By S. Kalekar
These contests / awards / residencies, are for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translation, and playwriting. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A few deadlines are for July.
INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS
Broad Ripple Review
This magazine wants literary fiction (including flash) and creative non-fiction (including memoir, lyric essay, and narrative non-fiction), up to 4,000 words. “We are drawn to voices that are confident without being showy, inventive without losing clarity, and emotionally complex without sentimentality. Whether traditional or experimental, each piece should reflect serious attention to craft and leave a lasting emotional or intellectual impression.” And, “we are not the home for genre fiction, speculative work, or horror unless those elements are secondary to the language and interior concerns of the piece.” They are reading submissions for their first issue, to be launched in Fall 2025. They will award $200 each to one piece of fiction and one of non-fiction, and all submissions to the magazine will be considered for this prize.
Value: $200 each for fiction and non-fiction
Deadline: 31 July 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
The Penang Monthly Short Story Prize 2025
They want “original short fiction that brings Penang to life in unexpected ways—through myths, memories, spirits, and secrets. Let your imagination wander through the cracks of old walls and tides of forgotten names.” This is an international contest, open to all writers. Send stories of 2,500-3,000 words. The winner will also be invited to read / perform their story at the George Town Literary Festival 2025.
Value: RM800
Deadline: 31 July 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Tanka Society of America: Tanka Prose Contest
This contest celebrates the society’s 25th anniversary. Their website says, “What Is Tanka Prose? If you know haibun, where prose is sprinkled with or followed by haiku, tanka prose is essentially the same except that it uses tanka instead of haiku. … Submit one tanka prose piece per contest entrant. A title and one to three tanka should be included with prose. The prose portion should not exceed 300 words.”
Value: $100, $50, $25
Deadline: 31 July 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
(They also run the annual Sanford Goldstein International Tanka Contest, the deadline for which has passed.)
Harbor Review: The Washburn Prize
“The prize is awarded once a year for a micro chapbook, which Harbor Review will publish digitally on our website. People of color and marginalized folks are encouraged to apply. Micro chapbooks should be exactly 10 poems long. Manuscripts over 10 poems will not be read.” There is a submission fee to enter this prize, but BIPOC writers and previous finalists can submit for free.
Value: $200
Deadline: 31 July 2025
Open for: See above
Details here – see Harbor Review – Prizes: Free Submission (BIPOC and Previous Finalists) tab on Submittable.
BOA Editions: Blessing the Boats Selections 2025
Blessing the Boats Selections spotlights poetry collections by women of color. Send a poetry manuscript, minimum 65 pages and maximum 120 pages. One poet receives Book publication by BOA Editions in Fall 2027, and an honorarium.
Value: $1,500
Deadline: 1 August 2025
Open for: Women of color
Details here.
The Republic: Black Atlantic Editorial Fellowship
This fellowship is from The Republic: “a magazine and platform of socio-economic and political commentary, criticism and cultural discourse, that explores the world as Nigerian.” The fellowship is “a six-month fellowship programme designed towards the commissioning, writing and curation of stories rooted in Blackness and the African experience. This fellowship will support five early- to mid-career editors, writers, researchers and/or journalists based in the different regions of Africa—West, East, Southern, North and Central. Fellows will receive mentorship, stipend and editorial support to commission original writing, produce original written content and curate local conversations around the most urgent themes shaping the African experience.” Application is via a form on the website.
Value: $500/month for 6 months, mentorship, other benefits
Deadline: 3 August 2025 (5 p.m. Lagos time)
Open for: Editors, journalists, curators or other storytelling practitioners who are based in Africa and have at least three years of professional experience
Details here.
Yale Drama Series: David Charles Horn Prize
This international contest is for an full-length play in English, of at least 65 pages, and is for emerging playwrights. Translations, musicals, adaptations, and children’s plays are not accepted. Apart from a cash prize, there will be publication of their manuscript by Yale University Press, and a staged reading at Yale University.
Value: $10,000
Deadline: 15 August 2025
Open for: Emerging playwrights
Details here.
The Forum Essay Prize: Anniversaries
This is an essay prize from Oxford Academic / Oxford University Press and is open to all researchers, whether early-career or established, on the theme of Anniversaries. They have detailed guidelines, including, “To mark the 60th anniversary of Forum for Modern Language Studies, we are looking for … essays that use academic research to pursue innovative questions. … 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, Russian 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 anniversaries, be that through engaging with the theme more broadly, or with regard to specific anniversaries as they relate 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.
Value: £500
Deadline: 15 August 2025
Open for: All researchers, whether early-career or established
Details here.
Lucky Jefferson Poetry & Prose Contest
Anyone over the age of 10 is free to submit; poetry up to 14 lines or prose up to 1,500 words. There will be two winners, one for poetry and one for prose, and the prizes are $100 each. Please note, apart from the winners’ work, other writers’ work will also be published by them digitally in The 365 Collection, and there will be no compensation.
Value: $100 each for poetry and prose
Deadline: 17 August 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here and here – see the relevant category in Submittable
Pen & Quill: Afterlight / Afterglow
Pen & Quill is a magazine for and by young writers. They are open for a summer contest, and only writers between ages 12 and 21 years can enter. The theme is ‘Afterlight / Afterglow’. ““There’s a moment after the sun has dipped beneath the horizon, but before the sky goes dark. Gold softens the edges of the world. Everything seems to glow. This period is referred to as “afterlight” or “afterglow.”
This year, our theme is one of transition, memory, and becoming: the cusp of adolescence, the end of childhood, the beginning of something new. We’re looking for writing that captures the glow before darkness. The beauty of what flickers—briefly, beautifully—before it’s gone.” The categories are poetry, prose (fiction), and other (which do not fit poetry or fiction, like playwriting, screenwriting, autobiography/memoir, etc). Submit works of up to 1,500 words. Submission is via a form on their website.
Value: $200, $100, $50; $20 for a middle school standout
Deadline: 21 August 2025
Open for: Writers ages 12-21
Details here.
Fondation Jan Michalski Residencies for Writers
These are residencies at the foot of the Jura mountains in Montricher, Switzerland, and they are open to all types of writers engaged in literary creation. While they give priority to writers and translators, they are also open to any other discipline as long as writing is at the heart of the project. “A percentage of the residencies are dedicated to nature writing, a form of fiction or creative non-fiction that raises awareness of nature, prepares for a sustainable future, and helps to better understand socio-environmental interconnections and the impact of human actions on nature.” There are no age or nationality restrictions. Writers working on a project with a collaborator can apply in pairs. Applications can be in English or French. Excerpts from your writing, both current and previous, can be in any language, not necessarily English or French.
Value: Round-trip travel, CHF400 per week
Deadline: 27 August 2025 (17:00 CET time)
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
Lunch Ticket: Diana Woods Award in Creative Nonfiction
This award is for a creative non-fiction piece of up to 5,000 words on any subject. The contest is open in February and August.
Value: $250
Reading period: 1-31 August 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Lunch Ticket: The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts
Translators and authors of multilingual texts are encouraged to submit their work for The Gabo Prize. Writers should indicate whether the translation falls under poetry or prose, and include the original work along with your translation. Original, bilingual work qualifies for the Gabo Prize. The contest is open in February and August.
Value: $200
Reading period: 1-31 August 2025
Open for: All translators
Details here.
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 2025 and 31st August 2025. 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.
Value: £20,000
Deadline: 31 August 2025
Open for: All writers who publish on KDP Select (see guidelines)
Details here.
Poetry Archive Now! Wordview 2025
This is a contest for video poems. “Each recording should be a video of yourself reading your single poem with a maximum length of 2 minutes viewing and reading time. We welcome video entries in British Sign Language. We would like you to tell us your name, the name of the poem and followed by the poem recital. … We appreciate that some entrants may not want to be seen on screen reading their poem. We are happy to accept voice only submissions. Simply supply a static image as a background to your video or get creative and think of other ways. The online entry process also asks you to include a copy of the text of the poem which will be displayed with your video. Poems must be written during, and in response to, 2025. They can be on any theme, subject and in any style”. Shortlisted and other poems will be featured on their website; there will be no monetary payment for these.
Value: £1,000
Deadline: 31 August 2025
Open for: All poets
Details here, here and here.
Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen Scholarship
These are for professionals various disciplines, including literature and art. Collectives can also apply.
Value: €1,500 per month (less rental and operational cost), residency at Schöppingen, Germany; up to €3,000 for collectives
Deadline: 31 August 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
The Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing: Secrets
This year, they want stories on the ‘Secrets’ theme; they “want to uncover the hidden truths, untold histories, private thoughts, and concealed moments that shape lives. Whether it’s a shocking revelation, a personal confession, a historical cover-up, or a truth no one dares to speak — we’re looking for stories that show the emotional weight and human impact of secrets. Writers are free to interpret the theme in any way they choose, in any genre, as long as the idea of a secret is central to the story.” Regarding genre, they say, “Any (except poetry or brutality/graphic/violent content)”. Please see their detailed guidelines. They want works of up to 1,500 words. The competition is open to anyone over 16 years of age.
Value: £100
Deadline: 31 August 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Preservation Foundation Contest: Biographical non-fiction
This is an international contest for unpublished writers (those who have never published extensively in any form and have never earned over $250.00 by their writing skills in any single year – see guidelines). Their upcoming deadline is for the biographical non-fictioncategory: “A biographical entry must be a true story of an individual(s) known to the author personally–not a fictional or historical character. Autobiography, of course, must be a true story about the author’s life, the whole or an episode. Biographical stories, especially those from older people, or about them by children and grandchildren, are especially appropriate for our mission–to “preserve the extraordinary stories of ‘ordinary’ people.” ”
Entries should be 1,000-5,000 words. They want all entries, regardless of whether or not they win, to be on their website as long as the Foundation exists (see guidelines).
Value: $200, $100
Deadline: 31 August 2025
Open for: Unpublished writers (see guidelines)
Details here.
(They’re also open for the Travel Nonfiction contest for unpublished writers, deadline end-October.)
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 August and 30 September 2025. 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.
Value: Standard contract
Deadline: 31 August 2025
Open for: Writers who have not published a volume of prose fiction
Details here.
The Hinternet Essay Prize
This is their inaugural essay prize. The question is: “How might new and emerging technologies best be mobilized to secure perpetual peace?” And, “The contest invites bold, independent, and engaging ideas from specialists and non-specialists alike. While acknowledging the historical connection between technological progress and warfare, the contest seeks proposals that explore how such advancements might instead contribute to lasting peace without excessive compromises to human freedom.” Essays must be of 2,000-10,000 words, and can be written in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Polish, or Turkish. They have detailed guidelines/editorial preferences, please read them carefully.
Value: $10,000
Deadline: 1 September 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
(Also see The Hinterland’s general prose submission guidelines here – scroll down. Please read their published works first to see if yours will be a good fit.)
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.
Value: Residency, $100/week + $300 travel stipend
Deadline: 1 September 2025 (For residences that occur during January-May of the following year)
Open for: All artists
Details here.
(A couple of contests with later deadlines are:
— 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.” The prize is $3,000, and there are two prizes of $1,000 each; the deadline is 14 September 2025. 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 twentieth or twenty-first-century Nordic author. The Leif and Inger Sjöberg Award is for those whose translations from a Nordic language have not been previously published. There is also the Nadia Christensen Prize, the Wigeland Prize (this is for the best translation by a Norwegian), and the Inger and Jens Bruun Translation Prize, which recognizes the best Danish translation. The application includes 25-50 pages of prose or 15-25 pages of poetry. The awards are $2,500 (Nadia Christensen Prize); $2,000 (Leif and Inger Sjöberg Award); $2,000 (Wigeland Prize), $2,000 (The Inger and Jens Bruun Translation Prize). The deadline is 15 September 2025. Details here and here.
— 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. The prize is $1,000 and publication; the deadline is 15 September 2025. 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.)
WRITERS IN AUSTRALIA
Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers
This is a prize for young indigenous Australian writers of 35 years or younger. It alternates between short fiction and poetry and for this cycle, they want fiction up to 3,000 words. “The aim of the prize is to provide the winner with the opportunity to focus on and develop their writing skills and portfolio.
First prize includes $5000, an optional writing residency at Trinity College, and publication of the successful piece in Overland. The runner up will receive $500, with the possibility of a second runner up to be determined by the judges.”
Value: AUD5000, an optional writing residency; AUD500
Deadline: 27 July 2025
Open for: indigenous Australian writers of 35 years or younger
Details here.
University of Melbourne: Peter Blazey Fellowship
The Peter Blazey Fellowship is awarded annually to further a work in progress for those writers in the non-fiction fields of biography, autobiography and life writing. The writer must have a publishing record which can include books, chapters, articles or any other written works including online that are not self-published. A writing sample from the work in progress is part of the application. One fellowship is awarded each year.
Value: Up to AUD20,000
Deadline: 11 August 2025
Open for: Australian writers
Details here.
WRITERS IN US / CANADA
(Also see the Surel’s Place: An Artist in Residence Program and Academy of American Poets: Ambroggio Prize in the international section.)
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. General submissions are free, they also have an optional feedback service for which there is a submission fee, and which will be capped (see guidelines).
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 2025
Open for: US-based writers
Details here.
WRITERS IN UK / IRELAND
Royal Society of Literature: Literature Matters Awards
These awards, by the Royal Society of Literature, are for UK residents. “An RSL Literature Matters Award must result in new, original writing or other literary activity of an excellent artistic standard, which will reach a substantial readership or audience. It may be a piece or pieces of writing, a publication, an event or a production on any subject and in any form, including (but not limited to) prose fiction, short stories, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, graphic fiction, biography or travel-writing. “ Priority is given to proposals which will help connect with audiences or topics outside the usual reach of literature, and/or will help generate public discussion about why literature matters. The person applying should be a writer or other literary creator with a successful track record to indicate the proposal is likely to succeed. They also accept applications from small groups or collaborations/collectives of writers.
Value: £20,000 corpus, split between various projects
Deadline: 8 August 2025
Open for: UK residents
Details here and here.
John McGahern Award
This is a call to emerging writers of fiction resident in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Applicants must have had some fiction or short stories published in a recognised journal or anthology selected by an established publisher or editor. Application includes three samples of recent separate work of up to 500 words each.
Value: €2,500
Deadline: 17 August 2025
Open for: Those resident in Ireland/Northern Ireland
Details here.
Waterford Poetry Prize
This is for a poem of up to 40 lines, by a poet living in Ireland. The winner will also be invited to participate in a writing course at the Molly Keane Writers Retreat, Ardmore. There is no age limit; minors have to get a parent or guardian’s consent.
Value: €500, €400, €300
Deadline: 15 August 2025
Open for: Ireland writers
Details here.
503Five Writer’s Residency
This is for UK-based playwrights. “The residency will offer writers a seed commission of £2,000, a series of masterclass workshops, peer to peer support, industry connections, dramaturgical support, and opportunities for R&D and/or rehearsed readings to support the development of the script. This scheme is for UK based writers only and is designed for writers who have developed their craft to a high standard but are not yet professionally produced. … We are open to writers whose journey into playwriting has come through other disciplines (comedy, drag, devising etc) but all writers submitting will have written a full length play as you need to submit this as part of your application.” Please note, “Whilst this opportunity is open to writers across the UK and this will be a hybrid scheme, participants will be expected to attend regular sessions in London and are
invited to spend as much time with us as they wish. A contribution towards expenses is available for travel to London during the residency and this can be discussed with anyone prior to the final stages of the process.”
Value: £2,000, masterclass workshops, other benefits
Deadline: 31 August 2025
Open for: UK playwrights
Details here.
The Mustapha Matura and Alfred Fagon Awards
The Mustapha Matura Award is an opportunity for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK, who are 25 years or younger, for a play. The play must be a minimum of 40 pages, and does not need to have been produced. However, if it has, only plays produced since August 2023 will be considered. The prize is £3,000 and mentoring from a top Black British playwright. The deadline is 31 August 2025. Details here.
And submissions are also open for Alfred Fagon Awards for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK, for a play. The award is £6,000, and the deadline is 31 August 2025. Details here.
Value: See above
Deadline: 31 August 2025 for both awards
Open for: UK-based writers of Caribbean or African descent (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
(Please note, writers cannot enter both the Mustapha Matura Award and Alfred Fagon Award. Also see their Roland Rees Bursary.)
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.
Value: £10,000, £5,000, £2,500
Deadline: 1 September 2025
Open for: UK/Ireland-based writers
Details here and here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here