Competition Guide2021-22
OCTOBER
Academy of American Poets First Book Award
Book-length poetry manuscripts, 48 pages or more, by US residents, formerly the Walt Whitman Award Prizes: $5,000 plus publication Entry fee: $35 Closing date: 1 October https://poets.org/
Joan Alice Poetry Prize
Poetry collections, 48-120 pages, formerly Christopher Smart Prize Prizes: $2,000 and publication Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 1 October https://store.eyewearpublishing.com/
Mary C Mohr Awards
Short fiction and creative nonfiction, up to 30 pages, poetry, up to 10 pages Prizes: $2,000 and publication in each category Entry fee: $20 Closing date: 1 October www.usi.edu/sir
Missouri Review Jeffrey E Smith Editor’s Prize
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 8,500 words, any number of poems, up to 10 pages Prizes: $5,000 in each category Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 1 October www.missourireview.com/contests/
Patricia Dobler Poetry Award
Up to 2 poems, each up to 75 lines, by US women aged 40+ Prizes: $1,000 and publication Entry fee: $20 Closing date: 1 October www.carlow.edu/Dobler_Poetry_Award.aspx
Perito Prize
Short stories, 1,000-2,000 words, on the specific themes of inclusion, access, diversity, inclusive design and inclusive environments; now also with a schools prize, details TBC Prizes: £500 and publication Free entry Closing date: 1 October www.weareperito.com/perito-prize
Poetry on the Lake International Short Story Competition Short stories up to 4,000
Short stories up to 4,000 words, theme ‘haunted’ Prizes: €200, other prizes Entry fee: €12, €8 each subsequent Closing date: 1 October www.poetryonthelake.org
Mighty River Short Story Contest
Stories, max 30 pages Prizes: $1,000 and publication Entry fee: $20 Closing date: 1 October www.semopress.com/events/
Prism Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize
Up to three poems, max 100 lines each Prizes: Can$1,500, $600, $400 Entry fee: international, $45 Closing date: 1 October http://prismmagazine.ca/contests/
Psychopomp Short Fiction Award
Short stories, 6,000 words max, pushing the boundaries of genre/form Prizes: $500 and publication Entry fee: $10 Closing date: 1 October, due to reopen soon, check for any details https://psychopompmag.com/
Sexton Prize for Poetry
Collections, 48-120 pages, by US poets Prizes: $2,000 advance, publication Entry fee: $35 Closing date: 1 October https://store.eyewearpublishing.com
Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival
Plays (one-act, entry fee $25, closing date 1/10, prize $1,500), poetry (2-4, max 400 words total, $15, 15/10, $1,000), fiction (up to 7,000 words, $25, 1/10, $1,500) and flash (up to 500 words, $10, 15/10, $500) Prizes: all category prizes include VIP festival passes Entry fee: $10-$25 Closing date: 1 October http://tennesseewilliams.net/
Voices Israel Reuben Rose Prize
Poems, up to 41 lines Prizes: $500, $150, $50 Entry fee: $6 Closing date: 1 October www.voicesisrael.com
Wilda Hearne Flash Fiction Contest
Flash fiction up to 500 words Prizes: $500 and publication Entry fee: $15 Closing date: 1 October www.semopress.com/events/
Zoetrope All-Story Short Fiction Competition
Short stories, 1,000-5,000 words Prizes: $1,000, $500, $250 and publication Entry fee: $15 Closing date: 1 October, / www.all-story.com/contests/
Furious fiction
500-word short stories, written in 55 hours Prizes: Aus$500 Free entry Closing date: 3 October, firrst Sunday of each month www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction
Imison Award
For original radio plays by writers new to radio Prizes: £3,000 Free entry Closing date: 3 October www.societyofauthors.org/imison-award
Tinniswood Award
Original radio drama scripts first broadcast this year Prizes: £3,000 Free entry Closing date: 3 October www.societyofauthors.org/tinniswood-award
Peter Porter Poetry Prize
Poems up to 70 lines Prizes: Aus$6,000, 4x$1,000 Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 4 October www.australianbookreview.com.au
Aryamati Poetry Prize
Poems up to 40 lines, promoting peace and social change Prizes: A traditional pamphlet publication contact, 250 copies of your poem printed on special postcards, £100 worth of books, plus critiques Entry fee: £5, £3 concessions Closing date: 5 October www.flyonthewallpoetry.co.uk/the-aryamati-poetry-prize
London Short Story Prize
Short stories up to 5,000 words by writers with London postcodes Prizes: £1,000, 2x£250 Entry fee: £10 Closing date: 7 October, TBC www.spreadtheword.org.uk
Retreat West Micro Fiction Competition
Fiction, 100 words exactly, to a prompt posted on the website at the start of each month Prizes: 50% of total entry fees Entry fee: £4 Closing date: 8 October, monthly www.retreatwest.co.uk
Bath Flash Fiction Award
Thrice-yearly competition for flash fiction up to 300 words Prizes: £1,000, £300, £100, 2x£30 Entry fee: £9 Closing date: 10 October, and February TBC http://bathflashfictionaward.com
Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize
Short stories up to 6,000 words Prizes: £2,000, £200 for shortlisted authors, £50 book vouchers for longlisted, plus GBP subscription Entry fee: £10 Closing date: 10 October http://galleybeggar.co.uk
53-word Story Contest
Stories of exactly 53 words, to a different prompt each month Prizes: publication; free book Free entry Closing date: 15 October, and 15th of each month thereafter www.press53.com
London Magazine Poetry Prize
Poems up to 40 lines Prizes: £500, £300, £200 Entry fee: £10 Closing date: 12 October, TBC http://thelondonmagazine.org
Beverly Prize for Literature
Book-length manuscripts of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, memoir, or criticism. Prizes: £1,000 and publication Entry fee: £25 Closing date: 14 October https://store.eyewearpublishing.com
Alice James Award
Unpublished poetry collections by US poets Prizes: $2,000, publication, plus $1,000 to speak at Maine University Entry fee: $30 Closing date: 15 October www.alicejamesbooks.org
Calvino Prize
Fiction, up to 25 pages, in the style of Italo Calvino Prizes: $2,000, publication; $300 Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 15 October http://louisville.edu/english/creative-writing/creative-writing-contests
Event non-fiction contest
Creative non-fiction, max 5,000 words Prizes: Can$1,500, $1,000, $500 plus publication Entry fee: $34.95 Closing date: 15 October www.eventmagazine.ca/contest-nf/
Gerald Cable Book Award
Poetry collections, over 48 pages, by unpublished poets Prizes: $1,000 and publication Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 15 October http://silverfishreviewpress.com
Jake Adam York Prize
Poetry collections, over 48 pages Prizes: $2,000 and publication Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 15 October http://copper-nickel.org/bookprize/
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition
Short stories up to 3,500 words Prizes: $1,500, 2x$500 Entry fee: $20 Closing date: 15 October https://shortstorycompetition.com/
Poets Out Loud Prize
Poetry collections Prizes: 2x$1,000 and publication Entry fee: $28 Closing date: 15 October, TBC www.fordham.edu/pol
Raven Short Story Contest
Fiction, 250-2,500 words Prizes: Can$300 Entry fee: $20 Closing date: 15 October http://pulpliterature.com/contests/
Sequestrum New Writers Awards
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 12,000 words; poems, up to 3, max 50 lines each Prizes: $400, $100, $25, both categories Entry fee: $15 Closing date: 15 October www.sequestrum.org
Steve Kowit Poetry Prize
Poems, any length Prizes: $1,000, $250, $100, and publication Entry fee: $15 Closing date: 15 October www.sdeag.org
VanderMey Nonfiction Prize
Non-fiction, up to 5,500 words Prizes: $1,500, $300 Entry fee: $20 Closing date: 15 October www.ruminatemagazine.com
The Totally Free Best of the Bottom Drawer Global Writing Prize 2021
Anything at all, 40-1,000 manuscript pages Prizes: Advance and publication Free entry Closing date: 16 October https://store.eyewearpublishing.com
Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction
Short fiction, 2,000-6,000 words on the theme ‘crime stories’ Prizes: £500 and publication by Comma Press and on the Northern Soul website Free entry Closing date: 29 October http://commapress.co.uk/resources/prizes/
Prole Poetry Pamphlet Competition
Up to 35 pages of poetry Prizes: £100, publication, 15 copies of the pamphlet Entry fee: £12 Closing date: 17 October prolebooks.co.uk
TulipTree Review Disruptors Contest
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 10,000 words, any genre, on the theme disruptors Prizes: $1,000 and publication Entry fee: $20 Closing date: 17 October www.tuliptreepub.com/tuliptree-review.html
Eyelands Book Awards
Published and unpublished books Prizes: Published books, a five-day holiday in Athens; unpublished books, publication from Strange Days Books Entry fee: $30 Closing date: 20 October www.eyelands.gr/en/
Carter V Cooper Short Fiction Competition
Short fiction, max 10,000 words Prizes: Can$10,000, $5,000 Entry fee: $30 Closing date: 21 October www.exileeditions.com
Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry Competition
A suite of poems, up to 24 pages Prizes: Can$1,500, $1,000, $500 best poem by a Canadian Entry fee: $25 Closing date: 21 October www.exileeditions.com
Sixfold Short Story and Poetry Contest
Short stories, up to 20 pages, and poetry, up to 10 pages Prizes: $1,000 and publication, in each category Entry fee: $5 Closing date: quarterly, 23 October, 23 January, 23 April www.sixfold.org
John Byrne Awards
Any creative work by Scottish residents Prizes: £7,500 annual prize, £500 each quarter Free entry Closing date: quarterly, 30 October, 31 Jan, 30 April www.johnbyrneaward.org.uk
F(r)iction Literary Contests
Thrice-yearly comp for fiction and creative non-fiction, 1,000-7,500 words, poems, up to 3; flash, up to 750 words Prizes: $1,000 for short stories, $300 each for poetry and flash, $500 for creative non-fiction Entry fee: stories $15; flash $8, $12 for 3; poems $10, $12 for 3. Closing date: 29 October, thrice yearly https://frictionlit.org
Arc Award of Awesomeness
Poems up to 100 lines, in response to a given monthly theme Prizes: Half the entry fees plus a ‘vintage doo-dad’ from an Ontario flea market Entry fee: Can$2 Closing date: 31 October, monthly http://arcpoetry.ca/contests-page/
Atlantis Short Story Competition
Short stories up to 2,500 words Prizes: $300, $100, $50, feedback and publication Entry fee: $10 Closing date: 31 October All TBC, hopeful for new details but nothing yet confirmed. Keep checking website: http://atlantis-shortstorycontest.com
Barbellion Prize
Books in any style or genre, self or traditionally published, about life with long-term illness or disability Prizes: £1,000 and crystal trophy Free entry Closing date: 31 October www.thebarbellionprize.com
Bedford Competition
Short stories up to 3,000 words, poems up to 40
