All the top writing contests.
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2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize
Deadline: 13 October 2025
All poets writing in English are eligible to enter.
Poets are invited to submit original poems, up to 60 lines in length.
Each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee of AU$30.
The winner will receive AU$6,000. The other four shortlisted poets will each receive AU$1,000.
2025 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers
Deadline: 7 September 2025
The competition is open to any writer who has not published a novel or memoir with a major press. You may submit previously unpublished fiction or creative nonfiction up to 6,000 words. The entry fee is $20. The winner receives $3,000.
The Yale Drama Series 2026
Deadline: 15 August 2025
The Yale Drama Series is an international competition for emerging playwrights.
Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays written in English.
The competition is free to enter.
The winner will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000 and publication of their manuscript by Yale University Press.
The National Poetry Competition 2025
Deadline: 31 October 2025
The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over. International entries are welcome.
All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length. Entries can be on any subject.
The first poem submitted costs £8. Subsequent entries in the same submission cost £6 per poem.
• 1st prize: £5,000
• 2nd prize: £3,000
• 3rd prize: £2,000
35th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize
Deadline: 1 October 2025
Writers can submit one piece of fiction or nonfiction up to 8,500 words or any number of poems between 6 to 12 pages.
All entries must be accompanied by a $25 entry fee.
Winners receive publication and a cash prize:
• $5,000 Fiction
• $5,000 Nonfiction
• $5,000 Poetry
Mslexia Women's Short Story Competition 2025
Deadline: 22 September 2025
The competition is open to women of any nationality from any country.
You may submit unpublished short stories of up to 3,000 words.
Entry fee: £12 per story.
The winner will receive £3,000. Three additional finalists will each receive £100.
2025 Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction
Deadline: 31 August 2025
The competition is open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished, who are over 16 years.
Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. Maximum length is 250 words.
The entry fee is £10 per story.
• First prize: £2,000
• Second prize: £500
• Third prize: £250
The Moth Nature Writing Prize 2025
Deadline: 30 September 2025
The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16. You can submit both poetry and prose. There is a word limit of 4,000. The entry fee is 15 € per entry. Prizes:
• 1st prize: 1,000 € and a week at The Moth Retreat in Ireland
• 2nd prize: 500 €
• 3rd prize: 250 €
Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition 2025
Deadline: 31 July 2025
The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast short stories in the English language of 3,000 words or fewer. The story can be on any subject, in any style.
Entry fee: 19 € per story.
Prizes:
• 1st prize: 2,000 €
• 2nd prize: 500 €
• Four Runners-Up: 400 €
Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest 2025
Deadline: 1 October 2025
You may submit poems on any theme, up to 250 lines each. Entry fee: $25 per submission of 1-3 poems. Prizes: • Tom Howard Prize : $3,500 for a poem in any style or genre
• Margaret Reid Prize: $3,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style
• Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $500 each (any style)
Winchester Poetry Prize 2025
Deadline: 31 July 2025
The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over.
Poems may be on any subject and in any form or style.
Entry fees: £6 for first poem and £5 for subsequent poems.
• 1st Prize: £1,000
• 2nd Prize: £500
• 3rd Prize: £250
2025 Rattle Poetry Prize
Deadline: 15 July 2025
The competition is open to poets of any nationality writing in English. You may submit up to four poems per entry. The $30 USD entry fee is a one-year subscription to Rattle magazine.
The overall winner will receive a cash prize of $15,000. Ten finalists will each receive $500, and be eligible for the $5,000 Reader's Choice Award.
Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2025
Deadline: 31 August 2025
The competition is open to anyone. There are two categories: Poetry and Short Fiction. Entry fees: from £12 to £18. Prizes: • £2,500 for the Poetry Winner • £2,500 for the Short Fiction Winner