Contests

Night Wolf Publications seeks paranormal romance manuscripts. Length: 50,000-100,000 words. Zombie stories can be "light, dark, humorous, serious, gory & greasy, or carefully exfoliated." Deadline: September 14, 2010. More

Entries are invited for Red Tuque Books' 2010 Canadian Tales of the Fantastic Short Story Competition. First prize: $500. Submissions must contain an element of the fantastic and be "identifiably Canadian." All winning entries will be published in an anthology. Length: Entry fee: $15. Deadline: October 31, 2010. More

Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary Journal is now accepting submissions for its 2010 annual writing competition. Submit short fiction, poetry, and essays on Jewish themes that touch the lives and experiences of Jewish women. First prize in each category: $250. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: September 1, 2010. More

The Ginosko Literary Journal (US) is accepting short fiction and poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, social justice concerns, spoken word recordings for upcoming issues. Also accepting entries for the Ginosko Short Fiction Contest: “Awakening”. Deadline: September 1, 2010. Grand prize: US$1000 prize. Entry fee: US$12 (money order to “Ginosko” or pay to Paypal account GinoskoEditor@aol.com) More

New deadline. Room Magazine (BC) invites entries from women for its 2010 Annual Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Non-Fiction Contest. Length: Fiction (3,500 words max.), Poetry (3 poems or 150 lines max.), Creative Non-Fiction (3,500 words max.) Entry fee: $27 (includes subscription). Prizes: 1st prize in each category: $500, 2nd prize: $250. Deadline: July 15, 2010. More

Caketrain Journal and Press (US) invites entries for their 2010 Chapbook Competition. First prize: US$250 plus 25 copies. Genre: Fiction. Length: 20-50 pages. Entry fee: US$15. Deadline: October 1, 2010. More

Registration is now open for the 33rd Annual International 3-Day Novel Contest.The goal: write a complete novel in only 72 hours. The reward: one coffee-stained, tear-tinged, rule-breaking first draft. (Also: 1st Prize: Publication; 2nd Prize: $500; 3rd Prize: $100.) Labour Day weekend, Sept. 4-6, 2010. Entry fee: $50. More

The Malahat Review (BC) invites entries for their Creative Non-Fiction Prize. First prize: $1000. Submissions may be personal essay, memoir, cultural criticism, nature writing, or literary journalism. International writers also welcome. Length: 2000-3000 words. Entry fee: $35 (includes subscription). Deadline: August 1, 2010. More

Mill Street Books (ON) invites entries for a writing competition in celebration of Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month. Prizes: $200, $100 gift certificate, $50 gift certificate. Submit short stories, 1500 words max. A bicycle must be an important part of the story. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: June 30, 2010. More

Feathertale invites writers and poets to pen one of Shakespeare's plays as if it were originally conceived on a Twitter feed. Winning submissions will be published on Feathertale.com and in The Feathertale Review. Deadline May 31, 2010. More

Entries are invited for the Bottle Tree Productions (Kingston, ON) One Act Play Competition for Writers 2010. Up to 70 minutes in length. First prize $1,000. $25 entry fee. Deadline: November 30, 2010. More

Link corrected 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 29-October 3, 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: June 19, 2010. More

subTerrain Magazine's Lush Triumphant Literary Awards (BC) invites entries in fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. Winners in each category receive $750 plus publication in subTerrain. Deadline: May 15, 2010. Entry fee: $25 (includes subscription). More

Elora Writers' Festival invites entries for their 7th annual writing competition. Prizes: $100, $75, $50 (Adults). Age categories: adult, teen (13-19), junior (12 and under). Submit: Short story/personal essay (2000 words), poetry (75 lines max), or one-act plays. Entry fee: $15. Open theme. Deadline: May 3, 2010. More

INHOUSEPRESS invites short story entries (1000 words max.) for the 2010 Human Potential Writing Competition. The winner (first prize) will be published on-line. Deadline: May 15, 2010. More details...

The Dream Quest One.com invites international entries for their Poetry & Writing Contest. Accepting poems (30 lines max.) and short stories (5 pages max.) on any subject or theme. First prize poetry: US$250US; First prize short fiction/non-fiction: US$500. Entry fees: US$5 (poetry) and US$10US. Deadline: July 31, 2010. More details...

The Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest is sponsored by The New Quarterly editor Kim Jernigan and family in celebration of the man who sparked their love of poetry. First prize: $1000; another $1000 in secondary prizes.Deadline: May 1, 2010. Entry fee: $40 for 2 poems (includes sub.) More details...

The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest is open to essays of any length, on any topic, in which the writer's personal engagement with the topic provides the frame or through-line. First prize: $1000. All entries considered for paid publication in The New Quarterly. Deadline: May 1, 2010. Entry fee: $40 (includes sub.) More details...

Hamilton, Ontario's literary festival seeks three outstanding works of short fiction and three suites of poems for the gritLIT Challenge of Three. First prize: $200. Winning entries published in a chapbook. Length: 3000 words or 300 lines. Deadline: June 1, 2010. Entry fee: $20. More details...

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, 2010. Entry fee: $29.95 (includes subscription). More details...

The Beacon Social Justice Literary Society invites submissions of social justice novel manuscripts. First prize: $1000 plus publication Roseway Publishing. Two encouragement prizes also available. Open to writers living in "one of the three Maritime provinces." More details...

Print and online journal Vallum: contemporary poetry (QC) invites poetry entries for their contest. First prize: $750 plus publication. Deadline: June 30, 2010. Entry fee: $20 (for up to 6 poems, includes subscription). More details...

The Elora Writers' Festival invites entries for its 7th annual writing competition. Prizes $100,$75, $50. Submit: Prose to 2000 words, poetry maximum 75 lines. Open theme. Deadline: May 3, 2010. More details...

Geist magazine invites entries for the Jackpine Sonnet Contest. First prize: $500. Entry fee: $10 (includes digital subscription) Deadline: July 1, 2010. Winners will be published in Geist magazine, Poetry Is Dead magazine and the Tyee. More details...

Memoirs Ink's Elements Writing Contest is accepting entries of short personal essay, creative non-fiction, poemoir or vignette. Theme: Air/wind/space. Deadline: April 2010). Length: 750 words max. Prizes: US$500, US$250, US$125 + publication. Entry fee: US$10 first entry. More details...

SFU's The Writer's Studio and Anvil Press (BC) are looking for original, book-length manuscripts (one winner each in creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry), by emerging Canadian writers who have not previously published a book. Entry fee: $55. Deadline: May 31, 2010. More details...

Entries of memoirs, personal essays, and creative non-fiction stories are invited for the Memoirs, Ink. Annual Personal Essay Contest. Any topic. Length: 3000 words max. First prize: US$1000. Entry fee: US$15. Deadline: August 14, 2010. More details...

The Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association invites entries for "The Saving Bannister" 25th Annual Poetry Anthology Contest. Ontario residents only. Prizes: $200, $100 and $50. Winning and selected entries published in an anthology. Entry fee: $15 for 3 poems; $4 each additional poem. Deadline: May 31, 2010. More details...

The Ontario Poetry Society is accepting entries for The Arborealis Prize for Poetry. First prize: $200 + 2 anthology copies. Winners and selected entries to be published in perfect bound anthology. Open theme. Length: 36 lines max. Entry fee: $15 (3 poems). Open to all Cdn. poets. Deadline: June 30, 2010. More details...

The Ontario Poetry Society is accepting entries for the "Emerging From the Shadows Poetry Contest". Open to Canadians who have never won First Prize in a Poetry Contest. Prizes for top three poems. Entry fee: 3 poems for $5. Deadline is April 15, 2010. 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...