By S. Kalekar
These are contests for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, and scriptwriting. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A couple of the deadlines are in June.
INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS
The Welkin Genre Prize
They want prose of up to 100 words; the contest aims to celebrate writing around different genres and themes. And, “The competition is open to all forms of narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), be that flash fiction, short-short, vignette, haibun, hermit crab, prose poem or work that sits outside such labels.” The categories are:
“The “Earth” Prize – writing about landscape and the environment, or about the human connection with the earth
The “Joy” Prize – joyful or humorous writing, or writing that moves towards a sense of hope
The “Body” Prize – writing about the human body or writing that engages with the theme of illness or disability
The “History” Prize – writing that takes us into the past, whether that be a real past or an alternate past
The “Firefly” Prize – writing with a speculative bent (fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, ghost stories, horror)”. Submission is via a form (see guidelines).
Value: £30 each
Deadline: 30 June 2026 (15.00 BST)
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Triveni Haiku Awards
These are awards for haiku, organized by Triveni Hakai India. There are no stylistic restrictions. Submission is via a form.
Value: INR10,000, INR5,000, INR2,000
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here, here.
Indigenous Creative Nonfiction Prize (Chapter House 2026 Summer Issue)
This prize is for Indigenous writers; they want creative nonfiction on the theme, Celestial Bodies: Honoring the Stars, the Moon, and Sky. “On April 1, 2026, NASA launched Artemis II, sending a crew on a nine-day journey looping the moon, sharing images, sound, and story back to Earth. A reminder: we are only a small part of an immense, living history of Nihimá Nahasdzáán, of Yethi’nisténha Ohóntsya, of Uŋčí Makhá, and of all our relatives whose names for Earth are not recorded.
We invite Indigenous voices to write into the cosmos, creative nonfiction that orbits memory, land, language, and relation. Tell us what the sky holds. Tell us what Earth remembers.
How do your stories move between ground and galaxy? What truths return when we look outward, and inward, at once?
Send us your work. Let it travel like signal, like prayer, like light.”
Value: $250 (see this Instagram post)
Deadline: 30th June 2026
Details here (see the relevant category)
Richard J. Margolis Award
The award is for non-fiction writers of social justice journalism. It is for a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humour, wisdom and concern with social justice. Applications should include 2-3 non-fiction writing samples, up to 30 pages. At least one sample should be non-memoir material. Apart from a cash prize, the winner also gets residency at Blue Mountain Centre artists’ colony. They also say, “Applications are accepted year round but must be received by July 1 for consideration for the current-year award. Applications received after this date will be considered for the award in the following year.”
Value: $10,000, residency; $1,000 for runners-up
Deadline: 1 July 2026
Open for: Non-fiction writers of social justice journalism
Details here and here.
The Forum Essay Prize: Science and the arts
This prize is run by Forum of Modern Language Studies (Oxford Academic) and is open to all researchers, whether early-career or established. The theme this year is, Science and the arts. They have detailed guidelines, including, “The topic may be addressed from the perspective of any of the literatures and cultures (including literary linguistics, translation and comparative approaches) normally covered by the journal: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Slavonic, and Spanish. Please note that material of a predominantly social science or sociological nature falls outside our scope.
We are seeking submissions that focus on literature, film, art, or other cultural outputs that relate to the subject of “Science and the arts”, be that through engaging with the theme more broadly, or with regard to specific aspects of the theme as it relates to the discipline(s) covered by Forum for Modern Language Studies.” The winning essay will also get published in an issue of Forum for Modern Language Studies. Submission is via a form.
Value: £500
Deadline: 1 July 2026
Open for: All researchers, whether early-career or established
Details here.
The International Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation: Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award
This is an opportunity for young non-American TV scriptwriters. “Each year, The Foundation administers the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. The competition is designed to motivate non-American novice writers under the age of 30, and offer them the recognition and encouragement that might lead to a successful career in television scriptwriting. Entrants are asked to create a completed half-hour to one-hour English-language television drama script.” Please note, you have to create an account and log in to enter this contest. The applicant must be a non-U.S. citizen (non-U.S. citizens currently studying/residing in the U.S. are eligible.) Please note, entries from Russia are ineligible this year.
The winner will be flown to New York City to be presented with an award and a $2,500 prize at the International Emmy World Television Festival, and will be invited to take part in the red-carpet festivities at the International Emmy Awards Gala.
Value: $2,500, other non-cash prizes
Deadline: 1 July 2026
Open for: Non-American TV scriptwriters under the age of 30
Details here.
The BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest for Caribbean Writers
This is a short story contest for Caribbean-descended writers, by Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF). There are two categories, with different eligibility requirements. Submission is via a form on the website.
— The BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize is open to unpublished writers of Caribbean heritage. Self-published writers may apply. This prize seeks to unearth hidden storytellers in the United States and Canada; and
— BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean is open exclusively to Caribbean writers of all levels who reside and work in the Caribbean or are on temporary assignment overseas.
Writers should send short stories of up to 3,000 words.
Value: $1,750 each, as well as other non-cash prizes, and the Deadline: 1 July 2026
Open for: Caribbean writers
Details here.
Embracing Our Differences Quotation Competition
This international contest calls for quotations on a theme (up to 20 words), to feature in an exhibition in Florida. “The winning artworks combine a deep understanding of both medium and message. Awards are given for “Best-in-Show Adult,” “Best-in-Show Student,” and “People’s Choice” categories, with the last chosen by visitors to the exhibition. Adult winners each receive $2,000; students receive $2,000 to be split with their school’s art or writing program.” They’re also running an art contest.
Value: See above
Deadline: 1 July 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here.
On the Premises: Less
They want a story based on a prompt on their website. For this cycle, the prompt is Less. “For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story in which one or more characters are trying to make something–anything–smaller in some way. Trying to change their behaviors (“I will ____ less”) or their weight counts, and so does inventing a way to make something faster (“this process will take less time”). So does inventing a shrink ray.
In the spirit of the contest premise, you get less space to work with this time. Stories must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words long. Usually you can go as long as 5,000 words, but not this time! This time you must work with LESS!“ They do not want children’s fiction, exploitative sex, over-the-top grossout horror, or stories that are obvious parodies of existing fictional worlds/characters created by other authors.
Value: $250, $200, $150, $75
Deadline: 3 July 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here (general guidelines) and here (theme details).
Hubert Butler Essay Prize
This is a themed essay contest, of up to 3,000 words, for writers who are UK or European Union citizens. “The Hubert Butler Essay Prize is intended to encourage the art of essay-writing with a European dimension and to expand interest in Butler’s work.” The subject for the 2026 essay prize is: ‘‘“Poetry makes nothing happen” (W.H.Auden). What impact can high culture make in the real world?
The quotation in the essay title is taken from Auden’s elegy for Yeats, written in 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War. In times of global conflict, there can be an acute awareness of the impotence of art. What impact, if any, can high culture have in a world threatened by disaster?”Value: €2,500
Deadline: 3 July 2026
Open for: UK or EU citizens
Details here.
The H G Wells Short Story Competition
This is an international short story contest; they want short fiction of 1,500-5,000 words on this year’s theme, The Cheat (see FAQ). There is no fee for The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition for young writers, i.e. for those under 21 years, and the prize for that is £1,000.
Value: See above
Deadline: 7 July 2026
Open for: Writers under 21
Details here.
Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship
This is a global opportunity for investigative journalism, for early-career journalists with three to five years’ experience; it offers “a nine-month fellowship with Durham University and Reuters to undertake an investigative project. The Fellow will be mentored by top Reuters editors while having access to Durham’s academics and research resources and will be given the opportunity to develop rigorous, fact-based research and reporting skills. The Fellow will pursue the project from inside a Reuters newsroom in London, New York, or Toronto with the additional support of colleagues in Durham’s Institute of Advanced Studies. The Fellow will deliver a public seminar at the IAS, sharing their learnings from the Fellowship and supporting the understanding of journalism at the University.” They also say, “Where a prospective applicant is not currently a journalist but has worked in an investigative reporting capacity in a related professional field (for example: leading human rights or other socio-political publications and campaigns; working as an author or researcher on authoritative investigative work; or developing in-field photo-or video-research projects, documentaries, or exhibitions) applications may be considered on a case-by-case basis.” Also, “The Fellowship has a monthly salary of c.£4,444 per month … In addition, there is a £1,250 per month living stipend and a one-off payment of £1,800 for travel and related expenses.” Application is via a form.
Value: See above
Deadline: 10 July 2026
Open for: Investigative journalists (see guidelines)
Details here
Tarbell Grants
These are grants for journalists covering AI from the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism. “As artificial intelligence grows more influential, the companies building it and the policymakers regulating it warrant the kind of scrutiny that journalism exists to provide. We believe rigorous, independent reporting serves the public interest—demystifying technical developments, following the money, and documenting what happens when these systems enter the real world.
Tarbell offers grants of $1,000–$20,000 to support original reporting on AI published in established outlets, whether from freelancers or staff. We primarily fund written journalism but are open to supporting other formats.” For this cycle, they’re looking for applications across these focus areas: Accountability reporting on frontier AI companies; AI policy and politics; AI explainers and analysis; AI in government and militaries; AI labor impacts; and AI developments in China.
Value: $1,000-20,000
Deadline: 12 July 2026
Open for: Journalists covering AI
Details here.
International Women’s Media Foundation: Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice in the Americas 2026
These are grants for women and nonbinary journalists, to support reporting focused on reproductive rights in Latin America and the Caribbean and the United States. “These grants support reporting of untold stories surrounding issues that impact people’s daily lives in the region” And, “A strong preference will be given to multimedia reporting teams focusing on Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, as well as transnational reporting teams exploring the connections of ultra-right groups and their links to U.S.-based organizations and global networks.” This also includes proposals that explore certain themes, including, but not limitedto:Exportation of governance models influencing leaders abroad through deregulation, expanded executive power, and weakened public institutions; Digital media as organizing infrastructure used to build cross-border anti-rights political networks; Gender and reproductive rights as a central battleground for advancing broader authoritarian agendas; Crime and migration narratives used to justify expanded surveillance, militarization, and executive authority. And, “Grants will vary depending on the need, scope, and location of the project. Grant funds may be used to cover travel and logistics, security costs, insurance, and other reporting expenses.”
Value: Unspecified
Deadline: 12 July 2026
Open for: Women and nonbinary journalists
Details here and here (see the relevant category)
(See all of International Women’s Media Foundation opportunities here – click on the ‘Opportunities’ tab.)
International Women’s Media Foundation: The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism
This is a grant for narrative journalism, and is open for women and nonbinary journalists. Grants will be for a maximum of $5,000. Applicants may be a print journalist or a print journalist leading a multi-media team. Projects reported and published in English anywhere in the world are eligible. All reporting and publishing must be completed within six months of the award of the grant. Applicants may be freelance or staff print journalists and may apply individually or as part of a multi-format team. Applicants must have three (3) or more years of professional journalism experience.
Value: Up to $5,000
Deadline: 12 July 2025
Open for: Women and nonbinary journalists (see guidelines)
Details here (see the relevant category)
(See all of International Women’s Media Foundation opportunities here – click on the ‘Opportunities’ tab.)
The Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest
For this contest, they have two categories: a traditional sonnet, which can be Shakespearean or Petrarchan, and a modern sonnet. Poets can enter work in one or both categories (see guidelines).
Value: $50, $30, $20
Deadline: 15 July 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here.
The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize
This is a prize for an art exhibit review. “To enter the prize, entrants should submit one unpublished review of a contemporary art exhibition by the specified deadline. ‘Contemporary’ is defined as art produced since 2000. The exhibition under review can be staged anywhere in the world, but it should be current or have closed within the last six months at the date of submission.” And, “The review must be between 800 and 1,000 words in length and accompanied by up to three low-resolution images.” Regarding eligibility, they say, “Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online, in any language or country, prior to their submission. This does not include personal blogs and websites.” Before entering, applicants are encouraged to read reviews recently published on Burlington Contemporary.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 20 July 2026 (10 am BST)
Open for: Emerging writers
Details here.
Speculative Literature Foundation Grants: Diverse Writers and Diverse World Grants
These are international grants for writers of speculative literature, and they have various grants in through the year. There are two upcoming grants. The Diverse Writers Grant is for writers from an underrepresented and underprivileged backgrounds – “intended to support speculative fiction writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups — such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, etc. — whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing and publishing process” – the grant pays $500, and is open 1-31 July.
The Diverse Worlds Grant, for work that best represents diversity, regardless of the writer’s background, pays $500, is also open 1-31 July. The grants have various eligibility and submission guidelines, please read them carefully before applying. The submission portal will open during the grant application period.
Value: See above
Application period: 1 to 31 July 2026
Open for: Writers of speculative literature
Details here.
The Protopian Prize
This is a fiction contest. “To create a better world, we need to first imagine it-and the work required to get there. The Protopian Prize is a fiction contest inviting you to share your vision of people working toward liberatory futures, meeting obstacles, and making real change. “Protopian” — a word coined by Kevin Kelly, one of our contest’s judges—means an achievable, optimistic future characterized by continuous, incremental progress rather than revolutionary leaps or a static, perfect state. Protopian stories imagine a future that is neither flawless nor catastrophic, but instead workably better than today. It’s about plausible progress rather than perfection or collapse.”
They have two themes/contests, and they want fiction of 500 to 6,000 words: Public AI Prize (“short fiction imagining a positive future for humanity that foregrounds the potential of AI designed to serve the public good—and actionable steps to get us there”) and the Democratic Futures Prize (“short fiction imagining a positive future for humanity that foregrounds the potential of democratic governance —and actionable steps to get us there”); please see the guidelines for details of each. Winners will be published in an anthology by MIT Press.
Value: $5,000 each
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here, here, here and here.
Sisters in Crime: Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers
This is a grant for an emerging writer in the LGBTQIA+ community. It is for an unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. An unpublished writer is preferred, but writers with publication of not more than 10 pieces of short fiction and/or up to 2 self-published or traditionally published books are also eligible. Please note, you have to register/log in to access the submission portal.
Value: $2,000
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: Emerging writer in the LGBTQIA+ community
Details here and here.
(A couple of contests with later deadlines are:
— Amazon: Kindle Storyteller Award: This is an international award for those who publish their work through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing in English in any genre. Entrants must make the book available for sale in both digital and print versions through KDP between 1st May and 31st August 2026. The book must be at least 24 pages long, and can have a maximum of 2 co-authors. Please note, the books must be published through their KDP Select program (be only available on Amazon), and readers play a significant role in winner selection (see Terms & Conditions – which also lists ineligible countries/nationalities – and General Competition Questions / FAQ). The book can have up to two co-authors. The prize is £20,000, and the deadline is 31 August 2026. 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 prize is $1,000, and publication. The contest opens for entries on 1st July and their submission form will be active during the reading period. Details here.
— Faber: The FAB Prize: This is for undiscovered BAME writers and illustrators, for books aimed at children. Entrants must be of black, Asian or minority ethnic background and UK- or Ireland-based. For writers, they want a maximum of 5,000 words of text (no minimum word count). Also, “There is no minimum word count and the maximum 5,000 words can be a sample of a longer work – it does not have to be a short story (though those are welcome too!)
We strongly advise you to complete your work as much as you can, even if you do not enter the whole manuscript: after the ceremony agents will request the full manuscript, so in order to get the most out of the prize, it is best to have the whole manuscript ready to go.
Please send in the complete story if the text is for a picture book. (Picture books should not be longer than 5000 words).” Entries must be text or artwork for children. The prize is £1,500 for the winner, £500 for the second place winner, and other non-cash prizes; the deadline is 21 August 2026. Details here.
— The Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award: These awards offer publication for two short story collections. Manuscripts must be at least 150 pages. They offer a standard publishing contract. Submissions are open between 1 July and 31 August 2026. Both winning manuscripts get publication under a standard University of Iowa Press contract. The prize is open for writers who have not published a volume of prose fiction. Details here.)
CONTESTS FOR WRITERS IN US/CANADA
(Also see the Indigenous Creative Nonfiction Prize, the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award, the BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest for Caribbean Writers and the International Women’s Media Foundation: Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice in the Americas 2026 in the international section.)
The FSG Writer’s Fellowship
This is for emerging writers from underrepresented communities in the US. This fellowship, from Farrar, Straus and Giroux, is a yearlong program designed to give an emerging writer from an underrepresented community additional resources to build a life around writing: funding, editorial guidance, and advice on how to forge a writing career. It offers the unique opportunity for a writer to spend time with and enjoy the support and mentorship of the FSG community. It is for U.S. writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have never published a book, and are uncontracted. This fellowship will take place remotely. The applicant should be writing for an adult audience. Submissions include a writing sample (40-50 pages for prose, 8-12 pages for poetry).
Value: $15,000
Deadline: 6th July 2026
Open for: Emerging writers from underrepresented communities in the US
Details here and here.
Polar Expressions Publishing: Annual National Poetry and Short Story Competitions
These poetry and short story contests are for Canadian residents and citizens. Poems must be up to 48 lines and short stories, up to 750 words. Fan fiction and essays are not allowed. Translations are accepted.
Value: CAD600, CAD300, CAD150 each in poetry and short story for those aged 16 or over; CAD250, CAD125 and CAD50 each in poetry and short stories for those 15 and under
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: Canadian writers
Details here.
Line of Advance: Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards
These are awards for prose (fiction, creative non-fiction, memoir, hybrid, up to 5,000 words) and poetry (up to 5 poems) by current and past service members of the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard), and their immediate family members (parents, siblings, children). There are different categories in Submittable.
Value: $250, $150, and $100 in each “service member/veteran” and “family” group, for a total of four categories
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Details here, here, and here.
Journey’s End Publishing: Fantasy Novel Writing Contest
This is for writers in the US who have never been traditionally published (self-published is ok), and who are unagenged. Send a fiction manuscript in the fantasy genre, of 40,000 to 100,000 words. Please see their note about author involvement in marketing. Submission is via a form.
Value: $500 and publication; non-cash prizes for runners-up
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: Unpublished, unagented writers in the US
Details here.
Granum Foundation Prizes Submissions are open for the Granum Foundation Prize and the Granum Foundation Translation Prize. These are for works in progress, to help US-based writers complete substantive literary projects, including novels, memoirs, books of poetry, short story collections, and works in translation. Please note, applications will be capped once their submission quota is met, even if it is before the deadline.
Value: The Granum Foundation Prize is $5,000, with up to three finalist prizes of with $500 or more each; and the Translation Prize is $1,500 or more
Deadline: 1 August 2026, or when filled
Open for: US-based writers
Details here.
CONTESTS FOR WRITERS IN UK/IRELAND
(Also see the Hubert Butler Essay Prize and Faber: The FAB Prize in the international section above.)
Royal Society of Literature: Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction This is for UK/Ireland-based writers of non-fiction, to buy them time for completing their first commissioned work (see guidelines). Only works to be published in the UK or Republic of Ireland, or by UK/Ireland-based publishers, are eligible. The award will also take into consideration the author’s financial need. Submission is via a form.
Value: £10,000, £5,000, £2,500
Deadline: 6 July 2026
Open for: UK/Ireland-based writers
Details here and here.
Hachette UK: The Future Bookshelf – New Voices Award
This award is “to help discover unpublished psychology writers from Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, as well as those who are disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from cultural or religious minorities.
For 2026, the prize will be hosted by Robinson, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, and we are looking for works of commercial non-fiction, aimed at general readers, on any topic within any branch of psychology. … Entry requirements are a brief description and overview of the proposed book of up to 500 words, a detailed chapter overview and a sample chapter of between 4000 and 5000 words”.
Value: £5,000 advance, offer to publish
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Open for: Underrepresented writers in the UK
Details here.
(See all of The Future Bookshelf’s opportunities here.)
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.