These are contests, grants and fellowships for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, and journalism, for prizes up to $50,000+. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A couple of the deadlines are in June. – S. Kalekar
INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS
The International Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation: Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award
This is an opportunity for young non-American TV scriptwriters. “Each year, The Foundation administers the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. The competition is designed to motivate non-American novice writers under the age of 30, and offer them the recognition and encouragement that might lead to a successful career in television scriptwriting. Entrants are asked to create a completed half-hour to one-hour English-language television drama script.” Please note, you have to create an account and log in to enter this contest. The winner will be flown to New York City to be presented with a cash award at the International Emmy World Television Festival on November 23, 2024, and will be invited to take part in the red-carpet festivities at the 52nd International Emmy Awards Gala on November 25, 2024. The applicant must be a non-U.S. citizen (non-U.S. citizens currently studying/residing in the U.S. are eligible.)
Value: $2,500, other non-cash prizes
Deadline: 26 June 2024
Open for: Non-American TV scriptwriters under the age of 30
Details here.
Richard J. Margolis Award
The award is for non-fiction writers of social justice journalism. It is for a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humour, wisdom and concern with social justice. Applications should include 2-3 non-fiction writing samples, up to 30 pages. At least one sample should be non-memoir material.
Value: $5,000, residency at Blue Mountain Centre artists’ colony; $1,000 for runners-up
Deadline: 1 July 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here and here.
The Forum Essay Prize: The Art(s) of Delight
This is an essay prize from Oxford Academic / Oxford University Press and is open to all researchers, whether early-career or established, on the Art(s) of Delight theme. They have detailed guidelines, including, “We are looking for bold, visionary and persuasive essays that use academic research to pursue innovative questions. … The topic may be addressed from the perspective of any of the literatures (including literary linguistics, translation and comparative literature approaches) normally covered by the journal: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. submissions in comparative literature and literary translation studies are also welcomed, as are those dealing with visual art, film and the performing arts. Forum for Modern Language Studies aims to reflect the essential pluralism of research in modern languages and to provide a forum for worldwide scholarly discussion.
We are seeking submissions that focus on literature, film, art, or other cultural outputs that manifest delight in their content or form and/or which provoke us to find joy in how we read, write, research and teach in our discipline(s).” The winning essay will also get published in an issue of Forum for Modern Language Studies.
Value: £500
Deadline: 1 July 2024
Open for: All researchers
Details here.
The BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest for Caribbean Writers
This is a short story contest for Caribbean-descended writers, by Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF). There are two categories, with different eligibility requirements:
— The BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize is open to unpublished writers of Caribbean heritage. Self-published writers may apply. This prize seeks to unearth hidden storytellers in the United States and Canada; Details here; and
— BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean is open exclusively to Caribbean writers of all levels who reside and work in the Caribbean or are on temporary assignment overseas.
Writers should send short stories of up to 3,000 words. Details here.
Prizes: $1,750 each
Deadline: 1 July 2024
Open for: See above
Details here and here
The H. G. Wells Short Story Competition
This is an international short story contest; they want short fiction of 1,500-5,000 words on this year’s theme, The Fool. There is no fee for The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition for young writers, i.e. for those under 21 years, and the prize for that is £1,000. Also see their FAQ.
Value: £1,000
Deadline: 8 July 2024
Open for: Fee-free for writers under 21 years
Details here and here.
Sine Theta Magazine Annual Writing Contest
Sine Theta Magazine accepts works from people of Sino descent only, regardless of nationality, and the same eligibility requirement applies to this contest. They are accepting works of prose and poetry for their next issue. They have published three prompts on their website, and writers should respond to those prompts directly or indirectly. Out of all the entries submitted for publication in the magazine, they will select one winner for poetry, and another winner for prose, who will receive cash prizes. (Also, “All authors published in sinθ receive a $10 USD honorarium. For the two contest winners, there is an additional $200 USD prize, amounting to a total of $210 USD.”)
Value: $150 each for poetry and prose
Deadline: 10 July 2024
Open for: People of Sino descent
Details here.
International Women’s Media Foundation: The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism
This is a grant for narrative journalism, and is open for women and nonbinary journalists. Grants will be for a maximum of $5,000. Applicants may be a print journalist or a print journalist leading a multi-media team. Projects reported and published in English anywhere in the world are eligible. All reporting and publishing must be completed within six months of the award of the grant. Applicants may be freelance or staff print journalists and may apply individually or as part of a multi-format team. Applicants must have three (3) or more years of professional journalism experience.
Value: Up to $5,000
Deadline: 14 July 2024
Open for: Women and nonbinary journalists (see guidelines)
Details here.
(See all of International Women’s Media Foundation opportunities here – click on the ‘Opportunities’ tab.)
The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize
This is a prize for an art exhibit review. “To enter the prize, entrants should submit one unpublished review of a contemporary art exhibition by the specified deadline. ‘Contemporary’ is defined as art produced since 2000. The exhibition under review can be staged anywhere in the world, but it should be current or have closed within the last six months at the date of submission.” Regarding eligibility, they say, “Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online, in any language or country, prior to their submission. This does not include personal blogs and websites.” Before entering, applicants are encouraged to read reviews recently published on Burlington Contemporary.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 15 July 2024
Open for: Emerging writers
Details here.
Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship
This is an opportunity for investigative journalism, open for applicants worldwide. This fellowship “provides an unrivalled opportunity for an exceptional early career journalist: a nine-month fellowship with Durham University and Reuters to undertake an investigative project. The Fellow will be mentored by top Reuters editors while having access to Durham’s academics and research resources and will be given the opportunity to develop rigorous, fact-based research and reporting skills. The Fellow will pursue the project from inside a Reuters newsroom in London, New York, or Toronto with the additional support of colleagues in Durham’s Institute of Advanced Studies. The Fellow will deliver a public seminar at the IAS, sharing their learnings from the Fellowship and supporting the understanding of journalism at the University.” They also say, “Qualified applicants should have between two-and five-years’ professional journalism experience. Where a prospective applicant is not currently a journalist but has worked in an investigative reporting capacity in a related professional field (for example: leading human rights or other socio-political publications and campaigns; working as an author or researcher on authoritative investigative work; or developing in-field photo-or video-research projects, documentaries, or exhibitions) applications may be considered on a case-by-case basis.” They encourage applications from members of groups which are under-represented in journalism. And, “The Fellowship has a monthly salary of c.£4,444 per month … In addition, there is a £1,250 per month living stipend and a one-off payment of £1,800 for travel and related expenses.”
Value: £5,694 per month for nine months, additional one-off payment of £1,800 for travel
Deadline: 15 July 2024 (see here)
Open for: Investigative journalists (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
Speculative Literature Foundation: Two grants
They will be open for two grants in July; writers can apply for one or both grants.
— The Diverse Writers grant is to support new and emerging writers of speculative fiction from underrepresented groups, including writers of color, disabled, women or working-class writers.
— The Diverse Worlds grant is for work that best represents a diverse world, irrespective of the writer’s background.
Writers may apply for one or both grants. The project must be a proposed book-length work of speculative fiction (novels, short story collections). Non-fiction, poetry, picture books, and editorial projects are not eligible. See their schedule for other grants, with later submission periods.
Value: Two grants of $500 each
Submission period: 1-31 July 2024
Open for: Underrepresented writers for Diverse Writers; and writers whose work represents a diverse world for Diverse Worlds
Details here (grant details) and here (schedule for all their grants).
Sisters in Crime: Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers
This is a grant for an emerging writer in the LGBTQIA+ community. It is for an unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. An unpublished writer is preferred, but writers with publication of not more than 10 pieces of short fiction and/or up to 2 self-published or traditionally published books are also eligible. Also, winners and any runners-ups who wish to maintain their anonymity, may do so, or they may choose to select a pen name for announcements. Please note, you have to register/log in to access the submission portal.
Value: $2,000
Deadline: 31 July 2024 (see the submission dates on their Facebook page)
Open for: Unpublished/emerging LGBTQIA+ writers (see guidelines)
Details here.
(See all of Sisters in Crime grants/awards here.)
Singapore Unbound Awards: Singapore and Other Literatures
These awards are for the best undergraduate critical essays on Singapore and Other Literatures. “For the purpose of these awards, Singapore literature is defined as literature written in English from 1965 onwards by a Singaporean citizen, permanent resident, or anyone with a strong personal and literary association with Singapore. The author does not have to be residing in Singapore nor to have maintained their citizenship. The work(s) discussed may be in any of the literary genres, including but not limited to poetry, fiction, literary non-fiction, drama, and graphic novels.”
Value: S250 each for three essayists
Open for: Undergraduate writers
Deadline: 31 July 2024
Details here.
(See Singapore Unbound’s submission calls here.)
The Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest
For this contest, they have two categories: a traditional sonnet, which can be Shakespearean or Petrarchan, and a modern sonnet. Poets can enter work in one or both categories (see guidelines).
Value: $50, $30, $20
Deadline: 15 July 2024
Open for: All poets
Details here.
Briefly Write Poetry Prize
This prize “celebrates and rewards bold, succinct writing. We want well-crafted poems up to 10 lines. We want innovative language, strong imagery and a subtle, focused composition.” Participants can send one poem.
Value: “There is a prize fund of £75. An announcement on how this will be split will be made soon.”
Deadline: 31 July 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here.
PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants
This international grant is to support the translation of book-length works of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or drama that have not previously appeared in English in print or have appeared only in an outdated or otherwise flawed translation. Works should be translations-in-progress, as the grant aims to provide support for completion. The works must be translated into English. Projects may have up to two translators. There are various submission requirements, including a translation sample of 8-10 pages.
Value: $2,000-4,000
Deadline: 1 August 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
(Note: Translations from Italian will be considered for the PEN Grant for the English Translation of Italian Literature and those from Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish, and Turkish will be considered for the PEN/Faranak Adibi Translation Grants.)
The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists
This is for an author of children’s or young-adult fiction. The fellowship is for helping writers whose work is of high literary caliber and is designed to assist a writer at a crucial moment in his or her career to complete a book-length fiction work-in-progress. Applicants must have already published one work for children or young adults that was warmly received by literary critics, but whose work has not yet attracted a broad readership. Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated significant sales. The writer’s previously published book(s) must be published by a U.S. trade publisher; self-published works are ineligible. The submitted work must be a novel-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2025.
Value: $5,000
Deadline: 1 August 2024
Open for: Published YA/children’s writers (by a US trade publisher)
Details here and here.
PEN/Jean Stein Grant for Literary Oral History
These grants are for literary works of nonfiction that use oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement. They are to help maintain or complete ongoing projects. Oral history must be a significant portion of the work and its research. Writers have to send in writing samples and transcripts as part of the application.
Value: Two grants of $15,000 each
Deadline: 1 August 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here and here.
The PEN/Bare Life Review Grants
These are new grants, which recognize literary works by immigrant and refugee writers. Foreign-born writers based in the U.S., and writers living abroad who hold refugee/asylum seeker status, are eligible to apply. The project must be a work of a literary nature: fiction, creative non-fiction, or poetry, and translated works (in case of translated works, the grant will be conferred to the original author). A writing sample is part of the submission requirements — up to 40 pages for poetry, and 75 pages for other genres. For the 2025 grant cycle, they will confer two grants. The project must be an unpublished work-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2025, as the grants are intended to support the completion of a manuscript.
Value: $5,000 each
Deadline: 1 August 2024
Open for: Foreign-born writers based in the U.S., and to writers living abroad who hold refugee/asylum seeker status
Details here and here.
CONTESTS FOR WRITERS IN US/CANADA
(Also see the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award, the BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest for Caribbean Writers, the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists, and the PEN/Bare Life Review Grants for refugee/immigrant writers in the international section.)
The FSG Writer’s Fellowship
This fellowship, from Farrar, Straus and Giroux, is a yearlong program designed to give an emerging writer from an underrepresented community additional resources to build a life around writing: funding, editorial guidance, and advice on how to forge a writing career. It offers the unique opportunity for a writer to spend time with and enjoy the support and mentorship of the FSG community. It is for U.S. writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have never published a book, and are uncontracted. This fellowship will take place remotely. The applicant should be writing for an adult audience. Submissions include a writing sample (40-50 pages for prose, 8-12 pages for poetry).
Value: $15,000
Deadline: 30 June 2024
Open for: Emerging writers from underrepresented communities in the US
Details here and here.
PEN America: US Writers Aid Initiative
This is intended to assist fiction and non-fiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists. To be eligible, applicants must be based in the United States, be professional writers, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping them to address an emergency situation. Writers do not have to be PEN members to apply. The other deadline listed for this year is in October.
Value: Unspecified
Deadline:1 July 2024
Open for: US writers
Details here.
The Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize
This prize is for short fiction of up to 7,500 words. It is for undergraduates enrolled full time in US and Canadian universities and colleges. Apart from the cash prize, the winner also gets a scholarship to the Southampton Writers Conference.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 14 July 2024
Open for: Undergraduate students from the US and Canada
Details here.
Strive Publishing & Free Spirit Publishing: Black Voices in Children’s Literature
This is a contest for US-based Black writers. They want children’s stories by and about Black people. “Eligible entries will include original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring authentic, realistic Black characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Religious and fantasy themes will not be considered.”
Value: $1,000, $500, $250
Deadline: 22 July 2024
Open for: Black writers in the US
Details here and here.
(Their Submittable page also has details of other calls.)
Polar Expressions Publishing: Annual National Poetry and Short Story Competitions
These poetry and short story contests are for Canadian residents and citizens. Poems must be up to 48 lines and short stories, up to 750 words. Fan fiction and essays are not allowed. Translations are accepted.
Value: CAD500, CAD250, CAD100 each in poetry and short story for those aged 16 or over; CAD200, CAD100 and CAD50 each in poetry and short stories for those 15 and under
Deadline: 31 July 2024
Open for: Canadian writers
Details here.
Granum Foundation Prizes Submissions are open for the Granum Foundation Prize and the Granum Foundation Translation Prize. These are for works in progress, to help US-based writers complete substantive literary projects, including novels, memoirs, books of poetry, short story collections, and works in translation.
Value: The Granum Foundation Prize is $5,000, with up to three finalist prizes of with $500 or more each; and the Translation Prize is $1,500 or more
Deadline: 1 August 2024
Open for: US-based writers
Details here.
CONTESTS FOR WRITERS IN UK/IRELAND
John McGahern Award
This is a call to emerging writers of fiction resident in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Applicants must have had some fiction or short stories published in a recognised journal or anthology selected by an established publisher or editor. Application includes three samples of recent separate work of up to 500 words each.
Value: €2,500
Deadline: 30 July 2024
Open for: Those resident in Ireland/Northern Ireland
Details here.
James Berry Poetry Prize
This prize is open to poets of colour in the UK who have not yet published a book-length manuscript, and who are unagented – please see guidelines for their full eligibility requirements. It will assist young and/or emerging writers of colour with mentoring to help them develop their work, followed by publication of their debut book-length collection. One of the application requirements is a portfolio of 10 to 12 pages of poems. Apart from the cash prize for three authors, they will also receive expert mentoring and debut collection published with Bloodaxe Books.
Value: £1,000 each for three authors, mentoring, publishing
Deadline: 31 July 2024
Open for: Unpublished, unagented writers of colour in the UK (see guidelines)
Details here.
Scottish Book Trust: New Writers Awards
This is an opportunity for new Scotland-based writers (see guidelines). The categories include Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction (also known as creative non-fiction), Poetry, Children’s and Young Adult Fiction, and more. All travel expenses are covered. There is also a one-week retreat (depending on circumstances) and mentorship.
Value: £2,500
Deadline: 31 July 2024
Open for: Scotland-based writers
Details here.
(And they have an annual Ignite Fellowship for professional writers, though the deadline for that has passed.)
The Stephen Spender Prize
This is a prize for UK or Irish citizens, or pupils at a British School overseas, for translated poetry. There are various categories; and while the international open entry has a submission fee, entry for many categories is free.
Value: £50-£100
Deadline: 31 July 2024
Open for: UK or Irish citizens, or pupils at a British School overseas
Details here (scroll down).
The Mustapha Matura and Alfred Fagon Awards
The Mustapha Matura Award is an opportunity for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK, who are 25 years or younger, for a play. The play must be a minimum of 40 pages, and does not need to have been produced. However, if it has, only plays produced since August 2023 will be considered. The prize is £3,000 and mentoring from a top Black British playwright. The deadline is 31 July 2024. Details here.
And submissions are also open for Alfred Fagon Awards for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK, for a play. The award is £6,000, and the deadline is 31 July 2024. Details here.
Value: See above
Deadline: 31 July 2024 for both awards
Open for: UK-based writers of Caribbean or African descent (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
(Please note, writers cannot enter both the Mustapha Matura Award and Alfred Fagon Award. Also see their Roland Rees Bursary.)
Hachette UK: The Future Bookshelf – The Robinson New Voices Award
This is an opportunity for unagented, unpublished, underrepresented writers in the UK, for a popular psychology book. “Hachette UK’s The Future Bookshelf is running the New Voices Award Prize for its second year to help discover unpublished psychology writers from Black, Asian, mixed heritage and multiple ethnic backgrounds, as well as those who are disabled, gender diverse, part of the LGBTQIA+ community or from cultural or religious minorities. … The winner will receive an offer to publish with Robinson including an advance against royalties of at least £5000”. And, judging will be on the originality of the thesis or concept, the logic and credibility of the argument, the rigour of the research, the clarity and accessibility of the writing, the relevance of the topic to general and/or non-academic readers, and the usefulness of the advice.
Value: £5,000 advance, feedback, mentoring, meeting with a literary agent, and more
Deadline: 31 July 2024
Open for: UK-based unpublished and underrepresented writers (see guidelines)
Details here.
(See all of The Future Bookshelf’s opportunities, including for LGBTQ+ writers, here.)
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
