{"id":12891,"date":"2025-12-23T04:49:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T12:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=12891"},"modified":"2025-12-23T04:49:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T12:49:40","slug":"36-contests-grants-and-fellowships-for-writers-no-entry-application-fees-for-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/36-contests-grants-and-fellowships-for-writers-no-entry-application-fees-for-january-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"36 Contests, Grants, and Fellowships for Writers (No Entry\/Application Fees) (For January, 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By S. Kalekar

<\/strong>These are calls for contests \/ grants \/ fellowships \/ residencies for writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and for journalists, with awards up to $110,000. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A couple of the deadlines are in December.

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Temz Review: The \u201cLondon\u201d Literary Prizes
<\/strong>This literary journal, based in London, Ontario, has launched a new international prize for short stories (up to 5,000 words) and poetry (up to 3 poems). There is no theme. There are separate categories for Canadian writers (citizens as well as those living in Canada), so please indicate if you belong to this category while submitting. All pieces submitted for the prize will also be considered for publication in the journal.
Value: CAD200 for first prize in all categories, CAD100 for runners-up
Deadline: 31 December 2025
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

South Florida Poetry Journal: Maureen Seaton Poetry Prize
<\/strong>This is a prize for LGBTQ+ poets worldwide. You can send one poem, of up to 3 pages (see guidelines), for this prize. And, \u201cthere is no theme for this contest. Let the spirit and work of Maureen Seaton be your guide.\u201d The winner and shortlisted poets get published in South Florida Poetry Journal. \u201cThe prize ($500) will be paid to one winner, or, in the case of collaborative work, split among the collaborators.\u201d\u00a0They will close on 31 December 2025, or when they hit their submission cap, whichever is earlier. There are other opportunities also on their Submittable page, please be sure to submit to the correct one.
Value: $500
Deadline: 31 December 2025, or until filled
Open for: LGBTQ+ poets
Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defenestration.net Lengthy Poem Contest
<\/strong>They are reading entries for a lengthy poem, of at least 120 lines and up to chapbook-length (see guidelines). It is best to divide it into parts or sections, though this is not a strict requirement. Poem cycles will be considered. Please note, the shortlisted poems will be posted on the website, which will be followed by fan voting.
Value: $300
Deadline: 1 January 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.

table\/\/FEAST Literary Magazine: The Blossom Contest
<\/strong>This contest is fee-free and only open to BIPOC writers. There will be one winner for poetry or prose. Send up to 5 poems or one piece of fiction or creative nonfiction of up to 3,000 words.
Value: $250
Deadline: 1 January 2026
Open for: BIPOC writers
Details here<\/a>. (They have other contests too, for women and for writers over 50 years, which have submission fees.)

The Welkin Writing Prize
<\/strong>This is for a piece of microfiction, up to 100 words. \u201cThe competition is open to all forms of narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), be that flash fiction, short-short, vignette, haibun, hermit crab, prose poem or work that sits outside such labels.\u201d\u00a0
Value: \u00a375, \u00a340, \u00a325, and \u00a310
Deadline: 2 January 2026 (15:00 GMT)
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.

On the Premises: The Return Of\u2026
<\/strong>They want a story based on a prompt on their website. For this cycle, the prompt is, \u201cThe Return Of\u2026\u201d. \u201cFor this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which someone or something has returned after a significant absence. Does this return make people happy, unhappy, or somewhere in-between? That\u2019s up to you. Also: Was this return a surprise, or was it expected? That\u2019s also up to you.\u201c 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.
Value: $250, $200, $150, $75
Deadline: 2 January 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> (general guidelines) and here<\/a> (theme details).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shepton Snowdrops: In the Garden
<\/strong>Their website<\/a> says, \u201cThe Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Project is a not for profit Community Interest Company run entirely by volunteers. We run and support the annual Snowdrop Festival each February and plant snowdrop bulbs each autumn across the town.\u201d They are also open for an international poetry contest. There is an entry fee for over-18s, and poets under 18 years can send one poem of up to 30 lines, on the theme, \u2018In the Garden\u2019, for free. There are two categories for under-18s: 11 and under (prize \u00a350) and 12-17 years (prize \u00a3100). Entry is via a form on their website.\u00a0
Value: \u00a350-100 for under-18s
Deadline: 4 January 2026
Open for: Free for under-18s
Details here<\/a>.

San Jos\u00e9 State University:<\/strong> Center for Steinbeck Studies \u2013 The<\/strong> Steinbeck Fellows Program
<\/strong>This awards writers of any age and background a $15,000 fellowship to finish a significant writing project. Fellowships are currently offered in Creative Writing (excluding poetry) and Steinbeck Studies; Fellows may be appointed in many fields, including fiction, drama, creative non-fiction, and biography. The creative writing fellowship does not require that there be any direct connection between your work and Steinbeck’s. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success but have not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University’s creative writing program. Award recipients will be required to reside within the counties of the San Francisco Bay Area or adjacent counties of the California central coast or central valley during most of the fellowship period.
Value: Up to 6 fellowships of $15,000 each
Deadline: 4 January 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Leon Levy Centre for Biography: Biography Fellowships <\/strong>\u00a0
These are four resident fellowships at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City, to non-fiction writers working on biographies. preference in the award of fellowships is given to those who have not yet published a biography or received fellowships for the writing of a biography. They also welcome applications from published and accomplished writers who are undertaking their first biography. The Leon Levy Center for Biography does not award fellowships for memoirs, essays, plays, films, or fiction. One of the application requirements is a sample of the proposed biography, a maximum of 2,500 words. (Also see the Sloan Fellowship<\/a>, given annually to a writer working on a biography of a figure in the field of science or technology.)\u00a0
Value: $72,000, residency\u00a0
Deadline: 4 January 2026\u00a0
Open for: Writers working on biographies\u00a0
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Porter House Review 2025-2026 Editor\u2019s Prize<\/strong>\u00a0 Porter House Review\u00a0 is an online literary journal produced in conjunction with Texas State University’s MFA program in Creative Writing. They have announced their 2025 \u2013 2026 Editor\u2019s Prizes in Poetry (submit up to 5 poems), and Fiction (up to 5,000 words). While there is a $10 submission fee for the prize, during January 5th<\/sup> through 7th<\/sup>, this submission fee will be waived. They have detailed guidelines, please read them carefully. Also, \u201cAll submitted works will be considered for publication.\u00a0Porter House Review\u00a0is\u00a0dedicated to paying all of our featured writers\u00a0a competitive rate for accepted works.\u201d
Value: $500 each for fiction and poetry
Fee-free reading period: 5th<\/sup> to 7th<\/sup> January 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

The Tarbell Fellowship<\/strong>
This is a one-year program for journalists interested in covering artificial intelligence. It aims to create \u201ca community of expert journalists to lead the public debate on AI and hold major AI companies accountable to society.\u201d \u201cFellows secure a nine-month placement at a major newsroom, participate in a 10-week course covering AI and journalism fundamentals, and attend a weeklong journalism summit in the San Francisco Bay Area. Host newsrooms in 2025 included Bloomberg, the Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time Magazine, and many other leading outlets.
The Tarbell Fellowship provides a stipend of $60,000 to $80,000 to support placements for early-career fellows, and $90,000 to $110,000 for Senior Fellows (with 5 or more years of experience in journalism or AI).
The program incorporates expert speakers, feedback and mentorship from experienced journalists, and networking events with leading AI reporters. Upon completion of the fellowship, we expect fellows to bring their AI knowledge to major newsrooms and publications around the globe.\u200b\u201d\u00a0It is open internationally; \u201cSome placements require the right to work in the U.K. or the U.S., and in some cases we can support fellows in acquiring visas.\u201d
Value: $60,000-80,000 for early-career fellows; $90,000-110,000 for Senior Fellows
Deadline: 7 January 2026
Open for: Journalists with interest in AI
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

Knight Science Journalism Fellowships
<\/strong>They\u2019re open for two fellowships:
— The <\/strong>Knight Science Academic Year Fellowship at MIT<\/strong><\/a>, which is open internationally to 10 science journalists a year; applicants must be full-time journalists, whether on staff or freelance, and have at least three consecutive years of experience covering science, health, technology and environmental reporting. While in Cambridge, fellows will pursue a research project that uniquely leverages the resources and connections available to them at MIT and in the surrounding greater Boston area. The research project must be journalism related.\u00a0Fellows are awarded $85,000 and other benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— The <\/strong>Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East<\/strong><\/a>,for science journalists in Africa and the Middle East. The Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East is a one-semester fellowship for science journalists in Africa and the Middle East is held in the fall of the academic year and hosted by KSJ at MIT. It is for journalists with at least three years\u2019 experience reporting on science, health or environmental issues in the region. Applicants may be reporters, writers, editors, producers, illustrators, filmmakers, or photojournalists. Fellows are awarded $40,000 and other benefits. 
Value: See above
Deadline: 9 January 2026 for both fellowships
Open for: Academic Year Fellowships open internationally, Africa and Middle Eastern Fellowships open for eligible journalists in the region
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(See all Knight Science Journalism fellowships here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teachers & Writers Magazine: The Bechtel Prize<\/strong>
Teachers & Writers Magazine provides lesson plans, interviews, and personal essays to support teaching creative writing. Their website says, \u201cEach year the Teachers & Writers Magazine editorial board awards the Bechtel Prize and a $1,000 honorarium for an essay describing a creative writing teaching experience, project, or activity that demonstrates innovation in creative writing instruction.\u201d They want essays up to 2,500 words, and have detailed guidelines about the kind of essays they want.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 11 January 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(Teachers & Writers is also open for article submissions for the magazine; please be sure to submit in the correct category.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golden Haiku Poetry Contest
<\/strong>This is a modern Haiku contest for poets globally. It is open to poets of all ages, and there are also regional\/DC prizes for adults as well as schoolchildren.
Value: $500, $200, $100 for adults; $150 for high school winner; $75 for elementary\/middle school winner
Deadline: 11 January 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colgate University: Olive B. O\u2019Connor Creative Writing Fellowship
<\/strong>For the current application period, they offer one fellowship for creative nonfiction<\/a>, and one for poetry<\/a>. One of the application requirements is a writing sample \u2013 up to 30 pages of prose, either a complete work or an excerpt; up to 20 pages of poetry. Writers who have recently completed an MFA, MA, or PhD in creative writing, and who need a year to complete their first book, are encouraged to apply. It also includes residency at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. There are teaching duties attached. \u201cAll applications should speak directly to the candidate\u2019s ability to work effectively with students across a wide range of identities and backgrounds.\u201d
Value: $58,000 + other benefits, residency
Deadline: 12 January 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lit Fox Award for Poetry Book
<\/strong>This is an award for a poetry book. The manuscript should be at least 48 pages. Prize is publication, 25 author copies, and a cash award. Value: $1,500
Deadline: 15th<\/sup> January 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(Submissions are also open for the Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets 2025<\/strong> \u2013 for poetry pamphlets, poetry pamphlets on environmental themes, for poetry pamphlet illustration, and for poetry pamphlet publishers \u2013 all for work published in the UK<\/strong> between 28th<\/sup>\u00a0September 2024 and 1st<\/sup>\u00a0October 2025. Prizes range from \u00a31,000 to \u00a35,000, and a residency in Greece. Physical copies of the pamphlets must be received by 21 January 2026; details here<\/a> and here<\/a> \u2013 also see their note about using Royal Mail.)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourteen Hills: Stacey Doris Memorial Poetry Award
<\/strong>This is a poetry contest \u2013 send one poem of 3 to 10 pages. Their guidelines say, \u201cStacy Doris\u00a0was a poet, translator, and an Associate Professor in San Francisco State University’s Department of Creative Writing, where she taught for ten years. … Doris created new worlds with her unexpected poetics. Following upon her spirit of creative invention, engaging wit and ingenious playfulness, discovery in construction, and radical appropriations based on classical forms, pastiche, etc., and love, the Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award is given to a poet with a truly inventive spirit.\u201d Works that don\u2019t win will be considered for publication in Fourteen Hills.\u00a0
Value: $500
Deadline: 15 January 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a>
(They also have another fee-based national award for emerging prose writers, as well as a fee-free one for San Francisco State University students\/graduates.)

The New England Quarterly: Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History<\/strong>
This prize is for an essay on early American history (before 1925), not previously published, with preference being given to New England subjects.\u00a0Essays should be up to 14,000 words, and can be emailed (as both PDF and Word attachments) or mailed.
Value: $2,500
Deadline: 15 January 2026 (emailed or postmarked)
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hillman Prize for Journalism
<\/strong>This is for journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in service of the common good. Recipients\u00a0exemplify reportorial excellence, storytelling skill, and social justice impact.\u00a0The categories are:\u00a0Book (bound volumes and ebooks), Newspaper Journalism (story or series\/in print or online),\u00a0Magazine Journalism (story or series\/in print or online),\u00a0Broadcast Journalism (story\/series\/documentary that has aired on television or radio),\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Opinion\u00a0<\/strong>&\u00a0Analysis Journalism (any medium)\u00a0– <\/strong>includes all types of advocacy, opinion, commentary and analysis, normally short-form and\/or frequent, regardless of medium; open to newspaper and magazine columnists,\u00a0TV\u00a0and radio presenters, podcasters, blogs, and bloggers. The US prize is open to all journalists and subjects globally but the work must have been primarily accessible to a US audience; the Canadian prize, too, is open to all journalists and subjects globally but the work must have been primarily accessible to a Canadian audience, and must have been published in Canada.
And, The foundation will continue the\u00a0SEIU\u00a0Award for Reporting on Racial and Economic Justice<\/strong>. All Hillman Prize entries will be automatically considered for this award as\u00a0well.
Value: $5,000 each
Deadline: 15 January for Canadian, 30 January 2026 for US entries
Open for: Journalists
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>
(They also have Labor and Workforce Reporting Grants<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 they accept pitches on a rolling basis, and grants are up to $5,000.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speculative Literature Foundation: A. C. Bose Grant
<\/strong>This grant supports South Asian or South Asian diaspora writers developing speculative fiction. Work that is accessible to older children and teens will be given preference. \u201cThis grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature. Speculative literature spans the breadth of fantastic writing, encompassing literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, including ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, slipstream, magical realism, and more. Any piece of literature containing a fabulist or speculative element would fall under our aegis.\u201d A writing sample of up to 5,000 words is part of the application. Applicants need not have prior publishing credits to apply.
Value: $1,500
Reading period: 1-31 January 2026
Open for: South Asian or Desi\/South Asian or Desi diaspora writers
Details here<\/a>; the schedule for their other upcoming grants is here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small Harbor Publishing: Harbor Editions Laureate Prize
<\/strong><\/a>They are running the Laureate Prize for Poetry, for which they accept fee-free submissions only from writers identifying as disabled, and from BIPOC writers, and previous finalists for poetry manuscripts. The prize is for a full manuscript of poetry (50-80 pages). They award a cash prize and publication. Entries for other poets have a submission fee.
Value: $500
Deadline: 31 January 2026
Open for: Fee-free for disabled writers, BIPOC writers and previous finalists\u00a0\u00a0
Details here<\/a>.

C\u00e9sar Egido Serrano Foundation: VIII International Short Tales Contest
<\/strong>This is the eighth edition of their international global micro-fiction contest. Write a story of up to 100 words in any of these languages: Spanish, English, Arabic, or Hebrew.\u00a0There will be one winning story, and the top scoring stories in each of the remaining languages will get runner-up prizes. Please note, public voting is part of the assessment (see rules). And, \u201cAttendance at the award ceremony is an essential condition, except in cases of duly justified force majeure. In the event of unjustified absence, the jury reserves the right to reassign the prize to the next best-ranked finalist in that category.\u201d Also note, they can publish any of the submitted stories. Submission is via a form on their website.
Value: \u20ac20,000, \u20ac2,000 for three runners-up
Deadline: 31 January 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
\u00a0
Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
<\/strong>The magazine runs a short story contest thrice a year. Readers of this magazine are interested in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. While the writing should appeal to a reader with these interests, stories can be on any theme. Stories should be up to 3,000 words, but up to 4,000 words will be considered.\u00a0
Value: $150
Deadline: 31 January 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award
<\/strong>They want a short story, of up to 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. They want to see Moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, adventure. They do not want stories that show technology or space travel as evil or bad, galactic empires, paranormal elements, UFO abductions, zombie stories, thinly veiled copies of previous winners, non-standalone novel excerpts, or screenplays.
Value: 8c\/word, and various non-cash awards
Deadline: 1 February 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a> (click on \u2018Contest rules\u2019).
(They also have a fantasy short story contest, the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award<\/strong><\/a>, which will open later in January.) \u00a0

Biographers International Organization: The Frances \u201cFrank\u201d Rollin Fellowship
<\/strong>They offer two fellowships, open to all biographers anywhere in the world who are writing in English, who are working on a biography of an African American figure or figures whose story provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the Black experience, and who are at any stage in the writing of a book-length biography. A publishing contract is not required for eligibility.\u00a0Memoirs are not eligible. An excerpt of up to 20 pages is part of the application. The Biographers International Organization also has other awards<\/a> (some of which are open for all writers), as well as other resources.\u00a0 Value: Two fellowships of $5,000 each
Deadline: 1 February 2026
Open for: See above
Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Gallen Symposium Global Essay Competition
<\/strong>This is a contest for young writers, they want a themed essay of 2,100 words, on \u2018Disruption in Tech + Politics + Demography:\u00a0What happens when they collide?
Pick a case where\u00a0at least two\u00a0of these forces meet, and propose a bold idea to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks over the long term.\u2019 <\/strong>See guidelines for details. To be eligible, writers must be enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university, and be born in 1996 or later.
Value: CHF20,000, split between three winners; they\u2019ll also cover travel, accommodation, and admission to the symposium in Switzerland.
Deadline: 1 February 2026
Open for: Young writers (see above)
Details here<\/a>.

New America National Fellows Program
<\/strong>This international program brings on thinkers\u2014journalists, scholars, filmmakers, and public policy analysts\u2014whose work enhances the public conversation about the most pressing issues of our day. The product of the fellowship should be a nonfiction reporting project in the form of a book, film, podcast, longform article, or well-researched multimedia project. Fellows advance ideas through research, reporting, analysis, and storytelling. The organizers look for projects that are original and ambitious, with viable plans for their implementation. Their goal is to find bold, impactful thinkers and to fund them for a year; long enough to make progress on a book, develop a series of articles, produce a documentary, or work on another project that is accessible.\u00a0Fellows have to attend two cohort gatherings throughout the fellowship year. There are no residency or nationality requirements, though fellows need to be involved in the New America community.
Value: Generally $15,000-30,000
Deadline: 2 February 2026 (letters of reference are due 5 February)
Open for: All journalists, scholars, filmmakers and public policy analysts
Details here<\/a>.

Keats-Shelley Memorial Association: Young Romantics Prize
<\/strong>The Young Romantics Poetry (up to 30 lines) and Essay Prize (750-1,000 words) is open to anyone aged 16-18.
\u201cThe theme of 2025-26\u2019s Young Romantics Poetry Prize has been chosen to mark the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley\u2019s\u00a0The Last Man<\/em>. Entrants are invited to submit poems on the subject of either \u201cDystopia\u201d or \u201cUtopia\u201d.\u201d
For the essay prize, choose one of these two topics:
\u201c1. Mary Shelley\u2019s\u00a0The Last Man<\/em>\u00a0imagines a plague which all but wipes out the human race. What is the appeal of dystopias in literature?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. \u2018The most successful writers are both insiders and outsiders.\u2019 Do you agree?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Value: \u00a3700, \u00a3300
Deadline: 2 February 2026 (see guidelines)
Open for: Writers ages 16-18
Details here<\/a>.
(They are also running Keats-Shelley prizes for adults. For the essay contest \u2013 on any aspect of the writing and\/or lives of the Romantics and their circles, up to 3,000 words \u2013 entry is free, and winner gets \u00a31,000. There is an entry fee for the poetry prize, and the deadline for both is 2 February 2026, details here<\/a>.)


(A few contests with later deadlines are:

— Baen Fantasy Adventure Award:<\/strong> \u201cWrite 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.\u201d Also see the kind of stories they want to see: \u201cAdventure fantasy with heroes you want to root for. Warriors either modern or medieval, who solve problems with their wits or with their weapons\u2014and we have nothing against dragons, elves, dwarves, castles under siege, urban fantasy, damsels in distress, or damsels who inflict distress.\u201d They pay \u201cindustry-standard rates\u201d as well as non-cash prizes, and will open for submissions from 20th<\/sup> January to 30th<\/sup> April 2026. Stories sent outside these dates will be deleted unread. Details here<\/a> \u2013 click on contest rules. Also, \u201cThe 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<\/em> required.)\u201d

— Kinsman Quarterly: Voices of Mixed Heritage: <\/strong>This is an award forauthors and poets of mixed heritage or relationships. \u201cSubmit essays, fiction, or poetry exploring themes of multicultural or third-culture identity, love, belonging, home life, and pain. We seek heartfelt reflections on living between worlds.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Win up to $500 in cash prizes and publication in Kinsman\u2019s upcoming anthology.\u201d They accept prose of 300 to 2,000 words, and up to 10 pages of poetry. Please note, you have to log into their website to access submission guidelines. The prizes are\u00a0 $500, $250, $150; $25 Amazon gift cards for runners-up, and the deadline is 28 February 2026; details here<\/a>.
(Kinsman Quarterly has other contests in 2026 too, both fee-based and fee-free, see brief information about those on this page<\/a>; again, you have to log in to access detailed information.

— BCALA Self-Publishing Literary Awards: <\/strong>\u201cThrough this contest, the BCALA honors the best self-published ebooks by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres.
These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. The purpose is to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research including biographical, historical, and social history treatments by African Americans.\u201d The awards are $2,500 each for a self-published poetry and prose ebook, and the deadline is 28 February 2026; details here<\/a>.
(Submissions are also open for The Caine Prize for African Writing<\/strong><\/a>, also called the African Booker. Entries must be sent by the publisher<\/strong> or a third-party institution that is independent of the author \u2013 entries sent by the author will be ineligible<\/strong>. It is for published short stories of 3,000 to 10,000 words, written by an African writer, published within the last five years \u2013 see guidelines. The award is \u00a310,000, and the submission deadline is 27 February 2026, 12:00 GMT.)
— And, The Academy of American Poets<\/strong> has a couple of prizes that are closing mid-February; the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award<\/strong>\u00a0for a translated and published poetry collection with an award of $1,000; and the Raiziss\/de Palchi Fellowship<\/strong> for an American translator to travel, study, or otherwise advance a significant work-in-progress of translation of twentieth-century Italian poetry, an award of $25,000 \u2013 see the relevant categories here<\/a>.)<\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRIZES FOR US \/ CANADA
<\/strong>(Also see the Center for Steinbeck Studies \u2013 The<\/strong> Steinbeck Fellows Program, <\/strong>The Leon Levy Centre for Biography: Biography Fellowships, <\/strong>The Tarbell Fellowship, <\/strong>The Knight Science Academic Year Fellowship at MIT, Colgate University: Olive B. O\u2019Connor Creative Writing Fellowship, Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History, Hillman Prize for Journalism, \u00a0Frances \u201cFrank\u201d Rollin Fellowship, BCALA Self-Publishing Literary Awards, and the Academy of American Poets\u2019 prizes<\/strong>, in the section above)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jack Hazard Fellowship
<\/strong>This is an opportunity for US writers. \u201cJack Hazard Fellows are fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and memoir writers who teach full time in an accredited high school in the United States. We provide a $5,000 award that enables these creative writers who teach to focus on their writing for a summer.\u201d
Value: $5,000
Deadline: 9 January 2026
Open for: High School teachers in the US
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
<\/strong>This is for US high school students in grades 9 through 12. Essays must describe an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F Kennedy was born. The official may have addressed an issue at the local, state, or national level.\u00a0Essays should be 700-1,000 words and must quote at least five sources.
Value: $10,000, $3,000, $1,000 each for finalists; an award for the nominating teacher of the first-place winner (see here<\/a>)
Deadline: 12 January 2026
Open for: US high school students
Details\u00a0here<\/a> (also click on tabs on the page for various details)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Z\u00f3calo Public Square Poetry Prize<\/strong>
<\/strong>They want poetry from US poets whose poem best evokes a connection to place. \u201cThe prize interprets \u201cplace\u201d in many ways: A place may possess historical, cultural, political, or personal importance, and may be literal, imaginary, or metaphorical.\u201d Please read the conditions at the bottom of the page carefully.
Value: $1,000, $100 for honorable mentions
Deadline: 23 January 2026
Open for: US poets
Details here<\/a>.

The Pegasus Poetry Book Prize
<\/strong>This prize is by the Poetry Foundation and Graywolf Press, and it \u201dawards $10,000 and publication to an unpublished first or second poetry collection by a United States poet 40 or older. This prize replaces the Poetry Foundation\u2019s former Emily Dickinson First Book Award and will be offered periodically rather than annually.\u201d Manuscripts must be 48 to 80 pages, and multilingual works containing a full English translation by the author will be considered.
\u201cPoets will need to register and submit manuscripts through the Poetry Foundation\u2019s Grants and Awards Online Portal<\/a>. To access the portal, poets must submit an initial registration form. Registrations will be approved within 3 to 5 business days.\u201d The cutoff for registering on their portal is 26th<\/sup> January, and the deadline for submitting the manuscript is 2nd<\/sup> February 2026 (see \u2018Important Dates\u2019 on the guidelines page).
Value: $10,000
Deadline: Registration deadline 26th<\/sup> January, submission deadline 2nd<\/sup> February 2026
Open for: US poets ages 40 or above, for a first or second poetry book
Details here<\/a>. 

Nieman Fellowships <\/strong>
<\/strong>These are nine-month fellowships for US journalists at Harvard. You need to send the following to apply: two essays<\/a>; a professional profile and study proposal summary<\/a>; work samples<\/a>; and three letters of recommendation<\/a>. The deadline for US journalists is in January; for international journalists \/ those who are non-US citizens, including for those who are working in the US, has passed. Also see guidelines for the deadlines for letters of recommendation. 
Value: $85,000 and other expenses, see their FAQ<\/a>
Deadlines: 31 January 2026 for U.S. journalists
Open for: US journalists
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(Also see the Nieman Visiting Fellowships<\/a> for short-term research projects designed to advance journalism.)

Bucknell University: Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing
<\/strong>This residency is offered by Bucknell University, and provides writing time of up to four months. It\u2019s for writers of any literary genre: any creative genre in the literary arts, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, hybrid work, graphic novel, etc. Writers should be working on a first or second book. There are two residencies, in fall and spring semesters. Some record of publication is desirable.
Value: $5,000 and residency
Deadline: 1 February 2026
Open for: US writers
Details here<\/a>.
(See the full list of their programs and residencies here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n


PRIZES FOR UK \/ IRELAND

<\/strong>(Also see Shepton Snowdrops: Treasures of Nature, <\/strong>The Tarbell Fellowship, and Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets 2025<\/strong>  <\/strong>in the international section, above)
The Northern Writers\u2019 Awards: The Hachette Children\u2019s Novel Awards
<\/strong>The Hachette Children\u2019s Novel Awards are open to debut writers of middle-grade children\u2019s fiction and early teen fiction living in the North of England. Please submit your initial 3,000-6,000 words and synopsis by the award deadline; authors longlisted for the award will be contacted by mid-February and asked to deliver a complete draft of their manuscript by 28 February 2026. They accept all kinds of debut children\u2019s and early teen fiction, including but not limited to, historical fiction, crime, science fiction, romance and fantasy. Middle-grade fiction is for children aged approximately 7-11, and teen fiction is for readers aged 11 – 13. There will be two winners of this award, getting \u00a33,000 each; and a programme of mentoring and other opportunities (see guidelines).
Value: \u00a33,000 each for two winners, various non-cash prizes
Deadline: 12 January 2026 for the initial round
Open for: Writers in the north of England
Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>
(See all the Northern Writers\u2019 Awards that are currently open here<\/a>; there are awards for various genres; the deadlines for those are 5 February 2026.)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Discoveries 2026
<\/strong>It is for UK- and Ireland-based unpublished and unrepresented women writers, for a novel-in-progress (adult fiction) \u2013 send the first 10,000 words and a synopsis. This prize is run by The Women\u2019s Prize Trust, Audible, Curtis Brown Literary Agency, and Curtis Brown Creative writing school. Apart from a cash prize, the winner also gets literary representation. There are also non-cash prizes for shortlisted and longlisted writers.\u00a0
Value: \u00a35,000
Deadline: 12 January 2026
Open for: Unpublished women novelists in the UK
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 calls for contests \/ grants \/ fellowships \/ residencies for writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and for journalists, with awards up to $110,000. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A couple of the deadlines are in December. INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS The Temz Review: The \u201cLondon\u201d Literary PrizesThis literary journal, based in…<\/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-12891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12891","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=12891"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12893,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12891\/revisions\/12893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}