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This August there are nearly three dozen writing contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to completed novels. Prizes range from $20,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.
Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.
If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline is past, you can prepare for next year.
Good luck!
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Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants. Restrictions: Open to women and trans artists in Greater Philadelphia to fund art for social change projects. People living in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties Delaware who are 18 years of age or older and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Genres: Art in traditional or nontraditional modes, mediums or disciplines. Prize: $2500. Deadline: August 1, 2021.
2021 District Fray + The Inner Loop Creative Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of the Washington, DC area. Genre: Short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Prize: $50 and publication. Deadline: August 1, 2021.
Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each. Deadline: August 1, 2021.
Peter Blazey Fellowship. Restrictions: Applicants must either be an Australian citizen or have Australian residency. Genre: Non-fiction in the fields of autobiography, biography or life writing. Prize: $15,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre. Deadline: August 2, 2021.
Costa Short Story Award. Restrictions: Open to writers in the UK or Ireland. Genre: Short story (maximum 4,000 words). Prize: £3,000. Deadline: August 2, 2021.
Epigram Books Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be Singaporean, Singaporean permanent resident or Singapore-born. Genre: A full-length, original and unpublished novel written in the English language. Prize: $20,000. Deadline: August 2, 2021.
Micro Madness. Genre: Cosmic horror, dark science fiction, or weird flash fiction. Length: 500 words max. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 7, 2021.
Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: Opens August 6, 2021. Closes August 8, 2021.
Briefly Write Poetry Prize. Genre: Poems up to 10 lines. Prize: Winner = £25 / Runners-up (5) = £5 each. Deadline: August 8, 2021.
Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between July 1, 2021, and September 30, 2021. Must be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100.000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: August 13, 2021.
The Yale Drama Series. Genre: Original, unpublished full-length plays, with a minimum of 65 pages. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: August 15, 2021.
Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Poets living in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., or West Virginia. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, ten author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head craft beer. Deadline: August 15, 2021.
Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Restrictions: Emerging African American writers. Genres: Short story collection or novel published in the current year. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: August 15, 2021.
Ligonier Valley Writers. Genre: Flash fiction on theme of "snakes and other reptiles";1000 words max. Prize: The first prize winner will receive $50, second prize $25, and third prize $15. Deadline: August 15, 2021.
Eerie River Publishing. Genre: Horror on theme of Old Gods. Prize: ¢.5 per word CAD (half a cent), with a max of $15 plus a one-time royalty bonus payment based on six months of sales. Deadline: August 25, 2021. This is a monthly contest.
Green Stories Writing Competition. Genre: TV/radio series about building a sustainable society. Prize: Free script appraisal and treatment by the Literary Consultancy, plus will be sent to production companies for consideration. Deadline: August 26, 2021.
Boroondara Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Short fiction and poetry. Prize: More than $5,000 in prize money across various age groups in the Young Writers’ category. More than $3,500 in prize money in the Open Short Story category. Deadline: August 27, 2021.
Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Uplifting, feel-good short story with an overall word-count of 2000 on theme: ‘Now and Then.’ Prize: £200. Deadline: August 28, 2021.
YORKSHIRE PRIZE: The Good Old Days. Restrictions: The Yorkshire Prize is open to residents of Yorkshire, UK. Genre: Short story on theme: The Good Old Days. The story should mark a significant moment in Yorkshire history. Up to 2 entries per person to the maximum word count of 2000 per entry. Prize: £100, and two further commendations of £25. Deadline: August 28, 2021.
Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize. Genre: Article that furthers the understanding of the history of working people. Articles focused on historical events AND articles about current issues (work, housing, organizing, health, education) that include historical context are both welcome. The work should be published in print or online between August 26, 2019 and August 30, 2020. Prize: $1000. Deadline: August 30, 2021.
Apparition Lit. Genre: Poetry and short fiction between 1k – 5k words based on the theme Wonder. Prize: $30. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing. Genre: Scholarly essay. All work submitted must have been written or published within the last year. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Ruritania Prize. Genre: Short fiction. "The Ruritania Prize is a prize for those writing from a place that doesn't exist, English-speakers who are struggling to find their role in a contradictory literary tradition which is simultaneously patronizing and affectionate. Its judges are drawn from a variety of major Central and Eastern European cities, to better reflect the real diversity of the lands in which the Ruritanian romances were (and are) set." Prize: 350 euros and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
International Human Rights Art Festival: Creators of Justice Literary Award. Genre: poetry, short stories and essays which use the written word to celebrate justice. Prize: First Prize: $150; Second Prize: $100; Third Prize: $50. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $750 in any single year. Genre: Biographical Nonfiction. Prize: First prize is $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Forgiven. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation or Multi-Lingual Texts. Restrictions: Translators and authors of multi-lingual texts. Genres: Poetry and prose. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Kindle Storyteller Award (UK). Restrictions: The prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk. Genre: Book. Prize: £20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Jacques Maritain Prize for Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, Catholic themes. Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Levar Burton Reads. Genre: Speculative fiction on Theme: Origins & Encounters. "We are interested in stories that examine the magical joys and tragic pitfalls of blended civilizations and cultural exchanges in all their forms. As our worlds change, what precious things do we carry with us and allow to be altered or demand they remain untouched? What is taken from us and what will we do to get it back? What do we allow ourselves to remember of our histories, our roots, and what do we allow ourselves to forget? What do we leave behind and what do we choose to carry into the future?" Prize: $500 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry collection (in English), at least 48 pages long, published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year by an upstate New York author. Prize: $2000. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Jack Grapes Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: WINNERS will receive $200 each, plus publication. FINALISTS will receive $50 each, plus publication. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to authors aged 18-35 as of December 31 of the deadline year. Books must have been first published in the UK and/or the Republic of Ireland, in the English language, between June 23 of the preceding year and August 31 of the deadline year. Authors must be UK or Irish citizens, or residents for the three years preceding the award. Genre: Published or self-published book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction, Prize: £10,000. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
Hysteria. Genre: Poetry, short story, flash fiction. All genres except erotica or horror. Theme: Hope and Unity. Writers under 16 may enter. Prize: £25. Deadline: August 31, 2021.
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