These are contests and grants/fellowships for writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, as well as for scriptwriting and journalism, with prizes up to $72,000. They’re very roughly divided geographically. – S. Kalekar
Defenestrationism.net Lengthy Poem Contest
They are reading entries for a lengthy poem, of at least 120 lines and up to chapbook-length (see guidelines). It is best to divide it into parts or sections, though this is not a strict requirement. Poem cycles will be considered. Please note, the shortlisted poems will be posted on the website, which will be followed by fan voting.
Value: $300
Deadline: 1 January 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here.
The Leon Levy Centre for Biography: Biography Fellowships
These are four resident fellowships at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City, to nonfiction writers working on biographies. preference in the award of fellowships is given to those who have not yet published a biography or received fellowships for the writing of a biography. They also welcome applications from published and accomplished writers who are undertaking their first biography. The Leon Levy Center for Biography does not award fellowships for memoirs, essays, plays, films, or fiction. One of the application requirements is a sample of the proposed biography, a maximum of 2,500 words. (Also see the Sloan Fellowship, given annually to a writer working on a biography of a figure in the field of science or technology.)
Value: $72,000, residency
Deadline: 4 January 2024
Open for: Writers working on biographies
Details here
Colgate University: Olive B. O’Connor Creative Writing Fellowship
For the current application period, they offer one fellowship for non-fiction, and one for nonfiction. One of the application requirements is a writing sample – up to 30 pages of prose, either a complete work or an excerpt. Writers who have recently completed an MFA, MA, or PhD in creative writing, and who need a year to complete their first book, are encouraged to apply. It also includes residency at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. There are teaching duties attached. “All applications should speak directly to the candidate’s ability to work effectively with students across a wide range of identities and backgrounds.”
Value: $55,500 + other benefits, residency
Deadline: 5 January 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
San José State University: Center for Steinbeck Studies – The Steinbeck Fellows Program
This awards writers of any age and background a $15,000 fellowship to finish a significant writing project. Fellowships are currently offered in Creative Writing (excluding poetry) and Steinbeck Studies; Fellows may be appointed in many fields, including fiction, drama, creative non-fiction, and biography. The creative writing fellowship does not require that there be any direct connection between your work and Steinbeck’s. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success but have not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University’s creative writing program.
Value: Up to 6 fellowships of $15,000 each
Deadline: 5 January 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here and here
Quantum Shorts Flash Fiction Contest
This is for Quantum-inspired flash fiction. “The challenge for writers is this: craft a story no longer than 1000 words that takes inspiration from quantum physics. The story must also incorporate the phrase “nobody said this was going to be easy”.”
Value: $1,500, $1,000, a People’s Choice prize of $500; $100 for shortlisted stories
Deadline: 8 January 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here and here.
Teachers & Writers Magazine: The Bechtel Prize
Teachers & Writers Magazine provides lesson plans, interviews, and personal essays to support teaching creative writing. Their website says, “Each year the Teachers & Writers Magazine editorial board awards the Bechtel Prize and a $1,000 honorarium for an essay describing a creative writing teaching experience, project, or activity that demonstrates innovation in creative writing instruction.” They want essays up to 2,500 words, and have detailed guidelines about the kind of essays they want on their website.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: 12 January 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here and here.
(They’re also open for magazine submissions. Please be sure to submit in the correct category.)
Blair: Bakwin Award for Full-Length Prose
Their website says, “This award is for an unpublished full-length literary prose work of fiction or nonfiction, prioritizing manuscripts by authors that fit Blair’s mission of publishing new and historically neglected voices.
Entries should be literary in nature. Novels, short story collections by a single author, memoirs, essay collections, and biographies are all acceptable”. They do not want poetry, or genre fiction. This opportunity will close when they reach a submission cap.
Value: $1,000, publication
Deadline: 15 January 2024, or until filled
Open for: Unspecified
Details here and here.
Fourteen Hills: Stacey Doris Memorial Poetry Award
This is a poetry contest – send one poem of 3 to 10 pages. Their guidelines say, “Stacy Doris was a poet, translator, and an Associate Professor in San Francisco State University’s Department of Creative Writing, where she taught for ten years. … Doris created new worlds with her unexpected poetics. Following upon her spirit of creative invention, engaging wit and ingenious playfulness, discovery in construction, and radical appropriations based on classical forms, pastiche, etc., and love, the Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award is given to a poet with a truly inventive spirit.” Works that don’t win will be considered for publication in Fourteen Hills.
Value: $500
Deadline: 15 January 2024
Open for: Unspecified
Details here
(They also have another fee-based award, as well as a fee-free one for San Francisco State University students/graduates.)
Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History
This prize is for an essay on early American history (up to 1826), not previously published, with preference being given to New England subjects. Essays should be 40-60 pages, and can be emailed (as both PDF and Word attachments – see here) or mailed.
Value: $2,500
Deadline: 15 January 2024 (postmarked)
Open for: Unspecified
Details here, and here.
The Hillman Prize for Journalism
This is for journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in service of the common good. Recipients exemplify reportorial excellence, storytelling skill, and social justice impact. The categories are: Book (bound volumes and ebooks), Newspaper Journalism (story or series/in print or online), Magazine Journalism (story or series/in print or online), Broadcast Journalism (story/series/documentary that has aired on television or radio), and Opinion & Analysis Journalism (any medium) – includes all types of advocacy, opinion, commentary and analysis, normally short-form and/or frequent, regardless of medium; open to newspaper and magazine columnists, TV and radio presenters, podcasters, blogs, and bloggers. The US prize is open to all journalists and subjects globally but the work must have been primarily accessible to a US audience; the Canadian prize, too, is open to all journalists and subjects globally but the work must have been primarily accessible to a Canadian audience, and must have been published in Canada.
Value: $5,000 each
Deadline: 15 January for Canadian, 30 January 2024 for US entries
Open for: Journalists
Details here and here
(They also have Labor and Workforce Reporting Grants – they accept pitches on a rolling basis, and grants are up to $5,000.)
Speculative Literature Foundation: A. C. Bose Grant
This grant supports South Asian or South Asian diaspora writers developing speculative fiction. Work that is accessible to older children and teens will be given preference. “This grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature. Speculative literature spans the breadth of fantastic writing, encompassing literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, including ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, slipstream, magical realism, and more. Any piece of literature containing a fabulist or speculative element would fall under our aegis.” A writing sample of up to 5,000 words is part of the application. Applicants need not have prior publishing credits to apply.
Value: $1,000
Reading period: 1-31 January 2024
Open for: South Asian or Desi/South Asian or Desi diaspora writers
Details here; the schedule for their other upcoming grants is here.
Kinsman Quarterly: Iridescence Award
This is an award for short stories and poetry by BIPOC authors. “Themes should include the supernatural, extraterrestrial, or the paranormal. Prizes include publication in the Iridescence anthology with cash awards up to $500. … Genres include, but are not limited to, fantasy, folk mythology, science fiction, and the paranormal.”
Value: $500, $250, $100; gift cards for finalists
Deadline: 31 January 2024 (extended)
Open for: BIPOC writers
Details here.
Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
The magazine runs a short story contest thrice a year. Readers of this magazine are interested in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. While the writing should appeal to a reader with these interests, stories can be on any theme. Stories should be up to 3,000 words, but up to 4,000 words will be considered.
Value: $150
Deadline: 31 January 2024
Open for: All writers
Details here.
The TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting
TRACE is a non-profit international business association dedicated to anti-bribery, compliance and good governance; you can read more about it here. This prize recognizes journalism that uncovers business-related bribery and financial crime with the goal of increasing commercial transparency and good governance. Nominees may be print, broadcast or online reporters from any country who have investigated commercial bribery schemes, business activities that create serious conflicts of interest or similar commercial misconduct. Team entries and multiple submissions per author are permitted. Book-length entries are not accepted. A panel of independent judges will review the submissions and select up to two winners, who will each receive a cash prize of US$10,000. Reporter(s) will be invited to an award ceremony hosted by TRACE. The judges may also name up to two honorable mentions, who will each receive US$1,000.
Value: Up to two cash prizes of $10,000 each, up to two honorable mentions of $1,000 each
Deadline: 31 January 2024
Open for: All financial investigative journalists
Details here.
Harbor Editions Prizes
They are running two prizes – the Laureate Prize for Poetry, for which they accept fee-free submissions from BIPOC writers and previous finalists for poetry manuscripts, the prize is $500 and publication; they also have the Harbor Review Editor Prize, which is for a micro poetry chapbook manuscript, and for which, also, submissions for BIPOC writers and previous finalists are free, and prize is $200; entries for other poets have a submission fee.
Deadline for both prizes: 31st January 2024
Value: See above
Open for: See above
Details here (Please be sure to submit in the correct category.)
Terrain.org Editor’s Prize
They welcome submissions on place, climate, and justice – fiction (short story, flash fiction series, novel excerpt, radio play, or other fiction piece), non-fiction, and poetry. They also accept translations, and art. Payment is a minimum of $50. And, “All accepted submissions by writers of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and/or other marginalized communities whose contributions explore place particularly in the context of social, environmental, or climate justice are considered for our annual Editor’s Prize of $500 per genre.” There is no separate submission process or entry fee for this contest; they have other, fee-based contests too. Certain sections, like Letter to America and ArTerrain, are open year-round, and other sections have submission periods, or are open periodically. Length guidelines are up to 5,000 words for fiction and non-fiction, 2-6 poems. Pay is a minimum of $50 for general submissions.
Value: See above
Deadline: 31 January for poetry, and 31 March 2024 for fiction and non-fiction
Open for: Editor’s prize open for underrepresented writers (see guidelines)
Details here.
Dragonblade Publishing: Write Track Competition for Historical Romance
This is a contest for a historical romance manuscript, and they want submissions from all writers, including those writing LGBTQ+ romance.
Deadline: 1 February 2024
Value: First prize $1,000 and publishing
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, and will open for submissions from 15th January to 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.
(A couple of contests with later deadlines are:
— A Public Space Editorial Fellowship, a program for aspiring editors,will open for applications on 1st January 2024; 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. They will receive compensation of $5,000. Their Submittable will open for applications on 1st January, and close on 15th February 2024. See the announcement here.
— 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.” The deadline is 15 February 2024. Send a manuscript of 48-168 pages. Details here.
— Deep Wild Graduate Student Prose Contest 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 nonfiction) 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.” Prizes are $300, $200, and $100, and the deadline is 1 March 2024, details here and here.)
PRIZES FOR US- AND CANADA-BASED WRITERS
(Also see the Walter Muir Whitehill Prize in Early American History, Hillman Prize for Journalism, Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship, Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship, and National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Writing Fellowships, in the section above)
Jack Hazard Fellowship
Their website says, “Jack Hazard Fellows are fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir writers who teach full time in an accredited high school in the United States. We provide a $5,000 award that enables these creative writers who teach to focus on their writing for a summer.”
Value: $5,000
Deadline: 4 January 2024
Open for: US writers
Details here and here.
The John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
This is for US high school students in grades 9 through 12. Essays must describe an act of political courage by a US elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F Kennedy was born. The official may have addressed an issue at the local, state, or national level. Essays should be 700-1,000 words and must quote at least five sources.
Value: $10,000, $3,000, $1,000 each for finalists, $100 each for semi-finalists
Deadline: 12 January 2024
Open for: US high school students
Details here (also click on tabs on the page for various details)
RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers
This is for Canadian writers who have published work in literary magazines, but not in book form. For this cycle, writers should submit up to 10 pages (up to 2,500 words, for fiction) of either unpublished short fiction or unpublished poetry. There is no age bar; and a self-published book or chapbook will not disqualify you.
Value: CAD10,000; CAD2,500 for finalists
Deadline: 14 January 2024
Open for: Canadian writers
Details here (overview), here (fiction guidelines), and here (poetry guidelines).
National Endowment for the Arts: Translation Project Fellowship
These are for published translators. The fellowship is for the translation of works of prose, poetry, or drama from other languages into English. They encourage translations of writers and of work that are not well represented in English translation. The proposed projects must be for creative translations of literary material into English.
Value: $10,000-$25,000 (see here)
Deadline: 18 January 2024
Open for: Published translators who are citizens or permanent residents of the US
Details here and here.
(They also have Creative Writing Fellowships and for this cycle they are accepting poetry, deadline 13 March 2024, details here.)
Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize
They want poetry from US poets whose poem best evokes a connection to place. “The prize interprets “place” in many ways: A place may possess historical, cultural, political, or personal importance, and may be literal, imaginary, or metaphorical.” Please read the conditions at the bottom of the page carefully.
Value: $1,000, $100 for honorable mentions
Deadline: 22 January 2024
Open for: US poets
Details here.
The Academy of American Poets: Guggenheim Poet-in-Residence This is for those currently authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer; have published a poetry book/s or have a track of spoken-word poetry performance, and are able to commute to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City throughout the residency. “The Poet-in-Residence at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is an annual position created in collaboration with the Academy of American Poets that specifically focuses on poetry and public space. The Poet-in-Residence will work together with the Guggenheim and Academy of American Poets to design and create a project that takes poetry beyond the page and enlivens the museum experience for visitors. Through their residency, the selected candidate will consider how the Guggenheim may serve as an active public space for visionary ideas and community.” There are various requirements and responsibilities, including co-conceiveing/designing a project centering the museum experience and architecture; participating in public programs at the Guggenheim copresented by the museum and the Academy of American Poet; and visiting the Academy of American Poets to discuss their project, produce a 1,000-word essay on the intersection of poetry and art, and more.
Value: $20,000
Deadline: 31 January 2024
Open for: US poets
Details here.
(The Academy of American Poets is also accepting submissions for the Ambroggio Prize; the deadline is mid-February 2024; “The Ambroggio Prize is a $1,000 publication prize given for a book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation.”)
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: any creative genre in the literary arts, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, hybrid work, graphic novel, etc. Writers should be working on a first or second book. There are two residencies, in fall and spring semesters. Some record of publication is desirable.
Value: $5,000 and residency
Deadline: 1 February 2024
Open for: US writers
Details here.
(See the full list of their programs and residencies here.)
PRIZES FOR UK- AND IRELAND-BASED AUTHORS
Matriarch Productions: Grass Routes Prize
This is for UK writers, for a TV script. It is “a new initiative to help writers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds kickstart their careers and gain proper access to the TV industry. …. The winner of the Grass Routes writing competition will receive a prize of £5,000. Matriarch (Productions) and Birdie (Pictures) will also pay a further amount to option the script. The writer will then develop their project with Matriarch and Birdie before pitching it to different buyers, getting their work seen by key decision makers and gaining invaluable insight into how the creative and business processes work within the scripted television industry.” The script must be designed for TV and can be anything between 25 and 60 pages in length. Also send a short outline, explaining the idea (see guidelines). There is no barrier on subject matter, theme, or genre.
Value: £5,000
Deadline: 8 January 2024
Open for: UK writers
Details here.
(Also see the RAFTA Prize – this is for playwrights; it is for a stage play script against extremism, intolerance and xenophobia; the winner gets £500, and the deadline is 20 January 2024, details here.)
Discoveries 2024
This prize is run by The Women’s Prize Trust, Audible, Curtis Brown Literary Agency, and Curtis Brown Creative writing school. It is for UK- and Ireland-based women writers, for a novel-in-progress (adult fiction) – send the first 10,000 words and a synopsis. Apart from a cash prize, the winner also gets literary representation. There are also non-cash prizes for shortlisted and longlisted writers.
Value: £5,000
Deadline: 8 January 2024
Open for: UK- and Ireland-based women writers
Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
