Submit essays, fiction, or poetry exploring themes of multicultural or third-culture identity, love, belonging, home life, and pain. Selected works receive publication in Kinsman’s upcoming anthology.
The Kate Tufts Discovery Award is presented annually for a first book of poetry published between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. It aims to recognize promising poets and offers financial support and increased visibility.
The Lascaux Prize in Poetry invites submissions of previously published or unpublished poems. The winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review. There is no limit to the number of entries, and up to five poems can be submitted per entry.
Top Prize:
$1,000
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
March 31, 2026
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The BCALA Self-Publishing Literary Awards honors the best self-published ebooks by African American authors in the U.S. across fiction and poetry genres. The awards focus on the cultural, historical, and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Formal recognition at the NCAAL conference, BCALA Literary Award Seal.
The Happiful Poetry Prize is an annual competition that invites entries exploring themes of mental health and wellbeing. The contest is open to writers aged 18 and over from the UK and Northern Ireland. The competition aims to celebrate high-quality writing in poetry.
Top Prize:
£25
Additional prizes:
Four shortlisted poets will receive a £25 National Book Token. All winning poems will be published in issue 108 of Happiful.
The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers. $500 prizes will be awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning manuscripts will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Winners will have the chance to work with the Nimrod board of editors to refine and edit their manuscripts before publication.
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Writer's Games is a free competition aimed at improving writing skills, offering feedback from judges. The 2024 edition has concluded, and it featured multiple events with winners recognized in an anthology. Registration is necessary to participate.
Each entrant for their €24 entry fee will receive a complementary postage-free, one-year subscription to Southword. Poems will be read and judged anonymously. Poems must be previously unpublished. The winning poet will have their three poems published in Southword.
Top Prize:
€1000
Additional prizes:
The winning poet will have their three poems published in Southword.
The Anthology Poetry Competition seeks to recognize and encourage excellence in poetry writing. Open to original, unpublished poems in English, it welcomes entries from poets worldwide without restrictions on theme or style. Poems should not exceed 40 lines, with no limit on the number of entries per person.
Top Prize:
€1000
Additional prizes:
2nd: €250 | 3rd: €150 + publication of the winning poem in Anthology magazine
The Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize for Poetry is an annual contest honoring the poet Robinson Jeffers. Established as a living memorial, it aims to recognize outstanding poetry submissions. The prize includes an honorarium and honorable mentions.
Genres:
Fantasy, Fiction, Poetry, and Science Fiction
The contest is open to English-language entries globally. It features categories for Florida Fiction, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Poetry, Prose Poetry, and Haiku, allowing multiple entries per category. First, second, and third place winners receive cash prizes and will be published in the 2026 Seven Hills Review.
Top Prize:
$100 to $300 depending on genre
Additional prizes:
Winners receive electronic certificates and will be published in the 2026 Seven Hills Review, along with a short author bio. First-place winners also get a complimentary copy of the publication.
The Fiction Factory Poetry Competition invites poets to submit original works on any topic, with a maximum length of 40 lines. The competition aims to celebrate creativity and diversity in poetry.
Top Prize:
£100
Additional prizes:
Feedback on poems, a Zoom mentorship call, and publication
Genres:
Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
This contest invites submissions that explore the theme 'Disability as a Strength', showcasing narratives around managing mental health, disabilities, and chronic illnesses. It is a chance for writers to express how these experiences have fortified their identities.
Top Prize:
$125
Additional prizes:
1st: $125 & online publication | 2nd: $75 | 3rd: $50 | 3 runners-up will also receive online publication.
The Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA) organizes an annual writing contest to celebrate and recognize talented writers across various genres. Participants can submit original works in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. The contest promotes writers' creativity and provides valuable feedback from experienced judges.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
Second place: $75
Third place: $50
For each category
Soma Mei Sheng Frazier (Fiction) and Albert Abonado (Poetry)
Genres:
Fiction and Poetry
The Subnivean Awards is an international literary competition that seeks outstanding fiction and poetry. The contest aims to highlight innovative works that break conventional molds.
Top Prize:
$150
Additional prizes:
Winner also receives a blurb by the appropriate final judge and publication in the May 2025 issue. Five finalists' works will be published and featured in a virtual event.
The Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Prize highlights an exceptional chapbook each year, offering a $1,000 advance, publication, and 10 copies of the book. The contest aims to support poets and their work.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication with Texas Review Press and 10 copies of the published book.
The Interwoven project celebrates identity and community through poetry, aiming to highlight what unites humanity. It invites poems that reflect on shared experiences across cultures and places.
Top Prize:
£200
Additional prizes:
2nd prize: £100 | All shortlisted poems published in an anthology with authors receiving a copy.
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Solar Flare Contest seeks submissions for a single short story, novel or novella excerpt, artwork, graphic novel, or poem that exhibits a burst of creative energy. All genres accepted, with a maximum word limit of 500 for stories and nonfiction, 12 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.
The TeenQuill Writing Contest invites students aged 12 to 19 to submit original, unpublished poetry and play monologues. Selected works will receive a $50 Amazon e-gift card and publication in Kinsman Quarterly. One winner is chosen each seasonal quarter, with submissions accepted throughout 2025.
Top Prize:
$50
Additional prizes:
Publication in Kinsman Quarterly and promotion on social media.
The Bedford Competition runs annual international short story and poetry competitions open to anyone over 17 years. Winning entries are published in an anthology.
The 2024 International Literary Prize invites writers to submit entries in four categories: Short Stories, Poetry, Scriptwriting, and Songwriting. The contest emphasizes anonymity in submissions and offers cash prizes, publication opportunities, and feedback options.
Top Prize:
1st prize for Short Story and Poetry: £1000
1st prize for Scriptwriting: £500
1st prize for Song writing: £250
Additional prizes:
2nd and 3rd prizes for all categories: £100 and £50 respectively, along with publication for all shortlisted entries.
Genres:
Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction
The contest theme is 'Hecho a mano', focusing on the creativity of handmade works. Categories include photography, poetry, and narrative/essay/academic investigation. Selected works will be published, and winners will receive monetary prizes and certificates of recognition.
The Dark Poets Prize is an international poetry competition inviting entries that explore beauty within darkness. The winner receives the title of International Dark Poets Prize IV Winner and a cash prize.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
1st place also receives Dark Poets Prize certification & a Dark Poets Club T-shirt.
This contest is for full-length poetry chapbooks (50-150 pages) celebrating a BIPOC or underrepresented poet. It seeks a thematic collection that captures a personal journey or season of life.
These fellowships are $50,000 awards aimed at honoring poets of literary merit who serve in civic positions. The goal is to support them in creating new work and undertaking impactful projects that enrich local communities through poetry.
Top Prize:
$50,000
Additional prizes:
Awards are $50,000 for the fellowship. The Academy will match up to $10,000 in in-kind or cash contributions for project support.
Genres:
Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story
The 11th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors with 75 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners share cash prizes totaling $6,000, including a Grand Prize of $2,500.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Minimum cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 for first, second, and third places in each category respectively
The contest encourages poets to write heartfelt, reflective, or surprising poems on any theme, aiming for works that evoke deep contemplation. Winners are selected based on creativity and authenticity.
Top Prize:
£250
Additional prizes:
2nd & 3rd: £50 | Winners published on the website and social media.
The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual award recognizing excellence in poetry translation, encouraging participants to translate poems from any language into English. It is open to various age groups including adults and students in the UK and Ireland. The contest aims to celebrate linguistic diversity and foster creative translation.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Second: £500
Third: £250
Various cash prizes for youth categories.
Genres:
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story
The Places Writing Competition invites stories and poems about places that inspire or challenge writers. It includes various categories like poetry, short stories, and flash fiction, and aims to highlight the significance of places in literature.
Top Prize:
The overall winner receives $1500 AUD and publication in the anthology.
Additional prizes:
Up to $200 for commended entries, $50 for young writers.
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Iowa Review Awards is an annual writing contest accepting submissions in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. It has been held every January since 2003, and winners are published in the December issue.
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Script Writing
The Porter Fleming Literary Competition honors the memory of Porter Fleming. It awards $7,000 in cash across four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and One-Act Play. Winners are invited to a literary program and awards ceremony in Spring 2026.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $500
3rd place: $250
Prizes available in each of the four genre categories
The Eyelands Book Awards are international awards aimed at recognizing talent among published and unpublished authors. The contest is based in Greece and encourages submissions across various literary genres.
Top Prize:
A five-day stay in Athens
Additional prizes:
Winner also receives translation into Greek and publication. Handmade ceramics for winners in each category.
The 28th annual Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition is now open for submissions until April 30, 2026. The competition is judged by Keith Jarrett, with several prizes offered for various categories. Winning and commended poems will be included in an anthology and published on the website.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
2nd: £500 | 3rd: £200 | Sonnet prize: £200 | Local prize, for Hertfordshire or Essex residents: £200 | Winners will be invited to a prize-giving event and have their poems published in the competition anthology.
The Matter Poetry Contest invites poets to showcase their work. Winners are selected based on the emotional impact and creativity of their submissions. The contest aims to highlight the significance of poetry in personal and societal contexts.
