Literary Contests - Short Story

BBC National Short Story Award

The BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025. It invites entries of short stories up to 8,000 words. Writers entering the competition must have a record of prior publication in creative writing in the UK. The five winning stories will be...

London, England   UK

24 Hour Short Story Contest

Write a story of a specified length on a specified topic in 24 hours. Topic and story length are given to participants once the contest time period begins. The contest is held quarterly and limited to 500 entrants. ...

Bradenton, FL   USA

Accenti Magazine Writing Contest

The topic is open. Any type of entry that meets the submission criteria below is eligible. Multiple entries welcome. • The contest is open to prose works. • Entries can be fiction, non-fiction or creative non-fiction. • Entries must be previously unpublished and not under consideratio...

Montreal, PQ   CA

Agatha Awards

The Agatha Awards honor the traditional, "cozy" mystery. That is to say, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. Agatha Awards are given for materials first published in the United States by a living author during the calendar year 2014 (January 1-December 31), either in hardc...

Gaithersburg, MD   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

AKO Caine Prize for African Writing

The AKO Caine Prize Award for African Writing is an annual literary award for a published short story by an African writer. In addition to the £10,000 prize, we invite five shortlisted writers to London for a series of events including public readings, interviews with media institutions, private ev...

London, England   US

ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award

An annual award for a short story, financed by a bequest made by Miss Nellie Tom-Gallon in memory of her brother and generously supported by ALCS and Hawthornden Literary Retreat. Applicants must be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth, or the Republic of Ireland Applicants...

London, England   UK

Alice Munro Short Story Competition

This annual short story competition is designed to provide an opportunity for writers to develop their craft and connect with like-minded associates. The Festival’s Steering Committee is dedicated to supporting the efforts and talent of unpublished and emerging writers of short fiction.<p>Mo...

Wingham, ON   CA

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

Anthology Short Story Award

Established to recognise and encourage creative writing and provide a platform for publication, this short story award is open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Stories submitted must be on the t...

Limerick,   IE

Anthony Awards

The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher (1911–1968), one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America. Among the most prestigious awards in the world of mystery w...

Stevensville, MD   US

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

Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize

This prize for literary excellence offers a $60,000 first prize to the novel or short-story collection the judges determine is the year’s best book of fiction.<p>Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books published by a Canadian press, written by Canadian citizens or permanen...

Toronto, ON   CA

Audrey Jessup Award

The contest is open to Ottawa and the National Capital Region residents. The story must be unpublished and feature a crime. Maximum length 3,500 words. The judging process is blind, therefore do NOT include author’s name on the manuscript. The cover letter should include your name, address, story ...

Ottawa, ON   CA

Aurealis Awards

Any work of speculative fiction written by an Australian citizen or permanent resident and published for the first time during the calendar year is eligible to be entered.

Works must be published and available to the general public to be eligible. This includes self-published works. Unpublished ma...

Karabar , NSW   AU

Baen Fantasy Adventure Award

The award recognizes the best original adventure fantasy short story in the style of fantasy greats like Larry Correia, Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Moon, Andre Norton, J.R.R. Tolkien, and David Weber. Write and submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words. It must be a work of fantasy, though all...

Wake Forest, NC   US

BBC Young Writers’ Award

Young people aged 14 to 18, who live in the UK, are invited to submit short stories of up to 1,000 words on any topic. The judges will be looking for high-quality writing, stories that demonstrate originality, imagination and creativity, and writers who can capture the reader and hold their attentio...

London,   UK

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

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

Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards

The Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards are a set of industry-recognition awards set up by a coalition of Irish booksellers in 2007. The awards are owned by Irish Book Awards Ltd, a not-for-profit company presided over by a board comprising representatives from founding members Eason & Son Ltd, A...

,   IE

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

BSFA Awards

The BSFA Awards are presented annually by the British Science Fiction Association, based on a vote of BSFA members and – in recent years – members of the British national science fiction convention Eastercon. They are fan awards that not only seek to honour the most worthy examples in each categ...

Stoke on Trent, England   UK

CBC Short Story Prize

This annual contest is open to original, unpublished stories between 1200 and 1500 words, written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. ...

Montreal, PQ   CA

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  

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

Danuta Gleed Literary Award

The Danuta Gleed Literary Award was created as a celebration of the life of Danuta Gleed, a writer whose short fiction won several awards before her death in December 1996. Each year, a $10,000 prize is awarded to a Canadian writer for the best first collection of published short fiction in the Eng...

Toronto, ON   CA

Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize

The Desperate Literature Short Fiction prize is awarded to an original work of fiction under 2000 words. The aim of the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is both to celebrate the best of new short fiction and to give winners the most visibility possible for their writing. That’s why we’ve...

Madrid,   ES

Drue Heinz Literature Prize

Drue Heinz Literature Prize for a collection of short fiction. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. <p>Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novell...

Pittsburgh, PA   US

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

Exeter Story Prize

The Exeter Story Prize is for a story of up to ten thousand words. There is no minimum word count. Authors must be over 18 years old, and stories should not have been previously published in print, on the internet or broadcast..

Stories may be on any theme but only humorous stories will be elig...

Exeter, England   UK

Exeter Writers Short Story Competition

The competition is open to published and unpublished authors living anywhere in the world and writing in English. Stories must not have been previously published, nor have won a prize in any other competition. They can be in any genre except for children’s and should be no longer than 3,000 w...

Devon,   UK

Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction

Eligible authors have yet to publish their fiction in book form (a book is defined to have a length of 48 pages or more). One prize of $1,000 (CAD) is awarded. Authors contributing to The Malahat Review have won or been nominated for National Magazine Awards for Fiction, the Pushcart Prize, and the ...

Victoria, BC   CA

Feathered Quill Book Awards

Feathered Quill Book Awards, a program run by Feathered Quill Book Reviews, a leader in online book review sites, awarding books with gold, silver, and bronze designations in a total of twenty-four categories. In addition, Feathered Quill also includes finalists – these are books with scores clos...

Goshen, MA   US

Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction

More than fifty short-story collections have appeared in the Flannery O'Connor Award series, which was established to encourage gifted emerging writers by bringing their work to a national readership. The first prize-winning book was published in 1983; the award has since become an important pr...

Athens, GA   US

Fresh Ink

Fresh Ink is a novice contest designed for new hobby writers who have not yet been published. The awards are the ideal opportunity to have your word critiqued by a professional. Receive valuable insights, recommendations and connections that will assist you in developing your craft. Winners will hav...

Brantford, ON   CA

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

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

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

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

Hugo Awards

The Hugo Awards, presented annually since 1955, are science fiction’s most prestigious award. They were first awarded in 1953, and have been awarded every year since 1955. The awards are run by and voted on by fans.<p>The Hugos are World awards. Works are eligible when they are first publis...

Cambridge, MA   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

Independent Publisher Book Awards

Conducted annually, the Independent Publisher Book Awards honor the year’s best independently published titles from around the world. The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles published each year. <p&g...

Traverse City, MI   US

Ink of Ages Fiction Prize

The Ink of Ages Fiction Prize is an international short story contest organized by World History Encyclopedia and sponsored by Oxford University Press. If you write historical or mythology-inspired short fiction, you can enter your story. The contest is free to enter and accepts submissions in ...

Oxford, England   UK

Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award

Any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. We do not accept e-mail submissions. ...

Iowa City , IA   US

Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award

The Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award was established in 2001 by Mary and Andrew Burbidge to honour the life of their eldest daughter, Jennifer, who died aged 21. The prize is funded by royalties from Mary Burbidge’s memoir Forever Baby, published by Harper Collins in 1999, and welcomes short st...

Melbourne, VIC   AU

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

The National Space Society and Baen Books applaud the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science and have teamed up to sponsor this short fiction contest in memory of Jim Baen. Write a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years...

Wake Forest, NC   US

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

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 Short Fiction

Three Winners are announced who are published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are longlisted. All entries are considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies. Open to anyone in the world. There are no genre or theme restric...

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

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

Maine Literary Awards

The Maine Literary Awards are open to all current Maine residents, including seasonal residents. All nominations to the Book Awards, regardless of category, must have been published during the 2017 calendar year. The editors (or lead editor) of books entered in the Anthology category must be Maine r...

Portland, ME   US

Margery Allingham Short Story Competition

The CWA Margery Allingham Short Story competition was set up in 2013 to celebrate the short story and Margery Allingham's contribution to crime writing. Supported by the Margery Allingham Society we are delighted that this competition will run annually.<p> The competition is open to all...

Norwich,   UK

Martyn Godfrey Young Writers Award

This is an annual, juried contest open to all Albertan students in grades 4 through 9. Students are invited to submit their best short stories (500-1500 words) or short tales told in a comic book / graphic novel style. There are two Grand Prizes, one for Grades 4-6 and one for Grades 7-9. The ...

Edmonton, AB   CA

Moth International Short Story Prize

The Prize is open to everyone, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. There is a 6,000 word limit. ...

Cavan, Co. Cavan   IE

Narrative Spring Story Contest

Entries can include short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously cho...

San Francisco, CA   US

New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing

The New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing is one of Australia's premier short fiction awards for crime writing, with six categories of prizes. Writers must be residents of Australia. Includes major prizes and a youth category for writers under 18yrs....

Armidale, NSW   AU

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

Nilsen Literary Prize for a First Novel

Submissions must be previously unpublished novels, novellas, or collections of closely linked short stories.

Manuscripts that have been self-published or published online will not be accepted.

Open to English-writing, U.S. residents who have not yet published a novel. ...

Cape Girardeau, MO   US

O. Henry Prize for Short Fiction

The O. Henry Award is an annual American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American short-story writer O. Henry. Stories published in magazines and online are eligible for inclusion. Stories may be written in English or translated into English. Stories ...

New York, NY   10012

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

Tartts First Fiction Award

The Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama is offering a chance for a beginning fiction writer to get their work published. Eligible authors must not have a book of short fiction published yet, though novels are accepted. They will receive $1000, plus a royalty contract, and 60 copies of...

Livingston, AL   US

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 Masters Review Summer Short Story Award for New Writers

We welcome submissions of previously unpublished fiction or creative nonfiction up to 6,000 words. Our contest is open to any writer who has not published a novel or memoir with a major press. The first-place winner of this contest, selected by our guest judge, will receive a $3,000 grand prize, alo...

Bend, OR   US

The NESFA Short Story Contest

A qualifying story must have strong science fiction or fantasy elements and must be shorter than 7,500 words. Stories must be original works of fiction submitted by their authors. No reprints, fan fiction, or poetry, please. The contest will be limited to the first 60 qualifying entries. While the s...

Framingham, MA   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

Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award

The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is an annual award presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best short science fiction story published in English in the preceding calendar year. Nominations are only accepted from editors and revi...

Lawrence, KS   US

V.S. Pritchett Memorial Prize

This prize for the best unpublished short story of the year was founded by the RSL at the beginning of the new millennium to commemorate the centenary of an author widely regarded as the finest English short-story writer of the 20th century, and to preserve a tradition encompassing Pritchet's ...

London,   UK

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

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

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

World Fantasy Awards

The World Fantasy Awards, established in 1975, are presented annually at the World Fantasy Convention. The World Fantasy Award has been described as one of the three most prestigious speculative fiction awards. The nine awards are presented at the banquet of the World Fantasy Convention held each y...

Mukilteo, WA   US

Young Adas Short Story Prize

Each year the Williamstown Literary Festival is delighted to convene the Ada Cambridge Prizes (The Adas), named after one of Australia’s finest colonial writers, Ada Cambridge. This prize is open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age who live, work or study in the western suburbs of Melbourne....

Melbourne, VIC   AU