Tennessee Williams Festival One-Act Play Contest

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

The 2025-2026 TWFest One-Act Play Judge is Justin Maxwell.

This contest is for emerging or previously unpublished playwrights. Published books include any book with an ISBN, including self-published. Those who have published books in other genres besides playwriting remain eligible. Only plays not previously published, professionally produced, or performed are eligible.

Grand Prize

• $1,500
• Professional Staged Reading at the next Festival
• VIP All-Access Festival pass ($600 value) for the next Festival
• Publication in Bayou Magazine
• Photo and bio on 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.