These contests/grants/residencies pay up to $80,000 for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism, and translation. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. – S. Kalekar
INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS
Dragonblade Publishing: Write Track Competition for Historical Romance
This is a contest for a historical romance manuscript, and they want submissions from both new and established writers, including those writing LGBTQ+ romance. “Historical Romance is defined as any type of romantic story taking place from World War II and earlier. … The top six finalists will have an opportunity to participate in a novella bundle, published by Dragonblade Publishing. That means that even if you don’t place in the top four, you will still have the opportunity to publish a novella with Dragonblade.” Apart from cash prizes, the 4 winners also publish with Dragonblade.
Deadline: 1 February 2024
Value: $1,000; $500; $100; $50
Details here.
Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award
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 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here (click on ‘Contest rules’).
(They also have a fantasy short story contest, the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award, which pays $0.08/word for stories of up to 8,000 words in all fantasy genres; the deadline for that is 30th April 2024.)
Biographers International Organization: The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship
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. Memoirs are not eligible. The application includes an excerpt of up to 20 pages. The Biographers International Organization also has other awards, some of which are open for all writers, as well as other resources. Value: Two fellowships of $5,000 each
Deadline: 1 February 2024
Open for: See above
Details here.
St. Gallen Symposium Global Essay Competition
This is a contest for young writers, they want a themed essay of 2,100 words, on ‘Striving for more or thriving with less – What pressing scarcity do you see, and how do you suggest to tackle it?’ – 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 1994 or later.
Value: CHF20,000, split between three winners; they’ll also cover travel, accommodation, and admission to the symposium in Switzerland.
Deadline: 1 February 2024
Open for: Young writers (see above)
Details here.
New America National Fellows Program
This international program brings on thinkers—journalists, scholars, filmmakers, and public policy analysts—whose work enhances the public conversation about the most pressing issues of our day. 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. Fellows 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: 1 February 2024 (letters of reference are due 6 February)
Open for: All journalists, scholars, filmmakers and public policy analysts
Details here.
Narrative ‘Tell Me a Story’ High School Contest
They want a poem, story, or essay, on a theme by students in grades 9-12 all over the world – see guidelines for suggestions on what the theme can entail, and length guidelines. The work must be submitted by the student’s English teacher. The prompt is, “My Note to the World”.
Value: $500, $200, $100; $50 for finalists
Deadline: 1 February 2024
Open for: High school students
Details here.
Golden Haiku Poetry Contest
Poets around the world can submit up to two haiku. It is open to poets of all ages, and there are also a regional/DC winner prizes. The theme for 2024 is ‘Transforming Paths’.
Value: $500, $200, $100 for adults; $150 for high school winner; $75 for elementary/middle school winner
Deadline: 4 February 2024
Open for: All poets
Details here.
University of Pittsburgh: The CAAPP Book Prize
This is “a publishing partnership between the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry and Poetics and Autumn House Press with the goal of publishing and promoting a writer of African descent. The prize is awarded annually to a first or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African American, African, or African diasporic experiences. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. The winning manuscript will be published by Autumn House Press and its author will be awarded $3,000.” Send a manuscript of 48-168 pages.
Value: $3,000
Deadline: 15 February 2024
Open for: A writer of African descent
Details here and here
Reuters Institute Journalist Fellowship Program
This is a scheme for “practising, mid-career journalists to take some time out from their day jobs to explore journalism in depth. Journalists joining us in Oxford will further their understanding of journalism through seminars, networking events, discussions with peers and working on a personal project. This is a programme for working journalists and editors who will return to journalism after spending a few months with us.” They accept around 30 Journalist Fellows from around the world each year. And, “Most journalists on the programme are fully funded. Successful applicants get their fees covered and receive a monthly stipend of £2,000, which will be enough to cover the cost of accommodation, food, and general living expenses. We will also cover the cost of travel to and from the UK and any visa costs. Fellows should refrain from professional work during the fellowship.” You must have a minimum of five years’ journalistic experience, or in rare cases demonstrate the equivalent level of expertise.
Value: Monthly stipend of £2,000, and more (see above)
Deadline: 19 February 2024
Open for: Mid-career journalists
Details here and here.
NYU Journalism: Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award
The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award is “to provide the means for promising early-career, creative nonfiction writers to report on an untold story that uncovers truths about the human condition”. Writers can apply for one of the institute’s awards per year. (Their other award is The Reporting Award, for a significant work of journalism, in any medium, on an under-reported subject in the public interest.)
Deadline: 22 February 2024
Value: Up to $12,500
Open for: Unspecified
Details here, here and here.
Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center: Writer in Residence
The residency includes lodging at a loft apartment in Piggott, Arkansas. The writer-in-residence will also have the opportunity to work in the studio where Ernest Hemingway worked on ‘A Farewell to Arms’. The writer is expected to serve as mentor for a week-long retreat for writers at the educational center. Candidates with an MA or MFA in a relevant field are preferred. Submission requirements include a writing sample of roughly 20 pages (in any genre).
Value: $1,000, residency
Deadline: 28 February 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
Lunch Ticket: Diana Woods Award in Creative Nonfiction
This award is for a creative non-fiction piece of up to 3,500 words on any subject. The contest is open in February and August.
Value: $250
Reading period: February 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Lunch Ticket: The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts
Translators and authors of multilingual texts are encouraged to submit their work for The Gabo Prize. Writers should indicate whether the translation falls under poetry or prose, and include the original work along with your translation. Original, bilingual work qualifies for the Gabo Prize. The contest is open in February and August.
Value: $200
Reading period: February 2024
Open for: All translators
Details here.
The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction
This is a nonfiction contest. They accept “most forms of nonfiction including: Reviews (especially book reviews), memoir, journalism, interviews, essay (including personal essay), fictocriticism, creative nonfiction, travel, nature, opinion, and many other permutations. Most works which convey information about the real world are welcome: We are not seeking works such as cookbooks, textbooks, and reference books.” They want works up to 5,000 words.Three winners share equally from a prize pool of $1,000. The first entry is free, subsequent entries have a submission fee attached. Other contest categories are fee-based, as well.
Value: Prize pool of $1,000, shared between three winners
Deadline: 29 February 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
(They have other categories open as well, please be sure to submit in the correct one.)
Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest
This is a short fiction contest run by the Little Tokyo Historical Society in Los Angeles. Stories must take place in Little Tokyo, and can be set in the past, present, or future. Stories can be in Japanese (5,000 ji or fewer) or English (up to 2,500 words). There are three categories: Youth (under 18s), Japanese, and English. “The short story committee will be specifically looking for stories that capture the spirit and sense of Little Tokyo.” And, “A hybrid (in-person and virtual) award ceremony and dramatic readings of the winning stories are also being planned for 2024 at the Japanese American National Museum.”
Value: $500 in each category
Deadline: 29 February 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here (download the guidelines and agreement form).
Words Without Borders: Momentum Grant for Early-Career Translators
They have announced the second annual Momentum Grant for Early-Career Translators; literary fiction and nonfiction for a trade audience are eligible genres. It is “intended to facilitate the completion of a substantial sample of a book-length work of prose translation suitable for submission to English-language publishers, and will be awarded to an individual translator who has not yet received a book-length contract for translation work into English. We particularly welcome submissions from translators from historically underrepresented cultures and backgrounds.” The emerging translator need not live in the United States. A couple of the application requirements are a 2,500-word translation sample, and a 500-word project description.
Value: $3,000
Deadline: 29 February 2024
Open for: Translators who have not yet received a book-length contract for translation work into English
Details here and here.
Chismosa Literary
This is a new literary magazine accepting poetry, prose, fiction, and creative nonfiction (see guidelines). Their website says, “Our debut issue is themed “CHISMOSA.” To celebrate the beginning of our magazine, we will be awarding $100 to the piece that best captures the spirit of chismosa that lives in all writers. We want work that explores the idea that to be a writer is to gossip; it is to people-watch and eavesdrop and turn the things we observe into protagonists and plot-devices. Give us a story brimming with gossip, or write a poem to tell us about the art of eavesdropping. Tell us what being a chismosa writer means to you.” And, “We accept all genres of writing, and we encourage work that is experimental. Pieces that are heavily inspired by real people and events are encouraged.”
Value: $100
Deadline: 1 March 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Baltimore Science Fiction Society Poetry Contest
For this contest, poets are required to submit poetry on science fiction/fantasy/horror/science themes. Up to 3 entries are allowed per person, of up to 60 lines each. Winners will receive a cash prize, convention membership and be invited to read their winning entries at Balticon. Attendance at Balticon is not required to win. Their submission form also says, entries received after 1 March will be automatically entered in next year’s contest.
Value: $100, $75, $50
Deadline: 1 March 2024
Open for: All poets
Details here.
University of Colorado: Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism
Their website says, “Five Ted Scripps Fellowships are awarded each year. The fellowship is open to full-time journalists working in any medium who are interested in advancing their knowledge of environmental issues. It is aimed at outstanding journalists committed to a career in professional journalism. Applicants must have five years of full-time professional journalism experience and must also have a BA or BS college degree, at minimum. Applicants may include reporters, editors, producers, photojournalists, documentarians, and feature writers. Both salaried staff and full-time freelancers are welcome to apply. Prior experience in covering the environment is not required.” And, “We welcome applications from international journalists; however, please be advised that you must hold a current visa and be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.” Fellows audit classes, pursue an independent project, attend weekly seminars, and participate in field trips to world-renowned institutions to learn what’s new in the realm of environmental science and policy. Fellows pay for their own housing and make their own housing arrangements. They receive a stipend, and will travel (expenses paid) to the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference.
Value: $80,000
Deadline: 1 March 2024
Open for: Full-time journalists authorised to work in the US (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
Deep Wild Graduate Student Prose Contest
This is an international contest from Deep Wild: Writing from the Backcountry magazine – they want students currently enrolled in graduate studies to submit work for their Graduate Student Contest and for this cycle, they are accepting prose (fiction or non-fiction) entries of up to 3,000 words. “We seek work that conjures the experiences, observations, and insights of backcountry journeys. By “backcountry,” we mean away from roads, on journeys undertaken by foot, skis, snowshoes, kayak, canoe, horse, or any other non-motorized means of conveyance.”
Value: $300, $200, and $100
Deadline: 1 March 2024
Open for: Students enrolled in graduate studies
Details here and here.
(Their Submittable is also open for other submissions; please be sure to submit in the correct category.)
Alpine Fellowship Prizes
They have a Poetry Prize, a Writing Prize, a Theatre Prize, as well as Music, Philosophy, Refugee Scholar, and Visual Arts prizes. Please read the guidelines for each genre carefully. The theme for this year is ‘Language’ and the work must address that theme; you can read more about the theme here. Winner receives a cash prize in each category, and a stipend to attend the symposium.
Value: Varies; cash awards of £3,000, £1,000, £500 for winners in creative writing categories (poetry, writing, theatre), £500 travel stipend to attend the symposium
Deadline: 1 March 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here (click on individual tabs for various genres).
A couple of contests with later deadlines are:
— The Papatango New Writing Prize: This is for residents of the UK and Ireland. Send an original play script, which should have a running time of at least 60 minutes, or be at least 9,000 words, or be at least 40 pages. The winning play receives a cash prize and production.
The prize is £7,500, 8% box office royalties, production, publication, and the deadline is 11 March 2023; details here.
— National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Writing Fellowships for US writers – they are accepting applications for poetry this year, awards are up to $25,000, and the deadline is 13 March 2024, details here.
— The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers – These three-month fellowships are to afford writers uninterrupted time to focus on their work at an apartment in Carson McCuller’s childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. A spouse or companion is welcome. The application includes a writing sample of up to 20 pages. The grant is $5,000, and the deadline is 1 April 2024. Details here (scroll down to Academic Opportunities and click on Fellowships).
— The Baen Fantasy Adventure Award – They want stories in all fantasy genres and pay $0.08/word for work up to 8,000 words; the deadline is 30 April 2024. Details here. (They also have a science fiction contest, with a 1st February deadline – see the section above.)
FOR WRITERS IN US AND CANADA
(Also see the Ted Scripps Fellowships for Environmental Journalism, Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants, and Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest in the section above.)
PRIZES FOR US- AND CANADA-BASED WRITERS
Bucknell University: Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing
This residency is offered by Bucknell University, and provides writing time of up to four months. It’s for writers of any literary genre: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, hybrid works, graphic fiction, etc. Writers should be working on a first or second book in any literary genre. There are two residencies, in fall and spring semesters. Some record of publication is desirable.
Value: $5,000 and residency
Deadline: 1 February 2024
Open for: US writers
Details here.
(See the full list of their programs and residencies here.)
National High School Poetry Contest at Gannon University
This is a poetry contest for US high school students, including homeschooled students, in grades 9-12. “Poems may be in rhyme, free verse, Haiku or other accepted poetry forms and of any length, up to a maximum of 40 lines.” Winners will be required to complete a W-9 form to get the monetary award.
Value: A monetary award, and publication
Deadline: 1 February 2024
Open for: US high school students in grades 9 through 12
Details here.
A Public Space Editorial Fellowship
This is a program for aspiring editors; the fellowship period is approximately four months, from June 3, 2024 through October 6, 2024. The Fellows will work on their own schedule, and will have responsibilities of approximately fifteen hours weekly. They must be able to attend up to two weekly meetings (virtual and in person) during regular office hours; they must be residents of New York City for the duration of the fellowship. (Also, “Unfortunately, A Public Space is unable to sponsor work visas.”) “Some experience in editorial work is preferred but not required. Preference will be given to aspiring editors who have not worked extensively in literary publishing, and who may have limited access to career opportunities in the industry.” And, “Two Editorial Fellows will be selected to work alongside the editorial staff at A Public Space on various aspects of the magazine, including evaluating submissions, researching, developing, and soliciting work, editing, copyediting, proofreading, production, and promotion. They will also have the opportunity to oversee an Open Call and serve as the lead editor on a piece for the magazine.“ They have some eligibility and application requirements.
Value: $5,000
Deadline: 15 February 2024
Open for: Aspiring editors who can reside in New York City for the duration of the fellowship
Details here and here.
Poetry Northwest: James Welch Prize for Indigenous Writers
This is a poetry prize for Indigenous writers in the US – “new, emerging, and established poets who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its trust territories (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and American Samoans). Only poets who have not published more than one book-length collection are eligible; however, previous publication is not a requirement.” And, “Eligible contestants must be community-recognized members of their tribal nation. Formal tribal enrollment is not the only way of acknowledging belonging, and this prize aims to recognize all Native writers who are in community.” Submit up to three poems. Apart from cash prizes, two poets will also be invited to read at a literary venue.
Value: $1,000 each (Kickstarter-funded for the next few years – see here.)
Deadline: 15 February 2024
Open for: Indigenous writers in the US
Details here, here, and here.
Academy of American Poets: Ambroggio Prize
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. 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, publication
Deadline: 15 February 2024
Open for: US poets (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
(They are accepting submissions for other awards as well, both fee-free and fee-based – see the Academy of American Poets’ Submittable for details).
Andres Montoya Poetry Prize
This is for a poetry manuscript by a Latinx poet in the US who have not published a full-length book of poetry. Send a manuscript of 48 pages of poetry, or more. Apart from the cash prize, the winner gets a contract from the University of Notre Dame Press. The prize is awarded every other year.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 16 February 2024
Open for: Emerging Latinx poets in the US
Details here.
West Chester University: Five contests
They run some contests, five of which are free to enter, and offer cash prizes.
— Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award: This contest is for undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university for poems composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prizes are $1,500, and $500.
— Sonnet Award: This is a contest for undergraduate poets in the US, for sonnets. The prize is $1,000.
— The Villanelle Award: This contest is for undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university, for villanelles. The prize is $1,000.
— Myong Cha Son Haiku Award: This contest is for undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university for unpublished, original haiku. The prizes are $1,500, and $500.
— Rhina P. Espaillat Award: This contest is for undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university for original poems written in Spanish, and translations of English poems to Spanish. The prize is $500.
Deadline: 16 February 2024 for all West Chester University contests
Open for: Undergraduate poets in the US
Details here (scroll down) for all the West Chester University poetry awards; click on each contest name for details.
(West Chester University also has a poetry writing contest for grades 3-12, with a 1 March 2024 deadline; there doesn’t seem to be a cash award for this category.)
Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize
Their website says, “A $20,000 advance and publication by Graywolf Press will be awarded to the most promising and innovative literary nonfiction project by a writer not yet established in the genre. The winning author will also receive a $2,000 stipend intended to support the completion of their project. (The prize) emphasizes innovation in form and content, and we want to see projects that push the boundaries of literary nonfiction. The Graywolf editors are particularly interested in new approaches to the personal essay, cultural and literary criticism, creative scholarship, and books exploring complex ideas from unexpected angles. … Please note that we are not interested in straightforward memoirs or journalistic reporting. … The prize will be awarded to a manuscript in progress.” One of the submission requirements is a long sample from the manuscript (see guidelines). The submission portal for this prize will open in February. Applicants for this prize must live in the United States; have published at least one piece of nonfiction in a literary journal or magazine – reviews, interviews, reportage, and other similar pieces do not qualify; have not yet authored a book of literary nonfiction – authorship of other kinds of nonfiction books is not disqualifying.
Value: $20,000 advance, publication + $2,000
Reading period: February 2024
Open for: US-based nonfiction writers (see guidelines)
Details here.
FOR WRITERS IN UK AND IRELAND
(Also see the Papatango New Writing Prize, above.)
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition
This is for young poets studying in the UK, aged 16-18 years. Submit a poem of up to 48 lines on the theme of ‘Mirror’.
Value: £5,000, £3000, £1500; £500 for runners-up
Deadline: 23 February 2024
Open for: Young poets studying in the UK
Details here.
The Kelpies Prize for Writing
This is for Scotland-based writers, for writers who want to start a career in children’s books. A couple of the submission requirements are the first five chapters of a book for children, either fiction or non-fiction, or a whole picture book story (see guidelines); as well as “A short piece of writing (1,000–3,000 words) for children that begins with: “Suddenly, there was an enormous bang. What on earth was that?”. They are looking for work for children ages 3 to 13. They do not want works for young adults.
Value: £500, mentorship
Deadline: 29 February 2024
Open for: Scotland-based writers
Details here (you can download the guidelines).
(They also have a prize for illustration, though that is not open currently.)
The Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Prize
The Orwell Society is organising its annual short story competition for current students (both BA and MA) at British universities. They want dystopian narratives of up to 3,000 words. The judges will be looking for the narrative which best follows in the tradition set by Orwell in Nineteen Eighty-Four and which Orwell is most likely to have admired.
Value: £750
Deadline: 29 February 2024
Open for: Current students (both BA and MA) at British universities, who are permanent UK citizens
Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
