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 12th Annual 2026 IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors with 75 categories. Winners are eligible for cash prizes totaling $6,000.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Minimum cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 for category winners in fiction and non-fiction. Winners receive a digital award seal, membership benefits, and recognition.
The C.D. Wright Prize for Poetry honors innovative poetry and is open to poets who have not published a full-length book. The winner receives $1000 and publication in the Arkansas International.
The Harold Morton Landon Translation Award is an annual award recognizing the work of a translator for a poetry collection translated from any language into English, published in the previous calendar year. Established in 1976, the award amount is $1,000.
Top Prize:
$1,000
📅 Deadline:
February 15, 2026
(Expired)
Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio
Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.
The Bedford Competition runs annual international short story and poetry competitions open to anyone over 17 years. Winning entries are published in an anthology.
Founded in 2010, the Montreal International Poetry Prize is a global competition awarding $20,000 CAD to a poet for a single poem of 40 or fewer lines. The prize emphasizes original poetry, international readership, and exploration of diverse Englishes. The contest is juried by esteemed poets and critics, and the shortlisted works are published in an anthology.
Top Prize:
$20,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in the Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology
The competition invites poets to submit works based on five given words each week over a 42-week period. It aims to encourage creativity and showcases poets' works in an anthology.
Top Prize:
$750
Additional prizes:
Second place: 500 euros
Third place: 250 euros
Travel fee and accommodation for winners attending the event.
Physical award crafted by Michael Ray, plus opportunities for winners to read at events.
The Rattle Poetry Prize awards $15,000 for a single poem published in the winter issue of Rattle. Ten finalists receive $500 each and a chance for the $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award. The contest emphasizes fair judging through anonymized reviews by editors.
Top Prize:
$15,000
Additional prizes:
$500 for each of the ten finalists; $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award.
Publication in the winter issue and additional publication opportunities
The 20th Elmbridge Literary Competition invites submissions of short stories and poems on the theme of 'The River' to commemorate RC Sherriff. Open internationally, the competition includes age categories with specific word counts.
Top Prize:
£250
Additional prizes:
Cash prizes for adults + book tokens for children's categories
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.
The Paz Prize for Poetry awards a $2,000 prize every other year for the publication of an unpublished book of poetry originally written in Spanish by an American resident. The winning manuscript will be translated into English and published in a bilingual edition.
The competition runs for 42 weeks from April 9, 2024, to January 28, 2025. Each week, five words will be provided for poem submissions, which must incorporate all the words.
This series highlights first full-length collections by emerging authors from southern U.S. states. Submissions are open annually from December 1 to March 1.
Top Prize:
Copies of the published book and a standard royalty contract
The contest is open for submissions in short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Entrants can submit original, unpublished works. Prizes include cash awards and festival packages, with winners published in the anthology.
Top Prize:
$200 CAD
Additional prizes:
1st: festival registration package | 2nd: $125 and banquet package | Honourable mention: $100 and banquet package.
The Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year Competition invites submissions from poets on any subject and in any format, up to 60 lines long. The winner receives the title and a cash prize, with additional prizes for runners-up.
Top Prize:
£300 + Title of Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year
Genres:
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, and Young Adult
Etchings Press, a student-run publisher at the University of Indianapolis, awards The Whirling Prize each year to two books that demonstrate an excellent and compelling response to a theme that students at the university select. Student judges will welcome recently published books of prose and poetry in response to the theme of "mystery" published since January 2024.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
10 copies of a commemorative postcard available. Each winner will be invited to participate in an episode of a literary podcast with the student judges, which will be recorded and air in 2026.
The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award is one of the most prestigious poetry awards, providing significant financial support to poets. It offers a $100,000 prize for a single poetry collection published within the eligibility year, aimed at supporting mid-career poets. The award encourages poets to continue developing their craft.
Top Prize:
$100,000
Additional prizes:
The Kate Tufts Discovery Award offers $10,000 for a first book of poetry.
Established in 1975, this prize recognizes the most outstanding book of poetry published in the U.S. in the previous calendar year. It includes a $25,000 award, a residency at Glen Hollow, and distribution of the winning book to Academy members.
Genres:
Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry
So to Speak is a feminist literary journal seeking diverse voices, focusing on intersectional feminism. They publish twice a year, accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art, with a particular emphasis on marginalized perspectives.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
All accepted contributions will receive a $100 prize.
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 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
Genres:
Children's, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Young Adult
The contest is open to both published and unpublished authors, featuring various categories. Each entry will be judged on literary merit by a panel. Winning entries will be featured in the Arizona Authors Literary Magazine.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Grand winner: $500 & a ticket to the Arizona Authors Awards Luncheon | 3x 1st: $200 | 3x 2nd: $125 | 3x 3rd: $75 | 3x 4th: $50
The Winchester Poetry Prize is an annual poetry competition that began in 2016, attracting global entries. It features a blind judging process and culminates in a prize-giving ceremony during the Winchester Poetry Festival.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
2nd: £500 | 3rd: £250 | Kathryn Bevis Prize: £150 and a year's tuition from The Writing School Online for the best Hampshire-based poem.
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 Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize invites personal stories, poems, and essays that explore our relationship with the natural world. The 2026 theme is 'Nature’s Power to Heal, Guide, and Transform'.
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 Write by the Sea Writing Competition features four categories: Fiction Short Story, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Memoir/Personal Essay. It includes cash prizes and publication opportunities.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
2nd: €300 | 3rd: €200 | Winner also gets a free weekend pass to the Write By The Sea Festival 2026 & publication in the Waxed Lemon Literary Journal.
The Dream Quest One Poetry Contest is an international competition aimed at encouraging writers and poets to showcase their original works. The contest is open to all, regardless of experience, and accepts entries in various styles and themes. The mission is to inspire creativity and support literary talents.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
Second Place: $125
Third Place: $50
Winners may also have their work published online.
The First Book Award is a $5,000 prize for a first book of poetry. The winning manuscript is published by Graywolf Press, with additional benefits like a residency in Italy and extensive promotion.
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Flash Fiction
The competition features an open theme and includes four categories: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, and Poetry. Each category has a defined maximum word count. Winners will be acknowledged at the festival and have the opportunity to read their entries.
Top Prize:
£75
Additional prizes:
£75 for first prize in each category, plus the opportunity to read the winning entry at the festival. £25 for commended entries in each category.
The Donald Hall Prize for Poetry awards $5,500 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press. The prize honors the best unpublished collection of poems and is judged by a prominent poet.
This contest is for emerging poets submitting their first or second book of poetry, which should contribute innovatively to American poetry. The awards include a $1,000 prize, publication, and twenty copies of the book. Manuscripts must be 48-120 pages long.
The Fire & Ash Publishers Salon Competition is designed for local poets to showcase their works to industry professionals. Each month, four poets are selected to read their poetry at salon nights. An adjudication panel anonymously selects finalists based on submitted poems, and finalists receive a $50 CAD honorarium and an invitation to perform.
Top Prize:
$50
Additional prizes:
Honorarium for finalists and an invitation to perform their poem.
