Our Contest Lists database of the best writing contests is updated each month and contains information about a wide range of creative writing contests including fiction competitions, novel contests, poetry awards, nonfiction prizes, and many other varieties of creative writing competition. At Contest Lists we only list contests that have excellent and proven reputations in the industry. We don’t include scammers, meaning our lists are populated with trustworthy and legitimate contests. Make sure to contact organizers directly with any queries. Regarding fees: Many legitimate contests charge fees. However it is important to research each opportunity thoroughly to ensure you understand the terms and conditions of each contest.
Rolling Deadlines
The Letter Review Prize
Genre: Short Fiction, Poetry, and Books
Deadline: Rolling (every three months)
Prizes: The Letter Review Prize is an internationally celebrated event, offered every three months in the categories of Short Fiction, Poetry, and Books. The Letter Review publishes the winners, maintains shortlists, submits to the Pushcart, and awards over $16,000 USD annually to writers, meaning the prize is among the highest paying literary prizes administered by a literary journal in the world.
Entry Fee: $15 – $30
Enter here
The Poetry.com Contest
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: Rolling (monthly)
Prizes: $200 – $500
Entry fee: $25
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The Reedsy Prompts Contest
Genre: Fiction and Short Story
Deadline: Rolling
Prizes: $250 and publication on Reedsy Prompts; $25 credit for Reedsy Marketplace services for shortlisted entries
Theme: Submission must respond to one of five Reedsy writing prompts.
Entry fee: $5
Enter here
June 2026
The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition
Genre: Fiction (full-length children’s novel)
Deadline: June 1, 2026
Prizes: A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £7,500 – £10,000 and a discussion of representation with an agent
Entry fee: £25
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Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: June 15, 2026
Prizes: $25,000
Entry fee: $75
Enter here
The Moth Short Story Prize 2026
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: June 15, 2026
Prizes: 1,000€ – 3,000€
Entry fee: 17€ per story
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2026 Housatonic Book Awards
Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Deadline: June 15, 2026
Prizes: 3 x $1,500 in exchange for residency appearance
Entry fee: $25 plus processing fee
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FFF Competition Thirty-Four
Genre: Flash Fiction
Deadline: June 23, 2026 (22:00 BST)
Prizes: Winner: £200, 2x Highly Commended: £100, 3x Shortlisted: £80. All winners will receive publication.
Entry fee: £3.50 – £4.95 per entry
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2026 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry
Deadline: June 30, 2026
Prizes: £1,000 and publication in Wasafiri magazine, Chapter and Verse or Free Reads mentoring scheme in partnership with The Literary Consultancy (dependent on eligibility), as well as a one-year print subscription to
Wasafiri
Entry fee: £6 – £16
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Slate Roof Press 2026 Elyse Wolf Prize
Genre: Poetry (Chapbook)
Deadline: June 30, 2026
Prizes: $100 – $500
Entry fee: $10
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Burnside Review Chapbook Contest
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: June 30, 2026
Prizes: $200, publication, and ten copies of the chapbook
Entry fee: $15
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2026 Poetry London Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: June 30, 2026
Prizes: First prize £5,000, Second prize £2,000, Third prize £1,000.
Entry fee: For Poetry London subscribers the entry fee is £5 per poem; for non-subscribers it is £10.
Enter here
July 2026
Cheshire Novel Prize 2026
Genre: Fiction and Memoir
Deadline: July 1, 2026
Prizes: First prize £1,000 and highly commended £500
Entry fee: £29 (includes feedback)
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2026 HG Wells Short Story Competition
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: July 7, 2026 at 23:00 BST
Prizes: £500 – £1,000, and publication of all shortlisted entries
Theme: “The Cheat”
Entry fee: Free – £10
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Rattle Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: July 15, 2026
Prizes: $500 – $15,000
Entry fee: $30 (includes 1-year subscription) or free to current Rattle magazine subscribers
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Scriptation Showcase
Genre: Screenplay, Short Script
Deadline: July 19, 2026
Prizes: $1,000; $500 cash for best script in each category
Entry fee: $64 (by April 12) – $79 (by July 19)
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Winchester Poetry Prize 2026
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: July 31, 2026
Prizes: First place £1,000, Second place: £500, Third place: £250. Winning and commended poems published in anthology.
Entry fee: £7 for first poem, £5 for subsequent poems.
Enter here
Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition
Genre: Short Story
Deadline: July 31, 2026
Prizes: 1st prize: €2,000, publication in the literary journal Southword; 2nd prize: €800 and publication; Four Runners-Up: €400 and publication
Entry fee: 19€ per story
Enter here
August 2026
Bournemouth Writing Prize
Genre: Poetry and Short Story
Deadline: August 15, 2026
Prizes: £200 – £1,000, published in Dorset Magazine, entry read at the 2026 Bournemouth Writing Festival celebration event
Entry fee: £10 (for three poems or one short story)
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Oxford Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: August 31, 2026
Prizes: £500 – £2,000 and publication in Oxford Poetry magazine
Entry fee: £10 per poem
Enter here
September 2026
100 Voices of Florida
Genre: Short Film or Short Film Script
Deadline: September 20, 2026
Prizes: $5,000, meeting with industry professional, and career coaching
Entry fee: $25 (Florida-based) – $35 (outside of Florida)
Enter here