Contests

The Fiddlehead, Atlantic Canada's International Literary Journal (NB), invites entries to its 19th annual contest in short fiction and poetry. Prizes: Winners $1000; two $500 honourable mentions in each category. Entry fee: $30; check site for international fees (includes subscription). Deadline: December 1, 2009. More details...

Read Me Publishing (US) invites entries for their science fiction contest. First prize: US$50. Theme: "What If." Length: 5000 words max. Selected stories to be included in a print anthology. No entry fee. Deadline: August 31, 2009. More details...

Review Fuse (US) invites entries for the Review Fuse Poetry Contest. Prize: US$100 Theme: Open Length: 50 lines max. Entry Fee: $0 (must register for free Review Fuse account and complete peer reviews). Deadline: September 25, 2009. More details...

The Bridport Prize (UK) is accepting poems and short stories for its annual contest. First prize in each category: £5000; additional prizes available. Open to international entrants. Poems: 42 lines max. Fiction: 5000 words max. Entry fee: £6 per poem, £7 per story. Deadline: June 30, 2009. More details...

Entries are invited for the Review Fuse Flash Fiction Contest. Prize: US$100 Cash. Length: 1000 words max. Theme: Open (must adhere to clean content policy). Entry Fee: $0 (must register for free Review Fuse account and complete peer reviews). Deadline: July 31, 2009. More details...

This Magazine invites poetry and fiction entries for their annual Great Canadian Literary Hunt. First prize in each category: $750 plus publication in a special literary supplement to the Nov/Dec 2009 issue. Length: Poems -- 100 lines max, and short stories -- 3000 words max. Entry fee: $20 (includes subscription). Deadline: July 2, 2009. More details...

Canada’s oldest and strangest literary festival The Scream (ON) seeks poems on the theme: The Book is Dead. Winner of the contest will read on July 2nd during the Scream's opening night event (Toronto). Submit two poems. Deadline: June 26, 2009. More details...

Aesthetica (UK) invites fiction, poetry, and artwork entries for the Aesthetica International Creative Works Competition. Prizes: £500 in each category. Finalists published in the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual. Submit 5 images, 2 short stories, or 5 poems. Open to international writers. Entry: £10. Deadline: August 31, 2009. More details...

Quattro Books (ON) invites entries for the 2010 Ken Klonsky ovella Contest. Two best novella manuscripts will be published as part of their Spring or Fall 2010 Publication List. Length: 15000-42000 words. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: September 30, 2009. Open to Canadians only. More details...

Pop Montreal and Matrix Magazine invite fiction and poetry entries for the Matrix Litpop Award. Categories: Fiction (5000 words max.) and Poetry (up to 5 poems). Prize: a round-trip ticket to Pop Montreal from September 30-October 5, VIP pass to the Pop Montreal Festival, accommodation, publication in Matrix Magazine with full honorarium, and presentation at a special Matrix Litpop event. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: July 15, 2008. More details...

Caketrain Journal and Press (US) invites entries for their 2009 Chapbook Competition. First prize: US$250 plus 25 copies. Genre: Poetry. Length: 20-50 pages. Entry fee: US$15. Deadline: October 1, 2009. More details...

The Words Alive Literary Festival (ON) is accepting entries in its 3rd Annual Writing Competition. Theme: Memoir writing. Open to unpublished authors. Prize details not indicated. Deadline: June 5, 2009. More details...

WOW! Women On Writing (US) invite entries for their Winter 2009 Flash Fiction Contest. Open prompt. 750 words max. Entry fee: US$10 or US$20 with critique. 15 winners total. Awards: US$200, US$150, US$100 plus gift certificates and WOW! goodie bags. Deadline: May 31, 2009. More details...

Biblioasis invites entries for the Revenge-Lit: A Thought You Were Dead Flash Fiction Contest. Prize: $100 cash, publication in CNQ and Biblioasis press collection. Submit flash fiction 250 words max. on the (fictional) literary critic whose body once filled the chalk outline and what he did to get there. Deadline: June 12, 2009. More details...

Review Fuse (US) invites entries for the Review Fuse Poetry Contest. Prize: US$50 Cash. Theme: A Bull Fighter. Length: 50 lines max. Entry Fee: $0 (must register for free Review Fuse account and complete peer reviews). Deadline: August 31, 2009. More details...

Entries are invited for the Tony Hillerman Prize (US) for the 2009 Hillerman Mystery Competition. Submit novel manuscripts (approx. 60,000 words) set in the American Southwest. Prize: US$10,000. Deadline June 1, 2009. More details...

Review Fuse (US) invites entries for the Review Fuse Short Story Contest. Prize: US$50 Cash. Theme: Open (must adhere to clean content policy). Length: 10000 words max. Entry requirement: must register for account (free) and complete peer reviews. Deadline: June 27, 2009. More details...

The Miller's Tale Books (ON) invites entries for a writing competition in celebration of Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month. First prize: $250. Any genre,1500 words max. Entries must include a bicycle reference. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: June 30, 2009. More details...

The North Shore Writers' Association (BC) invites entries for their 13th Annual Writing Contest. First prize: $100 plus publication. Length: Fiction and nonfiction -- 2000 words max; Poetry -- up to 3 poems per entry, 40 lines max. Open to all Canadians. Entry fee: Adults $15 and Youth (13-18) $5. Deadline: April 30, 2009. More details...

The Writers' Union of Canada invites entries for their Writing for Children Competition. Prize: $1500. Entries of the winner and finalists will be submitted to three publishers of children's books. Length: 1500 words max. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: April 24, 2009. More details...

The Memoir (and) award Prizes for Memoir in Prose or Poetry to the most outstanding prose or poetry memoir -- traditional, nontraditional or experimental -- drawn from the reading period. Grand prize: US$500 plus six copies. Deadline: August 15, 2009. More details...

Boyne Writers Group (Ireland) invite satirical writing for the 2009 Swift Satire competition. Subjects: Banks and Bankers: A Modest Proposal or A Tale of a Tiger: Fat Cats Bring Down the Big Cat. (Reference is to the collapse of Ireland’s “Celtic Tiger” economy.) Entries judged on satire, irony, absurd humour, acute political insight, grotesque imagination, and lacerating wit – the hallmarks of Jonathan Swift's best works. Prizes: 1st €500, 2nd €300, 3rd €100. Length: Prose -- 600-800 words; Poetry -- 30-100 lines. Entry fee: €7 (or £5 or $10) per entry. Deadline: June 5, 2009. More details...

Print journal Geist (BC) invites entries for the Geist Fortune Cookie Contest, "the writing contest based on faux wisdom and vague predictions." Submit fiction, poetry, essays, rants, etc. inspired by or based on a fortune cookie. First prize: $250. Length: 500 words max. Entry fee: $20 (includes subscription). Deadline: June 1, 2009. More details...

The Coast seeks fictional postcard stories inspired by Halifax, its landmarks, people, mood, weather, or style. Prize: $100 plus publication in The Coast's 16th anniversary issue. Length: 250 words max. Deadline: April 27, 2009. Submit as a Microsoft Word attachment with name, email and phone number to arts@thecoast.ca. (via WANL)

Event magazine (BC) invites submissions for its annual Creative Non-Fiction contest. Three winners will each receive $500 plus payment for publication. Length: 5000 words max. Deadline: April 15, 2009. Entry fee: $29.95 (includes subscription). More details...

Meridian Writing (UK) invites entries for their quarterly short story competition. Prizes: £100, £50, and £25. Length: 3000 words max. No theme, any genre. Entry fee: £5. Deadline: June 30, 2009. More details...

The Northwoods Writers Festival invites fiction and non-fiction entries for The Great Northern Canada Writing Contest 2009. First prize: 500 and publication in above&beyond magazine; special Emerging Writer prize: $250. Theme: life in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik or Northern Labrador. Deadline: April 30, 2009. More details...

The Ontario Poetry Society is now accepting submissions for poetry manuscripts for The Golden Grassroots Chapbook Award. Open to all Canadian Citizens. First prize: $50 plus 50 free chapbooks. Entry fee: $15 (all entrants will receive one copy of the winning book). Deadline: April 30, 2009. More details...

Entries are invited for New Millennium Awards for Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction. Appreciates "originality, accessibility, musicality, psychological insight, and moral sensibility." Entry fee: US$17. Deadline: June 17, 2009. More details...

Arc: Canada's National Poetry Magazine invites entries to its 14th Annual International Poem of the Year Contest. First prize: $1500, second prize: $1000; third prize: $750. Winning poems published in Arc's Winter 2008 issue. Entrants may submit up to two unpublished poems. Entry fee: $23 (includes subscription). Deadline: June 30, 2009. More details...

Dream Quest One (US) invites poetry and short story entries for their writing contest. First prizes: $500 (fiction) and $250 (poetry). Fiction: 5 pages max. Poetry: 30 lines max. Theme: open. Entry fees: US$10 per story or US$5 per poem. Deadline: July 31, 2009. More details...

Bottle Tree Productions invites entries for their One Act Play Competition for Writers. First prize is $1000. Any length. Entry fee: $25. Plays can have been previously produced. Deadline: November 30, 2009. More details...

Room Magazine invites entries for their 2009 Annual Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Non-fiction Contest. First prize in each category: $500. Deadline: June 15, 2009. Poetry: max. 3 poems or 150 lines. Fiction: 4000 words max. Entry Fee: $27 (includes subscription). Winners will be published in a 2010 issue. More details...

Theatre In the Raw (BC) invites entries for the 6th Biennial 2009 One-Act Play Writing Contest. First prize: $150 cash prize and at least one dramatic reading or staging of the play. Genres: comedy, tragedy, drama or radio play. Length: 25 pages/ 30 minutes. Six characters max. Enry fee: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2009. More details...

Entries are invited for the Camber Press Fiction Chapbook Award (US). Grand prize: US$1000 plus publication and copies. Length: 10,000 words max. Deadline: April 30, 2009. Entry fee: US$15. More details...

Entries are invited for the 2009 R.A.I.L. Awards (US). Prizes are US$25-$200 in fiction, playwriting and poetry. Deadline: May 31, 2009. Entry fee: US$10. More details...

The Antigonish Review (NS) invites entries for the 9th annual Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest and the 5th annual Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize. First prize in each contest: $600 plus publication. Entry fee: $25; enter both contests for an additional $10. Deadlines: May 31, 2009 (fiction) and June 30, 2009 (poetry). More details...

Albedo One, Ireland's magazine of speculative fiction, invites entries for the Aeon Award 2009 short fiction contest. Open to international writers. Grand prize is €1000 and publication. Submissions: 8000 words max., in any speculative genre (e.g. fantasy, science fiction, horror, etc.). Entry fee: €7. Deadline: November 30, 2009. More details...

The Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association invites entries for "The Saving Bannister" 24rd Annual Poetry Anthology Contest. Ontario residents only. Prizes: $200, $100 and $50 to the top three finalists. Winners will have their poems appear in "The Saving Bannister" anthology along with the judge's additional selections. Entry fee: $15 for 3 poems; $4 each additional poem. Deadline: May 31, 2009. More details...

gritLIT (ON) seeks "interesting poetry that shows the way." First prize: $200; other prizes available. Twenty free copies of the chapbook to each prize winner. Submit up to 350 lines of poetry, in any form, on any subject. May be a single poem or multiple poems. Deadline: June 1, 2009. Entry Fee: $20. More details...

Writers from Canada and around the world are being invited to enter a monthly short story competition run by Certys Limited (County Durham, England). Prizes: £100 for the monthly competition; £250 for the annual competition. Entry fee: £5. Deadline: ongoing; last day of each month. More details...