Literary Contests - Poetry

Fred Kerner Book Award

The Fred Kerner Book Award is awarded annually to a Canadian Authors member who has the best overall book published in the previous calendar year, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Only current CAA members whose memberships are up to date are eligible for this award. ...

Toronto, ON   CA

SFPA Poetry Contest

The SFPA Speculative Poetry Contest is open to all poets, including those who are not members of the SFPA. Prizes will be awarded for the best unpublished poem in three categories: Dwarf (1 to 10 lines or prose poems of 0 to 100 words), Short (11 to 49 lines or prose poems of 101 to 499 words), and ...

Portland, OR   US

Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize

Each year the Williamstown Literary Festival is delighted to convene the Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize, named after one of Australia’s finest colonial writers, Ada Cambridge. This prize is open to all poets over 18 years of age who live in Victoria. Each poet can submit up to two poems wi...

Melbourne, VIC   AU

Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry

Honoring the memory of a celebrated poet and a beloved teacher, the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry is awarded annually and is sponsored by The University of Utah Press and The University of Utah Department of English. $1,500 Cash Prize and Publication from the Press; $500 and reading in The Univer...

Salt Lake City, UT   US

Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize

Established in 1981, the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize is administered by the University of Pittsburgh Press. Named in honor of Agnes Lynch Starrett, the Press’s first director, the prize is awarded for a first full-length book of poems. The prize carries a cash award of $5,000 and public...

Pittsburgh, PA   US

AICW Bressani Literary Prize

The Bressani Prize has three goals: it aims to stimulate and enhance the literary production of works by Canadian authors of Italian origin or ancestry; to add to the richness of the Italian immigrant experience in Canada by celebrating its literary expression; and to honour and reflect aspects of I...

Vancouver, BC   CA

Alberta Book Awards

The Alberta Book Publishing Awards are presented by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta.Categories include: Children’s Books, Scholarly and Academic Books, Trade Fiction, Trade Non-Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Poetry and Editorial Excellence. To enter, publishers must have its chief offic...

Edmonton, AB   CA

Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award

For 10 pages of poetry from a manuscript-in-progress. Awards are open to Poetry Society of America members for free. ...

Brooklyn, NY   US

Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award

Established in 2013, the Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award recognizes a student poet twenty-three years old or younger, with an annual cash prize of $1,000.<p>Students who have won one of our 2014 University & College Poetry Prizes and who were twenty-three years...

New York, NY   US

Amy Lowell Traveling Poet Scholarship

The American poet Amy Lowell died in 1925. Her will established an annual scholarship to support travel abroad for gifted American-born poets. The scholarship is administered by the Trustees under her will at the law firm of Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston, Massachusetts. There is no age requireme...

Boston, MA   US

Anna Pidruchney Award for New Writers

Awarded to a novice writer under the age of 35 for a literary work which includes Ukrainian Canadian characters or is based on a Ukrainian Canadian theme. Eligible works of literary fiction, that being poetry, short stories, novels, plays, personal essays or memoirs are acceptable. Only one submiss...

Edmtonton, AB   CA

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and p...

Salmon Arm, BC   CA

BC and Yukon Book Prize

The BC Book Prizes, established in 1985, celebrate the achievements of British Columbia writers and publishers. The prizes are for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, regional, children’s and illustrated children’s literature.<p> The seven Prizes are presented annually at the Lieutenant Govern...

Vancouver, BC   CA

Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award

Established in 1998, in honor of the poet Benjamin Saltman (1927-1999), this award is for a previously unpublished original collection of poetry. Awarded collection is selected through an annual competition which is open to all poets. ...

Pasadena, CA   US

Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry

The Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry is open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Translations are not eligible for this prize, nor are previously self-published books. ...

North Adams, MA   US

Black River Chapbook Competition

Twice each year Black Lawrence Press will run the Black River Chapbook Competition for an unpublished chapbook of poems or short fiction between 16-36 pages in length. The contest is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner will receive book publication, a $500 cash award, and ten ...

Pittsburgh, PA   US

BlackBerryPeach Prizes for Poetry: Spoken & Heard

Sponsored by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) BlackBerryPeach Prizes for Poetry competition blends "stage" and "page" poetry, giving equal weight to performance and poetics. Entrants must include an audio file (up to 3 minutes) along with a transcript of ...

Madison, WI   US

Blue Ridge Mountains CWC Directors Choice Awards

Past and present attendees of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference are eligible to submit their published work to this contest. ...

Ridgecrest, NC   US

Book Excellence Awards

The Book Excellence Awards (www.bookexcellenceawards.com) is an international book awards competition. The Book Excellence Awards is dedicated to helping authors and publishers increase their visibility, credibility and book sales through extended support and resources on topics such as publis...

Toronto, ON   CA

bpNichol Chapbook Award

The bpNichol Chapbook Award recognizes excellence in Canadian poetry published in chapbook form. The prize is awarded to a poetry chapbook judged to be the best submitted. The author receives $4,000 and the publisher receives $500. Awarded continuously since 1986, the bpNichol Chapbook Award is curr...

Hamilton, ON   CA

Bridport Prize

The mission of the Bridport Prize is to encourage emerging writers and promote literary excellence through its competition structure. The Bridport Prize was founded by Bridport Arts Centre in 1973 and has steadily grown in stature and prestige.<p>The poem and short story categories each h...

Bridport,   UK

Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers

The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award is open to writers under the age of 35 and unpublished in book form. The award alternates each year between poetry and short fiction.<p>To be eligible candidates must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, under the age of 35 as of the deadline, and unp...

Toronto, ON   CA

Byron Caldwell Smith Book Awards

These awards are given biennially to one individual in each of three categories, residing or employed in Kansas, who has authored an outstanding book published within the two calendar years preceding the application deadline. One $750 award for fiction, one $750 award for non-fiction, and one $750 a...

Lawrence, KS   US

California State Poetry Society Annual Contest

This contest is open to all poets, whether or not they are members of the CSPS. Entries must be in English and be the original, unpublished work of the poet. There is an 80-line (two-page) limit for each poem, as longer poems are generally too difficult to include in the California Quarterly (CQ).....

Sunland, CA   US

Caribbean Magazine Plus Poetry Contest

Entries must be 500 words minimum, 2,000 words maximum (not including title). Entrants must be citizens of a Caribbean or Central American Country, or descended from a Caribbean/Central American country by no more than two generations. I.E, as far back as your grandparents. Entries must b...

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CBC Poetry Prize

Open to original, unpublished, poems or poetry collections between 400 and 600 words written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. <p>All works that have published in print or on the Internet, including self-published works, as well as works that have been broadcast or deliv...

Montreal, PQ   CA

Cecil Hemley Memorial Award

The Cecil Hemley Memorial Award is given once a year to a member of the Poetry Society of America for a lyric poem that addresses a philosophical or epistemological concern....

Brooklyn, NY   US

Christian Author Awards

Sponsored by Xulon Press, the Christian Author Awards recognizes preeminent new Christian authors who are independently published.

Full-length books of fiction and non-fiction are eligible. Eligible books must be in English and published in the United States as a self-published work or as a work p...

Maitland, FL   US

Cider Press Review Book Award

Submit 48-80 pages of original poetry in English not previously published in book form (individual poems may have been previously published in journals, anthologies, and chapbooks). ...

San Diego, CA   US

CLMP Firecracker Awards

The CLMP Firecracker Awards for Independently Published Literature are given annually to celebrate books and magazines that make a significant contribution to our literary culture. These awards recognize the publishers who strive to introduce important voices to readers far and wide. Prizes are...

New York, NY  

Cold Moon Very Small Verse Contest

The Very Small Verse Contest invites and challenges poets to submit a poem at least six (6) words in length but no more than two hundred (200) characters. Eligible to Canadian poets and poets living and working in Canada. The winner will receive $300, publication in the 2023 Poem In Your Pocket...

Toronto, ON   CA

Colorado Prize for Poetry

The Colorado Prize for Poetry is an international literary contest started in 1995. Since the contest began, over 5,000 book-length poetry manuscripts have been entered. Each year's prizewinner receives a $2,500 honorarium and publication of his or her book by the Center for Literary Publishing...

Fort Collins, CO   US

Cowles Poetry Book Prize

Individual poems in the manuscript may have been published previously in a chapbook, magazines, journals or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously self-published books are not eligible.

Open to any poet writing in English, age 18 or older, regar...

Cape Girardeau, MO   US

Cuirt New Writing Prize

There are three categories: poetry, short fiction, and short fiction and poetry in Irish. Poetry entries must consist of 3 poems under 50 lines each. Fiction pieces may be up to 2000 words. Entries in both English and Irish are welcome. Young Cuirt is for ages 12-17. Entries are welcome in poet...

Galway City,   IE

CWA Communications Contest

Each year, the Cat Writers’ Association selects the best entries in each category and awards them with Certificates of Excellence. The highest-scoring Certificate-winning entry in each category receives a Muse Medallion at our Annual Awards Ceremony. Special Awards focus on a specific topic and co...

Saint Louis, MO   US

Dorothy Hewett Award

The Dorothy Hewett Award is open to all writers who have completed a manuscript and are seeking publication. The work must be fiction, narrative nonfiction or poetry, inclusive of hybrid genres such as verse novels or memoir. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, courtesy of Copyright Age...

Perth, WA   AU

Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest

Dr. William Henry Drummond (1854-1907) was "Canada’s First National Poet" as well as doctor and a silver mine owner in the Cobalt area. Included in many anthologies through the years including: The New Oxford Book of Canadian Verse (1982).<p>All entrants must be Canadian residents ...

Cobalt, ON   CA

DWAA Annual Writing Competition

The Maxwell Medallion writing contest is open to all writers, editors, publishers, photographers, artists and others whose work falls into the designated competition categories, which include newspaper, blog postings and magazine columns or articles on canine health, training, rescue or other topics...

Westlake Village, CA   US

Elgin Awards

The Elgin Awards are presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA) and are named after its founder, Suzette Haden Elgin. These awards recognize books published within the two years prior in two categories: Chapbook and Book. Chapbooks must contain between 10 and 39...

Portland, OR   US

Elixir Press Annual Poetry Awards

Elixir Press is sponsoring a poetry contest open to all poets writing in English. There will be a Judge’s Prize of $2,000 and an Editors’ Prize of $1000. Both winning manuscripts will be published by Elixir Press. All entries will be considered for publication. An outside judge, to be announc...

Denver, CO   US

Elizabeth Venart Prize

The Elizabeth Venart Prize recognizes the unique barriers to literary creation faced by women and other marginalized genders—in particular the lack of time and space imposed by systems of gendered labour and gendered childrearing. The prize supports these writers as they advance works-in-progress....

Halifax, NS   CA

Eric Gregory Awards

The Eric Gregory Awards, for a collection by poets under the age of 30, were founded in 1960 by the late Dr Eric Gregory for the encouragement of young poets. Applicants must be under the age of 30 on the 31 October of the application year Applications must be a British National, or resident...

London, England   UK

Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Books

The Eric Hoffer Award for independent books recognizes excellence in publishing with a $2,000 grand prize and various category honors and press type distinctions, as well as the winners of the Montaigne Medal, da Vinci Eye, and First Horizon Award. The book awards are covered in the US Review of Boo...

Titusville, NJ   US

Euler Book Prize

The Euler Book Prize is awarded annually to an author or authors of an outstanding book about mathematics. The Prize is intended to recognize authors of exceptionally well written books with a positive impact on the public's view of mathematics and to encourage the writing of such books. Eligib...

Washington, DC   US

FAPA President’s Book Awards

Each year the Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA) sponsors the FAPA President's Book Awards, which recognizes book publishing excellence and creativity in design, content, and production for authors and publishers. This contest isn't limited to Florida, it is open to anyone t...

Fort Myers, FL   US

Foster Poetry Prize

Formerly the Young Buck Poetry Prize for writers under the age of 35, the Foster Poetry Prize, created by CV2 magazine, is awarded to the author of the single best submitted poem by a writer of any age. Along with the prize, the winner receives a cash sum and publication in CV2.

Open to Canad...

Winnipeg, MB   CA

Four Quartets Prize

The Four Quartets Prize is for a unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook, or book....

Brooklyn, NY   US

Fugue Annual Writing Contest

Fugue’s Annual Writing Contest accepts submissions of both poetry and prose (fiction and nonfiction). Multiple submissions are accepted as long as separate fees are paid. For poetry submissions, please send between 1-3 poems. For prose submissions, please send no more than one short story or one e...

, ID   US

GCWA Writing Contest

Writing Contest is open to GCWA members and the public — adults 18 and over, and youth 11 to 17. Winners will be announced at the GCWA meeting in May 2023. Original, unpublished submissions only.Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished, and unproduced, not accepted by any other pu...

Fort Myers, FL   US

George Bogin Memorial Award

For a selection of four or five poems that use language in an original way to reflect the encounter of the ordinary and the extraordinary and to take a stand against oppression in any of its forms....

Brooklyn, NY   US

Georgia Author of the Year Award

The Georgia Author of the Year Awards celebrates the best literature by Georgia writers. Georgia Writers Association assumed responsibility for the Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA) shortly after its founding in 1994. The awards were first given in 1964 by the Dixie Council of Authors and J...

Kennesaw, GA   US

Gerald Lampert Memorial Award

The Gerald Lampert Memorial Award is given in the memory of Gerald Lampert, an arts administrator who organized authors’ tours and took a particular interest in the work of new writers. The award recognizes a first book of poetry published by a Canadian. The award carries a $2,000 prize. ...

Toronto, ON   CA

Global Ebook Awards

The Global Ebook Awards are more than an honor for the best ebooks published, they offer high-profile publicity for ebook authors, publishers and ebooks....

Santa Barbara, CA   US

Governor General’s Literary Awards

The Governor General’s Literary Awards are presented to English-language and French-language books in each of the following seven categories: Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to E...

Ottawa, ON   CA

Griffin Poetry Prize

The Griffin Poetry Prize is the world’s largest prize for a first edition single collection of poetry written in, or translated into English, from any country in the world - the Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry aims to spark the public’s imagination and raise awareness of the crucial role ...

Oakville, ON   CA

Hamilton Literary Awards

The Hamilton Arts Council is calling for submissions by Hamilton-area authors for the 22nd Annual Hamilton Literary Awards to recognize works and authors that represent the best and brightest in Hamilton literature for the year 2014. Published books in three genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry...

Hamilton, ON   CA

HeartWood Poetry Prize

Submit one poem (of any form) or flash prose piece (fiction or nonfiction) per entry; regardless of genre, the entry must be 200 words or less. There is no limit on the number of entries per person. ...

Buckhannon, WV   US

High Plains Book Award

The High Plains Books Awards recognize regional authors and/or literary works which examine and reflect life on the High Plains. The High Plains region includes Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Art & Photograph...

Billings, MT   US

Hudson Prize

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Hudson Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or short stories. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes awarded o...

Pittsburgh, PA   US

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for excellence in book publishing is regarded as one of the highest national honors for small and independent publishers.

The awards are administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), with help from over 150 book publishing professionals includ...

Manhattan Beach, CA   US

Icelandic Festival Of Manitoba Poetry & Short Stories Contest

The Icelandic Festival of Manitoba invites you to submit previously unpublished poetry (three entries per person) and/or a short story (one per person-maximum of 1200 words) Prize entries will be awarded and successful entries will be published in the festival program and/or on the festival web...

Winnipeg, MB   CA

Iowa Poetry Prize

The Iowa Poetry Prize, open to new as well as established poets, is awarded for a book-length collection of poems written originally in English. Previous winners, current University of Iowa students, and current and former University of Iowa Press employees are not eligible. ...

Iowa City, IA   US

J.M. Abraham Poetry Award

The J.M. Abraham Poetry Award was created by the writing community in the late 1990s. The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, with the assistance of several poets, publishers, and post-secondary institutions, raised funds for an annual award program designed to honour the best book of poetry b...

Halifax, NS   CA

Jake Adam York Prize

The Jake Adam York Prize is a collaboration between Copper Nickel & Milkweed Editions. It is open to all poets in the US who have published no more than one full-length poetry collection. The entries are due October 15. The entry fee is $25 (which includes a year's subscription to Cop...

Denver, CO   US

Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize for Canadian Youth

The  Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize for Canadian Youth was established to foster a lifelong relationship between Canadian youth and the literary arts, specifically poetry. The prize is supported through a generous donation from the Stursberg family and other donors in honour of Jessamy Sturs...

Toronto, ON   CA

Jessica C. Saunders Memorial Award

Sponsored by the Shavano Poets Society of Colorado, this contest is for a Villanell poem (a nineteen-line poetic form consisting of five tercets followed by a quatrain) on any subject....

Madison, WI   US

Jim Barton, Bard of the Pines Award

In memory of Jim Barton, Past President of NFSPS and cheerleader to all writers, who saw wonder and poetry everywhere in nature. Sponsored by the South Arkansas Poets of the Pines . 40 line limit (includes both printed and blank lines), poems can be in any form, and must be related to the subjec...

Madison, WI   US

K. Valerie Connor Memorial Poetry Celebration contest

The K. Valerie Connor Memorial Poetry Celebration is an annual province-wide literary contest run by the Leacock Museum in honour of one of our museum's cherished volunteers, Valerie Connor. This contest supports original works of poetry from Ontario residents in three age categories and offers...

Orillia, ON   CA

Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Competitions

Submissions may be in the form of poems, short stories or essays. One entry only per youth. Word Count Limits: Age 9-11: Short Story Maximum 500 words; Poem Maximum 70 lines Age 11-13 : Short StoryMaximum 500 words; Poem Maximum 70 lines Age 13-15: Short Story Maximum 1000 words; Po...

Kerry,   IE

Lesley Strutt Poetry Contest

The Lesley Strutt Poetry Contest is an award that provides a prize for the single best poem submitted to our judges. This contest is open to all poets (professional, emerging, and first-time) in Canada, and is run each summer in memory of poet and friend Lesley Strutt....

Toronto, ON   CA

Letter Review Prize for Manuscripts

Three Winners are announced who have a brief extract published, receive a letter of recommendation from our Judges for publishers, and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. Please submit the first 5000 words of your manuscript, whether it be prose or poetry. O...

New York, NY   US

Letter Review Prize for Poetry

Three Winners are announced who are published and share in the $800 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies. Open to anyone in the world. There are no style or subject restrictions. ...

New York, NY   US

LSW Writing Contest

The LSW Writing Contest is open to adults (age 18 and older) with writing in the following categories: Poetry : Up to 3 poem submissions. Short-Short Fiction: Up to 2 story submissions. Word count limit per submission: 500 Short Fiction: 1 story submission. Word count limit: 2,500 Stories...

Duluth, MN   US

Lucille Medwick Memorial Award

The Lucille Medwick Memorial Award is given once a year to a member of the Poetry Society of America. It was established by Maury Medwick in memory of his wife, the poet and editor, for an original poem in any form on a humanitarian theme....

Brooklyn, NY   US

Lucille Morgan Wilson Memorial Award

In memory of Lucille Morgan Wilson, the past treasurer of NFSPS, this contest awards the best poem on the subject of Gardens. Poems can be of any form, with a line limit of 40 (including blank lines), on the subject of listening....

Madison, WI   US

Lush Triumphant Literary Awards

Open to short fiction (3,000 words max), poetry (5 related poems, up to 15 pages), and creative non-fiction (max 4,000 words). Winning entries will receive $1,000 plus payment for publication. Runners up will be published in subsequent issues. Entry fee includes a 1 year subscription to subTerrain m...

Vancouver, BC   CA

Lyric Poetry Award

The Lyric Poetry Award is given once a year to a member of the Poetry Society of America and was "established under the will of PSA member Mrs. Consuelo Ford (Althea Urn), and also in memory of Mary Carolyn Davies, for a lyric poem on any subject....

Brooklyn, NY   US

Mairtin Crawford Award

The Mairtín Crawford Awards are aimed at writers working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. Both published and unpublished writers are invited to submit between 3-5 poems for the poetry award, and a short story of up to 2,500 words for the short story award, w...

Belfast, Northern Ireland   UK

Mass Book Awards

The Massachusetts Book Awards recognize significant works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and children’s/young adult literature written, illustrated, or translated by current Commonwealth residents. Submissions open each Fall and close at the end of the calendar year. ...

Northampton, MA   US

May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize

The May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize is named for May Sarton, the renowned novelist, memoirist, poet, and feminist (1912-1995).<p>The winner receives $1000, book publication, and 100 copies of the published book, as well as distribution with our other spring titles through our partner UPN...

Peterborough, NH   US

Midwest Book Awards

Publishers based in the Midwest are invited to enter the annual Midwest Book Awards competition for excellence in books. The awards recognize creativity in content and execution, overall book quality, and the book’s unique contribution to its subject area. Titles accepted in Nonfiction, Fiction, P...

Minneapolis, MN   US

Mildred Cummings Memorial Award

Sponsored by the Friends of Mildred Cummings, this contest awards the best poem on the subject of Family Meals. Poems can be of any form, with a line limit of 40 (including blank lines), on the subject of listening....

Madison, WI   US

Miller Williams Poetry Prize

A prize of $5,000 and publication by University of Arkansas Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 60 to 90 pages with a $28 entry fee by September 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines. ...

Fayetteville, AR   US

Montreal International Poetry Prize

Organized by McGill’s Department of English, the competition is held every two years and awards a prize of $20,000 to an original poem of forty lines or less. ...

Montreal, PQ   CA

Morton D. Prouty and Elsie S. Prouty Memorial Award

In In memory of Morton D. Prouty Jr., who served as NFSPS Treasurer and Poet Laureate of Alabama and Elsie S. Prouty. Entries must be nature poems in any form with a 40 line limit (including blank lines) ...

Madison, WI   US

Morton Marcus Poetry Contest

The annual Morton Marcus Poetry Prize is held in honor of the memory and work of Morton Marcus, whose life and work inspired thousands through his infectious belief in community, dedication to the work of poetry, and support of the arts. ...

Santa Cruz, CA   US

NAIWE 1st Annual Book Awards

Winning a respected book award helps an author reach new audiences and boost sales. It also delivers a satisfying cap for all the hard work that goes into publishing a manuscript. If you have written a book that was published in the last five years, you are eligible to enter it in the NAIWE 1st...

Montpelier, VA   US

National Book Awards

The National Book Award is one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the United States, known for recognizing and rewarding quality writing. The first winner in the Poetry category was William Carlos Williams in 1950, followed by William Faulkner, who won for Fiction the following year. Over th...

New York, NY   US

National Book Critics Circle Award

Six awards are presented annually to books published in the U.S. during the preceding calendar year, in six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Memoir/Autobiography, Biography, and Criticism. ...

Baltimore, MD   US

National Indie Excellence Awards

The National Indie Excellence Awards is open to all English language books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. <p> The National Indie Excellence Awards exists to help establish independent publishing ...

Hermosa Beach, CA   US

New England Book Awards

Titles submitted for the New England Book Awards must be either about New England, set in New England, or written by an author residing in New England. Submissions can be hardcovers, paperback originals, or reissues. The award categories are Children's, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult Fiction,...

Boston, MA   US

New Letters Editor’s Choice Award

We’re looking for work that experiments, that crosses the traditional boundaries of genre and form.

Enter your hybrid work - your lyric essays, prose poems, short-shorts, collages, micro-memoirs . . . whatever you’re doing that’s experimental, that defies easy categorizatio...

Kansas City, MO   US

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards (#NGIBA) is the largest non-profit book awards program for indie authors and publishers.<p>The Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in over 70 different categories, for ...

Lake Oswego, OR   US

NFSPS Founders Award

An award to honor Mary B. Wall, the founder of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. Poems can be any form and on any subject, with a limit of 100 lines. Limit of four poems per contestant....

Madison, WI   US

North Shore Writers Association Annual Writing Contest

$100, $75, and $50 prizes awarded to Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry entries. One $100 prize for Writing for Children and YA category. Two $75 youth prizes awarded: 11 and under and 12-18 years. ...

North Vancouver, BC   CA

Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards (NEMBA)

The Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards (NEMBA) was established in 1988 to recognize books that substantially represent northeastern Minnesota in the areas of history, culture, heritage, or lifestyle. Starting with a single category in the early years, the awards have grown to include six categories...

Duluth, MN   US

Nova Writes Competition for Unpublished Manuscripts

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 writ...

Halifax, NS   CA

Ockham New Zealand Book Awards

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are the country’s premier literary honors for books written by New Zealanders. These awards have a rich history, having evolved from earlier literary awards. The original awards were established in 1968 as the Wattie Book Awards, later becoming the Goodman Field...

Auckland,   NZ

OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature

OCM Bocas Prize is an annual literary award for books by Caribbean writers published in the previous year. It is open to works of different literary genres by writers of Caribbean birth or citizenship....

Port of Spain,   TT

Oklahoma Book Award

Books considered for this award must have an Oklahoma-based theme, or entrants (authors, illustrators, photographers, or book designers) must live or have lived In Oklahoma. Entrants must have been published in the previous calendar year. Books can be entered in the following categories: Fiction; Ch...

Oklahoma City, OK   US

Oregon Book Awards

The Oregon Book Awards program celebrates outstanding literary achievements by Oregon writers across various genres, including poetry, fiction, graphic literature, drama, literary nonfiction, and literature for young readers. Out-of-state judges evaluate entries based on literary merit, selecting fi...

Portland, OR   US

Pat Lowther Memorial Award

The Pat Lowther Memorial Award is awarded memory of the late Pat Lowther, whose career was cut short by her untimely death in 1975.  This award is inclusive of trans women and non-binary individuals who feel comfortable being recognized by a women’s prize. ...

Toronto, ON   CA

Patricia Cleary Miller Award for Poetry

A poetry entry may contain up to six poems, and those poems need not be related. Please include one cover sheet stating the genre (poetry) and the tile(s) of each poem. The name of the file you upload should be the title of the first poem in the entry. ...

Kansas City, MO   US

Power of Women Award

This contest awards the best poem on the subject of The Power of Women. Poems can be of any form, with a line limit of 40 (including blank lines), on the subject of listening....

Madison, WI   US

Prairie Grindstone Prize

The Prairie Grindstone Prize is worth $50,000 and will go to writers in Alberta and Saskatchewan, alternating from year to year — starting with Alberta in 2023. The literary prize is aimed at acknowledging hardworking and perhaps under-appreciated writers of fiction, poetry and creative nonfi...

Calgary, AB   CA

Prime Number Magazine Awards for Poetry & Short Fiction

Submit one unpublished poem or story. Poem should be no more than three pages in length (no word count needed) with numbered pages and spaced according to the poet's intended style. Short story should be 53 to 5,300 words, double-spaced in 12-pt. type with numbered pages. ...

Winston-Salem, NC   US

Prix Aurora Awards

The Aurora awards are run by the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA), a federally registered non-profit society. The awards recognize the best Canadian professional and amateur (fan) achievements for the calendar year. The Auroras are only for Canadian citizens or permanent resi...

Calgary, AB   CA

QWF Awards

Every year, The Quebec Writers’ Federation shines the spotlight on the best English-language writers to emerge from Quebec. The QWF Awards include six $2,000 book prizes for Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, First Book, Translation, and Children’s and Young Adult Literature. The winners of these boo...

Westmount, PQ   CA

Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards

The Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards recognize outstanding translations into English of modern Italian poetry through a $10,000 book prize and a $25,000 fellowship, given in alternating years.<p>To apply, a translator must submit four copies of a proposal describing the work-in-progress, t...

New York, NY   US

Raymond Souster Award

The Raymond Souster Award honours Raymond Souster, an early founder of the League of Canadian Poets, and carries a $2000 prize, awarded annually in May. Award is open to League members only. Titles must be at least 48 pages in length, excluding front and back material, and author must be a Canadian ...

Toronto, ON   CA

Red Line Book Festival Poetry Competition

The competition is open to anyone living on the island of Ireland. Poems must be the original work of the entrant and must not have been published either in print or on a website, not be currently submitted or accepted for future publication. They must not previously have been awarded a prize in a...

Dublin,   IE

Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award

This award honors the achievements of the great Dominican-American poet, translator, and public school teacher Rhina Polonia Espaillat. The Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award will be awarded for an original poem of not more than fifty lines that reflects her lyricism, empathy, and ability to find grace in...

Walden, NY   US

Rhysling Awards

The Rhysling Awards, named after the blind poet from Robert A. Heinlein’s short story The Green Hills of Earth, honor exceptional poetry in science fiction. Nominees are selected by the Science Fiction Poetry Association's members, who can nominate one work in two categories: Best Long Poem (...

Portland, OR   US

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award

For a manuscript of 10 pages by a mid-career poet who has not had substantial recognition. Open to poets 40 and over who have published no more than one full-length collection of poetry. Poets who have not published a poetry collection are eligible....

Brooklyn, NY   US

Sally Albiso Poetry Book Award

Poets located in Alaska, Oregon, or Washington are eligible for an award honoring the late Sally Albiso, an author of MoonPath Press. Submissions must be between 56-80 pages and in a doc, docx, or rtf file format, with no identifying information included. The award is endowed by her husband John Alb...

Tillamook, OR   US

Saskatchewan Book Awards

The Saskatchewan Book Awards offers 14 annual or semi-annual awards to celebrate, promote and reward Saskatchewan authors and publishers worthy of recognition.

Award winners are determined through a jury process of the highest integrity, by high-calibre jurors who are recognized as leaders wit...

Regina, SK   CA

Save Our Earth Award

This award, in memory of David F. Balph, is for a poem in any form on the subject of Environmental Issues. Poems must be under 40 lines long (including blank lines)....

Madison, WI   US

Social Critique Poetry Award

A poem that expresses a yearning for society to advance beyond the oppression of humans by humans. Poems can be any form, with a limit of 75 lines....

Madison, WI   US

Somerset Maugham Award

W. Somerset Maugham set up a fund in 1947 to enable young writers to enrich their work by gaining experience of foreign countries. The awards are given for a published work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry. The author must be a British national, or resident in Great Britain and Northern Irelan...

London, England   UK

Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry

Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry is awarded for a collection of poetry by an Alberta author published in the previous calendar year. Short story, essay, or poetry collections may contain work that has been previously published as long as the collection in book form is a first edition. ...

Edmonton, AB   CA

Tethered by Letters F(r)iction Literary Competition

TBL is pleased to announce our Spring Literary Competition. There are three submission categories: 1) short stories of any genre ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words, 2) flash fiction with a word limit of either 55, 250, or 500 words, and 3) poetry no longer than three pages. For these contests we are ...

Elizabeth, CO   US

The Barbara Sykes Memorial Award

This award is for a humorous poem in any form. Poems must be under 40 lines long, including blank lines....

Madison, WI   US

The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize

The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize is awarded in honour of acclaimed Calgary writer W.O. Mitchell and recognizes literary achievement by Calgary authors. The prize was established in 1996 and is coordinated through a partnership between The City of Calgary and the Writers' Guild of Al...

Edmonton, AB   CA

The Countee Cullen Poetry Prize

To provide a space for poetry that reflects the experiences & perspectives of the many facets of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community. Poems can be of any form, with a line limit of 50 (including blank lines)....

Madison, WI   US

The Hilde Award

This award, in memory of Hildegard Guttendorfer, is for a poem in the style of a Cinquain (5 line limit) on any subject....

Madison, WI   US

The Listening Poem Award

Poems can be of any form, with a line limit of 40 (including blank lines), on the subject of listening....

Madison, WI   US

The Robbie Award

The Robbie Award is an NFSPS award for poetry about the loss of a child (not necessarily by death) in any form with a 40 line limit (including blank lines)...

Madison, WI   US

The Virginia Corrie-Cozart Memorial Award

A poetry contest Honoring the author of A Mutable Place and Wavering Reflection. Poems may be of any type, with a line limit of 40 lines, including blank lines, and must relate to the subject, Strange Familiar...

Madison, WI   US

The Washington Prize

The Washington Prize, awarded annually to a living American or Canadian poet, is $1,500 and book publication for a manuscript of original poetry in English. Poets at any stage in their career may submit a manuscript of 48 to 80 pages between January 15 and March 15. $25 entry fee. The winner is sele...

Washington , DC   US

The Whistler Independent Book Awards

Established in 2016 to recognize excellence in Canadian independent publishing, the Whistler Independent Book Awards offers prizes in two categories: fiction and nonfiction. There are three finalists in each category (fiction and nonfiction), with the winners being announced at the annual Whistler W...

New Westminster, BC   CA

The Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award

The Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award is given once a year to a member of the Poetry Society of America "to honor the memory and poetry of Emily Dickinson, for a poem inspired by Dickinson though not necessarily in her style, For a short poem, no longer than 16 lines. ...

Brooklyn, NY   US

Trillium Book Award

The Ontario government established the Trillium Book Award in 1987 to celebrate the quality and diversity of Ontario writers and writing. It includes the Prix Trillium for Francophone writers, a Trillium Book Award for Poetry for emerging poets, and a Trillium Book Award for Children’s Literature ...

Toronto, ON   CA

Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize

Prize for the best collection of poems. Submit 17-24 pages of poetry (not including the title page, table of contents, and end notes). Individual poems may be previously published, but the collection should be unpublished. ...

Kingston, WA   US

Vallum Chapbook Award

Vallum is accepting original and previously unpublished chapbooks for this contest. Poems may be on any theme or subject, but must be original and not previously published. ...

Montreal, PQ   CA

Vermont Book Award

The Vermont Book Award is a new prize created to honor artists with deep connections to the state of Vermont, and to draw attention to a state so uniquely suited for creative enterprise. To be eligible for this year's prize, a book must either be set in Vermont, published by a Vermont pr...

Montpelier, VT   US

Vern Rutsala Book Contest

Submit 60 to 90 pages of poetry and/or flash fiction, including a Table of Contents and Acknowledgments page. Cloudbank editors seek a wide range of styles, approaches, forms, and aesthetics, for example: lyric, prose poems, experimental, flash fiction, etc....

Corvallis, OR   US

Virginia Literary Awards

The annual Virginia Literary Awards honor Virginia writers and celebrate their contributions to the literary landscape of our state and nation. Given to Virginia authors in the categories of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction—and to nonfiction authors for works about a Virginia subject as well—the ...

Richmond, VA   US

Washington State Book Awards

The Washington State Book Awards honor works of outstanding literary merit by Washington authors. An award is given based on the strength of the publication’s literary merit, lasting importance and overall quality. We are particularly interested in prioritizing excellent works created by authors o...

Olympia, WA   US

Waterford Poetry Prize

The Waterford Poetry Prize is a competition open to all writers currently living on the island of Ireland. There is no age limit and no entry fee...

Waterford, Munster   IE

Welsh Poetry Competition

The International Welsh Poetry Competition is an annual English language poetry award and the largest of its kind in Wales. The contest was founded in 2007 by Welsh poet and photographer Dave Lewis. ...

Pontypridd, Wales   UK

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Now in its 14th year, this contest seeks today’s best humor poems. No fee to enter. Submit published or unpublished work. $2,000 in prizes....

Northampton, MA   US

Western Australian Premiers Book Awards

A biennial award made available by the Western Australian Government and are managed by the State Library of Western Australia. The categories are as follows: Children’s Books, Digital Narrative, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Scripts, Writing for Young Adults, West Australian History and West...

Perth, WA   AU

Western Writers of America Spur Awards

To be eligible, works submitted must be set in the American West, the early frontier, or relate to the Western or frontier experience. Submitted works must be first copyrighted and published in the calendar year covered by the award. Categories include Western Traditional novel, Historical nov...

, NM   US

WFNB Writing Competition

You must be a New Brunswick resident to participate in the New Brunswick Writing Competition, unless you are a Writers' Federation of New Brunswick member. WFNB members can participate from anywhere. The program celebrates eight categories of unpublished writing in the genres of novel, sho...

Fredericton, NB   CA

William Stafford Memorial Award

In memory of William Stafford, Oregon’s late Poet Laureate and twice Honorary Chancellor of NFSPS, entries can be a poem on any subject in any form, with a 40 line limit (including blank lines) ...

Madison, WI   US

Word Awards

The Word Awards was established to encourage the pursuit of excellence in the art, craft, practice and ministry of writing and help to raise the profile of Canadian writers who are Christian.The content of eligible entries must be consistent with a Christian worldview and the historic Christian trad...

Brantford, ON   CA

Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards

Writer’s Digest’s 9th Annual Self-Published E-book Awards honors the best self-published e-book(s) in eight of the most popular categories with $5,000 in cash, a featured interview in Writer’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to the ever-popular Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in New York ...

Blue Ash, OH   US