<\/p>\n
These are contests, grants, and fellowships for fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. The prizes are up to $90,000 per year. They are, very loosely, divided geographically.\u00a0 – S. Kalekar<\/strong><\/p>\n Owl Canyon Press Short Story Hackathon The Academy for Teachers: Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest On the Premises: Picture This<\/strong> <\/p>\n Princeton Arts Fellowship Princeton: Hodder Fellowships The Forge Competition<\/strong> Harvard University: Radcliffe Institute Fellowships Changing Skies: Climate Crisis<\/strong> New York Public Library: Cullman Centre Fellowship Last Stanza Poetry Journal: I Never Knew Speculative Literature Foundation\u2019s Working Class Writers Grant Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing International Human Rights Arts Festival: Creators of Justice Literary Awards International Human Rights Arts Festival: <\/strong>Art of Unity Creative Award Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest Green Stories Project: Short Stories Competition \u2013 Microbes<\/strong> CAPTRS Universe of Threats Essay Contest: Infrastructure Threat Contest<\/strong> Mallorqueta Inaugural Short Story Contest (A couple of contests with later deadlines are:<\/strong><\/p>\n — The Commonwealth Short Story Prize<\/strong> – a contest for writers from the Commonwealth (see the list of eligible countries here<\/a>) \u2013 send a piece of short fiction, in any genre, of 2,000-5,000 words. They take entries in several languages apart from English. The top prize is \u00a35,000, regional prizes are \u00a32,500, and the reading period is 1 September-1 November 2023. Details here<\/a>. WRITERS IN THE US \/ CANADA Fulbright Scholarships PEN America: US Writers Aid Initiative <\/strong> The Michael Marks Environmental Poet of the Year prize New Writing North: Northern Writers\u2019 Awards — NorthBound Book Award<\/strong> Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Literary Festival Poetry Contest: Against the Odds<\/strong> The Michael Marks Poetry Award<\/strong> Writers & Artists: Working-Class Writers Prize<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>They\u2019re running their 5th<\/sup> contest. Their website says, \u201cWriting teams (2 authors per team) are invited to create and submit a pair of short stories consisting of 50 paragraphs. The contest provides the 1st paragraph and two alternate 50th paragraphs with writing team co-authors taking turns writing a common\/shared story from paragraphs 2 through 49 (thus the tag-team handle) and then spinning off two versions using the two alternative 50th paragraphs.\u201d (See the paragraphs in their FAQ, here<\/a>.) There is no maximum word count, but each paragraph has to be at least 50 words. Writers to not have to live in the US to enter the contest. They take any genre of stories, including literary, sci-fi, dystopian, and romance.
\nValue: $2,000, $1,000, $500
\nDeadline: 1 September 2023
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>They want honest, unsentimental stories, of 6-749 words, about teachers and schools. The contest is open to all writers, whether or not they are a teacher. The story\u2019s protagonist or narrator must be a K-12 teacher. Sentimentality is discouraged and education jargon is forbidden. Apart from a cash prize, the writer receives publication in A Public Space.
\nvalue: $1,000
\nDeadline: 1 September 2023
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nAmerican-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Awards
\n<\/strong>The American-Scandinavian Foundation annually awards translation prizes for outstanding translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose written by a Scandinavian author born after 1900. The Leif and Inger Sj\u00f6berg\u00a0Award 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.
\nValue: $2,500 (Nadia Christensen Prize); $2,000 (Leif and Inger Sj\u00f6berg\u00a0Award); $2,000 (Wigeland Prize), $2,000 (The Inger and Jens Bruun Translation Prize)
\nDeadline: 1 September 2023
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>They want a story of 1,000-5,000 words based on a visual prompt on their website. They do not want children\u2019s fiction, exploitative sex, over-the-top grossout horror, or stories that are obvious parodies of existing fictional worlds\/characters created by other authors.
\nValue: $250, $200, $150, $75
\nDeadline: 1 September 2023
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nPlanet New Writers\u2019 Competition
\n<\/strong>This is an essay contest for new writers (those who have never published a book \u2013 please see guidelines), on any subject. Entries for the contest run by this Welsh magazine should be 1,500-2,000 words. Their guidelines say, \u201cWe would welcome creative and unconventional ways of exploring the essay form as well as a more traditional style. Planet features writing which is in-depth, yet sufficiently accessible for a non-specialist readership. What we are looking for most are lively, well-crafted essays which leave a lasting impression. We would especially welcome submissions that relate to Wales in some way, however obliquely.\u201d There is no age restriction.
\nValue: \u00a3200
\nDeadline: 1 September 2023
\nOpen for: All new writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This is for artists in many disciplines, including literary, whose achievements have been recognized as demonstrating extraordinary promise in any area of artistic practice and teaching.\u00a0This is a two-year program and there is a teaching duty attached. Writers do not have to be US citizens to apply. You can apply for this fellowship twice in a lifetime.
\nValue: $90,000 per year ($180,000 for the two-year fellowship), residency at Princeton
\nDeadline: 12 September 2023
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Potential Hodder Fellows are composers, choreographers, performance artists, visual artists, writers, translators or other kinds of artists or humanists who have \u201cmuch more than ordinary intellectual and literary gifts\u201d; they are selected more \u201cfor promise than for performance.\u201d\u00a0 Most writers have had their first book published. The Hodder is designed to provide Fellows with the \u201cstudious leisure\u201d 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.
\nOne does not have to be a US citizen to apply for this fellowship. Also, Fellows need not reside in the US during the fellowship (see FAQ<\/a>; scroll down to Hodder Fellowship Details).
\nValue: $90,000, additional $5,000 for research
\nDeadline: 12 September 2023
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nThe Forge literary magazine holds a flash fiction and non-fiction contest. Send a piece of up to 1,000 words. They have both fee-free and tip-jar submissions; fee-free submissions will close once they reach 100 submissions per category. The tip-jar submissions too may close early, if they reach their Submittable limit.
\nValue: $1,000
\nReading period: 1-14 September 2023, or until filled
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>These are for various disciplines, including creative arts \u2013 which include, but are not limited to, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, as well as journalism, and playwriting. Their guidelines also say, \u201cApplicants may apply as individuals or in a group of two to three people working on the same project. We seek diversity along many dimensions, including discipline, career stage, race and ethnicity, country of origin, gender and sexual orientation, and ideological perspective. Although our fellows come from many different backgrounds, they are united by their demonstrated excellence, collegiality, and creativity.\u201d The fellowship pays $78,000, and an additional $5,000 for project expenses in 2023-24; 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 mid-September.
\nValue: $78,000; additional funds for project expenses, and other things
\nDeadline: 14 September 2023
\nOpen for: Published writers and journalists
\nDetails here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and\u00a0 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nChanging Skies<\/a> is a journal affiliated with the University of Colorado Boulder, and is a subsidiary of Hindsight, partnering with Mission Zero Fund. They publish writing \u2013 prose, poetry, comics, and art – on the climate crisis. They are also running a fee-free climate crisis-themed prose (fiction and creative non-fiction) and art contest, with cash prizes. The contest deadline is 17 September 2023; please note, they consider all work for print or online publication. Submission for the contests, as well as for Changing Skies and Hindsight magazines, is via Submittable, here<\/a>; please be sure to submit in the correct category.
\nValue: $500, $200 for prose writing; $300 for art
\nDeadline: 17 September 2023
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This is for writers whose project draws on the collection housed in The New York Public Library\u2019s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (formerly the Humanities and Social Sciences Library). Visual artists can also apply (see guidelines).
\nValue: $85,000 and residency
\nDeadline: 29 September 2023
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>They award one prize to an outstanding poem, from general submissions to their journal. The theme for this issue is, I Never Knew. \u201cAs with every issue, poems submitted do not need to follow the prompt\/theme. … A single $100 award will be given for an outstanding poem. There is never a reading fee. An interview with the prize winner will be published in the same or next issue (optional).\u201d
\nPoems can be any style, but preferably non-rhyming, of up to 64 lines.
\nValue: $100
\nReading period: 1-30 September 2023
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This grant is to help writers of speculative literature. This grant is awarded annually to assist working class, blue-collar, poor, and homeless writers, and writers from these backgrounds, who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction due to financial barriers. One of the submission requirements is a writing sample, of poetry, drama, fiction, or creative non-fiction (see guidelines); the submitted work must be speculative. Unlike their other grants, writers may receive this grant anonymously or pseudonymously. They have other grant submission periods coming up.
\nValue: $1,000
\nReading period: 1-30 September 2023
\nOpen for: All writers from working class background
\nDetails here<\/a> (Working Class Writers Grant) and here<\/a> (schedule for all grants).<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>These awards are for works that evoke the American South. For fiction and non-fiction, the awards are for published books; for poetry, send a poem of up to 3 pages on the theme.
\nValue: $12,000 for prose; $3,000 for poetry
\nDeadline: 30 September 2023
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>They want submissions of fiction (up to 2,500 words), essays, and poetry; they feature works which \u201chighlight the struggle for human rights and social justice the world over.\u00a0 These may be imagined in any manner in which the writer sees fit, however, it must be based in our signature values.\u00a0 We do not publish work which is based in anger, or stems from an \u201cus v. them\u201d mentality.\u201d There is also a Youth award for under-18s.
\nValue: $150, $100, $50 each for fiction, essays, and poetry
\nDeadline: 30 September 2023
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nFundaci\u00f3n C\u00e9sar Egido Serrano\u2019s VIIth Microfiction Contest<\/strong>
\nThis is a contest for a microfiction story. Languages accepted are\u00a0Spanish, English, Arabic or Hebrew. Writers over 14 years from anywhere in the world can participate, and there is no theme. Writers can send up to 3 stories, of up to 100 words each.\u00a0Participants must read the rules<\/a> carefully, they say they can publish the participating stories without compensation. Participating writers can vote on up to 50 stories.
\nValue: $20,000 for the winning story; three other prizes of $2,000 each, one for each participating language
\nDeadline: 30 September 2023 (they reserve the right to extend the deadline.)
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>They accept literary (poetry; essays and short stories under 2500 words); video; music; dance; performance or visual work around the theme: “Never again: Remembering to heal and overcome. The most important hallmark of Holocaust remembrance and education is the phrase \u2018never again.\u2019 Unfortunately, tribal divisions, ethnic cleansing and genocides continue in the 21st Century. We are looking for submissions in any creative media (which can be exhibited online), and which highlight aspects of human unity, and positive cross-pollination between groups, ethnicities, religions and\/or nations.” There is also a Youth award for under-18s.
\nValue: $150, $100, $50
\nDeadline: 30 September 2023
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>They want a short story on any theme. 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, \u201cWhile your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.\u201d
\nValue: $150
\nDeadline: 30 September 2023
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nThey want a short story on the Microbes theme. The Green Stories Project includes contests by the University of Southampton, and their mission is \u201cto create a cultural body of work that entertains and informs about green solutions, inspires green behaviour and raises awareness of the necessary transformations towards a sustainable economy.\u201d Send a short story of 1,000-3,000 words. They have detailed guidelines on the theme, including, \u201cIt may appeal to writers with a scientific bent as it aims to use fiction to raise awareness of Environmental Biotechnology (EB) and what microbial systems can do for us.\u201d Entries will be judged on two criteria: Well written, engaging story; and directs attention towards a better future involving EB or promotes how EB works to minimise a pollutant footprint.
\nValue: \u00a3500, \u00a3200, \u00a3100
\nDeadline: 30 September 2023
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nThe Center For Advanced Preparedness And Threat Response Simulation (CAPTRS) is running a scenario writing contest for their Universe of Threats game; you can read more about it here<\/a> and about that, and an upcoming contest, here<\/a>. For this contest, they say, \u201cThis contest prompts applicants to submit an original essay describing a threat scenario related to one or more of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors (in the US). Complex threat scenarios which include threats across multiple infrastructure sectors are encouraged. Scenarios must be plausible and may explore interdependent social, economic, political, environmental or technological forces that shape the unfolding threat.\u201d And, \u201cWe invite you to submit a one page ground truth document \u2026 which specifies the sector(s) experiencing the threat, the details and origin of the threat, and the considerations for the unfolding response which may not be explicitly stated in your essay. The cause of the threat may be from humans, nature or space. \u2026 In addition to the ground truth, submit an original essay\/story which is an extension and more detailed story around the ground truth you created. Complex threat scenarios which include threats across multiple infrastructure sectors are encouraged.\u201d \u00a0You may submit as an individual or a team. Teams can include up to 6 members and must identify a team lead (see guidelines regarding teams, including the award and split). The essays can be up to 2,500 words, and ground truth, up to 1,000 words.
\nValue: $5,000; $2,500 (up to 2 winners); $1,000 (up to 5 winners)
\nDeadline: 30 September 2023
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a>.
\n(They also have an upcoming contest, on natural disaster threats<\/strong>, see here<\/a> \u2013 scroll down.)<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>They want a short story of up to 5,000 words. The narrative must have a connection to Mallorca, either in setting or relevance to Mallorcan culture. The winning piece will be published in the first issue of Mallorqueta magazine, scheduled for 1 March 2024, and receive a cash payment. They accept entries in all genres. The competition is open to authors of all nationalities. Submissions may be in English, Catalan or Spanish.
\nValue: \u20ac300
\nDeadline: 1 October 2023
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.
\n
\n<\/strong>Bonus: The Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award
\n<\/strong>These awards offer publication for two collections of short stories. Manuscripts must be at least 150 pages. Both awards offer a standard publishing contract. The prize is manuscript publication under a standard University of Iowa Press contract. The prizes are open for all writers who have not published a volume of prose fiction.
\nValue: A standard contract
\nDeadline: 30 September 2023
\nOpen for: Unpublished prose writers (see guidelines)
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n
\n— Minotaur Books\/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition: <\/strong>This is an international contest for novel manuscripts in the malice domestic genre, for writers who have never been the author of any published mystery novel. \u201cMurder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Whatever violence is necessarily involved should be neither excessive nor gratuitously detailed, nor is there to be explicit sex. The suspects and the victims should know each other. There are a limited number of suspects, each of whom has a credible motive and reasonable opportunity to have committed the crime. The person who solves the crime is the central character. The \u201cdetective\u201d is an amateur, or, if a professional (private investigator, police officer) is not hardboiled and is as fully developed as the other characters. The detective may find him or herself in serious peril, but he or she does not get beaten up to any serious extent. All of the cast represent themselves as individuals, rather than large impersonal institutions like a national government, the mafia, the CIA, etc.\u201d The work must be at least 65,000 words. The prize is $10,000 advance against royalties, and the deadline is 30 November 2023. Details here<\/a>. Minotaur is an imprint of Macmillan.
\nMinotaur is also running a First Crime Novel Competition<\/strong><\/a>, which has a December deadline.)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>(US-based writers should also see the Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing <\/strong>in the international section above; and writers in Canada, the Commonwealth Short Story<\/strong> prize. Writers in the US and Canada should also keep an eye out for the Guggenheim Fellowships<\/strong><\/a>.)
\n
\n<\/strong>The Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize
\n<\/strong>This award is given for a published article that furthers the understanding of the history of working people. Articles must be focused on historical events OR focused on current issues (work, housing, organizing, health, education) and include historical context. The article must be published in print or online between August 31, 2022 and August 30, 2023. The prize is given to insightful work that contributes to the understanding of labor history; shows creativity; demonstrates excellence in writing; and adheres to the highest journalistic standards of accuracy. Publications and subject matter should target the United States and Canada.
\nValue: $1,000
\nDeadline: 5 September 2023
\nOpen for: Unspecified; but publications and subject matter should target the US and Canada
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This is a program for US citizens. Their website says, \u201cThe Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers over 400 awards in more than 135 countries for U.S. citizens to\u00a0teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects around the world.<\/strong>\u201d 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. The opportunities range from a few months to a year. The awards for the 2024-25 cycle can be found here<\/a>.
\nValue: Various
\nDeadline: 15 September 2023
\nOpen for: US Citizens
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This is intended to assist 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. Writers do not have to be PEN members to apply.
\nValue: Unspecified
\nDeadline: 1 October 2023
\nOpen for: US writers
\nDetails\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nWRITERS IN THE UK\/IRELAND
\n<\/strong>(Also see the Commonwealth Short Story Prize<\/strong>, above.)<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This is an opportunity for UK-based poets. They want a poetry portfolio of 150-200 lines of poetry on the environment, and the place of the human within it. This may include the climate crisis directly or indirectly. They have extensive guidelines on the theme. The winning poet will be invited to participate in events (see guidelines).
\nValue: \u00a31,000
\nDeadline: 1 September 2023
\nOpen for: UK-based poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nThis is for writers living in the north of England. The NorthBound Book Award, supported by the University of York and in partnership with Saraband, is open to writers of fiction or narrative non-fiction who have completed a full manuscript. New, emerging or established writers may apply for this award.
\nValue: \u00a35,000 advance against royalties
\nDeadline: 12 September 2023
\nOpen for: Writers in the north of England
\nDetails here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.
\n(They also have various other awards<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
\nThis is for writers living in Ireland. They want poetry, of up to 30 lines, on the theme, Against the Odds.
\nValue: \u20ac150, \u20ac100
\nDeadline: 15 September 2023
\nOpen for: Poets in Ireland
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nThis is for a poetry pamphlet published or soon to be published in the UK (between September 24th 2022 and September 22nd 2023). The judges will take into account the quality of the pamphlet as an object as well as the poetry, but the latter will be of most importance. The winning poet will receive a cash award, and a winner\u2019s residential trip to Greece in association with the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies.
\nValue: \u00a35,000
\nDeadline: 22 September 2023
\nOpen for: Poetry pamphlets published\/soon to be published in the UK
\nDetails here<\/a>.
\n(Also see their prizes for pamphlet illustration<\/strong> and pamphlet publishers<\/strong>, on the guidelines page<\/a> of Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets 2023<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n
\nThis prize is for writers with a working class background, in the UK and Ireland. Submission requirements include the beginning of a work-in-progress in any genre of prose, of up to 2,000 words. They have other prizes also apart from the cash prize, including mentorship, and a year\u2019s free subscription to The Society of Authors.
\nValue: \u00a3200, mentorship, other prizes
\nDeadline: 2 October 2023
\nOpen for: UK writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n