Tennessee Williams Festival Fiction Contest

Submissions are open for Tennessee Williams Literary Festival Fiction Contest, which awards $1,500 to the grand prize winner!

This contest is open only to emerging writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Published books include any book with an ISBN, including self-published. Those who have published books in other genres besides fiction remain eligible. Only previously unpublished stories will be accepted.

The 2025-2026 TWFest Fiction Judge is Ladee Hubbard.

Grand Prize

• $1,500
• Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the Festival in New Orleans
• VIP All-Access Festival pass for the next Festival ($600 value)
• Public reading at the next Festival
• Publication in French Quarter Journal
• Photo and bio on our website.
• Interview feature in newsletter and social media pages.

Is this competition legit?YES! – Based on our research this event is legitimate and the organizer is well established. However, as with any event, please remember to do your own research before submitting your work.

FAQ
If you are curious how writing competitions work, or it’s your first time entering one, we recommend reading our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page first.

ProWritingAid
We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives. Visit their website and try ProWritingAid for free.