By S. Kalekar
These are contests / grants for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, journalism, and translations, with prizes up to $100,000. They are open now, or will soon open for submissions. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A couple of the deadlines are in February.
INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS
Diann Blakely Emerging Poet Prize
This contest is affiliated with the University of Georgia. Send a single poem, of 50 lines or fewer. Please also see the comprehensive rights asked for from all entrants – it’s at the bottom of their guidelines page in small print.
Value: $500
Opens on: 28 February 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
Tales to Terrify Flash Fiction Contest
Tales to Terrify is a horror podcast. For this contest, they want short fiction of up to 1,000 words that combines the elements of science fiction and horror. “What peers unseen, from the frigid void of deep space? What machinations bubble in the flasks and beakers of the fevered scientist? What happens when the reins of technology finally slip our hands for good?
Few genres are as fertile for cross-contamination as sci-fi and horror. And the abominations that union creates are some of our favourites, here at the podcast. So, slip on your lab coat… strap into that space suit… plug into the mainframe… and descend with us into the nexus where science meets fear.” And, “The top flash piece will be produced for audio narration on Tales to Terrify and receive $50 (USD). Up to four runners up may also be considered for production.”
Value: $50
Deadline: 1 March 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Steve Miller BSFS Annual Poetry Contest
This contest is sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS). Poets are required to submit poetry on science fiction/fantasy/horror/science themes. Send poems up to 60 lines. Winners will receive a cash prize, convention membership and be invited to read their winning entries at Balticon. Attendance at Balticon is not required to win.
Value: $100, $75, $50; $25 for a potential youth award (see guidelines)
Deadline: 1 March 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here.
On the Premises Mini Contest: Circles
Their guidelines say, “For this mini-contest, tell, show, or evoke a complete story between 25 and 50 words long in which circles, one circle, or the idea of circling is important.” Also, “ If international currency exchange fees are necessary to pay an author, that fee comes out of the mini-contest prize money.”
Value: $35, $25, $15 (see here)
Deadline: 6 March 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here, here, and here.
ALTA Travel Fellowships
Each year, several fellowships are awarded to emerging translators (someone who does not yet have a book-length work of translation published or under contract) to help them pay for hotel and travel expenses to the annual American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) conference. Part of the application requirement is up to 10 pages of translated work (poetry or prose – see guidelines). “While the Travel Fellowships are open to all applicants, we especially encourage applications from translators of color, translators with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ translators.” Also see ALTA’s other awards for published works.
Value: $1,000 each
Deadline: 16 March 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here (scroll down).
A Public Space Writing Fellowship
“Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply to the … Writing Fellowships. Submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are welcome. Three fellowships will be awarded.” The fellowship aims to “seek out and support writers who embrace risk in their work and their own singular vision.” One of the submission requirements is a writing sample; one unpublished piece (for prose, a limit of 6,000 words; for poetry, up to 15 pages). If selected, the submitted manuscript is the piece that will be published in the magazine. Their Submittable will be open for this category during the reading period.
Value: $1,000, mentorship, other non-cash prizes
Submission period: 1st to 31st March 2026
Open for: Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book with a US publisher (see guidelines)
Details here
(And, A Public Space is currently open for Editorial Fellowships; Fellows have to be residents of New York for the duration of this fellowship. It pays $6,000 and the deadline is end-February; details here and here.)
Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award
This international grant is for supporting the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. She or he may choose activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work. This is for an emerging writer (see guidelines). The application process includes a writing sample – an unpublished piece of crime fiction, written with an adult audience in mind. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress, 2,500 to 5,000 words. Their website says, you do not have to be a member of Sisters in Crime to apply for this grant. See their recent Instagram post for information on the latest award cycle.
Value: $2,000; the winner can choose from a range of activities
Deadline: 31 March 2026
Open for: Writers of color
Details here and here.
Parsec Ink Short Story Competition – Metamorphosis
Parsec Ink also publishes the annual Triangulation anthology series. They are open now for a short speculative fiction contest by non-professional writers, who have not met the eligibility requirements for SFWA Full Membership. The theme is Metamorphosis. The theme must be integral to the story in some way. Send stories of up to 3,500 words. The youth story category is for ages up to 19 years, if you are still enrolled in and attending high school at the time of submission.
Value: $200, $100, and $50 for the general category, and $50 for the best youth story
Deadline: 31 March 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here and here (see both categories on Submittable).
Robert B. Silvers Foundation: Silvers Grants for Works in Progress
English-language writers of any nationality may apply for their grants to support long-form essays (essay-length or book-length) in the fields of literary criticism, arts writing, political analysis, and/or social reportage. Grants may not be used to fund translation or fiction. Applicants should have an editorial agreement with a publication or publishing house for the work under consideration. Some of the submission requirements are a writing sample, project description, and a full responses to the financial questionnaire.
Value: Up to $10,000
Deadline: 31 March 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here and here
Red Hen Press Ann Petry Award
This is for a work of previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages, by a Black writer.
Value: $3,000 and publication
Deadline: 31 March 2026
Open for: Black writers
Details here (scroll down) and here.
(See all of the Red Hen Press awards here.)
America Media: The Foley Poetry Contest
For the contest, they want an unpublished poem of 45 lines or fewer. Apart from the contest, this Catholic magazine is also open for general submissions. Value: $1,000
Deadline: 31 March 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
Eye Contact Prize in Genre Fiction
Eye Contact is literary journal affiliated with Seton Hill University. To be eligible for the prize, submit fantasy flash fiction (up to 1,000 words) on the Symphony theme for their next issue. The best story submitted for the magazine will win a prize. There is no separate submission process.
Value: $250 (see guidelines)
Deadline: 31 March 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
Columbus State University: The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers
These three-month fellowships are to afford writers uninterrupted time to focus on their work at an apartment in Carson McCuller’s childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. A spouse or companion is welcome. The application includes a writing sample of up to 20 pages.
Value: $5,000, residency
Deadline: 1 April 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
This prize is for humor poetry. Submit a poem of up to 250 lines.
Value: $2,000 and a two-year subscription to Duotrope; $500; $250; 10 prizes of $100 each
Deadline: 1 April 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here.
(A couple of contests with later deadlines:
— Baen Fantasy Adventure Award: “Write and submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words. It must be a work of fantasy, though all fantasy genres are open, e.g. epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, contemporary fantasy, etc.” Also see the kind of stories they want to see: “Adventure fantasy with heroes you want to root for. Warriors either modern or medieval, who solve problems with their wits or with their weapons—and we have nothing against dragons, elves, dwarves, castles under siege, urban fantasy, damsels in distress, or damsels who inflict distress.” They offer “industry-standard rates” as well as non-cash prizes, and the deadline is 30th April 2026; details here – click on contest rules. Also, “The winners will be officially announced during the Baen Traveling Roadshow at Dragon Con, in Atlanta, Georgia. (We would prefer the winners attend the convention, but it is not required.)”
— The Black Orchid Novella Award: This is an international contest for novellas (15,000-20,000 words) that confirm to the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series (see guidelines). They should focus on the deductive skills of the sleuth. They are not looking for derivatives of the Nero Wolfe series, or the milieu. The prize is $1,000 and publication, and the deadline is 31 May 2026 – see FAQ. Submission is via a form. Details here (also download the flyer from here.)
FOR US/CANADA WRITERS
Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship
Applicants must have covered international news as a working journalist for print, broadcast, or online media widely available in the United States, and must be US citizens. They must have distinguished credentials in journalism. The Fellow spends 10 months full-time in residence at the Council for Foreign Relations’ (CFR’s) headquarters in New York. The program enables the Fellow to engage in sustained analysis and writing, expand his or her intellectual and professional horizons, and extensively participate in CFR’s active program of meetings and events. One of the submission requirements is, a proposal on the significant foreign policy or global issue you would examine while at CFR.
Value:$100,000 and a modest travel grant
Deadline: 27 February 2026
Open for: US citizens
Details here.
University of Colorado: Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism
Their website says, “Five Ted Scripps Fellowships are awarded each year. The fellowship is open to full-time journalists working in any medium who are interested in advancing their knowledge of environmental issues. It is aimed at outstanding journalists committed to a career in professional journalism. Applicants must have five years of full-time professional journalism experience and must also have a BA or BS college degree, at minimum. Applicants may include reporters, editors, producers, photojournalists, documentarians, and feature writers. Both salaried staff and full-time freelancers are welcome to apply. Prior experience in covering the environment is not required.” And, “We welcome applications from international journalists; however, please be advised that you must hold a current visa and be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.” Fellows audit classes, pursue an independent project, attend weekly seminars, and participate in field trips to world-renowned institutions to learn what’s new in the realm of environmental science and policy. Fellows pay for their own housing and make their own housing arrangements. They receive a stipend, and will travel (expenses paid) to the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference.
Value: $80,000
Deadline: 1 March 2026
Open for: Full-time journalists authorised to work in the US (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
Poetry Foundation: Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships
These grants are for US poets ages 21-31 years. Applicants have to register on their online portal. Poets can also apply for alternative formats to submit applications. One of the application requirements is a writing sample.
Value: $27,000
Deadline: 2 March 2026 (deadline to request alternative application formats, and cut off to submit application portal registration for first time applicants are earlier – see guidelines)
Open for: US writers
Details here.
(See all of Poetry Foundation’s grants and awards for individuals here; the Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism for published book-length work published in the US in 2025 is open, with deadlines in late February and early March, see guidelines – eligible works include biographies, essay collections, and critical editions that consider the subject of poetry or poets.)The Waterman Fund Essay Contest for Emerging Writers
This essay contest is run by Appalachia, the mountaineering and conservation journal published by the Appalachian Mountain Club, and The Waterman Fund. The contest is for emerging writers – those who have not published in a major national magazine or journal or written a book of fiction or narrative nonfiction on topics of wilderness, wildness, or the ethics and ecology of environmental issues are eligible. Essays should be 2,000 to 3,000 words. “For 2026, we invite essays that address any or all topics related to: our relationship to the natural living world, land and place, preservation/conservation, alpine ecosystems, wild(er)ness and the deep woods.”They welcome personal, scientific, adventure, or memoir essays. The contest is run by the Waterman Fund – their tagline is, “Fostering the Spirit of Wildness and Conserving the Alpine Areas of Northeastern North America”.
Value: $3,000; $1,000
Deadline: 15 March 2026
Open for: Emerging writers (see guidelines) in the US or Canada (see eligibility here)
Details here.
Broadside Lotus Press: Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award
This is for a poetry manuscript by an African American poet. Submit a manuscript that is approximately 60 to 90 pages. At the time of writing, details of the latest award cycle were posted on their Facebook page.
Value: $500
Deadline: 15 March 2026
Open for: African American poets
Details here (website and information on the previous award cycle) and here (latest award cycle information on their social media)
PEN America: US Writers Aid Initiative
This is intended for fiction and non-fiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists. To be eligible, applicants must be based in the United States, be professional writers, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping them to address an emergency situation. Various deadlines are listed for 2026. While their Submittable was not open for submissions yet/at the time of writing, their next deadline was listed as 16th March. Writers do not have to be PEN members to apply.
Value: Unspecified
Deadline:16 March 2026
Open for: US writers
Details here.
The DAG Prize for Literature
“The goal of the DAG Prize is to contribute meaningfully to the evolution of American prose literature. To that end, we aim to support writing that offers significant innovation—for example, at the level of form, content, or genre. What more can prose literature be? What more can it do? The recipient will be a writer who has already published one book of prose for adult readers demonstrating commitment to such investigations but whose work has not yet received prominent literary recognition. The DAG Prize is meant to support a second prose project already substantially underway.” Applicants must be living in the US and have published one book of prose for an adult readership with a nationally distributed U.S. press; and aim to publish a second book of prose in the U.S., written in English. This second project must be substantially underway. Application is via a form on their website.
Value: $20,000
Deadline: 18 March 2026
Open for: US writers working on a second prose book (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
The Susan Kamil Emerging Writers Prize
This is for “Any unpublished writer over the age of 18 working on a full-length manuscript, graphic novel, or book-length comic who is also currently employed at (or owns) a physical book or comic store in the U.S. or its territories (as defined by Binc) with a minimum of three months of continuous book or comic store employment.” And, “You will need to provide 6 pages from your current draft as part of the application process and share more about your project and timeline.” Also, “One-third of the prize will be awarded upon selection; the remainder will be awarded in two payments throughout the year with proof of continued employment at a bookstore or comic shop.” There are 5 awards of $10,000 each for this cycle. Applications will be accepted in March 2026. Their application form will be active during the submission period.
Value: $10,000 each
Opens in: March 2026
Open for: US Book or comic store employee/owner working on a book
Details here.
Maya Angelou Book Award
This award is for a work has demonstrated a commitment to social justice. It is for books published in 2025, or scheduled to be published until November 2026. The award alternates between poetry and fiction, and for this cycle, books of fiction are eligible. Entrants must be available for a two-week reading tour at partnering educational institutions in Missouri (see guidelines). Entries have to be made by publishers only, not writers.
Value: $10,000
Deadline: 1 April 2026
Open for: US writers
Details here and here.
The Great American Think-Off
This is an essay contest for US-based writers. The 2026 question is, Has the pursuit of happiness made Americans unhappy? Their website says, “The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. … People of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to submit an essay of no more than 750 words for a chance to win one of four $500 cash prizes and participate in the live debate to ultimately answer the question, determined by audience vote. … The debate is held each year on the second Saturday in June.
Writers are encouraged to ground their essays in personal experience rather than philosophical abstraction. Each year, four writers will be selected as finalists and invited to debate the question on the second Saturday in June in New York Mills, MN. Costs for winners’ travel, food, and lodging will be covered by the Cultural Center.”
Value: $500 for four writers, and other prizes – see above
Deadline: 1 April 2026
Open for: US-based writers
Details here, here and here.
Creative Capital Awards
Theyprovide project grants of 15,000 to $50,000 to individual artists to create new work. They invite professional artists to propose experimental, original, bold new works in Literature (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays – playwrights please submit under Performing Arts/Theater), Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Film from March 2–April 2, 2026. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially engaged projects are welcome in all disciplinary categories. Also see the State of the Art Prize which aims to recognize one artist from each U.S. state and territory, with an artist grant of $10,000.
Value: Up to $50,000
Application period: 2 March to 2 April 2026; see guidelines for other key dates
Open for: US creators
Details here.
FOR UK/IRELAND WRITERS
David Nobbs Memorial Trust: New Comedy Writing Competition
This is open to any individual or comedy writing partnership currently resident in the UK; entrants must have at least one credited broadcast comedy writing credit. One of the submission requirements is a writing sample; the first 10 pages of a half-hour radio or television sit-com pilot script, or four three-minute comedy sketches.
Value: £1,000; £250 for runners-up
Deadline: 6 March 2026
Open for: UK comedy writers who have at least one broadcast comedy writing credit
Details here, here and here.
BBC Radio 4: BBC National Short Story Award
This prestigious award by BBC and the Cambridge University is for UK writers, for a short story of up to 8,000 words. Writers must have a prior record of publication in the UK.
Value: £15,000, four awards of £600 each
Deadline: 16 March 2026
Open for: Published UK writers
Details here, here, and here.
(They also have the Young Writers’ Award, a short fiction contest for UK-based writers ages 14-18, deadline 23rd March 2026.)
Fitzcarraldo Editions/Mahler & Lewitt Studios Essay Prize
This is a prize for unpublished writers in Great Britain and Ireland. They want “essays that explore and expand the possibilities of the essay form, with no restrictions on theme or subject matter. … the prize awards £4,000 to the best proposal for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words) by a writer resident in the UK & Ireland who has yet to secure a publishing deal. In addition … the winner will have the opportunity to spend up to six weeks in residency at the Mahler & LeWitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy, to work on their book. The book will then be published by Fitzcarraldo Editions.” The proposal itself should be no longer than 5,000 words. Entrants may also submit a separate writing sample of up to 5,000 words.
Value: £4,000, residency
Deadline: 16 March 2026
Open for: Unpublished UK/Ireland writers (see guidelines)
Details here
The Papatango New Writing Prize
This is for residents of the UK and Ireland. There will be two prizes, a winner and a Discovery prize. Send an original play script, which should have a running time of at least 60 minutes, or be at least 9,000 words, or be at least 40 pages. Submission is via a portal on their site. Also, “Don’t worry about the difference between the Winner and the Discovery. You enter the Prize just the same, and we’ll decide which script feels the best fit for which opportunity.” See FAQ for more details. Submission is via a portal.
Value: £8,000 commission, royalties, production, publication for the winner; £8,000 commission and a more open-ended development and production pathway for the Discovery winner
Deadline: 18 March 2026
Open for: UK and Ireland residents
Details here, here, and here
Cymera-Shoreline of Infinity Prize for Speculative Short Fiction
This is a speculative fiction contest for writers who are Scottish by birth or inclination (see guidelines), ages 14+ years. Send a story of up to 2,500 words.
Value: £150
Deadline: 22 March 2026
Open for: Scottish writers (see guidelines)
Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.