These are calls for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, as well as translation, journalism, and playwriting, and they pay up to £20,000 (approximately $25,000). They’re roughly divided geographically. – S. Kalekar
INTERNATIONAL CONTESTS
Lucky Jefferson Poetry & Prose Summer Contest
Lucky Jefferson wants submissions for their inaugural poetry and prose summer contest. Send up to 5 poems or prose pieces. Also, 20 finalists will be published in their online magazine.
Value: $100 each for poetry and prose
Deadline: 1 August 2023
Open for: Unspecified
Details here. (Their Submittable page has various opportunities; please be sure to submit in the correct category.)
Horror Writers Association Scholarships
These scholarships offer various amounts for assisting authors in professional development as horror writers. There are various amounts and requirements. The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly scholarship, worth $2,500, is for writers who identify as women, and the Horror Writers Association scholarship, worth $2,500, is for all writers (no membership necessary). They also have Diversity Grants, worth $500 each, which “will be open to underrepresented, diverse people who have an interest in the horror writing genre, including, but not limited to writers, editors, reviewers, and library workers. … the Diversity Grants have adopted the broadest definition of the word diversity to include, but not limited to, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabled, and neurodiverse.” There is also the Dark Poetry Scholarship, the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for Nonfiction Writing, the Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship, and Young Adults Write Now endowment program for libraries. The funds can be used for various things like course fees, resources like textbooks and guides, subscriptions for appropriate periodicals, and registration fees for relevant literary festivals. The Scholarship from Hell (for StokerCon) is closed right now.
Value: Various
Deadline: 1 August 2023
Open for: All writers
Details here.
(The HWA is also open for the Bram Stoker Award for published works in various categories – anthology, collection, first novel, graphic novel, long fiction and nonfiction, novel, poetry collection, screenplay, short fiction and nonfiction, and young adult novel. There are two deadlines, 30 November and 31 December 2023 – see guidelines).
Source Writing Prize
Source is an Ireland-based photography magazine; “We publish emerging photographic work and engage with the latest in contemporary photography through news, thoughtful features and reviews of the latest exhibitions and books from Ireland and the UK.” This contest is open to writers who have not written for the magazine before; send works up to 700 words. “We are always looking for new writers to contribute to Source. If you’ve not written for Source before we invite you to send us an article. If we like it we will either publish it or commission you to write articles for us in the future. As an incentive we will give £500 to the person whose article we like the best.
Most of the writing in Source takes a specific form: book reviews, exhibition reviews or texts introducing sets of pictures, so these would be good models to follow. But we are also interested in other forms of writing so if you want to submit something in a different form then please do. Our interest in photography is not only about the photographs that appear in books and exhibitions, it touches most aspects of life and we like to read about those encounters too. This could be an article about a particular photograph of historical, aesthetic or biographical interest to you. It could be about some cultural or philosophical aspect of photography. It could be something we’ve not thought about.
We enjoy writing that is thoughtful, funny, well researched and surprising.” And, “Source only publishes work made in the UK or Ireland – or by photographers from the UK or Ireland – on its portfolio pages. International work is covered through our book and exhibition reviews.”
Value: £500
Open for: All writers
Deadline: 1 August 2023
Details here.
Gasher Journal: The Bennett Nieberg Transpoetic Broadside Prize This is an award for a single poem written by a trans poet who has yet to publish their first full-length book. Apart from a cash prize, the poet gets 10 limited edition letterpress broadsides of the winning poem, and a feature in the upcoming issue of Gasher Journal. This prize is reserved for writers who identify as a trans writer. This may include those who identify as non-binary, genderqueer, agender, trans-masc, trans-femme, bigender, two spirit, gender fluid, or intersex people. Writers cannot yet have published a full-length book of any genre (chapbooks and self-publishing okay).
Value: $500
Deadline: 2 August 2023
Open for: Trans poets
Details here.
Yale Drama Series: David Charles Horn Prize
This contest is for an full-length play in English, of at least 65 pages, and is meant for emerging playwrights. Translations, musicals, adaptations, and children’s plays are not accepted. Apart from a cash prize, there will be publication of their manuscript by Yale University Press, and a celebratory event.
Value: $10,000
Deadline: 15 August 2023
Open for: All playwrights
Details here and here.
International Women’s Media Foundation: The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism
These grants are for women and nonbinary journalists worldwide, for a narrative journalism project. Applicants may be a print journalist or a print journalist leading a multi-media team. All reporting and publishing must be completed within six months of the award of the grant. Applicants may be freelance or staff print journalists with at least 3 years of professional experience, and may apply individually or as part of a multi-format team; professional journalism must be the applicant’s primary profession. Applicants must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets.
Value: Up to $5,000
Deadline: 20 August 2023
Open for: Women and nonbinary journalists (see guidelines)
Details here.
(See other funds/opportunities from International Women’s Media Foundation on their Submittable page here.)
Lunch Ticket: Diana Woods Award in Creative Nonfiction
This award is for a creative non-fiction piece of up to 5,000 words on any subject. The contest is open in February and August.
Value: $250
Reading period: 1-31 August 2023
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: 1-31 August 2023
Open for: All translators
Details here.
The SciFedia Award: Dyson Sphere
SciFidea is a sci-fi brand launched in Singapore. For this award, they want science fiction novels of 30,000-100,000 words based on the Dyson Sphere. “The submitted works should be within the realm of science fiction, and must show a new worldview that conforms with scientific logic. The work involves both the technical setting of the Dyson Sphere (overall structure, the scale and the size, construction materials and methods, etc.) and the ecological environment of the internal civilization (gravity changes, alternation of day and night, species distribution, etc.). … It needs to conform to the concepts and characteristics of Dyson Sphere scientific theory, including the uses, size, structure of a Dyson sphere and other related basic settings, and reflect and expand them in the story.” There will be 10 awards; apart from a cash advance against royalties, “All award-winning works will be recommended to be published and adapted to other art forms/media (such as animation or movie); some outstanding works will be translated into other languages and be showcased in foreign countries.” Please note, “If your work is shortlisted, you will be required to allow us to make it publicly and freely available on our website for a year. Those whose stories make the shortlist but don’t win will each receive US$2,000.” Please carefully read their terms, including the publication rights to winners’ works on the guidelines page and FAQ.
Value: $20,000 each for 10 winners; $2,000 each for shortlisted works
Deadline: 31 August 2023
Open for: All writers, barring submission editors (see FAQ)
Details here.
Nat 1 Publishing and Audience Askew Literary Journal: Nat 1 $h!TpOsT Shorts
They want stories of 3,000 words that use the covers on their website as prompts; they have “six horribly made covers that you would expect from an over-enthusiastic self-publishing author who insists that their skills with photoshop is all they need in the world. Well, that and a little bit of written content. Minor. How does this involve you? We need the questionable content to go with them! …we will be taking submissions for novelettes that use the covers as the prompts. While we anticipate and desire the outrageous, eyebrow-raising, chaos that these are sure to prompt, we also want them to be polished. That means put effort into the stories, give them a semblance of making sense, read, reread, and edit.; … the best submission for each cover will be fully published (don’t worry, while your name will be on the sales page, it will remain “Some Author” on the cover itself…. unless you really want it there.) Not only will you receive royalties, but you’ll also receive $25 (because lets face it, the royalties probably won’t be huge. These are shitpost covers, after all!).” And, “It must be previously unpublished (personal blogs, websites, Patreon, Reddit, etc. are okay)”.
Value: $25
Deadline: 31 August 2023
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen Scholarship
These are for professionals various disciplines, including literature and art. Collectives can also apply.
Value: €1,500 per month (less rental and operational cost), residency at Schöppingen, Germany; up to €3,000 for collectives
Deadline: 31 August 2022
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
The Val Wood Prize 2023
They want a short story of up to 1,500 words. Their guidelines say, “This year’s competition celebrates 30 years since the release of Val Wood’s award-winning debut, The Hungry Tide. We are looking to receive entries that focus on the ebb and flow of the ocean and the rivers that lead to it, as The Tide itself rolls in as the central focus of this year’s competition. We’re looking for entries packed with originality and creativity that paint a picture and take the reader on a memorable journey. The story can cover any genre as long as it is not unnecessarily violent or gruesome.” The competition is open to anyone over 16 years of age.
Value: £100
Deadline: 31 August 2023
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Preservation Foundation Contest: Biographical non-fiction
This is an international contest for unpublished writers (see guidelines). Their upcoming deadline is for the biographical non-fiction category: “A biographical entry must be a true story of an individual(s) known to the author personally–not a fictional or historical character. Autobiography, of course, must be a true story about the author’s life, the whole or an episode. Biographical stories, especially those from older people, or about them by children and grandchildren, are especially appropriate for our mission–to “preserve the extraordinary stories of ‘ordinary’ people.” ”
Entries should be 1,000-5,000 words. They want all entries, regardless of whether or not they win, to be on their website as long as the Foundation exists (see guidelines). Also see contests in other genres, which will open for submissions later.
Value: $200, $100
Deadline: 31 August 2023
Open for: Unpublished writers
Details here.
Gulf Coast: The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing
This prize is for critical writing on art, of up to 1,500 words. Their guidelines say, “The Beauchamp Prize will consider submissions of work that have been written (or published) within the last year. A variety of creative approaches and formats to writing on the visual arts are encouraged, and can include thematic essays, exhibition reviews, and scholarly essays.”
Value: $3,000; two prizes of $1,000 each
Deadline: 31 August 2023
Open for: All writers
Details here and here. (Gulf Coast has other opportunities too, which have entry fees.)
Amazon: Kindle Storyteller Award
This is an international award for those who publish their work through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing in English in any genre. Entrants must make the book available for sale in both digital and print versions through KDP between 1st May 2023 and 31st August 2023. The book must be at least 24 pages long, and can have a maximum of 2 co-authors. Please note, the books must be published through their KDP Select program (be only available on Amazon), and readers play a significant role in winner selection (see Terms & Conditions and FAQ). The book can have up to two co-authors.
Value: £20,000
Deadline: 31 August 2023
Open for: All writers
Details here.
The Academy for Teachers – Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest
They want honest, unsentimental stories, of 6-749 words, about teachers and schools. The contest is open to all writers, whether or not they are a teacher. The story’s protagonist or narrator must be a K-12 teacher. Sentimentality is discouraged and education jargon is forbidden. Apart from a cash prize, the writer receives publication in A Public Space.
value: $1,000
Deadline: 1 September 2023
Details here and here.
American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Awards
The American-Scandinavian Foundation annually awards translation prizes for outstanding translations of poetry, fiction, drama, or literary prose written by a Scandinavian author born after 1900. The Leif and Inger Sjöberg Award is for those whose translations from a Nordic language have not been previously published. There is also the Nadia Christensen Prize, the Wigeland Prize (this is for the best translation by a Norwegian), and the Inger and Jens Bruun Translation Prize, which recognizes the best Danish translation. The application includes 25-50 pages of prose or 15-25 pages of poetry.
Value: $2,500 (Nadia Christensen Prize); $2,000 (Leif and Inger Sjöberg Award); $2,000 (Wigeland Prize), $2,000 (The Inger and Jens Bruun Translation Prize)
Deadline: 1 September 2023
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
On the Premises: Picture This
They want a story of 1,000-5,000 words based on a visual prompt on their website. They do not want children’s 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: 1 September 2023
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
(A couple of other contests with later deadlines are:
— ServiceScape Short Story Award: For this award, any genre or theme of short story is accepted. All applicants should submit a work of short fiction or non-fiction, 5,000 words or fewer. Read the guidelines carefully – they reserve the right to modify or terminate the contest at any time without prior notice. The winner gets $1,000, deadline 30 November 2023, and it is open for all writers. Details here.
— The Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award: The awards offer publication for a collection of short stories. Manuscripts must be at least 150 pages. They offer a standard publishing contract. Submissions must be sent by mail, and postmarked between 1 August and 30 September 2023.
The prize is manuscript publication under a standard University of Iowa Press contract. The prize is open for all writers who have not published a volume of prose fiction. Details here.
— Harvard University: Radcliffe Institute Fellowships: These are for various disciplines, including creative arts – which include, but are not limited to, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, as well as journalism, and playwriting. Their guidelines also say, “Applicants may apply as individuals or in a group of two to three people working on the same project. We seek diversity along many dimensions, including discipline, career stage, race and ethnicity, country of origin, gender and sexual orientation, and ideological perspective. Although our fellows come from many different backgrounds, they are united by their demonstrated excellence, collegiality, and creativity.” The fellowship pays $78,000, and an additional $5,000 for project expenses in 2023-24; fellows also get an office at Harvard University, additional funds for moving expenses, childcare and housing, etc. The deadline for some disciplines, including creative arts, is 14 September 2023. These are open to all published writers and journalists — see guidelines. Details here, here, here, and here.)
WRITERS IN THE US AND CANADA
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 2023
Open for: US-based writers
Details here.
The Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize
This award is given for a published or soon-to-be-published article that furthers the understanding of the history of working people. Articles must be focused on historical events OR focused on current issues (work, housing, organizing, health, education) and include historical context. The article must be published in print or online between August 31, 2022 and August 30, 2023. The prize is given to insightful work that contributes to the understanding of labor history; shows creativity; demonstrates excellence in writing; and adheres to the highest journalistic standards of accuracy. Publications and subject matter should target the United States and Canada.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 5 September 2023
Open for: Unspecified; but publications and subject matter should target the US and Canada
Details here.
WRITERS IN THE UK AND IRELAND
Live Theatre: North East Playwriting Award
This is an opportunity for playwrights from the North East of England, the inaugural North East Playwriting Award, by Live Theatre and The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust. “This brand new venture seeks to award commissions to two playwrights who are either from or based in the North East of England. The commissioned plays will then be produced for our stage. Our main award will offer one playwright a full-length commission fee of £10,000 and ensuing production in our main theatre. Furthermore, we are … offering a second commission award of £7,000 to a young playwright (16-25 years) to write an under-70 minute play.”
Value: £10,000 and £7,000
Deadline: 7 August 2023
Open for: Writers in the North East of England
Details here.
Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour
This is an annual prize jointly presented by Morley College London and the Rachel Mills Literary Agency, awarded to a previously unpublished and unagented aspiring author of colour in the UK. For 2023 they will be offering two independent prizes, one for works of fiction, and one for life writing and creative non-fiction. Apart from cash, the winner and shortlisted writers get editorial consultation with an agent. Submission requirements include writing samples from the manuscript, and summaries of the manuscripts.
Value: £500 each
Deadline: 14 August 2023
Open for: Unpublished writers of colour in the UK/Ireland (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
Royal Society of Literature: Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction
This is for UK/Ireland-based writers of non-fiction, to buy them time for completing their first commissioned work. Only works to be published in the UK or Republic of Ireland, or by UK/Ireland-based publishers, are eligible. The award will also take into consideration the author’s financial need.
Value: £10,000, £5,000, £2,500
Deadline: 25 August 2023
Open for: UK/Ireland-based writers
Details here.
Canongate Books: The Nan Shepherd Prize for Nature Writing
This is for unpublished UK and Ireland based writers who consider themselves underrepresented in nature writing. Writers need to send a sample chapter/chapters of up to 7,000 words as part of the submission.
Value: A publishing contract with £10,000 advance, editorial mentoring, literary representation
Deadline: 25 August 2023
Open for: UK and Ireland based writers
Details here and here
Laurels Theatre: Richard Jenkinson Commission
This is an opportunity for UK-based people, to get their work onstage in a theatre production. “You could be a rap artist who has an epic story idea that they want to tell, you might be a comedian who feels they have the killer idea for a narrative driven stage show or you could actually be a playwright who has the one special script that they are dying to show the world. If you have an idea for something that will work as a script on a stage, then we want to hear from you.” Applicants have to “Tell an original story, this could be in a video, in a script or just a basic treatment. A bit about who you are, again this can be in any form, it could on a plain old A4 bit of paper, or it could be a tiktok video showing your day to day life. There’s no wrong way to apply.” And, “This brief is open to all but we are especially keen to hear voices from lower socio-economic backgrounds and other marginalised groups.”
Value: £10,000
Deadline: 31 August 2023
Open for: UK-based people
Details here.
(There is also the Kay Mellor Fellowship, a year-long opportunity for a writer based in Yorkshire and the Humber to develop their writing for stage and screen; the bursary is £10,000, and there are other benefits, including a place on BBC Writersroom Voices writer development programme; the deadline 29 August 2023.)
Waterford Poetry Prize
This is for a poem of up to 40 lines, by a resident of Ireland. The winner and runner-up will also be invited to participate in a writing course at the Molly Keane Writers Retreat, Ardmore. There is no age limit; minors have to get a parent or guardian’s consent.
Value: €400, €300, €200
Deadline: 31 August 2023
Open for: Ireland writers
Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
