The annual Nova Writes Competition for Unpublished Manuscripts honours short-form works by Nova Scotia writers. Entry is open to all Nova Scotia residents who have not published books in their categories of entry, which include poetry, fiction, non-fiction, YA & children’s literature, and writing in French.

Any writer working on a book-length manuscripts is encouraged to submit an excerpt. Any established writer may contend in a category so long as they have not published a book in that genre. Any previous winner of a Nova Writes category may no longer contend in that category.