Contest Database

View our curated results of the best free literary contests!

Name	Deadline	Type	Status	Top Prize	WW Rating
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.
Tom La Farge Award	01/30/26	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$10,000.00	Neutral
Deadline January 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 15). Neutral free contest awards $10,000 for a writing project proposal that engages with Tom La Farge's work and values. Submit project description (max 4 pages), statement (max 2 pages), sample (max 2 pages), and applicant's introduction (max 2 pages) via sponsor's online form.
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.
Frances "Frank" Rollin Fellowship	02/01/26	Creative Nonfiction Fellowship	Active	$5,000.00	Neutral
Deadline February 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 1). Neutral free contest gives two $5,000 fellowships for a work-in-progress that is a book-length biography of one or more African-American figures. Submit project description (max 500 words), statement of need (max 500 words), author bio (max 500 words), and manuscript excerpt (max 20 pages) in a single PDF file via sponsor's online form. Sponsored by the Biographers International Organization (BIO).
Gannon University's High School Poetry Contest	02/01/26	Individual Poems	Active	$100.00	Recommended
Deadline February 1 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest for US students in grades 9-12 awards prizes of $100, $75, $50. Open to home schoolers. Winners also receive signed book by an acclaimed poet and will be published in Writing Awards program as well as sponsor's literary magazine. Email 1-2 poems, maximum 40 lines apiece. Sponsored by Gannon University, a Catholic college in Erie, PA.
Paterson Poetry Prize	02/01/26	Published Poetry Book	Active	$2,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 1. Recommended free contest awards $2,000 for the strongest collection of poems published during the previous calendar year. Book must have 48+ pages. To receive the prize, the winning poet must participate in a reading and teach a workshop at the Poetry Center in Paterson, NJ or virtually. Publisher or author should submit 2 copies plus entry form. Recent winners have been well-established poets. Sponsored by the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College.
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People	02/01/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 1. Recommended free contest awards $1,000 in each of three age categories: books for PreK-Grade 3, Grades 4-6, or Grades 7-12. Books must have been published in the previous calendar year. Send 3 copies of book plus entry form. Publisher or author may submit more than one title for prize consideration. Sponsored by the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College.
Wednesday Club Junior Poetry Contest	02/01/26	Individual Poems	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadline February 1. Neutral free contest for students in grades 9-12 awards top prize of $200. Entrants must attend high schools in the area of St. Louis, MO. Entries must be submitted through their school's English Department. Send 2 copies of 2 previously unpublished poems, one page per poem maximum, signed with a pen name, along with entry form via postal mail.
Wednesday Club Poetry Contest	02/01/26	Individual Poems	Active	$500.00	Neutral
Deadline February 1 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives top prize of $500 for previously unpublished poetry by writers age 18+ living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis, MO. Send 2 copies of 2 poems, maximum of 2 pages per poem.
Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize	02/06/26	Published Prose Book	Active	£10,000.00	Neutral
Deadline February 6 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 9). Neutral free contest awards 10,000 pounds for an adventure novel of any length that was published by a recognized, UK-based trade publisher between May 1 of the previous year and April 30 of the deadline year. Be sure to review the sponsor's description of the adventure writing genre before entering. Entry must be made online by publisher or literary agent. Multiple qualifying works by the same author may be submitted. Sponsored by the Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation.
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize	02/11/26	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	02/11/26	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	02/11/26	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.
Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize	02/13/26	Prose Manuscript	Active	£15,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 13 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 27). Recommended free contest gives 15,000 pounds prize and possible publication by Footnote Press for "novels centered around themes of displacement, courage and/or belonging that have a literary audience in mind" by a resident of the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who is from a refugee or migrant background. Writer does not need to have finished their book to enter, but winner must be able to deliver a complete manuscript, between 60,000 and 100,000 words, before June 27, 2027. No simultaneous submissions. Submit your writing sample of 8,000-10,000 words, along with a detailed 1,500-word synopsis and brief author bio, online. Sponsored by Footnote Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK Limited, in partnership with Counterpoints Arts.
Writers' and Artists' Short Story Competition	02/13/26	Short Fiction	Active		Neutral
Deadline February 13 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards tuition to an Arvon Foundation residential writing retreat and online publication, for previously unpublished short fiction, up to 2,000 words, on a theme that changes annually. 2026 theme is "Play". Writer must not be agented or under a publishing contract. Enter online. Sponsored by Bloomsbury Publishing, publishers of The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook, an annual directory of markets and advice for writers.
Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest	02/15/26	Individual Poems	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 17). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to $250 for unpublished poems by Michigan high school students. Winners published in The Albion Review, the literary journal of Albion College in Michigan. Submit 1-3 poems online, maximum 50 lines each. Prior to 2012, contest was known as the Michigan High School Poetry Contest.
Charles S. Longcope Jr. Writers and Artists Grant	02/15/26	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards up to three grants of $5,000 to emerging scholars, writers, or artists for projects primarily focused on LGBTQ+ identity, experiences, or history. Submit project title, proposal, description, budget, timeline, article description, CV/resume, and list of other funding via email. For more details, see the sponsor's FAQ page. Sponsored by the Gay & Lesbian Review.
Haiku Society of America Merit Book Awards	02/15/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest awards up to $250 for the best English-language book of haiku, or primarily haiku, published in the previous calendar year. At least 50 percent of the book must be haiku, senryu, or haibun, or prose about these subjects; books mostly of tanka are ineligible. Haiku Society of America members, authors, or publishers may submit or nominate more than one title; send two copies of each book. Early entries are encouraged.
Harold Morton Landon Translation Award	02/15/26	Published Poetry Book	Active	$1,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 15). Highly recommended free contest from the Academy of American Poets awards $1,000 for the best book of poetry, 48+ pages, translated from any language into English and published in the US during the previous calendar year. Translator must be a living US citizen or resident who has resided in the United States for the past decade. To submit a book for consideration, the publisher must enter it online.
James Welch Prize	02/15/26	Individual Poems	Active	$1,000.00	Neutral
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before December 15). Neutral free contest from Poetry Northwest awards $1,000 for two outstanding poems by emerging indigenous poets who are community-recognized members of US tribal nations and trust territories. Submit 1-3 poems (up to 3 pages each) with a brief biography via sponsor's Submittable page.
Moving Words Poetry Competition for Adults	02/15/26	Individual Poems	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before December 15). Neutral free contest awards 7 prizes of $250 for poems, of 10 lines or less, by writers aged 18+ living in the greater Washington, DC Metro transit area. The winning poems will be displayed inside Arlington Transit's buses for 7 months; winners also will receive online publication. For previously published poems, author must hold the copyright. Submit up to 10 poems online. Sponsored by Arlington Cultural Affairs as part of its Moving Words program.
Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award	02/15/26	Published Poetry Book Fellowship	Active	$10,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 15). Highly recommended free contest from the Academy of American Poets alternates between a $10,000 prize for published books (48 pages minimum) of English translations of modern Italian poetry and a $25,000 fellowship for translators of modern Italian poetry to complete a work-in-progress. Open to US citizens and residents who have resided in the United States for at least a decade. For 2025, the Raiziss/de Palchi book prize will be given for the translation into English of a significant work of modern, standard (non-dialect) Italian poetry. Publisher must enter online.
Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award	02/17/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 17. Recommended free contest awards $1,000 for a book published within 3 calendar years immediately preceding the year of the competition (e.g., a copyright notice of 2023-2025 for current contest) by authors with a connection to the state of Kansas by birth, education, employment, residence, or other significant claim. Award alternates between genres every 3 years. Fiction is the 2026 deadline genre, and entries must be book-length novels or collections of short stories. Publishers, authors, or anyone interested in seeing a book considered must submit 2 signed copies of each book nominated. Sponsored by Washburn University's Center for Kansas Studies, the Thomas Fox Averill Kansas Studies Collection at Mabee Library, and the Friends of Mabee Library.
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition	02/19/26	Individual Poems	Active	£5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 19 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest sponsored by Christ Church, Oxford, gives 5,000 pounds prize for unpublished poems of 48 lines maximum by UK students aged 16-18. Themes change annually. For 2026, the theme is 'A Riddle'. No simultaneous submissions. Enter online.
Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest	02/20/26	Individual Poems	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline February 20 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest from the annual Gaithersburg Book Festival in Gaithersburg, MD gives prizes up to $250 in gift certificates for poems, maximum 1 page, by high school students (grades 9-12) from across the Washington Metropolitan Area (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC). For 2026, poems must focus on the theme: "What Is Humanity?" Submit your entry using the sponsor's online submissions portal. Homeschool students in that age group are also eligible.
Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award	02/20/26	Individual Poems	Active	$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline February 20 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from West Chester University awards prizes up to $1,500 for unpublished poetry "composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme, and received forms" by US undergraduate students. Submit 1-3 poems, of any length, via email.
Myong Cha Son Haiku Award	02/20/26	Individual Poems	Active	$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline February 20 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from West Chester University awards prizes up to $1,500 for unpublished haiku by US undergraduate students. Submit 1-3 poems online.
Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award	02/20/26	Individual Poems	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 20 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from West Chester University awards $1,000 for unpublished poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish by US undergraduate students. Submit 1-3 poems, of any length, online.
Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award	02/22/26	Creative Nonfiction Fellowship	Active	$15,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 22 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards $15,000 grant for article proposals from promising early-career, creative nonfiction writers age 21+ to report on "an untold story that uncovers truths about the human condition". The completed project, which will probe an important public issue in depth (4,000-6,000 words), and which the sponsor expects to be featured in an English-language publication of strong reputation, must be delivered no later than December 31 of the deadline year. Winner may receive visiting scholar privileges at NYU, including full online and on-site library access from April-November. Complete sponsor's comprehensive application online by answering several questions regarding the proposed project and by supplying required application materials (e.g., URL addresses of previously published articles, resume/CV, references). Sponsored by the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. Named in honor of Matthew Power, an award-winning journalist who passed away in 2014 while reporting in Uganda.
Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant	02/23/26	Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 23 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards a $1,000 grant to an Ohio writer aged 30 and under with no published books. Submit 1-4 prose pieces (fiction or creative nonfiction), 10-40 total double-spaced pages. Applicants must have been born in Ohio or lived there for at least 3 years. See sponsor's website for details and entry form. Enter by email. Sponsored by the Ohioana Library Association.
Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism	02/27/26	Published Prose Book	Active	$10,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 27 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 15). Recommended free contest from the Poetry Foundation gives $10,000 for a book-length work of poetry criticism, including critical editions, biographies of poets, and essay collections published in English in the US during the previous calendar year. First-time nominators must register with the online submission portal by February 27. Applications with a 20-page sample of the book should be submitted by March 2.
Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships	02/27/26	Fellowship	Active	$27,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 27, March 2 (registration for the online portal must be received by the first deadline date; application materials must be received by the second deadline date; don't enter before January 15). Highly recommended free contest from prestigious Poetry magazine awards five fellowships of $27,000 for US authors aged 21-31 at any time in 2026 who "demonstrate a clear commitment to poetry". Preference is given to poets "who have not had substantial institutional support in their careers thus far". Register and apply using initial forms on the sponsor's online submissions manager; after approval is received, upload 10 pages of your poetry (published work may be included) and answer questions regarding your creative practices. Enter online only. Formerly known as the Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships.
Black Caucus of the American Library Association Self-Published E-Book Literary Award	02/28/26	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$2,500.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards two prizes of $2,500 for self-published e-books of fiction and poetry written by African-Americans that depict the "cultural, historical, or sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora". Author must be the copyright holder of the English-language work. Complete online submission process, which includes uploading the e-book file. Author can submit as many of their ebooks as they would like. Sponsored by the BCALA.
Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest	02/28/26	Short Fiction	Active	$500.00	Neutral
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards three prizes of $500 in English-language, Japanese-language, and youth (under 18) divisions for unpublished stories set in past, present, or future Little Tokyo (Japanese-American region of Los Angeles). Maximum 2,500 words for English entries. Winning stories will be published in The Rafu Shimpo and Discover Nikkei website, and winners will be invited to an award ceremony in Little Tokyo. Submit via email. Include a signed agreement, which can be found on the sponsor's website, along with your entry. Sponsored by the Little Tokyo Historical Society.
Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Prize	02/28/26	Short Fiction	Active	£750.00	Neutral
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 3). Neutral free contest from the UK-based Orwell Society gives 750 pounds prize, a trophy, and journal publication for a dystopian short story, maximum 3,000 words, by a current undergraduate or postgraduate student at a British university who is also a permanent UK citizen. Enter online.
Sejong Cultural Society Sijo Writing Competition	02/28/26	Individual Poems	Active	$1,000.00	Neutral
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest from the Sejong Cultural Society awards prizes up to $1,000 for an English-language sijo poem, 3 lines maximum, by US and Canadian residents on any topic. Be sure to read more about this Korean poetic form in the resources provided on the sponsor's rules page. Entrants must participate in their age-appropriate division: Adult (19+) or Pre-college (18 and under); college students who are 18 as of the deadline date must participate in the adult category. Limit one sijo per author. Enter online.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	02/28/26	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.