COMPETITION GUIDE 2020-21
OCTOBER
American Literary Review
Short stories, up to 8,000 words, creative non-fiction, up to 4,000, and poems, up to 3
Prizes: $1,000 and publication in each category
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 October
https://americanliteraryreview.com/
Aryamati Poetry Prize
Poems up to 40 lines, promoting peace and social change
Prizes: 250 copies of your poem printed on special postcards, £100 worth of books, plus critiques
Entry fee: £3, £1 each extra
Closing date: 1 October
Boulevard Emerging Writers Competition
Nonfiction up to 8,000 words, by writers without a book published
Prizes: $1,000
Entry fee: $16
Closing date: 1 October
https://boulevardmagazine.org/
Patricia Dobler Poetry Award
Up to 2 poems, each up to 75 lines, by US women aged over 40
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 October
Perito Prize
Short stories, 1,000-2,000 words
Prizes: £500 and publication
Free entry
Closing date: 1 October
www.weareperito.com/perito-prize
Peter Porter Poetry Prize
Poems up to 70 lines
Prizes: Aus$6,000, 4x$1,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 October
www.australianbookreview.com.au
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition
Short stories up to 3,500 words
Prizes: $1,500, 2x$500
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 Oct, next year’s should close on 15 May
https://shortstorycompetition.com/
Mary C Mohr Awards
Short fiction and creative non-fiction, up to 30 pages, poetry, up to 10 pages
Prizes: $2,000 and publication in each category
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 October
Miller Williams Poetry Prize
Poetry manuscripts, 60-90 pages
Prizes: $5,000 and publication
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 1 October
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/
Psychopomp Short Fiction
Short stories, 6,000 words max, pushing the boundaries of genre/form
Prizes: $500 and publication
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 1 October, TBC
Furious fiction
500-word short stories, written in 55 hours
Prizes: Aus$500
Free entry
Closing date: 11 October, first Sunday of each month
www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/
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/contests/
Virginia Prize for Fiction
For unpublished novels, at least 45,000 words, by women
Prizes: Development and publication
Entry fee: £25
Closing date: 1 October, TBC
https://aurorametro.com/virginia-prize-for-fiction/
Voices Israel Reuben Rose
Poems, up to 41 lines
Prizes: $500, $150, $50
Entry fee: $6
Closing date: 1 October
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, TBC
Gerald Cable Book Award
Poetry collections, over 48 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 October
http://silvershreviewpress.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/
Imison Award
For original radio plays by writers new to radio
Prizes: £3,000
Free entry
Closing date: 4 October
www.societyofauthors.org/imison-award
Tinniswood Award
Original radio drama scripts first made available this year
Prizes: £3,000
Free entry
Closing date: 4 October
www.societyofauthors.org/tinniswood-award
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
KSP Writers Centre Poetry Award
Poems, up to 50 lines, by Australian residents or citizens
Prizes: Aus$300, $150; $100, $50 for youths
Entry fee: $10, $15 for 2, $20 for 3; youth category free
Closing date: 9 October
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: 10 October, monthly
Poets Out Loud Prize
Poetry collections
Prizes: 2x$1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 15 October, TBC
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: 11 October, and February TBC
http://bathflashctionaward.com
Observer/Jonathan Cape/Comica Graphic Short Story Prize
Graphic short stories
Prizes: £1,000, £250; publication
Free entry
Closing date: 11 October, TBC
http://capegraphicshortstoryprize.co.uk
Omnidawn Fabulist Fiction Chapbook Contest
Single fantastical or magic realist stories, or collections, totalling 7,500-17,500 words
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $18
Closing date: 12 October
Arkansas International Emerging Writers Prize
Short stories, up to 7,500 words, by writers without a book published
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: TBC, 13 Oct in 2019
Calvino Prize
Fiction, up to 25 pages, in the style of Italo Calvino
Prizes: $2,000 and publication, $300
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 October
http://louisville.edu/english/creativewriting/creative-writing-contests
Event non-fiction contest
Creative non-fiction up to 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/
Prism Pacific Spirit Poetry
Up to 3 poems, max 100 lines each
Prizes: Can$1,500, $600, $400
Entry fee: International entries $45
All details TBC
http://prismmagazine.ca/contests/
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
Fiction and non-fiction, up to 12,000 words; poems, up to 3, max 50 lines each
Prizes: $400, $100, $25 each category
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 15 October
Steve Kowit Poetry Prize
Poems, any length
Prizes: $1,000, $250, $100, and publication
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 15 October
Writers Digest Personal Essay Award
Personal non-fiction, up to 2,000 words
Prizes: $2,500, 6x$500; plus vouchers, consultations, publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 15 October
Eyelands Book Awards
Published and unpublished books
Prizes: Published books, a five-day holiday in Athens; unpublished books, publication
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 20 October
53-word Story Contest
Stories of exactly 53 words, to a different prompt each month
Prizes: Publication; books
Free entry
Closing date: 21st of each month
Carter V Cooper Short Fiction Competition
Short fiction, up to 10,000 words
Prizes: Can$10,000, $5,000
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 21 October
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
Retreat West Short Story
Short stories, 1,500-5,000 words
Prizes: £400, £250, £150, £20 each shortlisted
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 25 October
Sixfold Short Story and Poetry Contest
Short stories, up to 20 pages, and poetry, up to 10 pages; quarterly
Prizes: $1,000 and publication, in each category
Entry fee: $5
Closing date: 23 Oct, 23 Jan, 23 Apr
