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Writing Competitions in 2022

Opportunities for aspiring and experienced writers.

Welcome to the most comprehensive list of writing competitions available online. Our list includes short story, poetry, and flash fiction competitions, as well as some events for essay writers, screenwriting, and even entire novel manuscripts. Each item on our list includes basic information about max word count, entry fees, submission deadlines, and the first place prize.

Please do your own research before deciding to enter any event. In case of questions about a particular event, please reach out to the event organizer.

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may

21mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Spectrum: Poetry Celebrating IdentityInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:100 lines Top Prize:£200

22mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Creative Future Writers’ AwardCompetition is for underrepresented writers in the UKUKEntry Fee:Free Max word count:50 lines (poetry), 2000 words (fiction) Top Prize:£100, publication and professional mentorship

25mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Time Travelers ContestInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit Top Prize:€2,000

29mayAll DayThe Welsh Poetry CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:£6 Max word count:50 lines Top Prize:£500

31may12:00 am11:59 amArena Fantasy Magazine's Say What? CompetitionUKEntry Fee:£2 Max word count:1500 Top Prize:Annual subscription to AFM and publication

31mayAll DayThe Bridport International Creative Writing Competition 2022InternationalEntry Fee:£9 - £20 Max word count:42 lines (poetry), 5000 (short story), 250 (flash fiction), 8000 (novel) Top Prize:£5,000

31mayAll DayThe Irene Adler Prize for Women WritersA $1,000 Scholarship for Women WritersInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:500 Top Prize:$1,000 scholarship

31mayAll DayThe Yeovil Literary PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:£5-£14.50 Max word count:Various Top Prize:£1250

31mayAll DayThe Changing American SouthA Fellowship from the Writers' Colony at Dairy HollowUSAEntry Fee:$35 Max word count:more than 10 pages, double-spaced Top Prize:A two-week residency at the Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow with food provided. Valued at $1,215.

31mayAll DayThe Bath Novel Award 2022InternationalEntry Fee:£29 Max word count:£3,000 Top Prize:first 5,000 words of a novel of at least 50,000 words followed by a one page synopsis

31mayAll DayCranked Anvil Flash Fiction CompetitionUKEntry Fee:£5 Max word count:500 Top Prize:£150 plus publication online and possible future print anthology

31may1:00 am1:00 amFiction Factory Poetry CompetitionAll proceeds will be donated to the Ukraine appealInternationalEntry Fee:£3 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize:£100 plus an assessment on 5 further poems and a 1 hour long mentor session with poet and author Helen Cox

31mayAll DayArena Fantasy Magazine's A Hidden Quest competitionUKEntry Fee:£10 Max word count:5000 Top Prize:£70 and publication

31mayAll DayArena Fantasy Magazine's 2k Flash CompetitionUKEntry Fee:£2 Max word count:2000 Top Prize:£20 and publication

31mayAll DayArena Fantasy Magazine's The 300 CompetitionUKEntry Fee:£1.50 Max word count:300 Top Prize:Annual subscription to AFM and publication

31mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Arena Fantasy Magazine's Freebie - Deathbed Confessions CompetitionUKEntry Fee:Free Max word count:3500 Top Prize:Annual subscription to AFM and publication

31mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Outsideleft Short Story CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:1000 Top Prize:£100, a trophy and publication

31mayAll DayFrome Festival Short Story CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:£8 Max word count:2,200 Top Prize:£400 and publication

31mayAll DayTHE FROGMORE POETRY PRIZEInternationalEntry Fee:£4 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize: 250 guineas

31mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Herstories Project - Call for Submissions: Coupling and Uncoupling Seeking personal essays about love, marriage, divorce, dating, and being single at midlifeInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:1,200 Top Prize:$50

31mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Inkitt's Mystery Writing ContestInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit (10,000 word minumum) Top Prize:Publishing contract

31mayAll DayWOW! Women on Writing Spring 2022 Flash Fiction ContestInternationalEntry Fee:$10 Max word count:750 Top Prize:$400, publication, interview, and $25 Amazon gift certificate

31mayAll DayThird Annual M.F.K. Fisher Last House Writing ContestCelebrating author M.F.K. FisherUSAEntry Fee:$40 (free for children) Max word count:750 Top Prize:M.F.K. Fisher books and press release, blog post and social promotion of winning essays

31mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Inkitt's Steamy Spring Writing ContestInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit (10,000 word minumum) Top Prize:Publishing contract

31mayAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!GENESIS JEWISH BOOK WEEK EMERGING WRITERS' PROGRAMMEAPPLICATIONS FOR THE 2022 PROGRAMME ARE NOW OPEN UKEntry Fee:Free Max word count: 1,200 words (prose) or three poems Top Prize:bursaries of up to £1,500, mentorship, peer-support and a programme of writing seminars

31mayAll DayThe Synopsis Skirmish - A WRITING CONTEST FOR QUERYING AUTHORSInternationalEntry Fee:$5 Max word count:500 Top Prize:$700

june

01junAll DayThe Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:80,000 Top Prize:£10,000 and publication

03junAll DayWrite By The Sea Writing CompetitionsShort Story, Flash Fiction and Poetry CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:€10 Max word count:Check website Top Prize:€1,000

03junAll DayCanterbury Festival Poet of the YearInternationalEntry Fee:£5 Max word count:60 lines Top Prize:£200

05junAll DayDRABBLEXTRAVAGANZASleek City Press Short Fiction InternationalEntry Fee:$8 Max word count:100 Top Prize:$250

05junAll DayBath Flash Fiction AwardInternationalEntry Fee:£9 Max word count:300 Top Prize:£1,000

05junAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!VOICE.CLUB - ZEN GARDEN - FLASH FICTIONInternationalEntry Fee:FREE Max word count:350 Top Prize:$50 Amazon gift card and publication

06junAll DayBlackInk New Writing CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:2,000 Top Prize:£500 and publication

14junAll DayAurora Prize for WritingNational short story and poetry competitionUKEntry Fee:£9 Max word count:2,000 (short fiction), 60 lines (poetry) Top Prize:£500, feedback from a literary agent or editor and membership to Society of Authors

15junAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!International Essay Contest for Young PeopleInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:700 Top Prize:100,000 Yen

15junAll DayStories Through The Ages - Baby Boomers PlusInternationalEntry Fee:$25 Max word count:4000 Top Prize:$500

15junAll DayThe Other Side II Short Story ContestNAInternationalEntry Fee:INR 150 (~ USD 2) Max word count:3000 Top Prize:Publication

17junAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Bureau Dispatch Writing CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:1,500 Top Prize:$50 and publication

27junAll DayNarratively’s Spring 2022 Memoir PrizeUSAEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:7,000 Top Prize:$3,000 and publication

29junAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting AwardInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit Top Prize:$2,500

30junAll DayQueen Mary Wasafiri New Writing PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:£10 Max word count:3,000 Top Prize:£1,000 and publication

30junAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Drue Heinz Literature PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:300 pages Top Prize:$15,000 and publication

30junAll DayBlackwater Press Short Story ContentINKInternationalEntry Fee:$5 Max word count:none! Top Prize:$150 and publication

30junAll DayPoetry London PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:£8 Max word count:80 lines Top Prize:£5,000

30junAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Bulwer Lytton Fiction ContestInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:60 Top Prize:Publication (and bragging rights)

30junAll DayThe Moth Short Story PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:€15 Max word count:4,000 Top Prize:€3,000

30jun12:19 am12:19 amBoston Review 2022 Writing Contests - Poetry and Short StoriesInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:10 pages (poetry), 5,000 words (short story) Top Prize:$1,000 and publication

30junAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Virtual EventThe Aleph Writing PrizeUKEntry Fee:Free Max word count:10,000 Top Prize:a limited edition handmade publication to the best piece of fiction

30junAll DayThe Henshawpress Short Story CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:£6 Max word count:2000 Top Prize:£200

30junAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Lindisfarne Prize for Crime FictionInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count: 10,000 Top Prize:£2500 to support the completion of work and funding towards a year’s membership of both the Society of Authors (SoA) and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)

july

01julAll DaySaudi Historical Fiction AwardsInternationalEntry Fee:£10 Max word count:5,000 (short story), 150,000 (novel) Top Prize:£10,000

10julAll DayMcLellan Poetry CompetitioInternationalEntry Fee:£6 Max word count:80 lines Top Prize:£1,300

11julAll DayLiterary Taxidermy Writing CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:$10 (20% goes to Ukraine) Max word count:2000 Top Prize:$500 and publication in this year's anthology

11julAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!HG Wells Short Story CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:5,000 Top Prize:£1,000 and publication

15julAll DayTHE PAGE ONE PRIZE FOR NOVELISTSUSAEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:No limit Top Prize:$1000

15julAll DayThe Rattle Poetry PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:$25 Max word count:No limit Top Prize:$15,000

15julAll DayTales By Moonlight Novelle Writing CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:40,000 Top Prize:$1000

18julAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Writers & Artists Working Class Writers' PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count: 2,000 Top Prize: £200, mentorship and development

24julAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Black Voices in Children's Literature Writing ContestUSAEntry Fee:Free Max word count:800 words Top Prize:$1,000 and a meeting with Strive and Free Spirit editors

30julAll DayNorth Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books8th year sponsored by Winning WritersInternationalEntry Fee:$70 Max word count:200,000 Top Prize:$8,000 plus additional benefits

30julAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Speculative Fiction/Horror Shorty StoriesInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:1,500 Top Prize:$200 and publication

31julAll DayWinchester Poetry PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:£5 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize:£1,000

31julAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Polar Expressions National Poetry and Short Story ContestCanadaEntry Fee:Free Max word count:48 lines (poetry), 750 workds (short story) Top Prize:$500

31julAll DayDillydoun Flash Fiction PrizeUSAEntry Fee:$18 Max word count:1,000 Top Prize:$2,000 and publication

31julAll DayThe Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:€19 Max word count:3,000 Top Prize:€2,000, publication in the Southword literary journal, a week-long residency at Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat.

31julAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Foyle Young Poets of the Year AwardInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit Top Prize:Publication and residential writing course

august

01augAll DayThomas Merton Poetry of the Sacred ContestContemplative poetry that seeks to connect with the sacredInternationalEntry Fee:$15 Max word count:1,000 Top Prize:500

15augAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Yale Drama SeriesCompetition for emerging playwrightsInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit (minimum of 65 pages) Top Prize:$10,000 and publication by Yale University Press

24augAll DayLedbury Poetry Festival Poetry CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:£6 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize:£1000

31augAll DayANTHOLOGY SHORT STORY AWARDInternationalEntry Fee:€15 Max word count:1,500 Top Prize:€500 and publication

31augAll DayAesthetica Creative Writing Award 2022InternationalEntry Fee:£8-£12 Max word count:40 lines (poetry), 2,000 words (short fiction) Top Prize:£2,500 and publication

31augAll DayWillesden Herald Short Story CompetitionFor a place in our book series New Short Stories #12InternationalEntry Fee:£5 Max word count:7000 Top Prize:£300

31augAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Immerse Education Summer School Essay CompetitionUKEntry Fee:Free Max word count:Check website for details Top Prize:Take your chance to win a 100% academic scholarship to our Cambridge Summer School.

31augAll DayHysteria Short Story Writing CompetitionUKEntry Fee:£3 Max word count:1,000 Top Prize:£300 and publication

31augAll DayOxford Flash Fiction PrizeWrite yourself into history and become one of the greats with the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize. InternationalEntry Fee:£6 Max word count:1000 Top Prize:£1000

31augAll DayHysteria Poetry Writing CompetitionUKEntry Fee:£3 Max word count:12 lines Top Prize:£300 and publication

31augAll DayHysteria Flash Fiction Writing CompetitionUKEntry Fee:£3 Max word count:250 Top Prize:£300 and publication

31augAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Kindle Storyteller AwardInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit Top Prize:£20,000, book launch merchandising package on Amazon.co.uk

31augAll DayTHE EDINBURGH AWARD FOR FLASH FICTIONSCOTTISH ARTS TRUST STORY AWARDSInternationalEntry Fee:£7 Max word count:250 Top Prize:£2,000 and publication

31augAll DayUniversity of New Orleans Press Publishing Lab PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:$28 Max word count:No limit Top Prize:$10,000 advance on royalties and publishing contract

september

01sepAll DaySoldiers’ Arts Academy International Poetry CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:£4 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize:£50 in cash and a collection of poetry books

04sepAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Face Project - Story Competition28 Stories / 28 Weeks / 28 Paintings / 1 PublicationInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:1000 Top Prize:Feature in an unique art and literature publication

15sepAll DayThe Moth Nature Writing PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:€15 Max word count:4,000 Top Prize:€1,000 and a week at Circle of Misse in France. The winning piece will be published in the winter issue of The Moth.

30sepAll DayTom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest20th year, sponsored by Winning Writers and DuotropeInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:250 lines Top Prize:$3,000

30sepAll DayMiller Williams Poetry PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:$28 Max word count:90 pages Top Prize:$5,000 and publication

30sepAll DayCreative Writing Ink Short Story CompetitionUKEntry Fee:£9 Max word count:3000 Top Prize:£1000

30sepAll DayCrowvus Christmas Ghost Story CompetitionNow in its 6th YearUKEntry Fee:£3 Max word count:4000 Top Prize:£100

30sepAll DayOlga Sinclair PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:£9 Max word count:2000 Top Prize:£500

30sepAll DayDreamers Flash Fiction and Nonfiction ContestEntry Fee:$12.50 Max word count:1000 Top Prize:$150 and publication

30sepAll DayThe Ovacome Writing CompetitionInternationalEntry Fee:£5 Max word count:1,500 Top Prize:£250

october

01octAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Essential Queer Voices of U.S. PoetryUSAEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit Top Prize:Publication

01octAll DayGrindstone International Novel PrizeInternationalEntry Fee:£16 Max word count:5,000 Top Prize:£1,000

02octAll DayDillydoun Short Story PrizeUSAEntry Fee:$25 Max word count:8,000 Top Prize:$5,000 and publication

31octAll DayAnthology Poetry AwardEntries are now invited for the Anthology Poetry AwardInternationalEntry Fee:€10 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize:€500 cash prize and the chance to see work published in a future issue of Anthology

november

01novAll DayCaledonia Novel AwardInternationalEntry Fee:£25 Max word count:No limit Top Prize:£1,500

30novAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Six Word Wonder ContestStories, poems, memoirs, and jokesInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:6 Top Prize:$100 and publication

december

31decAll DayMy Writing Journey CompetitionWrite an essay about the best writing tip you ever received!InternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:600 Top Prize:$200

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