The Irene Adler Prize is a scholarship for women writers, offering $1,000 to support their education in journalism, creative writing, or literature. The prize aims to celebrate and elevate women’s voices in writing.

From 2017 to 2022, this annual essay competition featured U.S. and Canadian entrants exclusively. Currently, the competition is open to entrants worldwide, and up to two $250 honorable mentions will be also awarded.

Applicants must be women enrolled in a recognized post-secondary institution. Eligible fields of study include journalism, creative writing, or literature.

Entry is free.

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.