The Nimrod Literary Awards

The Nimrod Literary Awards are organised by Nimrod International Journal, a long-standing literary magazine published by the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, USA. This annual competition comprises two major prizes – the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction and the Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry – rewarding excellence in unpublished fiction and poetry and offering publication alongside cash awards. The competition is international, open to writers anywhere provided the work is in English and unpublished elsewhere.

Submissions must be original and previously unpublished. For fiction, entrants may submit one short story or a self-contained novel excerpt of up to 5,000 words. For poetry, writers may submit 3–8 pages of poems (one long poem or a set of shorter poems).

Prizes:

• First Prize: $2,000 and publication
• Second Prize: $1,000 and publication

The winners will also take part in a virtual Awards Ceremony and reading in the fall of the contest year. All finalists in fiction and poetry will be published and paid at Nimrod’s standard publication rate of $20/page. Semifinalists in poetry will also be published and paid at Nimrod’s standard publication rate.

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.

Newsletter
Our newsletter delivers a carefully curated roundup of the newest writing contests and submission calls from around the world—straight to your inbox. Join our growing community of writers who stay informed and ahead of deadlines → Subscribe on Substack (free).