The Best Writing Contests of 2023

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

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Showing 628 contests


Narrative Prize

Narrative Magazine

The Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative. The submission system is open all year.

Top prize

$4,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $27

Deadline: June 15, 2024


Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story

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Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award

Tufts Poetry Awards

Kate Tufts – widow of Kingsley Tufts, and creator of the award – had said she wanted to create a prize “that would enable a poet to work on his or her craft for awhile without paying bills.” The legacy created with the Kingsley & Kate Tufts Poetry Awards will continue to inspire countless generations of poets and lovers of poetry.

Top prize

$100,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Poetry

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Kate Tufts Discovery Award

Claremont Graduate University

The Kate Tufts Discovery Award was created in 1994, a year after the inception of the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. It is presented to a first book by a poet of genuine promise. The Kate Tufts Discovery Award offers a hefty prize of $10,000. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted.

Top prize

$10,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Poetry

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SFPA Poetry Contest

Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA)

The annual SFPA Speculative (Dwarf/Short/Long) Poetry Contest is open to all poets, including non-members of the SFPA. Awards will be given across 3 categories.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

2nd: $75 | 3rd: $25 | Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $3

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Poetry, Fiction

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Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction

Scottish Arts Trust

The Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award is open to writers worldwide, published and unpublished, and for stories on any topic up to 250 words. Chief judges are the celebrated authors Zoe Strachan and Louise Welsh. The top twenty authors will be given free tickets to our annual Flash Bash at the Scottish Arts Club in Edinburgh, where everyone will present their stories and the prize-winners will be announced.

Top prize

£2000

Additional prizes

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £150 | Golden Hare Award: £500

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $8

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction

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Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest

Moment Magazine

The Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest encourages writers to unpublished short fiction related to Judaism or Jewish culture or history. Established in 2000, judges and special guests for this international annual contest have included Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Pinsky, Walter Mosley, Nicole Krauss, Erica Jong, Jonathan Safran Foer, Geraldine Brooks, Andre Aciman and Dara Horn.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication in Moment Magazine

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: September 30, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Short Story

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The X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize

Texas Review Press

Established in 1998, The X. J. Kennedy Prize highlights one full-length collection of poetry per year. Since 2019 the Prize comes with a $10,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and 20 copies of the published book.

Top prize

$10,000 advance

Additional prizes

Royalty contract with TRP, publication, 20 author copies

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $28

Deadline: September 30, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Poetry

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Annual Flash Fiction Competition

Flash 500

This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December. The results will be announced about six weeks after each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on the website.

Top prize

£300

Additional prizes

£200, £100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $7

Deadline: December 31, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Short Story

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Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award

Red Hen Press

Established in 1998, in honor of the poet Benjamin Saltman (1927–1999), this award is for a previously unpublished original collection of poetry. The awarded collection is selected through an annual competition that is open to all poets.

Top prize

$3,000

Additional prizes

Book publication by Red Hen Press, a four-week PLAYA residency

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: October 31, 2023


Genres

Poetry

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Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry

Reed Magazine

The Edwin Markham Prize honors outstanding works of poetry. Our taste is eclectic and celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet. Writers may submit up to five (5) poems per submission.

Top prize

$1,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: November 01, 2023


Genres

Poetry

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John Steinbeck Award for Fiction

Reed Magazine

Awarding one of the richest purses among literary magazines—$1,000 for the winning story—the John Steinbeck Award for Fiction recognizes exceptional works of fiction. Aesthetically, we are open to most styles and approaches. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of a longer work. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words.

Top prize

$1,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: November 01, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Short Story

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Green Stories Writing Competition

University of Southampton

Theme: Microbes to the Rescue! This short story competition is sponsored by the Environmental Biotechnology Network. It may appeal to writers with a scientific bent as it aims to use fiction to raise awareness of Environmental Biotechnology and what microbial systems can do for us. Eligibility: Open to all – we encourage international writers. All submissions must be in English and unpublished. Length: We ask for a short story of between 1000 and 3000 words.

Top prize

£500 prize

Additional prizes

2nd: £200 | 3rd: £100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: September 21, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Novel, Short Story, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller

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The Not-So-Great Outdoors Contest

Gotham Writers Workshop

It’s that season when people spend time in the great outdoors. Which is a perfect time to tell us a story about a not-so-great outdoor experience. It might be camping during a wild rainstorm or getting lost while out for a simple walk or just melting outside during a heat wave. Give us a story—fiction or nonfiction—in 49 words or fewer. We’ll pick the story we like best and give that writer a free Gotham class of their choosing.

Top prize

Free writing class

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Flash Fiction

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Public Roads Student Writing Competition

Federal Highway Administration/Public Roads Magazine

Public Roads is proud to announce its first Student Writing Competition, designed to encourage high school and college students interested in or actively pursuing STEM majors to demonstrate their knowledge by writing an article that relates to the transportation industry.

Top prize

Published in Winter 2023 Issue of Public Roads Magazine

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: July 21, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Essay, Non-fiction, Science Writing

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Gothic Short Story

Briar Press New York

Briar Press NY is looking for Short Stories in the Gothic tradition, previously unpublished and set in any time period/place/culture. We are looking for beautiful writing, an engaging plot, memorable characters, and that authentic Gothic atmosphere (classic tropes are welcomed, but we also want substance and depth!)

Top prize

Publication in Anthology

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: August 01, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Short Story, Thriller

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WOW! Women on Writing Spring 2023 Flash Fiction Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 - 750 words. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants.

Top prize

$400

Additional prizes

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Flash Fiction, Fiction, Short Story

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Southam Book Festival Flash Fiction Competition

Southam Book Festival

A story of up to 100 words ( including title). Must include the word 'alarmed'. Open to all over 16 yrs.

Top prize

£60

Additional prizes

2nd: £30 | 3rd: £20

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $4

Deadline: October 09, 2023


Genres

Flash Fiction

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Oxford Flash Fiction Prize

Oxford Flash Fiction

This summer we celebrate the meaning of gifts, exchanges and the stories we tell about them. This competition runs in partnership with the Bodleian Libraries’ Gifts and Books exhibition at the University of Oxford. Each entrant to the 2023 summer competition will also receive an e-book special edition Oxford Flash Fiction anthology.

Top prize

£1000

Additional prizes

2nd Prize: £200 | 3rd Prize: £100 | New Voice Prize: £50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $8

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Flash Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

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Universe of Threats Essay Contest

CAPTRS

CAPTRS has launched a pathogen threat scenario writing contest, which will be part of their work to build a catalog of pathogen threat scenarios that will be used to hone pandemic preparedness strategies and train future decision-makers. Submissions may not exceed 2,500 words, and will be judged on creativity, plausibility of the pathogen threat, complexity of cascading societal factors, difficulty posed for current pandemic response capabilities and quality of writing.

Top prize

$10,000

Additional prizes

2nd: $5,000 (up to 2 winners) | 3rd: $1,000 (up to 5 winners)

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Essay, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story

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Page One Prize for Novelists

Gutsy Great Novelist

The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize is awarded for an outstanding opening page of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

2nd $500 | 3rd $250

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: July 14, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Novel, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

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Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest

Gemini Magazine

Knock us out in 1,000 words or less! Any subject or style. Except for the word limit, we have no rules and are open to your most creative work, whether literary, noir, historical, sci-fi or any other category. Read previous winners and finalists online to see the wide variety of flash fiction we publish.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Second: $100 | 4x Honorable Mentions: $25 | Online publication for all six finalists

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $7

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Flash Fiction

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Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize

North American Review

The Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut. We love Vonnegut’s dark humor, but please avoid mere imitation. We are enthusiastic about all work painted with speculative fiction’s broad brush: fairy tale, magical realism, fabulism, the fantastic, horror, Afro-futurism, science fiction hard and soft, and everything in between. The winning entry will appear in the North American Review's annual summer issue, and all finalists will be considered for publication.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $23

Deadline: November 01, 2023


Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, Suspense

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Flash Fiction Competition

Write the World

“There was more room to think,” wrote novelist David Gaffney on becoming a flash fiction convert. Stories of the sudden/mini/micro variety pack the best parts of fiction into brimming, half-pint packages. Come celebrate the art of concision this month, dear writers, and write a story in 99 words or less.

Top prize

Best Entry: $100

Additional prizes

Runner up: $50, Best Peer Review: $50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: August 22, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Flash Fiction

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Creative Nonfiction Competition

Write the World

The teenage years are an in-between time, the stage linking our childhood to adulthood. It’s a time of internal transitions, as we find out more about who we are and who we want to be in the world. This month, use the tools of creative nonfiction to write about your own experience of this passage into adulthood.

Top prize

Best Entry: $100

Additional prizes

Runner up: $50 | Best Peer Review: $50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: July 18, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction

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Songwriting Competition

Write the World

Songs can tell stories, evoke emotion, even deliver lessons. Dear writers, what issue is most pressing to your generation? In an original song, channel this urgency into music, to be sung and celebrated—a rallying call for listeners near and far. This month, write your own song of change. We’ll select a winner for best lyrics and best performance.

Top prize

Best Lyrics: $100

Additional prizes

Best Performance: $100, Best Peer Review: $50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 20, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Poetry

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The Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition

The Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre

This one of a kind competition recognizes the most outstanding unproduced Canadian plays with a Jewish focus. The 2023 competition is co-presented by The Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (Manitoba), The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company (Ontario), and The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts (Quebec).

Top prize

$1,000 (CAN)

Additional prizes

Workshop with director and up to 6 actors with public reading

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: September 05, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Script Writing

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Hastings Book Festival - Short Story

Hastings Book Festival

Entries for the fiction section of the 2023 Hastings Book Festival Writing Competition are now open. Submissions can be on any subject and should be no more than 2500 words long.

Top prize

£250

Additional prizes

2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: July 14, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Short Story

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Hastings Book Festival Writing Competition - POETRY

Hastings Book Festival

Entries for the poetry section of the 2023 Hastings Book Festival Writing Competition are now open. Submissions can be on any subject and should be no more than 40 lines long long.

Top prize

£250

Additional prizes

2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: July 14, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Poetry

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African Diaspora Award

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc.

Submissions are open for Kinsman Quarterly’s African Diaspora Award. Top winners receive prizes up to $500 USD and publication within the Black Diaspora anthology. No entry fee required. Those eligible should submit an original, unpublished work in English that features themes of the African diaspora by July 15, 2023.

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $100 + Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: July 15, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Script Writing, Short Story, Young Adult

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Ovacome Writing Competition 2023

Ovacome

The theme for the 2023 Ovacome Writing Competition is 'Between'. This theme can be interpreted in many different ways - the possibilities are endless! Your short story does not have to be about health or ovarian cancer.

Top prize

£250

Additional prizes

Runner up: £50 Waterstones book voucher

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: September 15, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Short Story

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Novella Competition

Weatherglass Books

Write a work of literary fiction of novella length (20k-40k words) and be published by Weatherglass Books. Ali Smith will judge the short list.

Top prize

Advance of £1000 | Published by Autumn 2024

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $19

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Novella

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Fiction Factory Short Story Competition

Fiction Factory

This competition is held twice-yearly. Entries are welcomed from all over the world from writers aged 16 and above. Stories may be on any theme. Sadly we do not accept YA or children's fiction.

Top prize

£500

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $8

Deadline: October 31, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Short Story

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Fiction Factory Flash Fiction

Fiction Factory

This is an international competition, open to writers from all over the world over the age of 16. Stories may be on any theme but we sadly do not accept YA or Children's stories.

Top prize

£300

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $7

Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Crime, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

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SciFidea Award

SciFidea

Singapore-based SciFidea is inviting writers to submit their sci-fi stories set on or in a Dyson Sphere for a chance to win a grand prize of $20,000! The judges are seasoned veterans within the industry who have devoted many years to the science fiction genre and have been honored with prestigious awards such as the Hugo Award.

Top prize

$20,000 x 10 winners

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Science Fiction

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Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

Letter Review

The Letter Review Prize for Short Stories (1000-3000 words) is open to writers from anywhere in the world and has no theme or genre restrictions. Winners are published and every entry is considered for publication. 20 entries are Longlisted.

Top prize

$600

Additional prizes

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Short Story

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