There are over two dozen writing contests in September for short stories, poetry, essays, scripts, and books in every genre. None charge entry fees. Prizes range from a gift basket to $25,000. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.

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 has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck!

_________________________


Green Stories Writing Competition. Genre: Screenplay about building a sustainable society. Prize: £750: 1st prize £500, 2nd prize £100, third prize £50 plus £50 for best student submission (18-25 years) and £50 for best < 18 year submission. Deadline: ?

Helen Schaible Shakespearean/Petrarchan Sonnet Contest. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $50, 2nd Prize $35, 3rd Prize $15, three Honorable Mentions, three Special Recognitions. Deadline: September 1, 2019.

Brilliant Flash Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. Word limit: 300 words, excluding title. Prompt: “Feed Us” Prize: $100.00 first prize, $30.00 second prize, $20.00 third prize Deadline: September 1, 2019.

Transitions Abroad. Genre: Essay on living, working or moving abroad. Prize: $500. Deadline: September 1, 2019.

The Critical Junior Poet’s Award. Restrictions: Open to students between the ages of 13 and 18. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 1, 2019.

PEN Prison Writing Contest. Restrictions: Anyone incarcerated in a federal, state, or county prison in the year before the September 1 deadline is eligible to enter. Genres: Poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction. Prize: $200 top prize per category. Deadline: September 1, 2019.

Wrightwood Literary Festival Young Poets Competition. Restrictions: Open to school-aged poets in the Tri-Community area and beyond (Wrightwood, CA). Genre: Poetry. Prize: Gift basket and invitation to read at the festival. Deadline: September 1, 2019.

Hubert Butler Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to European Union citizens aged 18+. Genre: Essay on theme "Where does a citizen of the world belong?" 3,000 words max. Prize: Up to 1,000 pounds. Deadline: September 2, 2019.

IWSG. Genre: Middle Grade Historical – Adventure/Fantasy. Theme: Voyagers. Word count: 3500-5000. Prize: The winning stories will be edited and published by Dancing Lemur Press' imprint Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. Deadline: September 4, 2019.

#PitMad Pitch Party. #PitMad is a pitch party on Twitter where writers tweet a 280-character pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts. Agents and editors make requests by liking/favoriting the tweeted pitch. Every unagented writer is welcome to pitch. All genres/categories are welcomed. Deadline: September 5, 2019.
Young Lions Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to US citizens 35 years of age or younger. Genre: Novel or a collection of short stories published between January 2017 and December 2017. Submissions by publisher only. Authors may not submit their own work. Prize: $10,000.00.    Deadline: September 6, 2019.

Pass or Pages. Genre: Novel. Prize: Possible agent representation. Deadline: September 9 - 13, 2019.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000.00. Deadline: Books published between July 31 and September 10 must be received by September 11, 2019.

Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets. Restrictions: Poetry pamphlet. Only pamphlets published in the United Kingdom between September 2018 and this year’s closing date are eligible. Genre: Poetry. Prize:  £5,000. Deadline: September 12, 2019.

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: September 15, 2019.

RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be a resident of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or have been a resident in the UK or ROI for the past three years. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: Two awards – one of £10,000, one of £5,000 – are offered to support writers to complete their first commissioned works of non-fiction. Deadline: September 16, 2019.

Three Cheers and a Tiger. Genre: Science fiction/fantasy short story. Prize: Winning stories are published in the December issue of Toasted Cheese. If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card. Deadline: September 21, 2019.

Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing. Genre: Short story on theme: ‘Love Letters.’ Prize: £200.    Deadline: September 21, 2019.

Slackjaw Humor Writing Challenge! Genre: Humor Prize: Up to $2000. Deadline: September 21, 2019.

Cullman Center Fellowships. Fellowship. The Cullman Center’s Selection Committee awards up to 15 fellowships a year to outstanding scholars and writers—academics, independent scholars, journalists, and creative writers. Foreign nationals conversant in English are welcome to apply. Award: A stipend of up to $70,000, an office, a computer, and full access to the Library's physical and electronic resources. Deadline: September 27, 2019.

Writers' HQ Flash Quarterly Contest. Genre: Unpublished flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: 450 pounds. Top three winners win membership to Writers' HQ, a British writing resource site, and admission to three WHQ writing retreats. Winners outside the UK can substitute a manuscript critique for the retreats. Deadline: September 30, 2019.

Owl Canyon Press Short Story Hackathon. Genre: Short story. " Writers are invited to create and submit a short story consisting of 50 paragraphs. The contest provides the first and last paragraph and the short story writer crafts the rest." Prize: First prize is $1000, 2nd prize is $500, and 3rd prize is $250 with the winning short story published in an ebook short story anthology for Amazon, as well as an invitation to give a public reading at Inkberry Books in Niwot, CO. Twenty-four (24) Finalists will also have their short stories included in this ebook anthology. Deadline: September 30, 2019.

Salisbury Story Prize. Genre: Short fiction (500 words) on theme of "Rivers." Open to ages 4 and up. Prize: £50 for children to be spent at Waterstones. Free online course for adults.  Deadline: September 30, 2019.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $100. Deadline: September 30, 2019.

Iowa Short Fiction and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards. Genre: Short story collection. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. Prize: Publication by the University of Iowa Press, royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2019.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000.  Deadline: September 30, 2019.

Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers of Caribbean birth or citizenship, living and working in the Anglophone Caribbean and writing in English, over the age of 18 by 30 September, 2018 and have no previously published a book-length work in the genre in which they are making a submission.Genre: Literary non-fiction work in progress.   Prize: $20,000TT (or the equivalent in US dollars). Deadline: September 30, 2019.

Victoria Literary Festival Writing Competition. Genre: Short story: 1500 words, taking into consideration the theme of the 2019 VLF festival: Hats Off. Prize: First prize will receive 350 CDN$ with four runners up receiving 50 CDN$ each. Deadline: September 30, 2019.

John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize. Genre: Published book of poems. Publishers may submit four copies of a debut full-length poetry collection (or bound galleys) published between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019. Prize: €10,000 (approximately $11,400) Deadline: September 30, 2019.

There are over two dozen contests in August for short stories, poetry, essays, scripts, and books in every genre. None charge entry fees. Prizes range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to publication. Some accept self-published work. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.

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 has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck!

_______________

The Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre: Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $1,000 - $25,000. Deadline: Nominations by publishers for books in English must reach the Canada Council no later than August 1, 2019.

The Miracle Monocle Award for Ambitious Student Writers. Restrictions: Authors must be currently enrolled as students (high school, undergraduate, or graduate). Genre: All. Prize: $200. Deadline: August 1, 2019.

Milwaukee Irish Fest. Genre: Poetry. Entries should have a culture/literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2019.

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 1, 2019.

Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants. Restrictions: Writers 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: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: $2500.  Deadline: August 1, 2019.

Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: Books published between 1st August 2017 and 31st July 2019 in the UK. Genre: Books with mountain,not necessarily mountaineering, theme whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, written in the English language. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: August 1, 2019.

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, 2019.

Pen 2 Paper Creative Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers with disabilities. Genre: Fiction, poetry, CNF, graphic novel. Prize: One Grand Prize winner will receive $500 USD, and a 1st Place winner in each of the four divisions will receive $100 USD. Deadline: August 1, 2019.

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 1, 2019.

Bethune & Son Texas Short Story Competition. Genre: Unpublished short stories with the Texas theme: "Black Gold." Prize: up to $1,000. Deadline: August 2, 2019.

Frieze Writers' Prize. Genre: Essay: Art Criticism. Aspiring art critics are invited to submit one unpublished review of a recent contemporary art exhibition, which should be 500 words in length. Prize: The winner will be commissioned to write a review for frieze magazine and will be awarded GBP£2,000. Deadline: August 5, 2019.

Oregon Literary Fellowships. Fellowships of $3,000 each are given annually to Oregon writers to initiate, develop, or complete literary projects in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. One Women Writers Fellowship and one Writer of Color Fellowship of $3,000 each are also given annually. Submit three copies of up to 15 pages of poetry or 25 pages of prose with the required entry from. Deadline: August 9, 2019.

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, 2019.

Headway Quarterly Writing Contest. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Theme is color—whatever that means to you—but should also be limited to 350 words in length. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 15, 2019.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between July 1, 2019 and Sept 30, 2019. 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 15, 2019.

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, 2019.

Montgomery County Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. Genre: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Prize: $250. Deadline: August 15, 2019.

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship. Restrictions: Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. Genre: Book-length children's or young-adult fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 15, 2019.

Bodley Head/Financial Times Essay Prize. Restrictions: open to anyone between 18 and 35 years old. Genre: "A dynamic, authoritative and lively essay of no more than 3,500 words in English, on any subject." Prize: £1,500 cash and an e-publication with The Bodley Head, publication in the FT of their winning essay and a mentoring session with The Bodley Head. Two runners-up will win £500 cash each and an e-publication with The Bodley Head. Deadline: August 16, 2019.

RBC Taylor Prize. Restrictions: Citizens or residents of Canada. Must be published author. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Prize: $25,000 (CAN). Deadline: August 26, 2019 for books published between June 1 and August 23, 2019.

Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize. Restrictions: Open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 34. Genre: Short story translation from French to English. Entrants will translate an excerpt from the novel De purs hommes by Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr. Prize: £1,000.00. Deadline: August 30, 2019.

On The Premises Short Story Contest. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which some kind of tradition(s) play(s) an important role." Prize: Winners receive between US$60 and US$220, and publication. Deadline: August 30, 2019.

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, 2019.


Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, maximum 5,000 words. Prize: $250 top prize. Deadline: August 31, 2019.

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, 2019.

Lee & Low Books New Voices Award is sponsored by Lee &Low Publishers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a children’s picture book published. Genre: Children's books - fiction, nonfiction or poetry.  Prize: $1,000 and publication. Deadline: August 31, 2019.

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: Nonfiction: Biographical Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Travel Nonfiction, and Animal Nonfiction. Prize: First prize in each category will be $200. Runners-up will receive $100. Finalists will receive $50. Deadline: August 31, 2019.

Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Upstate New York authors. Genre: Poetry collection, at least 48 pages long, published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: August 31, 2019.

Jack Grapes Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. Prize: WINNERS will receive $200 each, plus publication. FINALISTS will receive $50 each, plus publication. Deadline: August 31, 2019.

Jacques Maritain Prize for Nonfiction. Genre: Essay, Catholic themes. Prize: $500 top prize.    Deadline: August 31, 2019.

There are over three dozen contests in July for short stories, poetry, essays, scripts, and books in every genre. None charge entry fees. Prizes range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to publication. Some accept self-published work. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.

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 has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck!

___________________


She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP). Restrictions: Open to woman of color (people whose heritage is African, Indigenous to the Americas, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Arab, or people of mixed racial heritage with one or two parents who fit into the above groups). Trans/non-binary or genderqueer women welcome! Genre: Full-length fiction and nonfiction. Prize: The STEP winners will receive a publishing deal to publish on either She Writes Press or SparkPress, which will be determined by the publisher based on genre and writing style. Both include the full services of the She Writes Press and SparkPress Publishing Package (each valued at $7500). Deadline: July 1, 2019.

The Purorrelato Flash Fiction Competition. Genre: Short stories of 200-1400 words by any author. Theme is open but stories should have a link to Africa. Prize: 600 euros. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

The Cozy Cat Poetry Contest. Genre: Mystery-themed poems of up to 2 pages by any poet. Prize: Publication and (for top winners) $25-$100, illustration of your poem, and a print copy of the book. Deadline: July 1, 2019.
Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Winter Tangerine Award. Genre: Unpublished poetry and prose from writers who have not yet published a collection of poems, a collection of short stories or a novel. Prize: $250 award to the winners and $50 to each of the finalists. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. Book must be author's first full-length book of poetry, published between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Richard J. Margolis Award. Genre: Journalism. Prize is awarded annually to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. Prize: $5,000 and one month of residency at Blue Mountain Center. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Cheshire Prize for Literature. Restrictions: The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire, UK. Genre: Original and previously unpublished playscript. Prize: £2,000. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Emmy Awards - Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. Restrictions: Non-US citizens under the age of 30 only. Prize: $2,500, a trip to New York City, and an invitation to the International Emmy® Awards Gala in November. Deadline: July 3, 2019.

Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards. Restrictions: Scottish writers over 18 years of age. Genres: The awards are divided into three different categories.: Fiction and Narrative Non-fiction in English and Scots, Poetry in English and Scots, Children’s and Young Adult Fiction in English and Scots. Prize: £2,000 and personal development opportunities, which can include mentoring from writers and industry professionals. Training in PR, performance and presentation training, and the opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents. Deadline: July 3, 2019 (midday).

1455’s First Teen Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Writer aged 13-19. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 5, 2019.

John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada.  Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. The book must have been published between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 5, 2019.

The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition. Restrictions: Writers must be 21 or under on July 8. (Those over 21 can enter for a fee.) Genre: Short story on theme of "Time." Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology.  Deadline: July 8, 2019.

#PassOrPages Query Contest. Participating agents give brief feedback on a handful of entries, explaining why they're passing ... or requesting pages! The queries and accompanying feedback are posted on our blog anonymously, which helps querying authors get a peek into agents' minds as they go through their slush piles. Genre: Deadline: July 8 - 12, 2019.

Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genres: Drama, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: July 8, 2019  (poetry), July 22, 20189 (fiction), July 28, 2019 (non-fiction).

Vincent Buckley Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Irish poets. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $12,000 for an Irish poet to travel to Australia in 2020. Deadline: July 8, 2019.

Green Stories Writing Competition. Genre: Radio Play Drama/Comedy series about building a sustainable society. Prize: £750: 1st prize £500, 2nd prize £100, third prize £50 plus £50 for best student submission (18-25 years) and £50 for best < 18 year submission. Deadline: July 12, 2019.

Undiscovered Voices. Restrictions: Current members of SCBWI who live in the UK or one of the current countries of the EU or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Genre: Opening of an already completed novel for children, aimed at any age from 5 years through to Young Adult. You may submit up to 4,000 words – choosing a suitable place to stop your extract. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 15, 2019.

Langdon Review Writer-in-Residence Program. This is a two-week residency at Texas-based Tarleton State University, providing an opportunity to present at the Langdon Review Weekend festival, and publication in the school's Langdon Review journal. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 15, 2019.

The Woodrow Hall Top Shelf Awards 2018. Genre: Poetry book published in 2018. Prize: $100.  Deadline: July 15, 2019.

Singapore Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry containing the word "Singapore" by anyone who is NOT a Singaporean citizen or permanent resident in Singapore. Prize: $100.  Deadline: July 15, 2019.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. Restrictions: Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books published by a Canadian press, written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Titles must be published between May 22, 2019 and September 30, 2019.  Genre: Literary nonfiction including, among other forms, works of personal or journalistic essays, memoirs, commentary, criticism both social and political, history, and biography.   Prize: Winner: $60,000; Finalists: $5,000. Deadline: July 17, 2019.

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $25,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between May 22, 2018 and September 30, 2019. Prizes of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: July 17, 2019.

Lumberloft Short Fiction Contest. Restrictions: US residents aged 18+. Genre: Unpublished short story, 5,000 words maximum. theme is "Death from Above". Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 30, 2019.

Lune Spark Young Writers' Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to writers 10-13 years old, and 13-16 years old. (Two categories.) Genre: Short story. Prize: $500 for first place; $250, 2nd place; $100, 3rd place. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Broken River Prize. Sponsored by Platypus Press. Genre: Poetry chapbook.  Prize: $250/£200.    Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to Maryland residents or students at a MD 2- or 4-year college, and not a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America or published in a professional science fiction/fantasy magazine Genre: Science fiction short stories. Prize: 1st place is $250; 2nd place is $100; 3rd place is $50. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Green Stories Writing Competition. Genre: Novel about building a sustainable society. Prize: £750: 1st prize £500, 2nd prize £100, third prize £50 plus £50 for best student submission (18-25 years) and £50 for best < 18 year submission. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Betjeman Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK residents aged 10-13. Genre: Poem.  Prize: £500.00. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Landfall Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to New Zealand writers. Genre: Essay about New Zealand. Prize: The winner will receive $3000 and a year’s subscription to Landfall. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students who are FULL TIME, undergraduate students in an AMERICAN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY during the Spring 2015 semester. Genre: Essay: Abraham Lincoln: Our Greatest President? Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

SLF Diverse Writers and Diverse Worlds Grants. Restrictions: Open to writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups, such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, working-class writers, etc. -- those whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing / publishing process. Genres: Book-length works (novels, collections of short stories) of speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Book Award. Genre: Book published in 2016 that illuminates the heritage of North America's mid-continental prairies, whether of the tall-grass, mid-grass, or short-grass regions. Authors' first books receive extra consideration. Books may be in any genre, and topics may include but are not limited to social or natural history; prairie culture of the past or in-the-making; and interactions between society and ecology. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

The 2019 Spooky Samhain Stories Contest. Genre: Horror. Entries must match one of the following themes: ‘True Tales of Terror,’  or ‘Fantastic Frights.' Prize: $100. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Peaceful Dumpling Environmental Writing Prize. Genre: Poetry, fiction, or essays about environmental issues such as climate change, environment, conservation, and animal rights. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000.00. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Submerging Writer Fellowship. Restrictions: Writers who have never published a book or won any major writing awards, and who are not currently studying in an MFA or PhD program and "you battle daily the barriers of luck, society, fate, a curse, the cosmos, some major setback, or all of the above." Genre: Everything? Prize: $1,000 ($500 prize and up to $500 to be used toward expenses associated with attending a conference, workshop, class, or retreat). Deadline: July 31, 2019.

There are nearly three dozen free writing contests in May. Prizes range from tens of thousands of dollars to publication. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.

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 has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck!

______________

Sunlight Press. Genre: Essay. Prize: $100 plus their regular payment for submissions. Deadline: May 1, 2019.

Remastered Words Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story up to 5,000 words. Prize: £75, £50, £25. The winning stories will be produced as audio shorts by voiceover artists. Deadline: May 1, 2019.


Great Plains Emerging Tribal Writer Award. Restrictions: Open to writers enrolled in a Native American tribe from the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska who have not published a book of creative writing. Genres: Short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or drama/screenplays. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 1, 2019.

Questions Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors aged 18-30. Genre: Short stories of any genre or nonfiction between 1500 and 2000 words. Prize: First place winners (or prize pool for a tie) is $2000. The work will also be published in a book. Deadline: May 1, 2019. 

Don't Be A Hero: A VILLAINthology. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: Publication in an anthology. Deadline: May 1, 2019.

West Virginia Fiction Competition. Restrictions: Open to West Virginia residents or students. Genre: Short fiction, 5,000 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: May 1, 2019. 

Erbacce-prize for Poetry (UK) Genre: Poetry collection. Prize: Winner will be given a publishing contract with erbacce press who will publish a perfect-bound collection of the winner's book. "We will pay all costs including the legal registering of the book and supplying copies to the major libraries. The book will be sold through our sales/shop pages and the poet will be paid 20% royalties." Deadline: May 1, 2019.

Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest. Restrictions: Canadian high school, college, and graduate students. Genre: Short essay on "What in the world would Adam Smith say?" Prize: CAD$1,500 in each age category. Deadline: May 1, 2019.

Hiett Prize in the Humanities. The Hiett Prize in the Humanities is an annual award aimed at identifying candidates who are in the early stages of careers devoted to the humanities and whose work shows extraordinary promise and has a significant public component related to contemporary culture. Restrictions: All applicants must reside in the United States. Prize: $50,000. Deadline: May 3, 2019.

Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program. Restrictions: Debuting authors and writers with fewer than three previously published books who have yet to receive a major literary award are eligible for consideration. Exceptions are sometimes made for authors who have published more titles, but have yet to break out to a larger audience. Submissions must be original publications, penned by one author. Self-published works not allowed. Genres: Published or scheduled to be published fiction and literary nonfiction. Prize: $10,000 in each genre and in-store marketing/merchandising from Barnes & Noble. 2nd Place $5,000 in each genre, 3rd Place $2,500 in each genre. Deadline: May 9, 2019.

DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Genre: Published book with themes based on South Asian culture, politics, history, or people. Entries must have been first published in English between February 15 of the previous year and April 15 of the deadline year. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize: $25,000. Deadline: May 10, 2019.

RTÉ Radio Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to Irish writers and residents of Ireland.  Genre: Short story. Prize: Up to 3,000 euros. Deadline: May 10, 2019.

The James Laughlin Award is sponsored by the Academy of American Poets. Genre: A second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. Must be under contract with US publisher.
Restrictions: Open to US citizens and residents only. Prize: $5,000, an all-expenses-paid week long residency in Florida, and the Academy will purchase approximately 1,000 copies of the book for distribution to its members. Deadline: May 15, 2019.

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $25,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between March 14, 2019 and May 15, 2019. Prizes of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: May 15, 2019.

New Roscommon Writing Award. Restrictions: All entrants must have a connection with the county of Roscommon (born in, living in, currently working in, went to school in, etc). Genres: Short stories.  Prize: €500.00. Deadline: May 15, 2019.

St. Francis College Literary Prize. Genre: Novel. Third, fourth, or fifth published book of fiction. Self-published books and English translations are eligible. Prize: $50,000 is given biennially.  Deadline: May 15, 2019.

Leeway Foundation: Transformation Award. Restrictions: Women and transgender poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the Philadelphia area who have been creating art for social change for five or more years. Writers who have lived for at least two years in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties, who are at least 18 years of age, and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Award: $15,000. Deadline: May 15, 2019.

Science Me A Story. Genre: Scientific stories for children (ages 6-12) of up to four pages by authors over age 18. Stories can be in English or Spanish. Prize: £150, £100 or £50. Deadline: May 16, 2019.

Bacopa Literary Review. Genres: Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry. Prizes: First ($200) and Runner-Up ($160) prizes in each genre. All published will receive $20 and a copy of the print journal. After publication, Bacopa will be promoted online. Deadline: May 17, 2019.

A Very Short Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction (10 words max). Prize: Free Gotham 10-week workshop. Deadline: May 20, 2019.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. Genre: Literary non-fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between March 13, 2019 and May 21, 2019. Deadline: May 22, 2019.

Stowe Prize. Restrictions: US authors only. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction or body of work that "makes a tangible impact on a social justice issue critical to contemporary society." Prize: $10,000.  Deadline: May 29, 2019.

The Canadian Women Artists’ Award. Restrictions: Open to Canadian women living in New York who are between the ages of 21 and 35 before the application deadline. Genre: Fiction, poetry. Grant: $5,000. Deadline: May 30, 2019.

The Wolfe Pack Black Orchid Award. Genre: Mystery novellas in the style of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novellas. Manuscript length: 15K-20K words. Prize: $1,000, plus recognition and publication in a forthcoming issue of AAMM. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

bpNichol Poetry Chapbook Award. Genre: Published poetry chapbook. Restrictions: Canadian publishers only. Prize: The author receives $4,000 and the publisher receives $500. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

Claudia Ann Seaman Awards For Young Writers. Restrictions: High school students. Genre: Stories and poems. Prize: $200. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

CNO Naval History Essay Contest. Genre: Essay: Naval history.  Prize: First Prize: $5,000. Second Prize:$2,500. Third Prize: $1,500. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

Fred Otto Prize for Oz Fiction/Warren Hollister Prize for Oz Nonfiction. Genre: Short Fiction, Art & Creative Nonfiction. All work must be related to the world of Oz. Prize: $100 in each genre. 2nd Prize $50 in each genre. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. Genre: Unpublished fiction approximately 1,000 - 5,000 words. Story should pertain to music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Prize: $100 and publication in Jerry Jazz Musician. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

TCU Texas Book Award. Genre: Book of fiction, nonfiction, art or photography about Texas, published in the past three years. Prize: $5000. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

Eden Mills Teen Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to Canadian teens. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Two $50 prizes, 2 $25 prizes. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

Online Writing Tips Short Fiction Prize. Genre: Short story of 2000-5000 words. Prize: £150.   Deadline: May 31, 2019.

James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Awards. Restrictions: Open to aboriginal youth, 18 years or younger, residing in Ontario, Canada. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

Cromwell Article Prize. Genre: Articles published in the field of American legal history.  Restrictions: Open to early career scholars. Prize: $2,500. Deadline: May 31, 2019.

Spring has sprung! Writers rejoice! This month there are 31 writing contests, and none charge entry fees. Prizes range from tens of thousands of dollars to publication. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.

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 has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck!
__________________

Alpine Fellowship. Genre: Pieces of any genre up to 2500 words on the theme of “Identity.”  Prize: The first place winner receives £3000 and an invitation to enter the symposium in Venice (two runners-up also receive the invitation). Deadline: April 1, 2019.

The Great American Think-Off. Genre: Essay on the theme: “Which plays a larger role in shaping one’s life: success or failure?” Entrants should take a strong stand agreeing or disagreeing with this topic, basing their arguments on personal experience and observations rather than philosophical abstraction. Essay should be no more than 750 words. Prize: One of four $500 cash prizes. Deadline: April 1, 2019.

The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers. Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians awards fellowships for writers to spend time in McCullers' childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. The fellowships are intended to afford the writers in residence uninterrupted time to dedicate to their work, free from the distractions of daily life and other professional responsibilities. Award: Stipend of $5000 to cover costs of transportation, food and other incidentals. Fellowship recipients will be required to introduce or advance their work through reading or workshop/forum presentations. The Fellow will work with the McCullers Center Director to plan a presentation near the end of the residency. Deadline: April 1, 2019. 

Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction. Restrictions: The writer must be Canadian, and an entry must be the writer's first or second published book of any type or genre and must have a Canadian locale and/or significance. Genre: Print books and ebooks of creative non-fiction published in the previous calendar year. Prize: C$10,000.00. Deadline: April 1, 2019.

Small But Mighty. Restrictions: Children ages 7-11 and 12-15. Genre: Fiction and poetry. Prize: Writing supplies, certificate, and publication on website. Deadline: April 1, 2019.

The Waterston Desert Writing Prize. Genre: Literary nonfiction, desert theme. Prize: $1,500.    Deadline: April 1, 2019.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. Now in its 18th year, this contest seeks today's best humor poems, published and unpublished. Please enter one poem only, 250 lines max. Prize: $2,250 in prizes, including a top prize of $1,000, and publication on Winning Writers. Deadline: April 1, 2019. See submission form HERE.

Go Ape Children's Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK children aged 4-7 and 8-12. Parents/guardians are encouraged to enter on behalf of their child. Genre: Adventure stories. Stories must be between 100 and 500 words. Prize: Various prizes: gift vouchers, family holidays. Deadline: April 4, 2019.

Eliza So Finish-Your-Book Fellowship. Restrictions: There are two fellowships, one for immigrant writers, and one for Native Americans with affiliations to Montana. Genre: A novel, collection of stories, or memoir in progress (100 pages minimum) or poetry collection in progress (30 pages minimum). Prize: The fellowship includes room and board at Las Vegas' Writer's Block in the fall or winter of 2019, along with a $500 food stipend and $400 toward airfare. Deadline: April 5, 2019.

2018-2019 ELI Constitutional Environmental Law Writing Competition. Restrictions: Open to law students. Genre: Essay on any topic addressing developments or trends in U.S. environmental law with a significant constitutional, “federalism,” or other cross-cutting component. Prize: $2000.  Deadline: Monday, April 8, 2019.

Harold U. Ribalow Prize. Genre: Fiction on a Jewish theme, published books only. Prize: $3,000.  Deadline: April 12, 2019.

Monash Undergraduate Prize for Creative Writing. "The Prize is a significant literary award for new and emerging writers. The prize is open to both Australian and New Zealand university students, enrolled in either an undergraduate or honours degree. All types of creative writing will be accepted, including short stories, non-fiction narrative and narrative verse." Prize: $4000.  Deadline: April 14, 2019. 

2019 Parsec Short Story Contest - Noir. Restrictions: Open to non-professional writers. Genre: Speculative fiction. The theme for the 2018 contest is: NOIR. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue…the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing. Prize: $200 and publication. Deadline: April 15, 2019.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English. Books must be published in Canada in English between March 1, 2019 and April 30, 2019 to be eligible for the 2019 Prize. 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: April 15, 2019.

The Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize. Genre: Book-length translation of Asian poetry into English. Both translators and publishers are invited to submit titles. Book must have been published in previous year. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: April 15, 2019.

William Saroyan Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to students in 1st grade through college.   Genre: Short story, 2 pages. Prize: $50 - $100. Deadline: April 15, 2019.
Hektoen International Grand Prix Essay Competition. Genre: Original essay that relates medicine to the humanities.1,600 words max. Prize: $3,000 for the winner and $800 for the runner-up. Deadline: April 15, 2019.

American Literary Translators Association Italian Prose in Translation Award. Genre: Translation of a recent work of Italian prose (fiction or literary non-fiction). Both translators and publishers are invited to submit titles. Book must have been published in previous year. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: April 15, 2019.

Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors. Created by the Missouri Humanities Council, the Warrior Arts Alliance, and Southeast Missouri State University Press, this series of anthologies preserves and shares military service perspectives of our soldiers and veterans of all conflicts and of their families. It is not only an outlet for artistic expression but also a document of the unique aspects of wartime in our nation's history. Genres: Poetry, Short Fiction, Essay, Photography, Interview with a Warrior. Prize: $250 and publication. Deadline: April 19, 2019 (postmarked).

Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Contest for Canadian Youth. Restrictions: Canadians, grades 7-12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $400. Deadline: April 19, 2019.

Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grant. Restrictions: Open to US citizens and residents only. Genre: Creative nonfiction. Whiting welcomes submissions for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, and personal essays, among other categories. Writers must be completing a book of creative nonfiction that is currently under contract with a publisher. Prize: $40,000. Deadline: April 22, 2019. 

Gary Fincke Creative Writing Prize. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates. Genre: Poetry and prose. Prize: $100. Deadline: April 26, 2019.

E-waste Scholarship. Restrictions: You must be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Genre: 500- to 1,000-word essay about e-waste. Prize: $1000 scholarship. Deadline: April 30, 2019.

A Voice for Animals Teen Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students between the ages of 14-18. Genre: Essays on an animal rights topic.  In the 16-18 year olds category, essays must be 800-1,000 words long and be accompanied by a photograph; in the 14-15 year olds category, essays should be between 1,400-1,500 words. One climate change prize (both age categories compete) will be awarded for an essay on how climate change affects a particular animal species. Prize: $500.   Deadline: April 30, 2019.

SA Writer’s College Short Story Award. Restrictions: Open to unpublished writers in South Africa. Genre: Short stories. Prizes: 1st – R 10 000; 2nd – R 5 000; 3rd – R 2 000. Deadline: April 30, 2019.

Toronto Book Awards. Genres: All genres accepted. Restrictions: Submission "must evoke the city itself, that is, contain some clear Toronto content (this may be reflected in the themes, settings, subjects, etc.). Authors do not necessarily have to reside in Toronto. Ebooks, textbooks and self-published works are not eligible. Prize: A total of $15,000 CD will be awarded. Each shortlisted author (usually 4-6) receives C$1,000 and the winning author is awarded the remainder. Deadline: April 30, 2019.

Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. Restrictions: Applicants must reside in the U.S. or be U.S. citizens. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no older than 31 years of age as of April 30, 2016. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $25,800.  Deadline: April 30, 2019.

Irene Adler Prize for Women Writers. Restrictions: Open to Canadian women. Genre: Creative nonfiction. Prize: $1,000 scholarship. Deadline: April 30, 2019.

Friends of Falun Gong, Poetry Contest. Genre: Poem Submit one or two poems of no more than 50 lines each. Poems must encompass at least one of the following themes: Advocate for Falun Gong practitioner’s fundamental human rights. Expose the crimes against Falun Gong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party. Share in the beauty, peacefulness and good nature of Falun Gong. Prizes: $500, $250, $100. Deadline: April 30, 2019.

Daisy Utemorrah Award for Indigenous Authors. Restrictions: Open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer currently residing in Australia. Genre:  Junior/YA full-length fiction manuscript intended for readers aged 8-18. Length: 40,000 and 100,000 words. Prize: A$15,000 and possible publication. Deadline: April 30, 2019.

“The Once and Future Moon” Contest. Genre: Short stories of 1000-5000 words about Earth's moon. Prize: Publication, £10, and contributor copy. Deadline: April 30, 2019.
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​

March is a great month for writing contests. This month there are 53 contests, and none charge entry fees. Prizes range from tens of thousands of dollars to publication. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.

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!
_____________________

Fountain Magazine Essay Contest. Genre: Essay. 1,500 - 2,500 words. "Should We Be Grateful?" The question is: Why do we feel grateful? What should be we grateful for? And even, should we still be grateful when we’re depressed or when our lives are a mess? Prize: 1st Place - $1,500, 2nd Place - $750, 3rd Place - $300, Two Honorable Mentions - $200 each. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

The Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award is sponsored by Broadside Lotus Press. Restrictions: This competition is open to African American poets only. If you have already had a book published by Lotus Press, you are ineligible. However, inclusion in a Lotus Press anthology does not disqualify you. Genres: Poetry collections of approximately 60-90 pages. Prize: $500 in cash and publication  by Broadside Lotus Press as well as free copies and discounts. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Women on the Water. Restrictions: Female writers only. Genre: Short story. "Tell us how you felt about leaving (either home or the voyaging life). How did you cope? Was it worth it?  Perhaps you spent time somewhere you became particularly attached to while travelling? Stories may be any length up to 3,000 words." Prize: First $250, Second $100, Third $50. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History. Genre: First book or monograph in Civil War history published in the previous year. Books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses are eligible. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

United States/Japan Creative Artists Residencies. This is a 3-5 month residency in Japan. Grant: $24,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Balticon Poetry Contest. Sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Genre: Speculative poetry. Prize: 1st prize: $100; 2nd prize: $75; 3rd prize: $50. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

The Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers resident in the UK and Ireland who have yet to secure a publishing deal. Genre: Proposal for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words). Prize: £3,000 advance against publication with Fitzcarraldo Editions. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Beverly Hopkins Memorial Poetry Contest for High School Students. Restrictions: High school students living within 100 miles of St. Louis. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First prize $200, Second prize $125, Third prize $75. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Christopher Tower Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK students between 16-18 years of age. Genre: Poetry, one poem, maximum 48 lines. Theme is "underwater." Prize: £5,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Jittery Monks Essay Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to college students. Genre: Essay. (See site for topic.) Prize: $1,500. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
​
The Lakefly Writers Conference. Restrictions: Open to residents of Wisconsin. Genres: Short story fiction:  1500 words or less. Any genre. Flash fiction:  500 words or less. Any genre. No theme. Poetry:  All poems, free verse to formal and everything in between—75 lines max. Theme: Wisconsin Choices. The Jean Nelson Essay for Young Adults: For young adult writers (ages 12 through 17). 2500 words or less. Theme: Notable Wisconsin figure (living or dead) who most inspires me. Prize: First place winners will receive a cash prize of $100; second place winners will receive $75; and third place winners will receive $50. Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Genre: Adventure writing novel. Separate categories for published and unpublished books. Self-published books accepted. Prize: £15,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Alabama Arts Council Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to any author who has lived in Alabama for at least 2 years. Genre: Fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction of 10-20 pages. Prize: $5,000.  Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Mississippi Artists Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to permanent residents of Mississippi. Genre: Nonfiction of 15-20 pages. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.

Author Mentor Match. Genre: Completed YA or MG manuscript. Prize: Mentorship by published author. Deadline: March 1 - 5, 2019.

"It's All Write!" Teen Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to Grades 6-12. Genre: Short story, and flash fiction, unpublished. Prize: 1st Place $250, 2nd Place $150, 3rd Place $100. Deadline: March 3, 2019.

Arts Club of Washington Scholarship Competition. Restrictions: Open to college students (including first two years of graduate school) aged 18-26 in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $2000 scholarship. Deadline: March 4, 2019.

NEA Literature Fellowships are sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Prize: $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Deadline: March 6, 2019.

The Ungar German Translation Award is bestowed biennially in odd-numbered years. Genre: Book-length literary translation translated from German into English and published in the United States between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. Prize: $1,000, a certificate of recognition, and up to $500 toward expenses for attending the ATA Annual Conference in San Francisco, California.  Deadline: March 7, 2019.

Forward Prizes. Genre: Collections and single poems published in the UK and Ireland between September 2018 and September 2019 are eligible for the Prizes. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize: £1,000 to £10,000 Deadline: March 8, 2019.

BBC National Short Story Award. Restrictions: Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: £15,000 to the winner, £3,000 for the runner-up and £500 for three further shortlisted writers. Deadline: March 11, 2019.

Neltje Blanchan/Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Awards. Restrictions: Wyoming writers. Genres: The Frank Nelson Doubleday Award is given for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script written by a woman writer. The Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award is given annually for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script which is informed by a relationship with the natural world. Prize: $1,000.00. Deadline: March 11, 2019.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. Genre: Literary non-fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between October 1, 2018 and March 12, 2019. Deadline: March 13, 2019.

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $25,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between October 1, 2018 and March 12, 2019. Prizes of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: March 13, 2019.

Gordon Burn Prize. Restrictions: Open to permanent US or UK residents. Genre: Fiction or nonfiction book first published in the US or UK between July 1 of the preceding year and July 1 of the deadline year. Prize: 5,000 pounds and 3-month writing retreat at Gordon Burn's cottage in Berwickshire. Deadline: March 14, 2019.

Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to Kentucky poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Genre: Literary arts. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: March 15, 2019.

Hodson Trust–John Carter Brown Library Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction (includes creative nonfiction). A book-in-process  relating to the literature, history, culture, or art of the Americas before 1830. Award: $20,000. Deadline: March 15, 2019.

Governor General's Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written or translated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre: The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and the best French-language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: March 15, 2019.

Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to Connecticut Student Poets in Grades 9-12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st $75, 2nd $50, 3rd $25. Deadline: March 15, 2019.

Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship. Restrictions: Established and recognized authors are being sought, but emerging and mid-career writers are also encouraged to apply. Genre: Seeking creative writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction), or those in the field of journalism (writer, photojournalist, videographer, documentary filmmaker, online or print media) who demonstrate serious inquiry and dedication to the Greater Yellowstone region through their work. Fellowship: $3,500. Deadline: March 15, 2019.

ILA Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction English-language books for children in grades pre-K to 12 and published for the first time during the year preceding the deadline year. Must be the author's first or second book. Prize: $800. Deadline: March 15, 2019.
Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition for High School Students. Restrictions: Open to students in Grades 7-12. Genre: Haiku. Prizes: $50. Deadline: March 21, 2019.

Sunken Garden Poetry Festival's Fresh Voices Competition. Restrictions: New England high school students. Prize: Reading at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival on August 5, 2018 and publication.  Deadline: March 29, 2019.

The Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction. Genre: Novel published in 2018 (50,000 words minimum). Book has to be set in one of the original eleven states in the Confederacy. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.) Prize: $2,500.00, and an expense paid trip to New York City. (The winner must come to NY to receive the award, attend a luncheon with the contest judges and a reception in his/her honor.) Deadline: March 29, 2019.

Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative Grant. Restrictions: Open to journalists aged 22-38. Genre: Investigative journalism piece about modern prejudice. Prize: $5,000 grant. Deadline: March 30, 2019.

Limnisa Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story under 3,000 words on theme of Plastic. Prize: One-week, all-inclusive writers' retreat or workshop in 2017 or 2018 in Limnisa, Greece and online publication, or five online personal tutoring sessions instead. Deadline: March 30, 2019.

Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing. Restrictions: Open to first-generation residents of the United States. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated to the U.S., or to American-born residents whose parents were born elsewhere. Genre: Unpublished nonfiction books. Prize: $10,000 and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Foley Poetry Contest. Genre: One unpublished poem on any topic. The poem should be 30 lines or fewer and not under consideration elsewhere. Prize: $1000. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. Restrictions: open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Genres: Science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words. Prizes: Three cash prizes in each quarter: a First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500, in US dollars. In addition, at the end of the year the winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Sarah Mook Poetry Prize for Students. Restrictions: Students in grades K-12. Genre: Poetry.   Prize: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. Genre: Poetry or literary prose. Translation of modern Arabic literature into English. Books must have been published and be available for purchase in the UK via a distributor or online. The source text must have been published in the original Arabic in or after 1967. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize: £3,000. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Archibald Lamp­man Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Canada's National Capital region (Ottawa). Genre: Book of any genre published by a recognized publisher. Prize: $1500. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition. Restrictions: Open to high school students in the Washington, DC region. Genre: Poetry. Prize: A reading with honorarium in the Miller Poetry Series, a summer program occurring in June and July. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Lake Superior State University High School Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to high school students students residing in the Midwestern United States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) or Ontario, Canada. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $500 and publication.  Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant. Restrictions: Open to writers who are fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $500.    Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Value of Being Fit Scholarship Program. Restrictions: Open to students who are currently enrolled in colleges, universities or high schools. Genre: Essay, info graphics, or article (750-1000 words) on “Obesity: A New Epidemic.” Prize: $750. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Writers' HQ Flash Quarterly Contest. Genre: Unpublished flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: 450 pounds. Top three winners win membership to Writers' HQ, a British writing resource site, and admission to three WHQ writing retreats. Winners outside the UK can substitute a manuscript critique for the retreats. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Jack L. Chalker Young Writers' Contests. Restrictions: Open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year who reside in, or attend school in Maryland. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy, 2,500 words max. Prizes: $150, $100 and $75. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

Descant. Each year, descant offers four awards:

• the $500 Frank O’Connor Award for fiction (for the best short story in a issue)
• the $250 Gary Wilson Award (for an outstanding story in an issue)
• the $500 Betsy Colquitt Award for poetry (for the best poem or series of poems by a single author in an issue)
• the $250 Baskerville Publishers Award (for an outstanding poem or poems by a single author in an issue

There is no application process or reading fee. All published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. Simply submit your work. Deadline: March 31, 2019.

The Lindisfarne Crime Prize. Restrictions: Residents of the North of England, or whose work celebrates the North of England. Genre: Crime short story of up to 10,000 words. Prize: £2500.   Deadline: March 31, 2019.

There are more than two dozen writing contests in November, none of which charge entry fees. This month there are contests for short stories, essays, poetry, and for both published and unpublished full-length works. Prizes range from a free class to $45,000. As always, read the guidelines carefully. Many contests have geographical and age restrictions.

If you want to get an idea of what kinds of contests are offered throughout the year, take a look at Free Contests. The majority of these contests are yearly events. When it comes to contests, it’s always a good idea to plan ahead.
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Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the British Commonwealth. Genre: Unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words) in English. Short stories translated into English from other languages are also eligible. Prize: Regional winners receive £2,500 (US$3,835) and the overall winner will receive £5,000 (US$7,670). Deadline: November 1, 2018. 

 
Vermont Writers’ Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Vermont. Genres: Short story, poem, play or essay on the theme of Vermont — its people, places, history or values. Entries must be unpublished and fewer than 1,500 words long. Writers may submit only one entry per year. Prize: $1,500 and publication in Vermont Magazine. Deadline: November 1, 2018.

 
Donald Murray Prize for Creative Nonfiction. Genre: Original, unpublished works of creative nonfiction with a preference for essays on writing, teaching, and teaching writing, but will consider quality entries on any subject, including topics related to social justice, civic action, and inequality. Prize: $300 in the form of an AMEX gift card and publication in the Spring 2018 issue of Writing on the Edge. All entries will be considered for publication in the journal. Length: 8,000 words maximum (2500–4500 preferred) Deadline: November 1, 2018.

 
William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers. Restrictions: Writers must not have published a book, short story, or dramatic work in the mystery field, either in print, electronic, or audio form. Genre: Mystery stories of the Agatha Christie type — i.e., “traditional mysteries.” These works usually feature no excessive gore, gratuitous violence, or explicit sex. Prize: Each grant may be used to offset registration, travel, or other expenses related to attendance at a writers’ conference or workshop within a year of the date of the award (no later than May 2017). In the case of nonfiction, the grant may be used to offset research expenses. Each grant currently includes a $1,500 award plus a comprehensive registration for the following year’s convention and two nights’ lodging at the convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention or meals. Deadline: November 1, 2018. Read details here.

 
Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction book in progress. The project should address the history and/or legacy — broadly defined — of the American Revolution and the nation’s founding ideas. It might focus on the founding era itself, or on the myriad ways the questions that preoccupied the nation’s founders have shaped America’s later history. Fellowship amount: $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, and a nine-month residency (during the academic year 2018–2019) in historic Chestertown, Md. Deadline: November 1, 2018. 

 
Lindenwood Chapter One Contest. Genre: First chapter of unpublished novel. Maximum submission length is 25 pages. Double-space and use a standard font size and style. Prize: $50, publication in issue 8 of The Lindenwood Review, and three contributor copies. Honorable mentions receive publication in issue 8 of The Lindenwood Review and three contributor copies. Deadline: November 1, 2018. 

 
Orwell Prize. Genre: Political writing published between 1st January and 31st January 2017. All entries must have a clear British link. Journalism and ‘exposing Britain’s social evils’. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: November 2, 2018. 

 
Dylan Thomas Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be aged 39 or under. Eligible books must have been commercially published for the first time in the English language between January 1 and December 31 of the year in which the deadline falls. Genre: Published books of poetry, fiction (novel, novella, or short story collection), radio scripts, or screenplays. Eligible books must have been commercially published for the first time in the English language between January 1 and December 31, 2017. Prize: 30,000 pounds, plus 1,000 pounds for shortlisted authors. Deadline: November 7, 2018. 

 
Women’s Prize for Fiction. Genre: Published book by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK. Novels must be published in the United Kingdom between 1 April 2017, and 31 March 2018. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize: £30,000.00. Deadline: November 7, 2018.

 
RBC Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. Restrictions: Canadian citizens only. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: C$25,000. Shortlisted authors receive $2,000. Deadline: November 7, 2018 for books published between October 1 and October 31, 2018.

 
The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Genre: First published short story. Authors may not submit their own work. Prize: $2000 and publication in The PEN America Best Debut Short Stories. Deadline: November 10, 2018.

 
Paul Torday Memorial Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be over 60. Genre: First published novel. The novel must have been first published in the UK and Republic of Ireland between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2018. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: November 15, 2018.


Hajja Razia Sharif Sheikh Prizes in Nonfiction and Poetry. Restrictions: Undergraduates. Genre: Awards will be given to the best piece in each genre that addresses the experience of being Muslim in America. Winning pieces will speak to the experience — joys and challenges — of being Muslim in America today in ways that educate and inform our readers. Winning pieces may also demonstrate an understanding of Islamic history, culture, contributions, and / or its influence on society. Prize: $500 and publication in Oakland Arts Review. Deadline: November 15, 2018.


Arts & Letters Awards. Restrictions: Open to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Genres: poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, dramatic script, art, music, and French language. Entries must be unpublished and completed during the previous 12 months. Prizes: C$1,000 and C$250. Deadline: November 16, 2018.


Polar Expressions Publications Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: poetry. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 16, 2018.


Polar Expressions Publications Short Story Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Genre: Short story. Prize: $300, $200, $100. Deadline: November 23, 2018.


Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize is sponsored by the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival. Genre: Non-fiction essay between 4 to 10 pages, set in Brooklyn about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters. (Up to 2500 words). Prize: $500. Deadline: November 23, 2018.


Write the Good Fight Contest. Genre: Story (in 50 words or fewer) about a person (or group) who fights to resist the forces threatening what they hold dear. The story can be personal, fictional, or even historic. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: November 26, 2018.


Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada. Self-published books are not eligible. Genre: A book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Prize: Winner: $25,000; Finalists: $2,500. Deadline: November 28, 2018, for books published between January 1 and December 31, 2018.


Servicescape. Genre: Short story or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
McAndrews Poetry Award. Genre: Poetry. Poems must relate to human rights. Prize: $50–100. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Everything With Words Urban YA (UK). Restrictions: Open to UK Residents. Genre: Debut novel for young adults/ adults, a book set in today’s multi-cultural Britain. Prize: £1000 and possible publication by Everything with Words. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Betty Trask Prize. Restrictions: Author must be a Commonwealth citizen. Genre: First novels, published or unpublished, written by authors under the age of 35 in a “traditional or romantic, but not experimental, style.” Prize: Awards totaling 20,000 pounds. Top prize 10,000 pounds. The prize money must be used for foreign travel. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Frontier New Voices Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to indigenous writers. Prize: $500 grant meant to be used toward covering industry submission costs, multiple publications (original poetry and prose) in Frontier, participation in their editorial community, and introductions to agents and presses. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 16–18. Genre: Poem (1). Prize: Full scholarship to The Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop, an intensive two-week summer seminar for writers aged 16–18. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
Somerset Maugham Awards. Restrictions: Open to writers under the age of 35. Genre: Published work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry. Prize: 2,500 pounds apiece to four winners. Prize money must be used for travel. Deadline: November 30, 2018. 

 
UNT Rilke Prize. Restrictions: US citizens or residents. Open to authors with at least two prior published books of poetry. Genre: Book of poetry published between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018. Prize: $10,000.00. Deadline: November 30, 2018. 

 
Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students. Restrictions: Student writers in the 11th grade. Prizes: First Prize — $500, Second Prize — $250, Third Prize — $100. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
AVBOB Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to any citizen of South Africa. Genre: Poetry. Prize: R10,000. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

 
The Ghosts in the Bookshop Contest. Genre: Short ghost stories set in a bookshop of typical short length by any author. Prize: £100 or £100 in books for the runners-up. Deadline: November 30, 2018.
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Erica Verrillo has published five books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on how to get an agent, lists agents who are looking for clients as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers, explains how to market and promote your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews, how to self-publish, and where to find markets for your work on Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity.

There are more than two dozen writing contests in October, none of which charge entry fees. This month there are contests for short stories, essays, poetry, and for both published and unpublished full-length works. Prizes range from publication to $25,000. As always, read the guidelines carefully. Many contests have geographical and age restrictions.

If you want to get an idea of what kinds of contests are offered throughout the year, take a look at Free Contests. The majority of these contests are yearly events. When it comes to contests, it’s always a good idea to plan ahead.
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The Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry, sponsored by the African Poetry Book Fund and in partnership with the literary journal, Prairie Schooner, is the only one of its kind in the world and was established to promote African poetry written in English or in translation and to recognize a significant book published each year by an African poet. A standard edition is 48 pages or more in length. Genre: Open to any book of original poetry, in English, published during 2015 in a standard edition by a full-length collection of poetry. Restrictions: African nationals, African residents, or poet of African parentage with roots from any country, living anywhere in the world. Prize: USD $5,000. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

Royal Institute of Philosophy Essay Prize. Topic: Philosophy and International Relations. Prize: £2,500 top prize. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

Victoria Literary Festival Writing Competition. Genre: Short story: 1500 words, taking into consideration the theme of the 2018 VLF festival: Surrender to the Mystery. Prize: First prize will receive 350 CDN$ with four runners up receiving 50 CDN$ each. Deadline: October 1, 2018.

American Antiquarian Society Fellowships for Creative Writers is calling for applications for visiting fellowships for historical research by creative and performing artists, writers, film makers, journalists, and other persons whose goals are to produce imaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history. Successful applicants are those whose work is for the general public rather than for academic or educational audiences. The Society’s goal in sponsoring this program is to multiply and improve the ways in which an understanding of history is communicated to the American people. Prize: A stipend of $1,150 to $1,350 and on-campus housing is provided; fellows residing off-campus receive $1,850. Deadline: October 5, 2018.

RBC Taylor Prize for Literary Nonfiction. Restrictions: Open to published Canadian authors. Genre: Nonfiction book. Prize: CAN$25,000.00. Deadline: October 5, 2018 for books published between August 21 and September 30, 2018.

Man Booker International Prize. The Man Booker International Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: October 6, 2018.

The NC State Short Story Contests. Restrictions: Open to all North Carolina residents except 1) tenured/tenure-track professors in the University of North Carolina system or 2) writers with a published book, 3) previous winners. Genres: An unpublished SHORT STORY of no more than 20 double-spaced pages; limit 5000 words OR an unpublished SHORT-SHORT FICTION story of no more than 5 double-spaced typed pages; limit 1200 words. Prizes: James Hurst Fiction Prize for the winning story is $500. There will also be some Honorable Mention awards. Prize for short-short is $250. Deadline: October 8, 2018.

READ Foundation Competition. Restrictions: Open to writers 18 years or older living in the UK. (Younger people preferred.) Genre: Poem, short story or first person essay on the theme of “My education helped me….”. Prize: Publication. Deadline: October 10, 2018.

NUHA Blogging Prize. Genre: Article on specific topic. (See website) Prize: $150 — $2400. Deadline: October 13, 2018.

Wax Poetry and Art Poetry Contest. Genre: Poem. (Enter 1 poem for free. There is a charge for additional poems.) Prize: 1st place, $70 CAD. 2nd place, $20 CAD. 3rd place, $10 CAD. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship. Restrictions: Poet must be born in the United States. Genre: Poetry. The sample must not exceed either (1) 40 typed pages or (2) one printed volume plus no more than 20 typed pages of your most recent work. There is no minimum page requirement. Prize: $54,000 for a year of travel and study abroad. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

The Marfield Prize, also known as the National Award for Arts Writing, is given annually by the Arts Club of Washington to nonfiction books about the arts written for a broad audience. Genre: Non-fiction book. Self-published books not accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: October 15, 2018.

Bobbing Around Book Contest. Genre: Manuscripts currently seeking an editor. Submit the first 1000 words and a 200-word synopsis for consideration. The editor will provide feedback for all 1000-word entries and post the top ten entries on his website. These will be voted upon, and the final winner will receive a “Christmas present” from the editor. Deadline: October 15–21, 2018.

Author Mentor Match. Genre: Completed YA or MG manuscript. Prize: Mentorship by published author. Deadline: October 15–21, 2018.

Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction. Restrictions: Open to residents of UK. Genre: Short stories between 2000–6000 words on the theme “Café Stories.” Prize: £500 and 10 shortlisted authors will be published in an ebook anthology. Deadline: October 26, 2018.

The Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest is sponsored by Hollins University. Restrictions: Open to young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Up to $5,000 renewable annual Creative Talent Scholarship in creative writing if winner enrolls at Hollins. Free tuition and housing for the university’s Hollins summer creative writing program. $200 cash prize. Publication in Cargoes, Hollins’ award-winning student literary magazine. Ten copies of Cargoes. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is the most prestigious literary award in the US. Restrictions: Authors must be living American citizens. Self-published works not accepted. Genres: Novels, novellas, and collections of short stories. Prize: $15,000. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must be aged 18–25 years and living in the UK. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000–1500 words. Prize: First prize of £750, second prize of £500. Winning entries will be posted on the website and also published online by The Telegraph. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

The Eric Gregory Awards. Restrictions: Applicants must be under 30 and a British subject by birth and must ordinarily be resident in the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland. Genre: Poetry collection. Previously published work accepted. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Burt Award for Caribbean Literature. Restrictions: Caribbean authors age 12 through 18. Genres: Published books, previously self-published books, and unpublished manuscripts are eligible for the Award. Prize: First Prize of $10,000 CAD, a Second Prize of $7,000 CAD and a Third Prize of $5,000 CAD. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

The Young Walter Scott Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK authors aged 11–19. Genre: Historical fiction between 800 and 2000 words. Prizes: £500 travel and research grant to further explore historical places in the UK, and an invitation to the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, Scotland. Two runners-up in each category receive a £100 book token, and all four winning stories are published in a special YWSP anthology book. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

McKitterick Prize. Restrictions: Open to authors over age 40 on December 31, 2018. Genre: First novel. The work must have been first published in the UK in the year in which the deadline falls (and not first published abroad), or be unpublished. Prize: £4,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Tom-Gallon Trust Award. Restrictions: Open to citizens of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland with at least one short story published or accepted for publication. Genre: Short story, maximum 5,000 words. May be unpublished. Prize: £1,000.00. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Creative Writing Institute’s Flash Fiction Award. Genre: Flash Fiction. Prize: $25 — $100. Deadline: October 31, 2018.

Lex:lead Essay Competition. Restrictions: Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre: Essay: How can laws affecting the free movement of people reduce poverty and support economic development? Prize: $500 scholarship. Deadline: October 31, 2018.