Bridport Prize
SeasonalInternational awards for poetry, short stories, flash fiction and novels.
PoetryShort storiesNovel
Prize: Varies by category
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Annual cycle
Database
Writing contests now open
Compare established competitions across poetry, fiction, essays and books, with fees and prize information shown plainly.
12 opportunities found
Check official details
Bath Short Story Award
SeasonalInternational competition for unpublished short fiction.
Short stories
Prize: £1,200 first prize
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Annual cycle
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
SeasonalAn annual award for unpublished short fiction from the Commonwealth.
Short stories
Prize: Regional and overall prizes
Entry: Free
Deadline: Annual cycle
Fish Publishing Short Story Prize
SeasonalA long-running international competition with anthology publication.
Short stories
Prize: €3,000 first prize
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Annual cycle
Manchester Writing Competition
SeasonalMajor international prizes for poetry and fiction manuscripts.
PoetryFiction
Prize: £10,000 per category
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Annual cycle
Mslexia Women’s Fiction Competition
SeasonalAwards and publication opportunities for women writing fiction.
NovelShort storiesFlash fiction
Prize: Varies by category
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Multiple cycles
New Voices Award
SeasonalLee & Low Books award for an unpublished children’s picture book manuscript.
Children’s
Prize: $2,000 plus contract
Entry: Free
Deadline: Annual cycle
Oxford Poetry Prize
SeasonalInternational competition for a single unpublished poem.
Poetry
Prize: £1,000 first prize
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Annual cycle
Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest
SeasonalPublication and awards for writers who have not yet published a book.
FictionNonfictionPoetry
Prize: $2,000 per genre
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Annual cycle
The Moth Poetry Prize
SeasonalAn international prize for an unpublished poem, judged by a leading poet.
Poetry
Prize: €6,000 first prize
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Annual cycle
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
SeasonalOpen international competition for short fiction and essays.
FictionEssay
Prize: $3,500 top prizes
Entry: Entry fee
Deadline: Annual cycle
Writers of the Future Contest
OpenQuarterly competition for emerging speculative fiction writers.
Science fictionFantasy
Prize: Quarterly and annual prizes
Entry: Free
Deadline: Quarterly
Dates, fees, eligibility and award amounts can change. Confirm every detail on the organiser’s official website before applying.