The list below is an archive of events where the deadline has aleady passed. For a list of all current (upcoming) events, please refer to our main calendar page.

Current Month

February

fri14feb11:11 pm11:11 pmCompletedRhys Davies Short Story CompetitionCategoryShort StoryUnited KingdomEntry Fee:£8 Max word count:5,000 Top Prize:£1,000 and publication

sat15feb5:24 pm5:24 pmCompletedMurder Squad Short Story CompetitionCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee:£8 Max word count:1500 Top Prize:£100 cash prize and winner certificate

sun23feb10:00 am10:00 pmCompletedFFF Competition Twenty-SixCategoryFlash FictionInternationalEntry Fee:£3.95 Max word count:300 Top Prize:£150

sun23feb7:05 pm6:00 pmCompletedBook a Break Flash Fiction CompetitionCategoryFlash FictionInternationalEntry Fee:€8 Max word count:500 Top Prize:Four-night stay for two people in Aix en Provence, France

mon24feb10:58 pm10:58 pmCompletedThe Elmbridge Literary CompetitionCategoryPoetry,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:£8 (free for under 18s) Max word count:1500 (short story); 30 lines (poetry) Top Prize:£250

thu27febAll DayCompletedNext Generation Short Story AwardsA not-for-profit international awards program for authors of short stories.CategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee:$25 Max word count:5,000 Top Prize:$500 and publication

fri28feb12:00 am11:59 pmCompleted7th Annual First Thousand Words Contest by Writerwerx UniversityCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee:$10 Max word count:1,000 Top Prize:$1,100 in cash and prizes, your book 20,000 book lovers, award badge, winning author featured annually in contest promotions.

fri28feb12:00 am11:59 pmCompletedRigel 2025 Contest for Authors and ArtistsCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee:$5 Max word count:1,500 (short stories); 14 lines (poetry); 6 pages (graphic novels) Top Prize:$100 and publication

fri28feb12:00 pm12:00 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedVoice.club Monthly Flash Fiction ContestCategoryFiction,Flash Fiction,Short Fiction,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:FREE Max word count:350 Top Prize:$25

fri28feb2:14 pm2:14 pmCompletedThe Margery Allingham Short Mystery CompetitionCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee:£18 Max word count:3,500 Top Prize:£500

fri28feb2:19 pm2:19 pmCompletedEmerging Author Dagger Crime Novel CompetitionCategoryNovelInternationalEntry Fee:£42 Max word count:3,000 (novel opening) + 1,500 (synopsis) Top Prize:£500

fri28feb2:52 pm11:59 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedWrite or Flight - The World's First Reality Show For WritersCategoryMemoirInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:2000 Top Prize:$10,000 book advance

fri28feb2:57 pm2:57 pmCompletedAWP Award Series 2025CategoryFull ManuscriptInternationalEntry Fee:$30 Max word count:Depends on category (check organizer's website) Top Prize:$5,500 and publication

fri28feb2:58 pm2:58 pmCompletedEdinburgh Essay AwardOpen to writers worldwide and essays on any topicCategoryEssayInternationalEntry Fee:£10 Max word count:2,000 Top Prize:£1,000

fri28feb3:03 pm3:03 pmCompletedEdinburgh Short Story Award 2025Open to unpublished writers worldwideCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee:£11 Max word count:2000 Top Prize: £3,000

fri28feb3:09 pm3:09 pmCompletedEdinburgh Young Adult Fiction PrizeFor Novels and Graphic NovelsCategoryNovelInternationalEntry Fee:£25 Max word count:5,000 Top Prize:£1,500

fri28feb3:30 pm3:30 pmCompletedSTAR Award for Published Women's Fiction AuthorsCategoryFull ManuscriptInternationalEntry Fee:$60 Max word count:No limit (60,000 words minumum) Top Prize:$500

fri28feb4:19 pm11:59 pmCompletedCranked Anvil Quarterly Flash Fiction PrizeCategoryFlash FictionInternationalEntry Fee:£5 Max word count:500 Top Prize:£100

fri28feb5:00 pm5:37 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedBridge House Annual AnthologyCall for submissionsCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:5000 Top Prize:Publication (24 stories selected)

fri28feb5:28 pm5:28 pmCompletedTHE 2025 NEW ENGLAND READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS CONTESTCategoryNovel,NovellaInternationalEntry Fee:$30 Max word count:80,000 Top Prize:Story & Character Development Coaching by Jeannie Moon of Five Harbor Literary

fri28feb6:35 pm11:59 pmCompletedWOW! Winter 2025 Flash Fiction ContestCategoryFlash FictionInternationalEntry Fee:$10 Max word count:750 Top Prize:$400, publication, interview, and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate

fri28feb8:22 pm8:22 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedThe Canterbury Tales Writing CompetitionCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:500 Top Prize:£300 for winner and £1000 for their school library

March

sat01mar11:32 am11:32 amThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedPilgrimages Travel Writing Competition 2025CategoryMemoir,Non-fiction,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:1800 Top Prize:$300

sat01mar5:10 pm5:10 pmCompletedEthos Literacy Annual Short Short Story ContestCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee:$10 Max word count:100 Top Prize:$200

sat01mar8:35 pm8:35 pmCompletedWeatherglass Novella Prize 2025CategoryNovellaInternationalEntry Fee:£20 Max word count:40,000 Top Prize:£500 and publication

sat01mar10:53 pm10:53 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedThe Curae Prize 2025A literary award just for writer-carersCategoryNon-fiction,Poetry,Short FictionInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:4,000 (short fiction, non-fiction); 40 lines (poetry) Top Prize:£250, publication, mentoring session with literary agent Jo Williamson

mon03mar12:02 am5:00 pmCompletedGutsy Great Novelist Chapter One PrizeCategoryNovelInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:No limit Top Prize:$1000

mon03mar4:49 pm4:49 pmCompletedBardsy’s 2025 Anthology Contest: First ChaptersCategoryNovelUSAEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:2500 Top Prize:$1,000

wed12mar5:00 pm12:00 amThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedLove Letter To My Toxic Trait ChallengeCategoryLetterInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:No limit Top Prize: $85, 1 month African Voices Fellowship Subscription, free Writer’s Handbook, Featured Author Spotlight

sat15mar7:12 pm7:12 pmCompletedPerkoff Prize 2025CategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee: $15 Max word count:Depends on category. Check with organizer. Top Prize:$1,000

mon17mar11:57 pm11:57 pmCompletedThe Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize 2025CategoryShort StoryUnited KingdomEntry Fee:£10 Max word count:5,000 Top Prize:£1,000

fri28mar11:48 pm11:48 pmCompleted​Red Shed Poetry Competition 2025CategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£3.50 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize:£100

fri28mar11:56 pm11:56 pmCompletedThe Plough Poetry Prize 2025CategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£5 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize:£1,000

sun30mar10:47 pm10:47 pmCompletedRhina Espaillat Poetry AwardCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$7 Max word count:50 lines Top Prize:$2,000 and publication

mon31mar12:00 am12:00 amCompletedBath Short Story Award 2025CategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee:£9 Max word count:2,200 Top Prize:£1,000

mon31mar12:00 am11:59 pmCompletedThe E. H. P. Barnard Spring Poetry Prize 2025CategoryPoetryUnited KingdomEntry Fee:£2 Max word count:400 Top Prize:£150 and a poem video, professionally performed and produced

mon31mar12:04 am12:04 amCompletedThe London Magazine Poetry Prize 2025CategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£10 Max word count:40 lines Top Prize:£500

mon31mar1:00 am11:59 pmCompletedFirst Writing Competition Judged by AICategoryFull Manuscript,Unpublished BooksInternationalEntry Fee:$30 Max word count:80,000 Top Prize:Publication

mon31mar9:46 am11:59 pmCompletedThe Dark Poets Prize - Edition IIICategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee:£5 Max word count:250 Top Prize:£500

mon31mar1:44 pm11:59 pmCompletedThe Letter Review Prize for PoetryCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee:$15 Max word count:70 lines Top Prize:$333

mon31mar1:47 pm1:47 pmCompletedThe Letter Review Prize for Short FictionCategoryFiction,Short Fiction,Short StoryInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:5000 Top Prize:$333

mon31mar1:51 pm11:59 pmCompletedThe Letter Review Prize for NonfictionCategoryEssay,Memoir,Non-fictionInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:5000 Top Prize:$333

mon31mar1:54 pm11:59 pmCompletedThe Letter Review Prize for BooksCategoryChapbook,Essay,Fiction,Full Manuscript,Memoir,Non-fiction,Novel,Novella,Poetry,Prose,Short Fiction,Short Story,Unpublished BooksInternationalEntry Fee:$25 Max word count:5000 Top Prize:$333

mon31mar2:51 pm2:51 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedDeborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award 2025CategoryFull ManuscriptUK & IrelandEntry Fee:Free Max word count:20,000 Top Prize:£10,000

mon31mar3:28 pm3:28 pmCompletedThe Clay Reynolds Novella PrizeCategoryNovellaInternationalEntry Fee:$20 Max word count:50,000 Top Prize:$1,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and 10 copies of the published book

mon31mar3:33 pm3:33 pmCompletedLouise Bogan Award for Excellence in PoetryCategoryPoetryUSAEntry Fee:$25 Max word count:120 pages of poetry Top Prize:$1000, twenty copies of published book, and assistance in marketing the book

mon31mar8:51 pm8:51 pmThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!CompletedThe Tom Grass Writing PrizeCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee:Free Max word count:3000 Top Prize:£1,000

mon31mar8:24 pm8:24 pmCompletedInception 2025 ContestCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee:$5 Max word count:250 (prose); 25 lines (poetry) Top Prize:$100 and publication

mon31mar10:32 pm10:32 pmCompletedThe Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2025CategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee:€15 Max word count:No limit Top Prize:€1,000, publication, and a week at Circle of Misse in France

mon31mar11:19 pm11:19 pmCompletedLittle Kanawha Reading Series Chapbook ContestCategoryPoetry,ProseUSAEntry Fee:$10 Max word count:25 pages Top Prize:$200, publication, author copies of book, invitation to be a featured reader at the Little Kanawha Reading Series