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Writing Competition Event Calendar

Opportunities for both experienced and aspiring writers to get published.

Welcome to the most comprehensive list of creative writing competitions, short story competitions, and various events for writers.

Each item on our list includes basic information about max word count, associated fees, submission deadlines, and the maximum prize that can be won. Clicking on an item opens a new page featuring a more detailed description and a link to the organizer’s submission page. Events that are free to enter are highlighted.

The most common type of writing competitions on our list are short story competitions, but we also feature opportunities for poetry, flash fiction, essays, and full manuscripts. We hope there is something here to satisfy every taste :)

We try to keep this list as up-to-date as possible. If you’d like to add any new writing competitions, please submit the details using the event submission form. We appreciate your feedback, so please feel free to message us with any ideas or suggestions. In case of any questions about a particular writing competition, please contact the event organizer.

If you’d like to learn more about the pros and cons of submitting your writing to such events, as well as some practical tips, please read our dedicated blog post on the topic. If you are looking to get some of your existing writing published, it is worth having a look at our curated list of creative writing journals and literary platforms accepting submissions. You may also want to check out our great list of books for writers (about writing).

august

14aug1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!Rebecca Swift Foundatin Women Poets’ PrizeInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 40 lines ,
Top Prize: £1,000 ,

15aug1:00 am1:00 amTwist & Twain Short Story ContestInternational Entry Fee: $9 ,
Max word count: 4,000 ,
Top Prize: Rs 25,000 ,

15aug1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineFree to enter!The Yale Drama SeriesCompetition for emerging playwrightsInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: Full manuscript ,
Top Prize: $10,000 and publication ,

19aug1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!Technological University Dublin Short Story CompetitionIreland Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 2,000 ,
Top Prize: €500 and publication ,

22aug1:00 am1:00 amBuzzwords Open Poetry CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £4 per poem or 3 poems for £10 ,
Max word count: 70 line ,
Top Prize: £600 ,

25aug1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!Bardsy's Dream Short Story ContestUSA Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 3,000 ,
Top Prize: $345 and placement in writing programme ,

26aug12:00 am11:59 pmRaconteur Literary Magazine 12-word Story ConestInternational Entry Fee: $3 ,
Max word count: 12 ,
Top Prize: $100 ,

28aug1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!Costa Short Story AwardUK Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 4,000 ,
Top Prize: £3,500 ,

30aug1:00 am11:59 pmTWTW Summer Short Story CompetitionUK Entry Fee: £10 ,
Max word count: 5,000 ,
Top Prize: £500 and publication ,

30aug1:00 am11:59 pmGulf Stream Summer ContestInternational Entry Fee: $7 ,
Max word count: 5,000 ,
Top Prize: $100 ,

30aug1:00 am1:00 amThe Masters Review Short Story Award For New WritersInternational Entry Fee: $20 ,
Max word count: 6,000 ,
Top Prize: $3,000 and publication ,

30aug1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineTom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry ContestInternational Entry Fee: $15 ,
Max word count: 250 lines ,
Top Prize: $3,000 ,

31aug12:00 am12:00 amMoved OnlineSaveas Writers’ International Writing Competition – ‘Post Apocalypse'UK Entry Fee: £3 ,
Max word count: 60 lines ,
Top Prize: £200 ,

31aug12:00 am12:00 amMoved OnlineExeter Story PrizeInternational Entry Fee: £12 ,
Max word count: 5,000 ,
Top Prize: £500 ,

31aug12:00 am11:45 pmMoved OnlineFree to enter!Under the Hooded Monster ContestUSA Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 10,000 ,
Top Prize: $100 ,

31aug12:00 am11:45 pmMoved OnlineTeens of Tomorrow Writing ContestInternational Entry Fee: £4 ,
Max word count: 5,000 ,
Top Prize: £200 ,

31aug12:00 am11:45 pmMoved OnlineBook Pipeline: AdaptationInternational Entry Fee: $55 ,
Max word count: N/A ,
Top Prize: $10,000 ,

31augAll DayWOW! Women On Writing Summer Flash Fiction ContestInternational Entry Fee: $10 ,
Max word count: 750 ,
Top Prize: $400, publication, interview, and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amMichael Terence Publishing Summer Short Story CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £5 ,
Max word count: 3,000 ,
Top Prize: £500, publication ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amGOLDEN HARE AWARD FOR SCOTTISH FLASH FICTIONInternational Entry Fee: £6 ,
Max word count: 250 ,
Top Prize: £300 and publication ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineThe Hysteria Writing CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 600 (short story), 100 (flash fiction), 12 lines (poetry) ,
Top Prize: £25 and publication 600 (short story), 100 (flash fiction), 12 lines (poetry) ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineAesthetica Short Fiction AwardInternational Entry Fee: £12 ,
Max word count: 2,000 ,
Top Prize: £1,000 and publication ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineEx Ophidia Press Poetry CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: $25 ,
Max word count: Full manuscript ,
Top Prize: $1,000 and publication ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineNot So Normal NarratorsDiverse and Unusual Teen VoicesInternational Entry Fee: £4 ,
Max word count: 5000 ,
Top Prize: £200 ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amChalk Circle Short Story CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: $7 ,
Max word count: 2,000 ,
Top Prize: $240 and publication ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!The Liberties Press ​Humorous Short Story CompetitionIreland Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 1,500 ,
Top Prize: €1,000 ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineFree to enter!The Val Wood Prize 2020: The Next ChapterInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 2,000 ,
Top Prize: £100 ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amEDINBURGH FLASH FICTION AWARDInternational Entry Fee: £6 ,
Max word count: 250 ,
Top Prize: £600 ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineFree to enter!Kindle Storyteller AwardInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: Full manuscript ,
Top Prize: £20,000 ,

31aug1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!Mountaineering Scotland Mountain Writing CompetitionUK Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 2,000 (prose), 200 (poetry) ,
Top Prize: £100 ,

september

01sep1:00 am1:00 amMoment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction ContestInternational Entry Fee: $25 ,
Max word count: 5,000 ,
Top Prize: $1,000 ,

02sep1:00 am1:00 amInsecure Writer's Support Group Anthology ContestInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 6,000 ,
Top Prize: Publication - Dancing Lemur Press ,

04sep1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineFree to enter!The Hubert Butler Essay PrizeInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 3,000 ,
Top Prize: £1,000 and publication ,

14sep1:00 am1:00 amSustainable Societies Children’s Novel CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 2,500 ,
Top Prize: £200 ,

14sep1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineOxford Brookes University International Poetry CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £5.00 ,
Max word count: 50 lines ,
Top Prize: £1,000 ,

15sep1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineInaugural Moth Nature Writing PrizeInternational Entry Fee: €15 ,
Max word count: 4,000 ,
Top Prize: €1,000, publication, and a week-long stay at The Moth Retreat in rural Ireland ,

15sep1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!The QueryLetter.com Writing ContestInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 100 ,
Top Prize: $500 ,

15sep1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!Ottery St Mary Creative Writing Competition Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 500 (short story), 40 lines (poetry) ,
Top Prize: £50 ,

18sep1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineManchester Fiction PrizeInternational Entry Fee: £18 ,
Max word count: 2,500 ,
Top Prize: £10,000 ,

21sep1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineMslexia Women’s Short Story CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £10 ,
Max word count: 3,000 ,
Top Prize: £3,000 and publication ,

26sep1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!Style X Black Writers’ Guild Essay CompetitionUK Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 800 words ,
Top Prize: Six months’ worth of mentoring, including a one-off mentoring session with Bernardine Evaristo ,

27sep1:00 am1:00 amFracturedlit Micro Fiction PrizeInternational Entry Fee: $20 ,
Max word count: 400 ,
Top Prize: $2000 and publication ,

28sep12:00 am11:45 pmMoved OnlineGrindstone Novel PrizeInternational Entry Fee: £20 ,
Max word count: 3,000 ,
Top Prize: £1000 and publication ,

30sep12:00 am11:45 pmThe First Page ChallengeInternational Entry Fee: $25 ,
Max word count: a single double-spaced page ,
Top Prize: $200 minimum (each entry contributes to pool; last contest paid out $870) ,

30sep1:00 am11:59 pmThe Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction AwardInternational Entry Fee: $20 ,
Max word count: 10,000 ,
Top Prize: $1,000 ,

30sep1:00 am1:00 amThe Galley Beggar Press Short Story PrizeInternational Entry Fee: £10 ,
Max word count: 6,000 ,
Top Prize: £2000 ,

30sep12:00 pm11:59 pmMoved OnlineHammond House International Literary PrizeUK Entry Fee: £10 ,
Max word count: 5,000 ,
Top Prize: £500 ,

october

01oct12:00 am11:59 pmFree to enter!Perito PrizeInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 2,000 ,
Top Prize: £500 ,

01oct1:00 am12:00 amFree to enter!The Bergen International Essay CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 2,000 ,
Top Prize: €2500 and publication ,

01oct1:00 am1:00 amPeter Porter Poetry PrizeInternational Entry Fee: $25 ,
Max word count: 70 lines ,
Top Prize: $6,000 ,

01oct1:00 am1:00 am30th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ PrizeInternational Entry Fee: $25 ,
Max word count: 8,500 words or any number of poems up to 10 pages ,
Top Prize: $5,000 Fiction, $5,000 Nonfiction, $5,000 Poetry ,

01oct1:00 am1:00 amSaints & Sinners LGBTQ Fiction ContestTennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary FestivalInternational Entry Fee: $20 ,
Max word count: 7,000 ,
Top Prize: $500 and publication ,

05oct12:00 am11:45 pmMoved OnlineBook Pipeline: UnpublishedInternational Entry Fee: $55 ,
Max word count: 120,000 ,
Top Prize: $15,000 ,

11oct1:00 am1:00 amBath Flash Fiction AwardInternational Entry Fee: £9 ,
Max word count: 300 ,
Top Prize: £1,000 ,

21oct1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineThe National Poetry CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £7 ,
Max word count: 40 lines ,
Top Prize: £5,000 ,

23oct1:00 am12:00 amFree to enter!Beartooth Anthony’s Halloween Campfire Story ContestInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: N/A ,
Top Prize: Snow Peak GigaPower Backpacking Stove ,

30oct1:00 am1:00 amPort Stephens Literature AwardsAustralia Entry Fee: $10 ,
Max word count: 2,000 ,
Top Prize: $300 ,

31oct1:00 am1:00 amOvacome Writing CompetitionOvarian Cancer Support SocietyUK Entry Fee: £5 ,
Max word count: 2,000 ,
Top Prize: £250 ,

31oct1:00 am11:59 pmSentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £5 ,
Max word count: 50 lines ,
Top Prize: £250 ,

31oct1:00 am11:59 pmFree to enter!Pressfuls 2020 Fantasy Short Story ContestInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 5,000 ,
Top Prize: $50 and publication ,

31oct1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineCranked Anvil Short Story CompetitionQuarterly Writing CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £5 ,
Max word count: 1,500 ,
Top Prize: £150 and publication ,

november

01nov12:00 am12:00 amMoved OnlineSeventh Drapers Guild Short Story ContestUSA Entry Fee: $15 ,
Max word count: No limit ,
Top Prize: $100 ,

01nov1:00 am12:00 amFree to enter!Flash fiction challenge: Visioning a Better World Beyond the PandemicInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 1,250 ,
Top Prize: €300 ,

01nov1:00 am1:00 amShooter Poetry CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £3 ,
Max word count: 100 lines ,
Top Prize: £150 and publication ,

15nov1:00 am1:00 amWordsmiths Short Story CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: £10 ,
Max word count: 5,000 ,
Top Prize: £500 ,

30novAll DayMoved OnlineThe Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: €7 ,
Max word count: 40 lines ,
Top Prize: €2,000, publication, a week\'s residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre ,

30nov1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineSoundwork Monologue CompetitionInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: monologue of up to ten minutes ,
Top Prize: Recording by professional actor and production for inclusion on Soundcloud and the Soundwork website ,

30nov1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!The Brunel International African Poetry PrizeInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 30 lines ,
Top Prize: £3000 ,

december

15dec1:00 am1:00 amFree to enter!International Competition for an Illustrated Children’s Book ProjectInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 5,400 ,
Top Prize: €2,500 ,

31dec1:00 am1:00 amWrite From The Heart Micro Fiction CompetitionA monthly Micro Fiction Competition with a differenceInternational Entry Fee: $2 ,
Max word count: 100 ,
Top Prize: A share in total prize pool ,

31dec1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineThe Moth Poetry PrizeInternational Entry Fee: €15 ,
Max word count: No line limit ,
Top Prize: €6,000 ,

31dec1:00 am1:00 amMoved OnlineFree to enter!Anisfield-Wolf Book AwardsInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: Full manuscript ,
Top Prize: $10,000 ,

31dec1:00 am1:00 amDevon and Cornwall International Novel Prize Entry Fee: £15 ,
Max word count: 5,500 ,
Top Prize: £2000, a trophy and online publishing contract ,

february

14feb1:00 am1:00 amHippocrates Prize for Poetry and MedicineInternational Entry Fee: £7 ,
Max word count: 50 lines ,
Top Prize: £1000 ,

april

01apr1:00 am1:00 amWergle Flomp Humor Poetry ContestInternational Entry Fee: Free ,
Max word count: 250 lines ,
Top Prize: $2,000 ,

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