Competitions from around the world for both established and emerging writers.

Please check the relevant websites for all terms and conditions and be aware that entry fees are payable in many cases.

Novella Award

(previously known as MMU Novella Award) is a literary competition which celebrates new writing in the novella form. Entries must be unpublished, written in English and between 20,000 and 40,000 words. Entries close 5 June.

Narrative Magazine

awards a US$4000 new and emerging writers’ prize for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published in the magazine. The deadline for the 2015 award is 15 June.

Mslexia Women’s Pamphlet Competition

is for short collections of 20-24 pages of 18-20 poems. To enter, you need to be a women poet who does not have full-length collection published. First prize is publication plus £250, 25 complimentary copies of the pamphlet and a 10 per cent royalty on sales. One or more poems from the pamphlet will be published in Mslexia magazine. The competition close on 15 June.

Norton Writer’s Prize

is will be awarded annually for an outstanding essay written by an undergraduate student. Literacy narratives, literary and other textual analyses, reports, profiles, evaluations, arguments, memoirs, proposals, mixed-genre pieces, and more are eligible provided they were completed for an undergraduate writing class. Entries close 15 June.

S.D Harvey Short Story Award

is presented by the Australian Crime Writers Association and Melbourne-based literary journal Kill Your Darlings. Entries can be submitted by published and unpublished writers and can be either fiction or nonfiction stories. Closes 15 June.

American Short Fiction Contest

is open to entries between 2000 and 6500 words. It offers a first prize of US$1000 prize and publication and all entries will be considered for publication. Closes 15 June.

Bard Fiction Prize

is awarded to a promising, emerging writer who is an American citizen aged 39 years or younger at the time of application. In addition to a monetary award, the winner receives an appointment as writer in residence at Bard College for one semester. Applications for the 2016 prize must be received by 15 June.

Newcastle Poetry Prize

is one of Australia’s oldest literary prizes and has an AUD$20,000 prize pool. The entry must be a poem, or suite of poems, by a single author totalling no more than 200 lines and all entries will be considered for inclusion in an anthology. This prize is open to Australian residents only. Entries close 19 June.

One Stone Magazine

is holding its second 24 hour writing contest on 27 June. On this day registered entrants will be emailed a first and last sentence, Each must then write a story that bridges the two in under 750 words. One Stone is also accepting general submissions for publication.

Greenhouse Literary Agency Funny Prize

is open to unpublished and unagented authors writing fiction for children – from picture books through middle grade novels to sophisticated teen fiction – who are based in the UK, Commonwealth (excluding Canada) and Europe. Entries close 30 June.

Earl Weaver Baseball Writing Prize

is accepting entries until 30 June. The judges are seeking “creative non-fiction/essays that come hard and straight down the pipe; fiction that throws us a curveball; and poetry that reinvigorates our love for the game. Any written work (including scholarly essays) on the amazing game of baseball are welcomed.”

Moth International Short Story Prize

offers a first prize of €3000, Second is a week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France (including €250 travel expenses) and the third prize winner will receive €1,000. All three stories will be published in autumn issue of The Moth. Closes 30 June.

Books Ireland Short Story Competition

is open to all writers of any nationality writing in English. There is no restriction on style or theme but entries must be under 2600 words. First prize of €400, a place at a Kiltrumper Writing Workshop facilitated by Niall Williams and publication. Entries close 30 June.

Helen Sheehan Book Prize

is open to unpublished YA manuscripts of at least 50,000 words. The winning writer will receive US$1000 and a book publishing contract with Elephant Rocks. Entries close 30 June.

International Aeon Award Short Fiction Contest

is for short stories in any speculative fiction genre including fantasy, science fiction and horror. The contest has been running since 2004 and has a Grand Prize of €1000. Entries must be less than 10,000 words and must not have been previously published. The contest opens on 1 January and runs for four rounds throughout the year. The submission deadline for the second round is 30 June.

Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize

is run by Vermont-based journal Hunger Mountain. The winner receives US$1000 and publication. Stories can be up to 10,000 words and entries close on 30 June.

Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award

is designed to motivate non-American novice writers under the age of 30, and to offer them the recognition and encouragement that might lead to a successful career in television scriptwriting. The winner will be flown to New York City to be presented with an award and a US$2500 prize at the International Emmy® World Television Festival. The deadline for submissions is 1 July.

Lit POP 2015

is presented music festival POP Montreal and Matrix Magazine and offers prizes for both fiction and poetry. Winners will get their work published in Matrix, and a free round-trip ticket to POP Montreal for a night in their honour. This contest is open to residents of Canada and the United States only and the deadline is 1 July.

Clive Cussler Collector’s Society Adventure Writer’s Competition

is looking for new novels in the action-adventure genre. 10 semi-finalists will be selected based upon synopses, then 3 finalists will be selected based upon the manuscript for their novels. Entries close 1 July.

Ledbury Poetry Festival Poetry Competition

offers a first prize of £1000 cash and a course at Ty Newydd, The National Writers’ Centre for Wales. There are also prizes on offer for children and entries are invited for local and international poets. Closes 9 July.

Relentless Award

established in honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman, is the largest annual cash prize in American theater awarded to a playwright in recognition of a new play.The winner will receive US$45,000 and have the option to have the winning play published by the Dramatists Play Service. Entries close 10 July and first time playwrights, women and playwrights of color are encouraged to enter.

Nowhere Publishing’s Spring Travel Writing Contest

is open to fiction and non-fiction between 800 and 5000 words. First prize is US$1000 and publication literary travel magazine Nowhere. Entries close 10 July.

Mark Twain House & Museum’s Humor Writing Contest

open to writers of all ages from all corners of the globe. Entries may be up to 7000 words and previously published worked is accepted. Entries close 10 July.

Romance Writing Life competition

is presented by Mills & Boon, WHSmith and online eBook retailer. The winning novelist will be awarded the grand prize of a publishing contract with Mills & Boon, including both print and digital release. Authors should submit a synopsis and first chapter of their romance novel, up to a maximum of 5,500 words. Entrants must reside in the UK, Canada, or the United States. Closes 14 July.

Rattle’s Poetry Prize

will award one winner $10,000 for a single poem. The competition is open to writers worldwide and all entries must be previously unpublished. Closes 15 July.

Ambit Summer Writing Competition

invites poetry and fiction entries of any subject and in any style. The entries will be judged by Alison Moore and Dan O’Brien. Entries close 15 July.

Fairy Tale Review Awards in Poetry and Prose

are running for the second time in 2015. The winners will receive $1000 and all submissions will also be considered for publication. Closes 15 July.

Bare Fiction’s Debut Poetry Collection Competition

is for anyone from the UK, or internationally, who has yet to publish a full poetry collection of 40 pages or more. The winner will receive £1000, Collection Publication and 50 Complimentary Copies. Entries close 17 July.

HG Wells Short Story Competition

is for stories between 1500 and 5000 words. The 2014 competition theme is fortune. The shortlisted stories will be published in an anthology. There are prizes in three different categories including £1000 for the best story by a writer aged 21 or under. Entries close 19 July.

Wasafiri New Writing Prize

is accepting entries in three categories: poetry, fiction and life writing. A prize of £300 and publication is offered for each category. Entries close 24 July.

visible ink

is a yearly anthology of new writing and art based in Melbourne. It aims to showcase emerging writers and artists from all over Australia, featuring poetry, short stories, non-fiction, art, photography, comics and more. This year’s theme is After the Rain The word limit is 2000 words. Submissions close 27 July.

Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition

is an annual short story competition open to writers from around the world. First prize is €2000, publication in the literary journal Southword, and a week-long residency at Anam Cara Writer’s and Artist’s Retreat. Entries close 31 July.

William Faulkner Writing Competition

is accepting submissions in the categories of novel, short story, one-act play and poetry with prizes of up to US$2000 on offer. Deadline for novels is 15 and for other categories the deadine is 31 July.

Short Long-Distance Writing Contest

is a new award from Geist Magazine. Writers are invited to submit stories up to 500 words in the length that take place in two or more Canadian time zones. Entries close 1 August.

For publication opportunities in June and July 2015 please click here.

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