Even as summer is ending, so too are these contests and prizes… Before the opportunity passes you by, make the most of the time you have left! Send in those submissions!
Black Warrior Review Contests
We want you to play to your strengths, and Black Warrior Review has an opportunity for everyone in this contest! The 2019 Fiction Contest is judged by Rivers Solomon, the 2019 Nonfiction Contest is judged by Selah Saterstrom, and the 2019 Poetry Contest is judged by Tommy Pico. The first-place prize is $1500 and publication in each genre. There’s also a Flash Contest, judged by Vi Khi Nao, that awards $800 and publication. Let’s get started!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: September 1
Dogwood Literary Awards
These are actually three contests offered by Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose, looking for exceptional writing and outstanding poetry! Ellen Doré Watson is the judge for poetry, Ladee Hubbard is the judge for fiction, and the nonfiction judge will only be revealed later! Submissions may be up to 22 pages, or a set of 1-3 poems, and the winner of each contest receives $1000 and publication. Make sure to select the correct contest for your submission! Submit here.
Entry Fee: $10 Deadline: September 5
Young Lions Fiction Award
If you’ve published a book during the 2019 calendar year, and you’re younger than 35, this is an amazing opportunity tailor-made for you! Offered through the New York Public Library, both novels and short story collections are accepted, and the winner receives $10,000. This year is the twentieth anniversary of the first contest, and excitement is building! The winner will be announced during a special ceremony at the New York Public Library this spring. Apply now!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 6
Frontier Award for New Poets
Open to new and emerging poets, Frontier Poetry is hosting a contest to find the best single poem – they describe it as one full of color and fire, that strikes hot… Ocean Vuong, Eve L. Ewing, and Kaveh Akbar are judging. The winning poet will receive $3000 and publication for their poem, and second and third place receive $300 and $200 respectively. All ten finalists will be recognized. Get started!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: September 15
The Berlin Prize
The American Academy in Berlin is now accepting applications for their residential fellowships, to enrich transatlantic dialogue in the arts and address the themes of migration and social integration. This year there are an additional three specially designated fellowships: two Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in the Humanities, for work interested in comparative race and exile, and one Richard C. Holbrooke Fellowship, for a project that looks at diplomacy. Writers need one published book to be eligible, and fellowships are restricted to US residents. About twenty Berlin Prizes are awarded each year, and those selected receive round-trip airfare, a monthly $5000 stipend, and lodging at the Hans Arnhold Center. More details here!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 23
Cullman Center Fellowships
The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers offers up to fifteen fellowships each year, for academics, journalists, and creative writers. Part of the New York Public Library system, this is an amazing opportunity to access the research collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building! A Cullman Center Fellow receives a stipend of up to $75,000, an office, and full use of the Library’s physical and electronic resources. Don’t miss out!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 27
Poetry and Fiction Contest
This is a compilation of The New Guard’s two wonderful awards, the Machigonne Fiction Contest and the Knightville Poetry Contest! Fiction entries, judged by Elizabeth Hand, should be less than 5000 words, and poetry entries, judged by Richard Blanco, may include up to three poems. The winners will both receive $1500, and all entries will be considered for publication. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $22 Deadline: September 27
Dzanc Books Contests
Dzanc Books is offering a plethora of opportunities for all writers, with three different contests all ending this September! The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction, judged by Lee Martin, Elle Nash, and John Englehardt, awards a $5,000 advance and publication for the original and daring winning manuscript. The Dzanc Books Novella Prize bestows a $1500 advance and publication upon the winning work of fiction that is innovative and well-crafted, as long as it is between 18,000 and 40,000 words. Lastly, the Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Competition celebrates imaginative and inventive short form writing, offering a $2500 advance and publication to the winning submission. Check them all out!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 30
Hackney Literary Award For Novels
Sponsored by the Morris Hackney family, this is an amazing prize for any aspiring novelist! This $5000 prize will be awarded to an unpublished novel, and there is no limit on length or subject matter. Check it out now!
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: September 30
Juniper Literary Prizes
The University of Massachusetts Press honors the memory of Robert Francis, who lived and wrote his poetry in Fort Juniper, and applicants should keep in mind his dedication to creativity and nature! The Juniper Prize for Poetry awards $1000 and publication to two original poetry manuscripts, one first book prize for an unpublished author, and one prize for a previously published author. The Juniper Prize for Fiction also awards $1000 and publication to two original fiction manuscripts, one for a short story collection, and one for a novel. The Juniper Prize for Creative Nonfiction awards $1000 and publication to one original manuscript. Learn more here!
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: September 30
Miller Williams Arkansas Poetry Prize
This prize is named for and operated to honor the longtime director of the University of Arkansas Press, Miller Williams. Submissions of book-length poetry manuscripts should reflect his preference for poetry that was plain spoken, evocative, ironic, and humorous. The top four entries will receive publication, and the first-place winner also receives $5000. Submit here!
Entry Fee: $28 Deadline: September 30
New Criterion Poetry Prize
Presented by The New Criterion for a book-length manuscript of poems, this contest is open to new as well as established poets! Roger Kimball, George Green, and David Yezzi are judging, and they’re looking for a collection that pays close attention to form. The winner will receive $3000 and publication by Criterion Books next fall. More details here.
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 30
by Kimberly Guerin