These are prizes for writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays, screenplays, for translators, and journalists. Prizes range from $75 to $50,000. Writers may want to periodically check the organizers\u2019 websites or social media accounts in these difficult and rapidly-changing times for any potential changes to dates or even terms (especially where entries have to be posted, or where a residency is involved). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The contests are broadly sorted geographically (although those which don\u2019t specify any geographic restrictions are also under \u2018global entry\u2019). None of these charge an entry fee, and deadlines are approaching quickly.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 S. Kalekar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This prize is for a\nproposed book of literary non-fiction that illustrates artistic excellence,\nsensitivity to place, and desert literacy \u2013 with the desert both as subject and\nsetting. Writing samples about deserts and natural settings are more\nlikely to be reviewed favorably. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Value: $2,500 and a residency at Playa\nat Summer Lake, Oregon Saroyan Writing Contest 2020: A Good Life Wergle Flomp Humor\nPoetry Contest Alpine Fellowship Prizes: Two prizes for creative writers — Writing Prize<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This international prize is awarded\nfor the best piece of writing on the theme of \u2018Forgiveness and Retribution\u2019 (up\nto 2,500 words in any genre), which is the theme of the 2020 Alpine Fellowship\nAnnual Symposium. The winner and two runners-up are invited to attend the\nFj\u00e4lln\u00e4s (Sweden) symposium. The award will be presented by poet John\nBurnside, who is also the head judge. They\nwant to see science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, or horror LGBTQIA stories of\nup to 300 words on the theme of Innovation \u2013 which could be a new idea, method, or device, or the\nintroduction of something new, or the action or process of innovating. Their\nguidelines say, \u201cWe live in an age of innovation \u2013 new websites, apps, and\ndisruption abound. Often this innovation has a dark side, destroying old\nindustries, eroding privacy and enabling climate change. 24th<\/sup>\nAnnual Parsec Ink Short Story Contest: <\/strong>Forging Everything Change Climate Fiction Contest\n2020 Green Stories Writing Competitions: Screenplay 2020 ALTA Travel Fellowship Holland\nPark Press: Is Royalty Relevant? A Poetry Competition Preservation\nFoundation Contest New England Crime Bake: Al Blanchard\nAward Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contests Remastered Words Contest Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation: Author of Tomorrow Award The Irene Adler Prize The Dallas Institute of\nHumanities and Culture: Hiett Prize in the Humanities Whiting Foundation: Creative Nonfiction\nGrant Papatango: Isolated but Open \u2013 Voices\nfrom Across the Shutdown The\nAuthors\u2019 Foundation: K. Blundell Trust Award Society of Authors\u2019 Grants for Works-in-Progress The Nick Darke Award Author Bio:<\/strong> S. Kalekar is the\npseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers.<\/a> She can be reached here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" These are prizes for writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays, screenplays, for translators, and journalists. Prizes range from $75 to $50,000. Writers may want to periodically check the organizers\u2019 websites or social media accounts in these difficult and rapidly-changing times for any potential changes to dates or even terms (especially where entries have to be…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7921","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=7921"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7922,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7921\/revisions\/7922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nPRIZES FOR ALL WRITERS\/GLOBAL ENTRY<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>Waterston\nDesert Writing Prize<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDeadline: 1 April 2020
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is an writing contest for\nstudents. The theme is \u2018A Good Life\u2019 \u2013 their guidelines say, \u201cWilliam Saroyan\nonce said, \u201cIn the time of your life, live.\u201d What is a good life? Write a story\nand explain what a good life means to you.\u201d The judges are looking for stories\nof up to two pages; in no case should they exceed three pages. There are\nspecific requirements if this contest is used as a class project. There are\nfive categories of participants, in grades 1 through 12. It is unspecified\nwhether the contest is for students of a particular country, or is open for\nglobal entries.
\nValue: $100, $75, $50 each, in each category
\nDeadline: 1 April 2020
\nOpen for: Students
\nDetails here<\/a> (download the entry form).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This prize is for humor poetry. Submit a poem\nof up to 250 lines.
\nValue: $1,000and a subscription to Duotrope; $250; 10 prizes of $100 each
\nDeadline: 1 April 2020
\nOpen for: All poets (barring those in Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea due\nto US government restrictions).
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>Apart from themed\nWriting and Theatre prizes detailed below, they also have the Visual Arts Prize<\/a>,\nand the Academic Writing Prize<\/a>.\nFor all prizes, they reserve the right to change the date of shortlist,\nlonglist, and winner announcement \u2013 and ask that writers follow them on\nInstagram for latest news. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nValue: \u00a310,000,\n\u00a33,000, \u00a32,000
\nDeadline: 1 April 2020
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n— Theatre Prize
\n<\/strong>This prize is awarded for the best play on the\ntheme of \u2018Forgiveness and Retribution\u2019 Aimed at encouraging\ntheatre writers at the start of their careers to explore and challenge\nphilosophical ideas using the dramatic form. Apart from the\ncash prize, the winner also gets a rehearsed reading at the\nFellowship\u2019s annual Symposium to which they will be invited to attend.\nRunners up will be invited to attend the Fj\u00e4lln\u00e4s symposium to exhibit their\nwork. To apply, applicants must send: 1) A treatment of your idea in response\nto the theme; up to 500 words; 2) A sample of previous work of at least 10\npages; and 3) A 3-4 sample pages of your proposed script or a 1-2 detailed page\nsynopsis of your story. The final piece must be 45 minutes in length and\nrequire no more than 4 actors.
\nValue: \u00a33,000
\nDeadline: 1 April 2020
\nOpen for: All playwrights
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers
\n<\/strong>The three-month fellowships are to afford\nwriters uninterrupted time to focus on their work at an apartment in Carson\nMcCuller\u2019s childhood home in Columbus, Georgia, free from the distractions of\ndaily life and other professional responsibilities. A spouse or companion is\nwelcome. The application includes a writing sample of up to 20 pages.
\nValue: $5,000
\nDeadline: 1 April 2020
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a> (scroll down)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nQueer Sci\nFi: Innovation<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBut innovation can have a bright side \u2013 solving problems instead of creating\nthem. Look at how medicine has helped extend life and cure ailments that were\nonce deadly scourges. The same social media sites that are causing such chaos\nhave also brought people together on groups like ours, creating new communities.\nAnd innovation might just hold the key to saving the planet.
\nTell us about either side \u2013 how innovation will destroy us, or how it might\nsave us. Whether your innovation is scientific, paranormal, horrific or\nmagical, we want to see it.\u201d
\nValue: $75, $50, $25
\nDeadline: 10 April 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is a contest for a\nscience fiction, fantasy or horror short story (up to 3,500 words) on the theme\n\u2018Forging\u2019 \u2013 which can be used in the setting, plot, characters, or dialogue \u2013 the\nwinning story will be one which uses the contest theme as a key element. Entrants\nmust be non-professional writers (those who have not met eligibility\nrequirements for Science Fiction Writers of America or equivalent: sale of a\nnovel or sale of 3 stories to a large-circulation publication). Read the\nterms carefully \u2013 one of these is, \u201cSubmission to the\ncontest implies consent for publication, but all rights revert immediately to\nthe author upon publication.\u201d A maximum of two submissions is allowed.
\nValue: $200, $100, $50
\nDeadline: 15 April 2020
\nOpen for: Non-professional writers (see guidelines)
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is an\ninternational short fiction contest. Their guidelines say, \u201cThe beating drum of the climate crisis is a constant reminder\nthat our planet is a closed, limited system, and that we\u2019re currently living\nfar beyond its boundaries. We are looking for short stories that help us\nimagine how humans can live within Earth\u2019s planetary boundaries\u2014at the\nindividual level, yes, but more importantly at the level of organizations,\ncommunities, and societies, and at the level of a global human civilization.\nWhat would our world look like if we actually respected and lived within\nplanetary boundaries? How would we organize our homes, communities, cities, and\nnations? How would we live with and relate to each other at the global level?\nHow might politics, culture, relationships, and identities\u2014all of the messiness\nof human lives\u2014change in a world where we\u2019re grappling seriously with the climate\ncrisis, and perhaps even trying to restore some of the damage we\u2019ve already\ndone to the planet and its ecosystems? What kinds of obstacles, conflicts, and\ntransformations will arise during these humongous shifts? How can we ensure\nthat a sustainable or even climate-positive future is also a just and equitable\none?\u201d Submissions (5,000 words) can be in all fiction genres.
\nValue: $1,000; nine prizes of $100 each
\nDeadline: 15 April 2020
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This full-length film\nscreenplay contest is open to all. All submissions (19-120 pages) must conform to the green\nstories criteria of showing a positive vision of what a sustainable society\nmight look like or in some way smuggling in green solutions\/policies\/characters\nin the context of an otherwise mainstream story. BBC Writers room have agreed to read the\ntop five scripts and follow up with any writers they think have promise. The scripts that are written in standard format (see\nguidelines) will get a better reception. Also see details of their upcoming\ncontests in other genres, with later deadlines.
\nValue: \u00a3500,\n\u00a3100, \u00a350; best student submission prize of \u00a350
\nDeadline: 18 April 2020
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>Each year, between four\nand six fellowships are awarded to emerging (unpublished or minimally\npublished) translators to help them pay for hotel and travel expenses to the\nannual American Literary Translators Association conference (November 11-14 ,\n2020 in Tucson, AZ). Among the fellowships is the Peter\nK. Jansen Memorial Travel Fellowship,<\/a> which is preferentially awarded to an emerging translator of color\nor a translator working from an underrepresented Diaspora or stateless\nlanguage. Also see their other\nawards<\/a> for published works, some of which do not\ncharge a submission fee.
\nValue: $1,000 each
\nDeadline: 20 April 2020
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is an international poetry contest\non the theme, \u2018Is Royalty Relevant?\u2019 Their guidelines say, \u201cWe invite you to\nwrite a poem about a member or members of royal families from countries around\nthe world.
\nThis is the theme but first and foremost we are looking for outstanding poems,\nliterary and subject wise, we don\u2019t need to agree with your views, but we want\nto feel your poem comes from the heart and adds something new to our poetic\nlegacy.
\nYou can write about any aspect of royalty: their role, actions, dress sense,\nsense of duty, scandals, economic relevance, artistic or sporting interests,\ntheir dogs and other pets or even their handbag (what\u2019s in it?). You can be a\nroyalist or staunch republican, that\u2019s all fine, as long as, we are moved,\nexcited, amused, annoyed or inspired by your poem.\u201d Poems must not exceed 50\nlines.
\nValue: \u00a3200
\nDeadline: 27 April 2020
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is an international contest for\nunpublished writers (see guidelines). For the upcoming deadline, the prizes\nwill be in the general non-fiction category, for which their guidelines say \u201cSo-called\n“creative nonfiction” will not be considered\u201d.\nEntries should be 1,000-10,000 words. They want all entries, regardless of\nwhether or not they win, to be on their website as long as the Foundation\nexists (see guidelines). Also see contests in other genres with later\ndeadlines.
\nValue: $200, $100
\nDeadline: 30 April 2020
\nOpen for: Unpublished writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is a short story award. Their guidelines say it must be a crime story (up to\n5,000 words) by a\nNew England author or have a New England setting if the author is not from New\nEngland. The story\nmay include the following genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and\nhorror. (No torture\/killing of children or animals.) Apart from the\ncash award, the winner also gets publication in Level Best Books\u2019 Crime Fiction anthology, and admission to\nthe Crime Bake Conference (though conference attendance is not a requirement).
\nValue: $100
\nDeadline: 30 April 2020
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>These are international essay contests for students\ncentred around Ayn Rand\u2019s works: Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged.\nAll runner-up prizes have more than one winner in each contest and category.\nOne of the contests has a whopping $25,000 prize \u2013 the deadline for that is a\nfew months away yet. The guidelines also say, \u201cAll\nentries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned.\nEssays may be reproduced on our website and\/or shared with third parties for\npurposes of marketing the contest.\u201d The deadline for the contest around Anthem\nis in April 2020. For this book, there are contests for two sets of\ngrade levels: one for 8th<\/sup>, 9th<\/sup>, and 10th<\/sup>, and\nanother for those in 11th<\/sup> and 12th<\/sup> grade. Submit an essay\nof 600-1,200 words on one of three specific topics<\/a>\ncentred around Ayn Rand\u2019s novel, Anthem. See contests with later deadlines\naround other works: The Fountainhead<\/a>,\nand Atlas Shrugged<\/a>.
\nValue: $2,000, $250, $100, and $25 in each category
\nDeadline: 30th<\/sup> April 2020
\nOpen for: All students
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This organization creates audio\ndramatizations of short story submissions and an audio recording. Submit a\nstory of up to 5,000 words in any fantasy sub-genre. The title of the anthology\nwill be \u2018One Last Chance\u2019 and writers must use this\nimage<\/a> in the story.
\nValue: \u00a375, \u00a350, \u00a325, and royalties
\nDeadline: 1 May 2020
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>This international contest is designed to find the adventure writers of the future. Writers must enter a piece of short fiction. The work must fall within what can be defined as adventure writing (see guidelines).\u00a0 There are three categories: for writers ages 16-21, 12-15, and under 11.
Value: \u00a31,500 in the 15-21 group, \u00a31,000 in the 12-15 group, \u00a3100 in the under-11 group
Deadline: 5 May 2020
Open for: All writers ages 21 and under
Details here<\/a>.\u00a0
The Black Orchid Novella Award
<\/strong>They want novellas (15,000-20,000 words) that confirm to the tradition of Rex Stout\u2019s Nero Wolfe series. They should focus on the deductive skills of the sleuth. Their guidelines also say, \u201cWe need to stress that a novella is not a padded short story. A novella needs to be as tight and fast-paced as a short story or a novel. Authors need to ensure that the story they want to tell is properly sized for whatever format they choose.\u201d They are not looking for derivatives of the Nero Wolfe series, or the milieu. They accept mailed submissions only.
Value: $1,000 and publication in Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s Mystery Magazine
Deadline: 31 May 2019 (postmarked)
Open for: All writers
Details here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPRIZES FOR WRITERS IN THE U.S. (AND CANADA)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Elizabeth So Fellowship
<\/strong>This fellowship offers Native American writers the time and solitude to help finish a book that is already in progress.\u00a0Writers must have a novel, collection of stories or poems, a memoir, or other prose work (fiction, non-fiction, or hybrid) in progress (30 pages minimum). The fellowship includes a month\u2019s stay at Missoula, Montana.
Value: $1,000 for food and travel
Deadline: 5 April 2020
Open for: Native American writers
Details here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nRuth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>These fellowships are for young\npoets who are US residents or citizens. Application includes up to 10 pages of\npoetry.
\nDeadline: 30 April 2020
\nValue: Fellowships of $25,800 each
\nOpen for: US poets aged 21-31 years
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>The scholarship is for a woman\npursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a\nrecognized post-secondary institution in the US or Canada. Applications include\na 500-word essay on one of these three topics:
\n— \u201cWhat\npersonal story of yours encapsulates why you want to write?\u201d
\n–\u201cWriters like J.K. Rowling, Maya Angelou, and Margaret Atwood are\nworld-famous. Who is a less widely known female writer who has inspired you?\u201d
\n–\u201cHow do you plan to push boundaries with your writing in the months and years\nto come?\u201d
\nValue: $1,000
\nDeadline: 30 April 2020
\nOpen for: US or Canadian citizens
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This prize is aimed at identifying candidates in the\nearly stages of their careers devoted to the humanities and whose work shows\nextraordinary promise to have a significant impact on contemporary culture.\nApplications include a Narrative Profile of Accomplishments and\nPublished Work, and a\nplan for Future Scholarship and\/or Project in the Humanities. Applicants must be active and continuing in\ntheir work. Age and length of experience are not necessarily limiting factors. Past winners have included writers of columns, non-fiction, poetry\nand memoir, and journalists.
\nValue: $50,000
\nDeadline: 1 May 2020
\nOpen for: Those resident in the US
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>Up to\neight grants will be awarded to US writers of creative non-fiction, for books\nunder contract by US publishers \u2013 the subjects are history,\ncultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy,\ncriticism, food or travel writing, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays,\namong other categories. It\nis intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and\nfocused research, thinking, and writing, after significant work has been\naccomplished. The work should be intended for general, not academic, audiences.\nOne of the application requirements is three sample chapters, or up to 25,000\nwords.
\nValue: $40,000
\nDeadline: 4 May 2020 (extended)
\nOpen for: US writers with a contracted book
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPRIZES\nFOR WRITERS IN UK & IRELAND (AND EUROPE)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This\nis a monologue contest for UK writers, in response to the Coronavirus crisis.\nTheir guidelines say, \u201cOn\n16 March 2020, at a critical point in the coronavirus outbreak, theatres\nacross the country began to close their doors. An entire industry was slammed\nshut to artists and audiences alike.
\nOn 17 March 2020, Papatango launched Isolated But Open: Voices\nfrom Across The Shutdown<\/em>, to inspire creativity and share brilliant new\nstories at a time when people need them most.
\nThe result is 10 new monologues, chosen from hundreds of submissions,\nrepresenting the freshest, most vital and most exciting voices from across the\ncountry at this unprecedented time. … All 12 monologues will be filmed\nby hand-picked actors working in self-isolation, and the films will be shared\nonline, free to view. They will also be made available to readers by Nick Hern\nBooks, in a free playtext format.\u201d Writers can pen a monologue of up to 5\nminutes (2 \u2013 4 pages) on any topic.
\nValue: \u00a3100 each for 10 writers
\nDeadline: 31 March 2020
\nOpen for: UK writers
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is a work-in-progress award for\nyoung British writers of fiction or non-fiction. The work must contribute to\nthe greater understanding of existing social and economic organisation.
\nValue: Up to \u00a36,000
\nDeadline: 1 April 2020
\nOpen for: British writers under 40 who have had at least one book published\n(see guidelines)
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is\nfor British authors of fiction, non-fiction or poetry who are contracted, or\nwho are published and working on a project that is likely to have interest from\na British publisher.
\nValue: Up to \u00a36,000
\nDeadline: 1 April 2020
\nOpen for: British writers (see guidelines)
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>This is an award for UK\nand Europe-based playwrights. The application includes one full-length stage\nplay script of minimum 45 minutes (no maximum), and a synopsis.
\nValue: \u00a36,000
\nDeadline: 4 May 2020
\nOpen for: Playwrights in UK and Europe
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n