G&A: The Contest Blog

Submissions are open for this year’s Ballard Spahr Prize for Poetry, a unique prize with no entry fee that champions “outstanding poets from the upper Midwest and brings their work to a national stage.” Administered by Milkweed Editions, the prize offers $10,000 and publication for a collection by a poet currently residing in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wisconsin.

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Using only the online submission system, submit a poetry manuscript of at least 48 pages by February 15. There is no entry fee. Tyehimba Jess will judge. The winner and finalists will be announced in April. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Founded in 1980, Milkweed Editions is a nonprofit independent press of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry based in Minneapolis. The Ballard Spahr Prize is one of several awards offered by the press, including the Jake Adam York Poetry Prize, which is presented in partnership with Copper Nickel, and the Max Ritvo Poetry Prize. Recent books published as winners of the Ballard Spahr Prize include Return Flight by Jennifer Huang and Wound From the Mouth of a Wound by torrin a. greathouse; greathouse was featured in the sixteenth annual look at debut poets from Poets & Writers Magazine.

February may be the shortest month of the year, but there are still plenty of writing contests to go around. These grants and awards close on either February 14 or February 15 and include three contests from the Academy of American Poets with no entry fee. All contests offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more.

Academy of American Poets Ambroggio Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Arizona Press is given annually for a book of poetry originally written in Spanish by a living writer and translated into English. Raina J. León will judge. Deadline: February 15. Entry fee: None.

Academy of American Poets Harold Morton Landon Translation Award: A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry translated from any language into English and published in the United States during the previous year. David Shook will judge. Deadline: February 15. Entry fee: None.

Academy of American Poets Raiziss/De Palchi Book Prize: A prize of $10,000 is given biennially for the translation into English of a significant work of modern Italian poetry published in the United States. Books by living translators are eligible. Nick Benson, Moira Egan, and Graziella Sidoli will judge. Deadline: February 15. Entry fee: None.

Arrowsmith Press Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry: A prize of $1,000 will be given annually for a poetry collection published in English by a writer who is not a citizen of the United States. The winner will also receive an invitation to read at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. Poets who are living in the United States as green card holders are among those eligible. Poets whose work appears in translation into English are also eligible. Carolyn Forché will judge. Deadline: February 15. Entry fee: $20.

Furious Flower Poetry Center Poetry Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Obsidian, the literary journal of Illinois State University, is given annually for a group of poems. The winner also receives a $500 honorarium to give a reading at James Madison University (either virtually or in-person, as public health allows). Poets who have published no more than one collection of poetry are eligible. Tim Seibles will judge. Deadline: February 15. Entry fee: $15.

Hippocrates Prize Prizes for Poetry and Medicine: A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,379) and publication in the Hippocrates Prize anthology and as a video recording on the Hippocrates website is given annually for a single poem on a medical theme. A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,379) and publication in the Hippocrates Prize anthology and on the website is also given for a single poem on a medical theme written by a health professional. Deadline: February 14. Entry fee: $10 ($15 for postal submissions).

New American Press Poetry Prize: A prize of $1,500, publication by New American Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Eduardo C. Corral will judge. Deadline: February 14. Entry fee: $20.

Sarabande Books Morton and McCarthy Prizes: Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication by Sarabande Books are given annually for collections of poetry and fiction. Terrance Hayes will judge in poetry and Susan Minot will judge in fiction. Deadline: February 15. Entry fee: $29.

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. 

Submissions are being accepted for the second Henry Morgenthau III First Book Poetry Prize. Given biennially for a debut poetry collection by a writer age seventy or older, the prize includes $3,000 and publication by Passager Books. This year’s judge is poet, musician, and educator David Keplinger. The winner will be revealed by April 1.

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Submit a manuscript of 30 to 40 poems with a $25 entry fee by January 30. Online and hard copy submissions are accepted. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Honoring the poetic legacy of Henry Morgenthau III, who published his first collection at the age of ninety-nine, this prize furthers the mission of Passager Books and their journal Passager “to honor the voices of older writers.” The winning poet will have their manuscript published within one year of the judge’s decision. The previous winner, and first recipient, of the Henry Morgenthau III First Book Poetry Prize was Dennis H. Lee, for his collection, Tidal Wave. 

Close out the first month of the new year by applying to contests with deadlines of January 30 or January 31. Eight of these opportunities are for fiction writers looking to submit anything from a short story to a novel-in-poems to flash fiction with a supernatural theme! All contests offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more, with one contest awarding a debut poet, age 70 or older, $3,000.

AKO Caine Prize for African Writing: A prize of £10,000 (approximately $13,794) is given annually for a previously published short story by a writer of African descent. Shortlisted writers will receive £500 (approximately $690). Writers who were born in Africa, who are African residents, or who have a parent who is African by birth or nationality are eligible. Deadline: January 31. Entry fee: None.

Black Lawrence Press Big Moose Prize: A prize of $1,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a novel. The contest is open to traditional novels as well as “novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, or other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel.” The editors will judge. Deadline: January 31. Entry fee: $27. 

Crazyhorse Writing Prizes: Three prizes of $2,000 each and publication in Crazyhorse are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Aimee Nezhukumatathil will judge in poetry, Venita Blackburn will judge in fiction, and Matt Ortile will judge in nonfiction. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: January 31. Entry fee: $20.

Ghost Story Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition: A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Ghost Story website and in the 21st Century Ghost Stories anthology is given twice yearly for a flash fiction piece with a supernatural or magical realism theme. Tara Lynn Masih will judge. Deadline: January 31. Entry fee: $15. 

Iowa Review Awards: Three prizes of $1,500 each and publication in Iowa Review are given annually for works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Donika Kelly will judge in poetry, Louisa Hall will judge in fiction, and Inara Verzemnieks will judge in nonfiction. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: January 31. Entry fee: $20. 

Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Individual Artist Grants for Women: Grants of up to $1,500 each are given in alternating years to feminist poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers who are citizens of the United States or Canada. This year grants will be awarded to fiction writers. Deadline: January 31. Entry fee: $25.

New Millennium Writings Awards: Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in New Millennium Writings are given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, a work of flash fiction, and a work of creative nonfiction. Previously unpublished works or works that have appeared in a journal with a circulation of under 5,000 are eligible. The editors will judge. Deadline: January 31. Entry fee: $20.

North Carolina Writers’ Network Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize: A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a short story or a self-contained novel excerpt. Crystal Wilkinson will judge. Deadline: January 30. Entry fee: $25 ($15 for NCWN members).

Passager Books Henry Morgenthau III First Book Poetry Prize: A prize of $3,000 and publication by Passager Books will be given annually for a first book of poems by a writer age 70 or older. David Keplinger will judge. Deadline: January 30. Entry fee: $25. 

Poetry Northwest James Welch Prize: Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Poetry Northwest will be given annually for a single poem by an Indigenous poet. The winners will also receive an all-expenses paid trip to read with the judge in the fall. Writers who have published no more than one full-length book and who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its territories are eligible. Elise Paschen will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: January 31. Entry fee: None.

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. 
 

The deadline is approaching for the Ellen Meloy Fund Desert Writers Award. The $5,000 prize is intended to enable a nonfiction writer to spend creative time in a desert environment. The fund specifically seeks to support projects that will contribute “new perspectives and deeper meaning to the body of desert literature.” Writers must detail a literary or creative nonfiction book project that they hope to develop through the fund in their application. The award is open to both U.S. and international applicants, and writers may seek to travel to any desert in the world.

Using only the online submission system, submit up to 10 pages of creative nonfiction, a project proposal, and a biographical statement of up to one page with a $15 entry fee by January 15. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

The Ellen Meloy Fund was founded in honor of the accomplished essayist and desert writer Ellen Meloy, who died in 2004. The Desert Writer Award was first given in 2006. Then $1,000, the grant size has steadily increased over the years. Victoria Blanco of Minneapolis received the most recent award and is at work on a book project involving the Chihuahuan Desert.

Finish this second pandemic year on a high note by submitting to a writing contest! These twenty grants and awards close on December 31 and include five contests with no entry fee. All but one offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more.

Ashland Creek Press Siskiyou Prize for Environmental Literature: A prize of $1,000 is given biennially for an unpublished or published book of fiction or creative nonfiction that focuses on the environment, animal protection, ecology, or wildlife. The winner also receives a two-week residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, located on the central Oregon coast. Deb Olin Unferth will judge. All unpublished entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $25.

Before Columbus Foundation American Book Awards: Awards are given annually for books published in the United States during the previous year to recognize “outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community.” Entry fee: None.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Awards: Four prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a first novel, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) by African American writers published in the United States in the previous year. The awards honor books that depict the “cultural, historical, and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.” Entry fee: None.

Boulevard Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers: A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a nationally distributed book. The editors will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $16 (includes subscription).

Burnside Review Press Book Award: A prize of $1,000, publication by Burnside Review Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Sommer Browning will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $25 (includes a title from the press’s catalogue).

Center for Book Arts Letterpress Poetry Chapbook Competition: A prize of $500 and letterpress publication by the Center for Book Arts is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner will also receive 10 copies of their chapbook and an additional $500 to give a reading with the contest judge at the Center for Book Arts in New York City in fall 2022, and a free weeklong residency at the Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, New York, for their Wintertide Rustic Retreat. Mei-mei Berssenbrugge will judge. Entry fee: $30.

Cleveland Foundation Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards: Three to four prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published during the previous year that “contribute to our understanding of racism and appreciation of cultural diversity.” Rita Dove, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Joyce Carol Oates, Simon Pinker, and Steven Schama will judge. Entry fee: none.

Crosswinds Poetry Contest: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Crosswinds is given annually for a single poem. Chard deNiord will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $20.

Florida Review Jeanne Leiby Memorial Chapbook Contest: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Florida Review is given annually for a chapbook of short fiction, short nonfiction, or graphic narrative. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $25.

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry Griffin Poetry Prize: Two prizes of $65,000 CAD (approximately $51,912) each are given annually for poetry collections published during the previous year by a Canadian poet or translator and by an international poet or translator. Finalists in each category receive $10,000 CAD (approximately $7,987) for their participation in the Griffin Poetry Prize Shortlist Readings held in Toronto. Entry fee: None.

Hub City Press C. Michael Curtis Short Story Book Prize: A prize of $5,000 and publication by Hub City Press is given biennially for a short story collection. Writers who have published no more than one book and who currently live in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, or West Virginia are eligible. Kevin Wilson will judge. Entry fee: $25.

Kallisto Gaia Press Acacia Fiction Prize: A prize of $1,200 and publication by Kallisto Gaia Press will be given annually for a collection of short works of fiction. Entry fee: $25 (includes a copy of the winning collection).

Kallisto Gaia Press Saguaro Poetry Prize: A prize of $1,200 and publication by Kallisto Gaia Press will be given annually for a poetry chapbook. Entry fee: $25 (includes a copy of the winning chapbook).

LitMag Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction: A prize of $2,500 and publication in LitMag is given annually for a short story. The winner will have their work reviewed by agents from Bankoff Collaborative, the Bent Agency, Brandt & Hochman, Folio Literary Management, InkWell Management, Sobel Weber Associates, and Triangle House Literary. The editors will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $20.

Livingston Press Tartt Fiction Award: A prize of $1,000, publication by Livingston Press, and 100 author copies is given annually for a first collection of short stories by a U.S. citizen. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: None.

Moth Poetry Prize: A prize of €6,000 (approximately $7,032) and publication in the Moth is given annually for a single poem. Three runner-up prizes of €1,000 (approximately $1,172) each are also given. The four shortlisted poets, including the winner, will also be invited to read at an awards ceremony at the Poetry Ireland festival in Dublin in spring 2022. Warsan Shire will judge. Entry fee: €15 (approximately $18) per poem.

Poetry Society of America Alice Fay di Castagnola Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website will be given annually for a group of poems from a manuscript-in-progress. Major Jackson will judge. Entry fee: $15.

Poetry Society of America Robert H. Winner Memorial Award: A prize of $2,500 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website is given annually to a poet over 40 who has published no more than one book. Traci Brimhall will judge. Entry fee: $15.

Press 53 Award for Short Fiction: A prize of $1,000, publication by Press 53, and 50 author copies is given annually for a story collection. Claire V. Foxx will judge. Entry fee: $30.

Tupelo Press Dorset Prize: A prize of $3,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives a weeklong residency at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $30.

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Submissions are open for the 2021 Essay Press Book Contest, cosponsored by the University of Washington in Bothell MFA program. Given for manuscripts “that extend or challenge the formal possibilities of prose,” the award includes publication by Essay Press, a cash prize of $1,000, and an invitation to read on the Bothell campus near Seattle, travel expenses covered. Lyric essays, prose poems or poetics, experimental biography and autobiography, and hybridized text/art manuscripts, among other forms, are eligible. Ronaldo Wilson will judge.

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Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 70 to 200 pages with a $20 entry fee ($25 to receive a copy of a previously published Essay Press book) by December 15. Some fee waivers are available. All entries will be considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Authors Eula Biss, Stephen Cope, and Catherine Taylor founded Essay Press in 2006. The independent, volunteer-run press publishes “artful, innovative writing that questions convention and explores issues of significant contemporary relevance.” Previous winners of the book contest include Valerie Hsiung, Silvina López Medin, and Yanara Friedland.

Calling all poets with a chapbook manuscript! New York City’s Center for Book Arts (CBA) is accepting submissions for its annual Letterpress Poetry Chapbook Competition. The winning poet’s chapbook will be published by CBA in a limited edition designed by a book artist. The winner will also receive a cash prize of $500, an honorarium of $500 to participate in a reading with CBA, and a weeklong residency at Millay Arts in Austerlitz, New York. This year’s judge is Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge.

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Using the online submission system, submit a poetry manuscript of up to 21 pages (or 450 lines) with a $30 entry fee by December 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A tradition for over twenty-five years, the Letterpress Poetry Chapbook Competition has previously honored work by poets including Miriam Bird Greenberg, Luisa A. Igloria, and Katerina I. Ramos-Jordán. Bianca Rae Messinger won last year’s competition with Parallel Bars.

Get into the holiday spirit and apply to the following contests, which all have deadlines of November 30 or December 1. Three of the opportunities are for poets looking to publish their debut collections. All contests offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more, and one lucky writer will have the opportunity to give a reading in Washington, D.C.!

African Poetry Book Fund Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry: A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Nebraska Press in conjunction with Amalion Press is given annually for a debut poetry collection by an African poet. Writers who were born in Africa, are African nationals or residents, or whose parents are African are eligible. The African Poetry Book Fund editorial board will judge. Deadline: December 1. Entry fee: None.

Autumn House Press Rising Writer Prize in Poetry: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Autumn House Press is given biennially for a debut poetry collection. The winner will also receive a $500 grant for travel and book promotion. Donika Kelly will judge. All finalists will be considered for publication. Deadline: November 30. Entry fee: $25 (may be waived in cases of financial need).

BOA Editions A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions is given annually for a first book of poetry by a U.S. resident. Stephanie Burt will judge. Deadline: November 30. Entry fee: $25.

Breakwater Review Fiction Contest: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Breakwater Review is given annually for a story. All finalists are considered for publication. Deadline: December 1. Entry fee: $10.

Fish Publishing Short Story Prize: A prize of €3,000 (approximately $3,517) and publication in the annual Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short story. The winner will also be invited to attend a five-day short story workshop and read at the West Cork Literary Festival in July 2022. Sarah Hall will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: November 30. Entry fee: $26.

Green Linden Press Wishing Jewel Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Green Linden Press will be given annually for a book of poetry “that challenges expectations of genre, form, or mode” and that “questions the boundaries of what poems and books can be.” Christopher Nelson will judge. All finalists will be considered for publication. Deadline: November 30. Entry fee: $25.

Hawai’i Council for the Humanities Tony Quagliano Poetry Award: A prize of $1,000 will be given biennially to a poet with a body of work that “pushes the boundaries of poetic craft” who also “contributes meaningfully to the literary community.” Poets who have published at least 25 poems in journals, anthologies, chapbooks, or books are eligible. The award particularly seeks to recognize poets with a connection to Hawai’i or the Pacific. Deadline: December 1. Entry fee: None.

Narrative Fall Story Contest: A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, a short graphic narrative, or an excerpt from a longer work of prose. A second-place prize of $1,000 and publication in Narrative is also awarded. The editors will judge. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: November 30. Entry fee: $27.

Regal House Publishing W.S. Porter Prize for Short Story Collections: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Regal House Publishing will be given annually for a short story collection. The editors will judge. Deadline: December 1. Entry fee: $25.

Waywiser Press Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize: A prize of $3,000 and publication by the Waywiser Press is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who has published no more than one previous collection. The winner will also be invited to give a reading in with the contest judge in conjunction with the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. Deadline: December 1. Entry fee: $29.

Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Submissions are open for the second annual The Bird in Your Hands Prize, which is administered by Thin Air Magazine and “centers and celebrates BIPOC voices.” BIPOC writers at any stage in their careers are invited to submit a short work of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, for the opportunity to win $1,000, publication in Thin Air Magazine, an interview on Thin Air Online, and an all-expenses paid trip to read at the Northern Arizona Book Festival in April next year.

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Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of up to 500 words by December 1. There is no entry fee. Raquel Gutiérrez will judge. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Published by the Northern Arizona University English Department, Thin Air Magazine is run by graduate students and features fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts, as well as hybrid work and work that cannot be categorized. Operating out of Flagstaff, Arizona, the nonprofit is “the highest-elevation literary journal in the country” and aims to “build and maintain a Flagstaff–based literary community that reaches across the Colorado Plateau and beyond.”