{"id":12681,"date":"2025-08-15T13:54:47","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T20:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=12681"},"modified":"2025-08-15T13:55:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T20:55:20","slug":"36-writing-contests-fellowships-and-grants-for-writers-up-to-93000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/36-writing-contests-fellowships-and-grants-for-writers-up-to-93000\/","title":{"rendered":"36 Writing Contests, Fellowships and Grants for Writers (Up to $93,000)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By S. Kalekar

<\/strong>These are contests\/fellowships\/grants for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, playwriting, and journalism, with prizes up to $93,000. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A couple of the deadlines are in August.

INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS<\/strong>

The Forge Competition<\/strong>
The 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 fee-based submissions, both of which will open for submissions on 1st<\/sup> September; fee-free submissions will close once they reach a cap. The tip-jar submissions too may close earlier than the deadline, if they reach their Submittable limit.
Value: $1,000
Reading period: 1-14 September 2025, or until filled
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SETI Institute: Cosmic Chronicles Literary Prize
<\/strong>The SETI Institute is a non-profit research organization; their mission is \u201cto lead humanity’s quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and share that knowledge with the world.\u201d You can read about them here<\/a>. Their contest is for those who have not published a full-length book (chapbooks are fine). \u201cThe Cosmic Chronicles Literary Prize is a new initiative from the SETI Institute\u2019s Artist in Residence (AIR) program. Cosmic Chronicles is a contest for emerging writers of all ages whose work explores questions of life, intelligence and consciousness in the universe.
Cosmic Chronicles invites writers and poets working in literature, speculative fiction\/sci-fi, experimental poetry, and philosophy to submit original, unpublished creative work that reflects and expands on the SETI Institute\u2019s<\/strong> \u201cIntelligence and Consciousness\u201d research area, exploring the questions:
— What is the nature of consciousness?
— What is the nature and evolution of intelligence?<\/strong>
We suggest that writers and poets familiarize themselves with the SETI Institute\u2019s research. The jury will pay attention to a strong connection to the SETI Institute\u2019s scientific work as well as innovation in creative expression.\u201d Poetry submissions can be up to 80 lines; prose, up to 2,000 words; and visual poetry, up to 8 pages.
Value: $1,000; three prizes of $100 each
Deadline: 1 September 2025
Open for: Emerging writers (see guidelines)
Details here<\/a>.

The Hinternet Essay Prize
<\/strong>This is their inaugural essay prize. The question is: \u201cHow might new and emerging technologies best be mobilized to secure perpetual peace?\u201d <\/strong>And, \u201cThe 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.\u201d 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<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(Also see The Hinterland\u2019s general prose submission guidelines here<\/a> \u2013 scroll down. Please read their published works first to see if yours will be a good fit.)

Surel\u2019s Place: An Artist in Residence Program
<\/strong>These are month-long residencies at Boise. \u201cThe program is open to professional visual, literary, and performance artists:\u00a0 painters, writers, musicians, architects, filmmakers, and choreographers\u2026 any artist who needs a place to focus.\u00a0However, because of the property\u2019s 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. \u00a0Work 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. \u00a0In 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.\u201d 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>.

The Academy for Teachers \u2013 Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest
<\/strong>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\u2019s protagonist or narrator must be a K-12 teacher. Sentimentality is discouraged and education jargon is forbidden. Apart from the prize, the winner also gets publication in A Public Space.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 7 September 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

Princeton Arts Fellowship
<\/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.
Value: $93,000 per year ($186,000 for the two-year fellowship), additional $7,000 per year for research and classroom expenses, residency at Princeton
Deadline: 9 September 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.

Princeton: Hodder Fellowship
<\/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.
One does not have to be a US citizen to apply for this fellowship. A Hodder Fellow must be based in the U.S. during the Fellowship, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fellows have access to shared spaces on campus for the duration of their fellowship (see FAQ<\/a>, scroll down to Hodder Fellowship).
Value: $93,000, additional $5,000 for research expenses
Deadline: 9 September 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvard University: Radcliffe Institute Fellowships
<\/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; fellows also get an office at Harvard University, additional funds for moving expenses, childcare and housing, etc. The deadline for some disciplines, including creative arts, is in September.
Value: $78,000; additional funds for project expenses, and other things
Deadline: 11 September 2025
Open for: Published writers and journalists
Details here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and\u00a0 here<\/a>.

Gulf Coast: The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing
<\/strong>This prize is for critical art writing, of up to 1,500 words. Their guidelines say, \u201cThe Prize invites submissions of expository writing, scholarly essays, and exhibition reviews that have been written\u2013or published\u2013within the last year.\u201d
Value: $3,000, two prizes of $1,000 each
Deadline: 14 September 2025
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a> (see the relevant category in Submittable).

Tarbell Grants
<\/strong>These are international grants for journalists who are working on AI, to support \u201coriginal reporting published in established outlets, whether from freelancers or staff. We primarily focus on written journalism, but we also fund journalism in other formats. We seek to fund investigations and forward-looking stories, examining how today\u2019s technical advancements and policy decisions lay the groundwork for how artificial intelligence will shape our future. In particular, we seek to fund reporting on five focus areas:\u00a0
1.Investigations into frontier AI companies
2.National and international AI policymaking
3.Integration of AI in governments and militaries
4.AI capabilities, safeguards, and evaluations
5.Future of work and society in an age of advanced AI\u200b\u200b\u201d.
Value: $1,000-$15,000
Deadline: 14 September 2025
Open for: All journalists
Details here<\/a>.

American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Awards
<\/strong>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\u00a0Nordic author. 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.
Value: $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)
Deadline: 15 September 2025
Open for: Unspecified
Details\u00a0here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship
<\/strong>This is for published fiction and non-fiction writers who were born in Africa or whose parents were born in Africa (see \u2018Do I need to prove my African birth place?\u2019 in FAQ<\/a>). The money is paid monthly over a course of a year. For non-fiction writers, additional funds can be made available, and given over a period of 18 months. A published writing sample is part of the application (see guidelines). One of the scholarship requirements is, writers have to submit 10,000 words of writing every month (see guidelines). They also say, \u201cThe Foundation will not review or comment on the monthly submissions as they come in. However, each Scholar will be offered the opportunity to be mentored by an established author or publisher. In most cases the mentorship will begin after the book has been finished and the Scholarship period has ended.\u201d And, \u201cScholars are also asked to donate to the MMF 20% of whatever they subsequently receive from the book they write during the period of their Scholarship. \u2026 These funds will be used to support other promising writers. The 20% return obligation should be considered a debt of honour rather than a legally binding obligation.\u201d
Value: \u00a318,000 for fiction writers, possible additional funds for non-fiction writers, mentorship
Deadline: 22 September 2025 (see \u2018Important Dates\u2019 in the entry requirements here<\/a>.)
Open for: African writers
Details here<\/a> (entry requirements) and here<\/a> (application form).

New York Public Library: Cullman Centre Fellowship
<\/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).
Value: $90,000 and residency
Deadline: 26 September 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.\u00a0

Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
<\/strong>They want a short story on any theme; they are reading submissions for their 70th<\/sup> contest. Stories should ideally be up to 3,000 words, though those up to 4,000 words are considered. Readers of the magazine are interested in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Their newsletter subscribers include publishers, artists, musicians, and fellow writers. Their guidelines say, \u201cWhile your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.\u201d
Value: $150
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.

Shoreline of Infinity Flash Fiction Contest
<\/strong>They want a science fiction story of up to 1,000 words on the theme, Peace<\/strong>. \u201cYou can play with this theme in any way you want in time, space or elsewhere. Just make sure your story is a science fiction story.\u201d And, \u201cThe two runners-up stories will likewise be published. All winners will also receive a 4 issue digital subscription to Shoreline of Infinity magazine.\u201d
Value: \u00a350\u00a0
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.

2025 Sejong International Sijo Competition
<\/strong>This is an international sijo contest from the Sejong Cultural Society. \u201cThe sijo is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form organized technically and thematically by line and syllable count. Using the sijo form, write one poem in English on a topic of your choice.\u201d Their website has resources on how to write sijo.
Value: $500, $250, $100
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Open for: All poets
Details here<\/a>.

The Kari Ann Flickinger Biennial Memorial Prize<\/strong>
This is a prize for a short fiction and or short experimental fiction manuscript, of no less than 40,000 words (see guidelines). And, \u201cWhile we welcome and encourage experimental work, please be mindful of printing limitations of a 6 x 9inch production format.\u201d
Value: $1,500; three prizes of $250 each; publication by Ballerini Book Press
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.

International Human Rights Arts Festival: Rhonda Gail Williford Award for Poetry
<\/strong>Their guidelines say, \u201cPlease submit one poem that incorporates themes of justice, dignity, and resistance\u201d.
Value: $150, $100, $50<\/a>
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Details here<\/a>.
(Click on \u2018Artist Opportunities\u2019 on this page<\/a> to see all their calls, including for the African human rights spoken word contest<\/strong><\/a>, with a deadline in October.)

Black Mountain Institute: Shearing Fellowship
<\/strong>This is a residential fellowship for emerging and distinguished writers who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press. Apart from the cash stipend, this fellowship includes:\u00a0a semester-long letter of appointment; eligibility for health coverage; office space in the BMI offices on the campus of UNLV; free housing (fellows cover some utilities) in a unique and vibrant arts complex in the bustling district of downtown Las Vegas. While there are no formal teaching requirements, this is a working fellowship\u00a0(see guidelines).
(They are associated with the International Cities of Refuge<\/a> network, which serves as an umbrella organization and information clearinghouse for local asylum programs worldwide, which has a great resources<\/a> page for artists at risk.)
Value: $46,500 over 9 months, residency
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a>.
(They also run the 117\u00b0 Residency<\/strong> \u2013 Summer 2025; applications will open November 10, 2025 and close on January 1, 2026; these grants of $10,000 are for two-month residencies for published writers, who are working on nonfiction, poetry, or hybrid projects.
And, they operate the BMI-Kluge Fellowship<\/strong>; applications open February 2, 2026 and close at on March 22, 2026; this grant of $15,000 is for a three-month term for a writer whose book would directly benefit from access to the Library of Congress\u2019 collections.
They have the City of Asylum Fellowship <\/strong>too, for which there is no application process.
Details of all the fellowships are on the Black Mountain Institute website<\/a>.)
Singapore Unbound: SUSPECT Flash Fiction Contest
<\/strong>This is a themed flash fiction contest; send stories if 100-150 words. \u201cIn conjunction with Gaudy Boy\u2019s November 2025 publication of Sharmini Aphrodite\u2019s THE UNREPENTANT, SUSPECT is holding its 2nd flash fiction contest with a call for submissions inspired by the title of this bold story collection. We are looking for flash fiction of 100-150 words on the theme of unrepentance<\/strong> interpreted in any imaginative way. When should we repent and why don\u2019t we? When should we not repent? What do we hope to obtain by not repenting? Integrity? Praise? Or just plain sustenance?\u201d
Value: $300, $200, $100
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Horror Writers Association: Diversity Grants
<\/strong>Horror Writers Association has scholarships which offer various amounts for assisting authors in professional development as horror writers. There are various amounts and requirements. Right now, they are open for Diversity Grants<\/a>, which open close 1st<\/sup> October 2025, worth $500 each, which \u201cwill be open to underrepresented, diverse people who have an interest in the horror writing genre, including, but not limited to writers, editors, reviewers, and library workers. \u2026 the Diversity Grants have adopted the broadest definition of the word diversity to include, but not limited to, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabled, and neurodiverse.\u201d They have other grants too with different application periods, some of which have recently closed.
Value: $500 for Diversity grants
Deadline: 1 October 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.
(They also administer the Bram Stoker Awards for published works in various categories, which close end-November\/end-December \u2013 see guidelines<\/a>.
And, keep a lookout on the Speculative Literature Foundation<\/strong><\/a> website for upcoming grants; they usually open for the Working Class Writers Grant <\/strong>applications during September and pay $1,000.)

The Camargo Fellowship
<\/strong>This is their flagship program; a residency at Cassis, France is for artists (including writers, playwrights and translators) and scholars\/thinkers, to think, create and connect. Applicants should have a publication and\/or grant track record. Teams of up to 3 people can apply. They also welcome spouses\/partners and dependent minor children \u2013 see guidelines. Fellowships span 10 weeks.
Value: \u20ac350 per week (\u20ac3,500 for 10 weeks), basic coach class travel booked in advance for the fellow (see guidelines)
Deadline: 1 October 2025 (Webinar for interested participants on 9th<\/sup> September \u2013 see the notice on their Submittable).
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(Camargo has several other programs, divided into various types<\/a>;  Stopovers, Incubators, Horizons, In the Long Run, and Impromptus; click on them to see the various programs they offer under each category. Their open calls are here<\/a>.)

Getty Scholars Program
<\/strong>These grants are for researchers of all nationalities who are working in the arts, humanities, or social sciences, for established scholars and writers who have achieved distinction in their fields. Recipients can pursue their own projects free from academic obligations and make use of Getty collections. There are three-, six-, and nine-month residencies. The annual theme for this cycle is Provenance<\/strong>. Also see their FAQ<\/a>.
Value: $21,500-65,000, residency
Deadline: 1 October 2025
Open for: Established scholars and writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(Also see the Getty African American Art History Initiative Fellowship<\/a>; the deadline for that, too, is 1st<\/sup> October 2025).

American Antiquarian Society: Fellowships for Creative and Performing Artists and Writers
<\/strong>These are fellowships for historical research by the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester, Massachusetts, for those who wish to produce \u201cimaginative, non-formulaic works dealing with pre-twentieth-century American history.\u201d Typically, two Hearst Foundations Fellowships and two Robert and Charlotte Baron Fellowships are awarded annually. Fellowship projects may include (but are not limited to) historical novels, documentary films, TV programs, radio broadcasts, plays, screenplays, illustration and other graphic arts, magazine or newspaper articles, and non-fiction works of history for a general audience, either for adults or for children.
Value: $2,000, residency  
Deadline: 5 October 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


(A couple of contests with later deadlines are:

— Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship: <\/strong>This is for a poet of American birth, who is willing to spend a year outside the continent of North America. While many recent winners have been published poets, there is no requirement that applicants have previously published their work. Applications have to be mailed. One of the requirements is a poetry sample. The prize is approximately $76,000 adjusted for inflation; if there are two winners, each will receive the full amount; the deadline is 15 October 2025 (must be received by this date). Details here<\/a> (application instructions), here<\/a> (FAQ \u2013 includes link to application form), and here<\/a> (home page).

—<\/strong> The Commonwealth Short Story Prize: <\/strong>This is a contest for writers from the Commonwealth, see the list of eligible countries here<\/a> \u2013 send a piece of unpublished short fiction, in any genre, of 2,000-5,000 words. They take entries in several languages apart from English, as well as translated stories. The top prize is \u00a35,000, regional prizes are \u00a32,500. The submission period opens on 1 September, and the deadline is 1 November 2025. Details here<\/a>.)<\/strong>

WRITERS IN THE US \/ CANADA
<\/strong>(Writers in the US might be interested in several of the fellowships in the international section above; and writers in Canada could also see the Commonwealth Short Story<\/strong> prize.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Columbia Journalism School: J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards<\/strong>\u00a0
These awards are given for non-fiction works in progress which deal with a topic of American political or social concern, to aid their completion. Writers must already have a contract with a US-based publisher. One of the application requirements is 50-75 pages from the work in progress. There is no fee for the work-in-progress award. The prizes are run by Columbia Journalism School \u2013 they also have other awards, which charge entry fees. \u00a0
Value: $25,000\u00a0
Opens on: 3 September 2025\u00a0
Open for: Unspecified\u00a0
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants
<\/strong>Their regular grants are for articles by US journalists that break new ground and expose wrongdoing \u2013 such as corruption, malfeasance, or abuse of power \u2013 in the public and private sectors. FIJ encourages proposals written for ethnic media as well as those submitted by journalists of color.\u00a0\u201cThe Fund provides grants for print and online articles, television and radio stories, documentaries, podcasts, and books.\u201d Also, \u201cforeign-based story proposals must come from US-based reporters or have a strong US angle involving American citizens, government, or business; all stories must be published in English, in a media outlet in the United States.\u201d
Value: Up to $10,000
Deadline: 8 September 2025
Open for:U.S.-based journalists or those working on a story with a strong U.S. angle
Details here<\/a>.
(And, Fund for Investigative Journalism<\/strong> is also accepting applications for \u201cseed\u201d grants<\/strong> for early reporting of $1,000 to $2,500, the deadline is 15 September 2025; journalists must be U.S.-based or working on a story with a strong U.S. angle; details here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n



Fulbright Scholarships
<\/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 2025-26 cycle can be found here<\/a>.
Value: Various
Deadline: 15 September 2025
Open for: US Citizens
Details here<\/a>.

Academy of American Poets: Ambroggio Prize
<\/strong>This is an opportunity for US poets. They want a book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. Poets may translate their own work or collaborate with a translator who may or may not be a poet; the poet and translator must share the prize. The original manuscript in Spanish must be between 48 and 100 pages. Their website also says, established in 2017, the Ambroggio Prize is the only annual award of its kind in the United States that honors American poets whose first language is Spanish.
Value: $1,000 and publication
Deadline: 15 September 2025
Open for: US poets
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>
(The Academy of American Poets has other awards as well, both fee-free and fee-based \u2013 see their Submittable<\/a> for all open calls.)

Guggenheim Fellowships
<\/strong>The Guggenheim Fellowships are for US and Canadian citizens in various disciplines, including literature, who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. No special conditions are attached to the fellowships. Also see their FAQ<\/a>.
Value: Varies
Deadline: 16th<\/sup> September 2025, work samples to be uploaded in November \u2013 see timeline here<\/a>
Open for: US and Canadian citizens
Details here<\/a> (see various tabs on this page \u2013 overview, eligibility criteria, timeline, and selection process).

American Academy in Berlin Fellowship
<\/strong>This is for US-based people (including collaborators) who wish to engage in independent study (generally, for an academic semester). Academy fellows are established and emerging scholars, writers, and professionals who wish to engage in independent study. Applicants working in most other fields\u2014such as journalism, filmmaking, or public policy\u2014must have a significant record of publication or production. Writers of fiction and nonfiction must have published at least one book with a reputable press at the time of application (composers, artists, and poets are by invitation only). Candidates should explain how their projects will benefit from a residency in Berlin, but they need not be working on German topics. Past recipients have included historians, economists, filmmakers, art historians, journalists, legal scholars, musicologists, public-policy experts, former government officials, NGO leaders, and writers. Most accommodations are also suitable for couples; they also offer accommodations for a limited number of families with children. You have to sign into SlideRoom to apply; see the help centre here<\/a>.
Value: Round-trip airfare, $5,000 per month, residency near Berlin
Deadline: 22 September 2025
Open for: Those permanently based in the US
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

Willie Morris Awards for Southern Writing
<\/strong>These awards are for works that evoke the American South. For fiction and non-fiction, the awards are for published\/soon-to-be-published books (see guidelines); for poetry, send a poem of up to 60 lines. Poems should evoke the US South. \u201cBooks must be published during the submission year and cannot be self-published. Advanced reader copies or proofs for books that will be published in October, November or December of 2025 are eligible.\u201d And, \u201cWinners also receive an expenses-paid trip to Oxford, Miss., where we celebrate the winning writers as part of the Oxford Conference for the Book.\u201d
Value: $12,000 for prose; $3,000 for poetry
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a>.

Changes Book Prize
<\/strong>The Changes Book Prize gives a cash award and publication for a poet\u2019s first or second poetry manuscript of 48-96 pages \u2013 it is open to US residents who have not published (or committed to publishing) more than one book-length collection of poetry with a registered ISBN. The prize will open for submissions on 1st<\/sup> September, and their Submittable link will be active then.\u00a0\u00a0
Value: $10,000
Submission period: 1 September to 1 October 2025
Open for: US residents, for a first or second poetry book
Details here<\/a>.

PEN America: US Writers Aid Initiative
<\/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. They have various deadlines through the year; the next one is in October. The opportunity will likely appear on their Submittable closer to the date. Writers do not have to be PEN members to apply.
Value: Unspecified
Deadline:1 October 2025
Open for: US writers
Details here<\/a>.

WRITERS IN THE UK\/IRELAND
<\/strong>(Also see the Commonwealth Short Story Prize<\/strong>, above.)

Penguin UK: Merkey Books New Writers\u2019 Prize<\/strong>
This is an annual prize, and is open to young (ages 18-35), underrepresented and unpublished writers from across the UK and Ireland. Writers also have to be unagented. It is for a work of literary and commercial fiction; send a synopsis of 200 words and an excerpt of 1,200 words. The winner receives a publishing contract with Merkey Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK, which also includes an advance. And, shortlisted writers will also be invited to their Writers\u2019 Camp.
Value: Advance, publication
Deadline: 26 August 2025
Open for: Writers ages 18-35 in UK and Ireland
Details here<\/a>.

Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Literary Festival Non-Fiction Competition
<\/strong>This is for writers living in Ireland. Send a piece of nonfiction of up to 400 words.
Value: \u20ac150, \u20ac100
Deadline: 29 August 2025
Open for: Writers in Ireland
Details here<\/a>.

Royal Society of Literature: Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction <\/strong>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\u2019s financial need.
Value: \u00a310,000, \u00a35,000, \u00a32,500
Deadline: 1 September 2025
Open for: UK\/Ireland-based writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Bio:<\/strong>\u00a0S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By S. Kalekar These are contests\/fellowships\/grants for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, playwriting, and journalism, with prizes up to $93,000. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A couple of the deadlines are in August. INTERNATIONAL CONTESTSThe Forge CompetitionThe Forge literary magazine holds a flash fiction and non-fiction contest. Send a piece of up to 1,000 words….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12681"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12681\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12683,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12681\/revisions\/12683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}