S. Kalekar
These are contests/grants/residencies for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, and journalism. The awards are up to $93,000 per year. They are, very loosely, divided geographically.
INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS
Briefly Write Poetry Prize
“Briefly Write Poetry Prize celebrates and rewards bold, succinct writing.
We want well-crafted poems up to 10 lines. We want innovative language, strong imagery and a subtle, focused composition. Send us your best brief writing.” Participants can send one poem. You have to sign into their website to submit. There is a prize fund of £150; all shortlisted authors will be paid.
Value: See above
Deadline: 31 August 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here.
The Observer / Redstone Press Postcard Story Prize 2026
Their website says, “A postcard is a simple thing: image on one side, writing on the other. But the relationship between image and text can be complex and teasing. Postcards always tell a story of some kind and are often glimpses into larger stories, inklings of whole lives…
We invite you to submit an imaginative short story, piece of text, or poem (up to 250 words) in response to a postcard image. The text need not necessarily correspond to the image on the postcard (it may even be more interesting if it doesn’t, as with many of the postcards we do send).” Select one of the postcards on their website when submitting your entry. There will be three winners, with each receiving a cash prize, publication of their story in The Observer, and a place on an Arvon Foundation online masterclass. Submission is via a form.
Value: £300 each and other non-cash prizes
Deadline: 1 September 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here.
PEN/Robert J Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers
This is an award for 12 emerging fiction writers for their debut short story published during a given calendar year in a literary magazine, journal, or cultural website. Submitted stories must be published or forthcoming in the current calendar year (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31 2026)
Value: $2,000 each
Deadline: 1 September 2026
Open for: Debut short fiction writers
Details here and here.
Surel’s Place: An Artist in Residence Program
These are month-long residencies at Boise. “The program is open to professional visual, literary, and performance artists: painters, writers, musicians, architects, filmmakers, and choreographers… any artist who needs a place to focus. However, because of the property’s limitations and proximity to neighbors, this is not a place that can accommodate loud or terribly messy processes, such as welding or blacksmithing. We favor artists whose work is technically advanced, unique, attractive (need not be pretty!), and conceptually valuable. Work that is predominantly conceptual, that must be explained in order to attract a viewer, may not be met with as much enthusiasm by our jurists. In addition, because we ask our residents to interact with the public through one workshop and one final event, we welcome artists who desire to connect with an audience in these ways.” While a spouse/partner can accompany the artist (see guidelines), they cannot accommodate children or pets. Please read their terms carefully, including commission on all sales emanating from your residency. They have two annual deadlines to apply, 1 March and 1 September. Writing samples are part of the literary applicants’ requirements (see guidelines).
Value: Residency, $100/week + $300 travel stipend
Deadline: 1 September 2026 (For residences that occur during January-May of the following year)
Open for: All artists
Details here.
The Academy for Teachers – Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest
They want honest, unsentimental stories, of 6-499 words, about teachers and schools. The contest is open to all writers, whether or not they are a teacher. The story’s protagonist or narrator must be a K-12 teacher. Sentimentality is discouraged and education jargon is forbidden. The winning story will be published in Epiphany Magazine, and receive a cash prize.
Value: $1,000, and publication
Deadline: 6 September 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Princeton Arts Fellowship
Their website says, “We are only accepting applications for the Program in Dance, Program in Theater and Music Theater, and the Department of Music for this cycle.”This is for artists in many disciplines, including playwriting, whose achievements have been recognized as demonstrating extraordinary promise in any area of artistic practice and teaching. This is a two-year program and there is a teaching duty attached. You do not have to be a US citizen to apply. For this cycle, eligible applicants are early career composers, conductors, musicians, choreographers, playwrights, designers, directors, and performance artists.
Value: $93,000 per year ($186,000 for the two-year fellowship), additional $7,000 per year for research and classroom expenses, residency at Princeton
Deadline: 8 September 2026
Open for: All playwrights
Details here.
Princeton: Hodder Fellowship
“We are only accepting applications for the Program in Dance, Program in Theater and Music Theater, Program in Visual Arts, and the Department of Music for this cycle.” Potential Hodder Fellows are artists (including playwrights) or humanists who have “much more than ordinary intellectual and literary gifts”; they are selected more “for promise than for performance.” The Hodder is designed to provide Fellows with the “studious leisure” to undertake significant new work. There are no formal teaching duties attached. Fellows have access to shared spaces on campus at Princeton, for the duration of their fellowship.
One does not have to be a US citizen to apply for this fellowship. A Hodder Fellow must be based in the U.S. during the Fellowship, and Fellows have access to shared spaces on campus for the duration of their fellowship (see FAQ, scroll down to Hodder Fellowship).
Value: $93,000, additional $5,000 for research expenses
Deadline: 8 September 2026
Open for: All playwrights
Details here.
Columbia Journalism School: J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards
These awards are given for non-fiction works in progress which deal with a topic of American political or social concern, to aid their completion. Writers must already have a contract with a US-based publisher. One of the application requirements is 50-75 pages from the work in progress. There is no fee for the work-in-progress award. The prizes are run by Columbia Journalism School. The relevant category will open in their Submittable during the application period.
Value: $25,000
Opens on: 9 September 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here
(They have other awards as well, which charge entry fees.)
Harvard University: Radcliffe Institute Fellowships
These are for various disciplines, including creative arts – which include, but are not limited to, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, as well as journalism, and playwriting. “We welcome applications proposing innovative work that confronts pressing social, scientific, and policy issues and seeks to engage audiences beyond academia. Reflecting Radcliffe’s unique history and institutional legacy, we welcome—but do not limit eligibility to—proposals that focus on women, gender, and society or draw on the Schlesinger Library’s rich collections.
We also invite proposals relevant to the Institute’s multiyear focus area, which for 2024–2029 is academic freedom and connecting across difference.” Application is via their submission portal. The fellowship pays $78,000, and an additional $5,000 for project expenses; fellows also get an office at Harvard University, additional funds for moving expenses, childcare and housing, etc. The deadline for some disciplines, including creative arts, is in September. See the eligible disciplines for this cycle here.
Value: $78,000; additional funds for project expenses, and other things
Deadline: 10 September 2026 (for humanities, social sciences, creative arts, and non-fiction and journalism)
Open for: Published writers and journalists
Details here.
Garden Party Collective: Mental Health Poetry Contest
This contest is for poets who have struggled / are currently struggling with mental illness. They will soon open for submissions: “We accept submissions during National Suicide Prevention Week: September 6th – 12th”. And, “while this contest is for poets who are currently struggling with or have struggled with any mental condition(s), the poems themselves can be about any topic.”
Value: $100 each
Submission period: 6th to 12th September 2026
Open for: Poets who have struggled / are currently struggling with mental illness
Details here and here.
Gulf Coast: The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing
This prize is for critical art writing, of up to 1,500 words. Their guidelines say, “The Prize invites submissions of expository writing, scholarly essays, and exhibition reviews that have been written–or published–within the last year.”
Value: $3,000, two prizes of $1,000 each
Deadline: 14 September 2026 (see Submittable)
Details here and here (see the relevant category in Submittable).
American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Awards
The American-Scandinavian Foundation annually awards translation prizes for outstanding translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose written by a 20th– or 21st-century Nordic author. The Nadia Christensen Prize recognizes an outstanding translation of a literary text from a Nordic language into English; the Leif and Inger Sjöberg Award recognizes a distinguished effort by an emerging translator whose literary translations from a Nordic language have not previously been published. There is also the Wigeland Prize (this is for the best translation by a Norwegian), the Inger and Jens Bruun Translation Prize, which recognizes the best Danish translation, and the Turið Sigurðardóttir Translation Prize, which honors the best translation from a work of Faroese or Icelandic literature into English. The application includes 25-50 pages of prose or 15-25 pages of poetry.
Value: $5,000 (Nadia Christensen Prize); $2,000 (Leif and Inger Sjöberg Award); $2,000 (Wigeland Prize); $2,000 (The Inger and Jens Bruun Translation Prize); $2,000 (Turið Sigurðardóttir Translation Prize)
Deadline: 15 September 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here and here.
Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship
This is for published fiction and non-fiction writers who were born in Africa or whose parents were born in Africa (see ‘Do I need to prove my African birth place?’ in FAQ). The money is paid monthly over a course of a year. For non-fiction writers, additional funds can be made available, and given over a period of 18 months. A published writing sample is part of the application (see guidelines). One of the scholarship requirements is, writers have to submit 10,000 words of writing every month (see guidelines). They also say, “The Foundation will not review or comment on the monthly submissions as they come in. However, each Scholar will be offered the opportunity to be mentored by an established author or publisher. In most cases the mentorship will begin after the book has been finished and the Scholarship period has ended.” And, “Scholars are also asked to donate to the MMF 20% of whatever they subsequently receive from the book they write during the period of their Scholarship. … These funds will be used to support other promising writers. The 20% return obligation should be considered a debt of honour rather than a legally binding obligation.”
Value: £18,000 for fiction writers, possible additional funds for non-fiction writers, mentorship
Deadline: 22 September 2026 (see ‘Important Dates’ in the entry requirements here.)
Open for: African writers
Details here (entry requirements) and here (application form).
New York Public Library: Cullman Centre Fellowship
This is for writers whose project draws on the collection housed in The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, formerly the Humanities and Social Sciences Library. Visual artists can also apply (see guidelines). “The Library expects Fellows to work at the Cullman Center five days a week, Monday through Friday, for the duration of the Fellowship term, which runs from September through May. Successful candidates will need to work primarily at the Schwarzman Building rather than at other divisions of the Library.” New users have to register on their portal to apply.
Value: $90,000 and residency
Deadline: 25 September 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Speculative Literature Foundation: Working Class Writers Grant
They are open for various grants through the year for speculative literature, which “spans the breadth of fantastic writing, encompassing literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, including ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, slipstream, magical realism, and more. Any piece of literature containing a fabulist or speculative element would fall under our aegis.” One of their upcoming grants is the Working Class Writers Grant, an international grant for “speculative fiction writers who are working class, blue-collar, financially disadvantaged, or homeless, who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction due to financial barriers which make it hard to access the writing world. Such lack of access might include an inability to purchase a computer, books, and tuition, or to attend conventions or workshops. Often, these writers, many of whom work more than one job, have less time to write. … Unlike our other grants, you may choose to receive this grant anonymously or pseudonymously.” A cover letter and writing sample are part of the application requirement. The form will be available during the submission period.
Value: $1,000
Application period: 1st to 30th September 2026
Open for: Working class writers of speculative fiction (see guidelines)
Details here.
(They have other grants as well; the Gulliver Travel Research Grant, which opens in November annually and pays $1,000; the A.C. Bose Grant for South Asian Speculative Literature, which opens in January each year and pays $1,500; you can see all the Speculative Literature Foundation grants here.)
the engine(idling Drive Award
“the engine(idling is an online literary journal seeking poetry and visual art submissions from the crafty / the restless / the difficult personalities of this world.” You can read about them here. They are open for a fee-free poetry contest: “You can only send one poem so make it count — bring your best! There are no thematic, form, subject, or length restrictions (but please don’t submit a book-length poem).” The prize money is from their fundraising efforts. Submission is via a form.
Value: $205.58
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here.
Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
They want a short story on any theme; they are reading submissions for their 73rd contest. Stories should ideally be up to 3,000 words, though those up to 4,000 words are considered. Readers of the magazine are interested in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Their newsletter subscribers include publishers, artists, musicians, and fellow writers. Their guidelines say, “While your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.”
Value: $150
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here.
2026 Sejong International Sijo Competition
This is an international sijo contest from the Sejong Cultural Society. “The sijo is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form organized technically and thematically by line and syllable count. Using the sijo form, write one poem in English on a topic of your choice.” Their website has resources on how to write sijo.
Value: $500, $250, $100
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here.
The Camargo Fellowship
This is their flagship program; a residency at Cassis, France is for artists (including writers, playwrights and translators) and scholars/thinkers, to think, create and connect. Applicants should have a publication and/or grant track record. Teams of up to 3 people can apply. They also welcome spouses/partners and dependent minor children – see guidelines. Fellowships span 10 weeks. They also say, “Please note that this year’s call will be the last to take place through an open public call.
Beginning in July 2027, the Camargo Foundation will implement a new selection process that will no longer be based on a public open call. This change is the result of a long process of collective reflection. If you are considering applying for a residency in Fall 2027 or Spring 2028, we encourage you to do so through the current open call.”
Value: €350 per week (€3,500 for 10 weeks), basic coach class travel booked in advance for the fellow (see guidelines)
Deadline: 1 October 2026 (Webinar for interested participants on 3rd September – see the notice on their Submittable)
Open for: All writers
Details here, here, and here
(Camargo has several other programs, divided into various types; Stopovers, Incubators, Horizons, In the Long Run, and Impromptus; click on them to see the various programs they offer under each category. Their open calls are here.)
JournalismFund Grants
They have grants for journalists covering European affairs; one of the upcoming deadlines is for the European Cross-border Grant programme; it “aims to address the shortage of independent journalism by providing grants to investigative journalism projects in Europe and encouraging cross-border collaboration with an expert approach.
(It) supports cross-border teams of professional journalists and/or (local and national) news outlets who have strong ideas for cross-border investigations and research on European topics.” Grant amounts can vary from €2,000 to €14,000 and more.
Value: €2,000 to €14,000 and more
Deadline: 1 October 2026
Open for: Journalists covering European affairs
Details here.
(They’re also open for The Invisible Life Grant, which supports cross-border teams of professional journalists and/or news outlets investigating issues related to farm animal welfare and European interests, both within and beyond Europe; it is part of Journalismfund’s Environmental Investigative Journalism Grant programme; grant amounts can vary from €2,000 to €15,000; the deadline is 27 August 2026.
Also see their grants for Dutch and French media; links on the main guidelines page.)
Horror Writers Association Grants
They offer grants / scholarships for horror writers, some of which are open now. Most of them specify how these funds may be used, and require a writing sample as part of the application process – see their detailed individual guidelines for more information.
— Their Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship is for horror writers who identify as women; “Each Scholarship is worth $2500, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.” And, their Horror Writers Association Scholarship, also worth $2,500, is for all horror writers. Apply for these two scholarships here.
— Their Diversity Grants, worth $500 each, are for “underrepresented, diverse people who have an interest in the horror writing genre, including, but not limited to writers, editors, reviewers, and library workers.” Apply here.
— The Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for Non-fiction Writing is “an endowed fund providing grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature. The Fund will provide grants annually (the amount is flexible).” Apply here.
— The Dennis Etchison Young Writers scholarship, which awards $500, “will be open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction.” Apply here.
— The Dark Poetry Scholarship, worth $1250, is “for anyone with an interest in writing horror/dark fantasy poetry”. Apply here.
Value: Varies
Deadline: 2 October 2026
Open for: Horror writers
Details here (links to individual grants/scholarships) and here (Submittable)
(HWA also organizes Bram Stoker Awards, the deadlines for which are in November and December. See the relevant categories here.
And, submissions are also open for HWA’s Young Adults Write Now fund, which “will provide up to five (5) endowments of $250 each per year for selected libraries to establish new, or support ongoing, writing programs. The program is currently open to United States libraries”.)
American Antiquarian Society: Fellowships for Creative and Performing Artists and Writers
These are fellowships for historical research by the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester, Massachusetts, for those who wish to produce “imaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history.” Typically, two Hearst Foundations Fellowships and two Robert and Charlotte Baron Fellowships are awarded annually. Fellowship projects may include (but are not limited to) historical novels, poetry, podcasts, documentary films, TV programs, radio broadcasts, plays, screenplays, illustration and other graphic arts, magazine or newspaper articles, and non-fiction works of history for a general audience, either for adults or for children.
Value: $2,400, residency
Deadline: 5 October 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
(A couple of contests with later deadlines are:
— One Story: Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship: They will soon open for applications. This international fellowship is for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program – see guidelines. “We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference. This means writing that centers, celebrates, or reclaims being marginalized through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, religion, illness, disability, trauma, migration, displacement, dispossession, or imprisonment.” Apart from the $2,000 stipend and tuition to attend One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference, it offers free tuition for all One Story online classes and programming; a full manuscript review & consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words). A fiction writing sample of 3,000-5,000 words is part of the submission requirement. The application period is 8th September to 13th October 2026; this category will open in their Submittable during the application period. Details here.
And, One Story will open for fiction submissions in the fall; their One Teen Story Contest for teenagers will open in the fall, as well.
— Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship: This is for a poet of American birth, who is willing to spend a year outside the continent of North America. One of the requirements is a poetry sample (either up to 40 typed pages or a printed volume of your poetry and no more than 20 additional typed pages). Applications have to be mailed. The award is approximately $78,000 adjusted for inflation; if there are two winners, each will receive the full amount, and the deadline is 15 October 2026 – must be received by this date; details here.
— Northwestern University Press: Drinking Gourd Chapbook Prize: This is for poets who are people of color withUS citizenship, who have not previously published a book-length volume of poetry, inclusive of chapbooks. Send a poetry manuscript of 25–35 pages – see guidelines – along with a completed entry form. The prize is $500, and the deadline is 31 October 2026. Details here and here.)
WRITERS IN THE US / CANADA
(Writers in the US might be interested in several of the fellowships in the international section above.)
Fulbright Scholarships
This is a program for US citizens. They offer “more than 380 awards in more than 120 countries for U.S. citizens to teach, conduct research, and carry out professional projects around the world. … For the full list of our award offerings, visit the U.S. Scholars Awards Search. Location, activity type, and eligibility vary across awards. Some awards may be restricted to certain career profiles or disciplines. Awards range from a few months to a full year.” There are opportunities for higher education faculty and administrators, professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, and independent scholars outside of the academy. Applicants can opt for teaching, research, teaching/research, and professional projects in various countries. For professionals and artists, those who have had more than seven years’ experience are eligible to apply. For this cycle, “To commemorate Freedom 250, we are highlighting U.S. Scholar awards in American Studies” (see here).
Value: Various
Deadline: 15 September 2026
Open for: US Citizens
Details here.
(Also see Fulbright programs for non-US scholars, for opportunities in the US.)
Academy of American Poets: Ambroggio Prize
This is an opportunity for US poets. They want a book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Poets may translate their own work or collaborate with a translator who may or may not be a poet; the poet and translator must share the prize. The original manuscript in Spanish must be between 48 and 100 pages. Their website also says, established in 2017, the Ambroggio Prize is the only annual award of its kind in the United States that honors American poets whose first language is Spanish.
Value: $1,000 and publication
Deadline: 15 September 2026
Open for: US poets
Details here and here.
(The Academy of American Poets has other awards as well, both fee-free and fee-based – see their Submittable for all open calls.)
Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants
Their regular grants are for articles by US journalists that break new ground and expose wrongdoing – such as corruption, malfeasance, or abuse of power – in the public and private sectors. FIJ encourages proposals written for ethnic media as well as those submitted by journalists of color. “The Fund provides grants for print and online articles, television and radio stories, documentaries, podcasts, and books.” Also, “foreign-based story proposals must come from US-based reporters or have a strong US angle involving American citizens, government, or business; all stories must be published in English, in a media outlet in the United States.”
Value: Up to $10,000
Deadline: 15 September 2026
Open for:U.S.-based journalists or those working on a story with a strong U.S. angle
Details here.
(And, Fund for Investigative Journalism is also accepting applications for “seed” grants for early reporting of $1,000 to $2,500, the deadline is 15 September 2026; journalists must be U.S.-based or working on a story with a strong U.S. angle. They’re open for follow-up grants as well. Details here.)
Guggenheim Fellowships
The Guggenheim Fellowships are for US and Canadian citizens in various disciplines, including literature, who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. No special conditions are attached to the fellowships.
Value: Varies
Deadline: 15 September, work samples to be uploaded by 29 September 2026 – see timeline here – scroll down
Open for: US and Canadian citizens
Details here (see various tabs on this page – eligibility, how to apply, application timeline, selection process, and FAQ).
American Academy in Berlin Fellowship
This is for US-based people (including collaborators) who wish to engage in independent study (generally, for an academic semester). Academy fellows are established and emerging scholars, writers, and professionals who wish to engage in independent study. Applicants working in most other fields—such as journalism, filmmaking, or public policy—must have a significant record of publication or production. Writers of fiction and non-fiction must have published at least one book with a reputable press at the time of application (composers, artists, and poets are by invitation only). Candidates should explain how their projects will benefit from a residency in Berlin, but they need not be working on German topics. Past recipients have included historians, economists, filmmakers, art historians, journalists, legal scholars, musicologists, public-policy experts, former government officials, NGO leaders, and writers. Most accommodations are also suitable for couples; they also offer accommodations for a limited number of families with children. You have to sign into SlideRoom to apply.
Value: Round-trip airfare, $5,000 per month, residency near Berlin
Deadline: 25 September 2026
Open for: Those permanently based in the US
Details here and here.
Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing
These awards are for works that evoke the American South. For fiction and non-fiction, the awards are for published/soon-to-be-published books (see guidelines); for poetry, send a poem of up to 60 lines. Poems should evoke the US South. “Books must be published during the submission year and cannot be self-published. Advanced reader copies or proofs for books that will be published in October, November or December of 2026 are eligible.” And, “Winners also receive an expenses-paid trip to Oxford, Miss., where we celebrate the winning writers as part of the Oxford Conference for the Book.”
Value: $12,000 for prose; $3,000 for poetry
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
Fund for Investigative Journalism: Alicia Patterson Fellowships
These can be for six months (paying $20,000) or 12 months (paying $40,000) for in-depth written reporting. “Reporting projects must be for print/online publication (i.e., written projects), and they must be U.S. focused. Fellows aren’t required to live in the U.S., but the reporting project must be focused on the U.S., for publication in U.S. outlets.
Reporting projects should be in-depth and investigative in nature, and can cover any topic of public interest.” They also say, “Freelancers are strongly encouraged to apply for the fellowship. Applicants who are on staff full-time at media outlets may apply, if they intend to take a leave from their job for the fellowship.”
Value: $20,000-40,000
Deadline: 1 October 2026
Open for: Journalists writing for US publications
Details here – see the relevant category
(They have other opportunities listed as well.)
WRITERS IN THE UK/IRELAND
Penguin UK: Merkey Books New Writers’ Prize
This is an annual prize, and is open to young (ages 18-35), underrepresented and unpublished writers from across the UK and Ireland. Writers also have to be unagented. It is for a work of literary and commercial fiction (for a completed manuscript or a manuscript in progress – see FAQ); send a synopsis of 200 words and an excerpt of 1,500 words. The winner receives a publishing contract with Merkey Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK, which also includes an advance. And, shortlisted writers will also be invited to their Writers’ Camp. Submission is via a form (which also lists the genres they are accepting).
Value: Publishing contract (includes advance)
Deadline: 24 August 2026
Open for: Underrepresented, unpublished writers in UK/Ireland (ages 18-35)
Details here.
Climate Playwriting Prize
This is an award for a full-length play (70 minutes or longer) by a UK-based playwright on the climate crisis. “We are looking for the best plays that engage meaningfully with the climate crisis.
For this prize, ‘climate’ is defined expansively: it includes the natural world and environmental change, but also the social, political, and cultural conditions connected to it. We are open to all approaches to this subject matter: the climate should be an important dramaturgical element of the play, with an impact on character and/or plot, but it doesn’t need to be the only theme. We are particularly interested in plays that go beyond explaining the problem, to explore what responding to the crisis means for us as people.” They also say, “Although the Globe is leading the prize, we encourage playwrights to develop scripts without a specific stage in mind – the prize producers will support the onward journey of the play to the most appropriate home.” And, “The Globe will option the winning play for production, with an aspiration to produce. Alternatively the award producers will support the writer to find a suitable home for the play.” Longlisted writers will receive short written feedback. Shortlisted writers will receive feedback in person.
Value: £15,000
Deadline: 1 September 2026
Open for: UK-based playwrights
Details here.
People’s Theatre: People’s Play Award
This is for playwrights in the North of England who are yet to have a full-length play performed professionally. “One winning script will be chosen for a five-night production by the People’s Theatre in May 2027 in their Studio Theatre, and the writer will receive a cash prize of £1,000.” Send a full-length script with running time of at least 60 minutes, or at least 9,000 words (see guidelines).
Value: £1,000, production
Deadline: 12th September 2026
Open for: Debut playwrights living in the North of England
Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.