,000 for the best first collection of short fiction written in the English language by a Canadian author and published in Canada during the preceding calendar year. Publisher must send 4 copies to the Writers' Union of Canada and also complete a submission form online, which includes uploading publicity materials. | ||||||
| Fountainhead Essay Contest for Middle and High School Students | 01/31/26 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $25,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadlines July 31, October 31, January 31 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest for middle and high school students in grades 8-12 awards $25,000 annual grand prize, three $3,000 top seasonal prizes, and other large prizes, for essays on Ayn Rand's novel 'The Fountainhead'. After registering for the contest online, student will receive instant access to the book, the essay prompt(s), 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. Submit your essay online. Contest is looking for entries that are sympathetic to Rand's rationalist, libertarian philosophy. See sponsor's website for other student contests. | ||||||
| Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest | 01/31/26 | 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 | 01/31/26 | 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. | ||||||
