Welcome to the most comprehensive list of creative writing competitions, short story competitions, and various events for writers.

Each item on our list includes basic information about max word count, associated fees, submission deadlines, and the maximum prize that can be won. Clicking on an item opens a new page featuring a more detailed description and a link to the organizer’s submission page. Events that are free to enter are highlighted.

The most common type of writing competitions on our list are short story competitions, but we also feature opportunities for poetry, flash fiction, essays, and full manuscripts. We hope there is something here to satisfy every taste :)

We try to keep this list as up-to-date as possible. If you’d like to add any new writing competitions, please submit the details using the event submission form. We appreciate your feedback, so please feel free to message us with any ideas or suggestions. In case of any questions about a particular writing competition, please contact the event organizer.

If you’d like to learn more about the pros and cons of submitting your writing to such events, as well as some practical tips, please read our dedicated blog post on the topic. If you are looking to get some of your existing writing published, it is worth having a look at our curated list of creative writing journals and literary platforms accepting submissions. You may also want to check out our great list of books for writers (about writing).

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Would you like to add an event to our list?

Use our online submission form

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