latest essay writing competition 2021

MEET THE WINNERS OF THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION 2023

The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) is the world's oldest international schools' writing contest, established by the Society in 1883. With thousands of young people taking part each year, it is an important way to recognise achievement, elevate youth voices and develop key skills through creative writing.

Each year, entrants write on a theme that explores the Commonwealth's values, fostering an empathetic world view in the next generation of leaders and encouraging young people to consider new perspectives to the challenges that the world faces. Themes have included the environment, community, inclusion, the role of youth leadership, and gender equality.

In the past decade alone, this high-profile competition has engaged approximately 140,000 young people, over 5,000 schools and thousands of volunteer judges across the Commonwealth.

Celebrating the Commonwealth Year of Youth, the theme, 'A Youth-Powered Commonwealth,’ asked QCEC entrants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and to consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.

We were thrilled to receive a record-breaking 34,924 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from India and Malaysia. Find out more about this year's winners below and watch their reactions on discovering this significant achievement!

Siddhi   Deshmukh

Senior Winner  

A creative thinker and a voracious reader, Siddhi De shmukh is from the city of Mumbai, India. Siddhi is a 17 year-old student currently studying in Mayo College Girls’ Scho ol, Ajmer. She is the President of the English Creative Writing Society , and head of the World Scholar’s Cup club at her school. Siddhi’s role is instrumental in writing and directing the upcoming Annual School Play, and she is also an act ive member of Mayo College Girls’ School’s English Editorial Team. Siddhi’s passions lie in studying English Literature, History, Psychology, and Political Science, and she plans to pursue her passions in the future.

Siddhi is a canine lover and values her time that she spends with her dog, Snowy, whenever she is home. One of her major interests is films, as she finds them immensely empowering, and she loves watching them with her mother. A huge fan of Hozier, Bowie and the Beatles, Siddhi also finds inspiration in music and books. Her favourite authors include J.R.R Tolkien, Donna Tartt and Oscar Wilde. Siddhi, through her expression of writing, delves into the existential conflict of human existence and her writing is often inspired by the experiences she draws from her personal life.

Read her winning entry , 'An Angel That Burns' .

Shreeya Sahi

Junior Winner 

Ever since Shreeya was young, she was hungry for stories, and always wanted more. Now, at age 12, she loves writing stories as much as reading them.

She currently lives in Panchkula, a cosy town in Northern India. Shreeya has hopped through schools with varied philosophies in USA and India. The different perspectives and thoughts have shaped her into who she is today. 

Her passion lies in creating magic from the mundane. She fills empty sketchbooks with whimsical drawings, bakes with whatever's in her kitchen, and delights in skipping stones on a still pond. 

For the Queens Commonwealth Essay competition Shreeya wrote a letter to the Little Prince, expressing her admiration for him. She is grateful for her family, friends, and facilitators and wishes all of them could be present for the award ceremony. A special nod to Mr. Gibbs and Mrs. Mckeown, who seeded her love for writing, and her steadfast mom and comical brother, who were there for every story twist.

Read her winning entry, 'Dear Little Prince' .

Yong   Sin Kong

Senior Runner-up

Yong Sin K ong is a 15-year-old Form 3 student from Kluang High School. She has been an avid enjoyer of storytelling since her early years, whether it be in the form of literature, cinema, or th eatre. Whenever she writes, she draws inspiration from the people she idolises, ranging from Neil Gaiman to Lin Manuel-Miranda. She is an ardent fan of the Beatles, musicals, 80s coming-of-age films, and dystopian novels. More often than not, you can find her dancing around her room to the latest Taylor Swift album or diligently journaling with glitter gel pens. In Johor, Malaysia, she shares her life with her family and her loyal dog, Mimi.

Read her winning entry , ‘Observations made at a Local Kopitiam, 13th of March, 2023’ . 

Mitali   Ragtah

Junior  Runner-up

Isabel Allende once s aid, “Write what should not be forgotten.”

That is a quote 11-year-old Mitali Rag tah has always lived by on her journey as a young writing enthusiast. In the gloomy winters of 2020, during the lockdown, 9-year-old bookworm Mitali wanted to do something different. So, she brought together some short poetry and voilà, her first book, “Freedom then and now” was written.

Then she wrote her second book in 2022, “Fairy tales with a twist”. It was inspired by all the girls who believed they were weak and powerless and needed a prince to solve all their problems. Mitali strongly believes in and advocates gender equality and for this she has participated in some in-school organisations and many debate clubs.

When she isn’t scribbling away, Mitali likes to hang out with her family and friends, play soccer and perform the classical India dance, Bharatnatyam.

Read her winning entry, 'Water Girl of India' .

2022 WINNERS

We were thrilled to receive a record-breaking 26,322 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and India.

2021 WINNERS

We were delighted to receive a record-breaking 25,648 entries to The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2021, with entries from every Commonwealth region on the topic 'Community in the Commonwealth'. 

2020 WINNERS 

From more than 11,000 entries, four pieces were selected as the Winners and Runners up of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2020. Read them here and watch the Awards Ceremony.

2019 WINNERS

The 2019 Winners and Runners-up were drawn from across the Commonwealth and wrote inspiring poems, stories and narratives on the topic 'A Connected Commonwealth'. 

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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 54 contests that match your search.

African Diaspora Awards 2024

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Up to $1000 in cash prizes for the African Diaspora Award 2024. African-themed prose and poetry wanted. Top finalists are published in Kinsman Quarterly’s magazine and the anthology, “Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora.”

Additional prizes:

Publication in anthology, "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora" and print and digital magazine

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

$1,000 — $5,000

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

Young Sports Journalist 2024

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Young Sports Journalist Competition, 2024, seeks well-argued articles from aspiring journalists aged 14-21. Winning entries will be published online and printed in the Summer Issue of Pitch. Critiqued by our panel of accomplished judges, winners will also receive a £50 cash prize and offered work experience here at PITCH HQ. The competition runs from 7 February 2024 to 5 April 2024. And winners will be announced in May.

Publication in magazine and online

📅 Deadline: April 05, 2024 (Expired)

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The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

The Letter Review

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Crime, Humor, and Science Writing

2-4 Winners are published. We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Seeking Nonfiction 0-5000 words. Judges’ feedback available. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind. All entries considered for publication + submission to Pushcart.

Publication by The Letter Review

💰 Entry fee: $2

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

Creative Nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

Send us one creative nonfiction piece, up to 5000 words, for a chance at $1000 + publication. This year's contest will be judged by Lars Horn.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So To Speak is seeking submissions for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction with an intersectional feminist lens! It is no secret that the literary canon and literary journals are largely comprised of heteronormative, patriarchal, cisgender, able-bodied white men. So to Speak seeks work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

A Very Short Story Contest

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Write a great short story in ten words or fewer. Submit it to our contest. Entry is free. Winner of the bet gets a free Gotham class.

Free writing class from Gotham Writers Workshop.

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest

Writers Alliance of Gainesville

Bacopa Literary Review’s 2024 contest is open from March 4 through April 4, with $200 Prize and $100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Flash Fiction, Free Verse Poetry, Formal Poetry, and Visual Poetry.

📅 Deadline: May 02, 2024 (Expired)

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Ayn Rand Institute

Genres: Essay

Atlas Shrugged is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit. We seek exceptional essays of up to 1600 words that analyze its themes and ideas. High school to graduate students worldwide are invited to participate.

📅 Deadline: June 14, 2024

Literary and Photographic Contest 2023-2024

Hispanic Culture Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry

As we move forward we carry our culture wherever we go. It keeps us alive. This is why we propose the theme to be “¡Hacia delante!”. A phrase that means to move forward. This year we ask that you think about the following questions: What keeps you moving forward? What do you carry with you going into the future? How do you celebrate your successes, your dreams, and your culture?

Publication in magazine

📅 Deadline: February 07, 2024 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Books

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Letter Review Prize for Books is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted.

$1000 USD shared by 3 winners

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

$500 Editors' Choice award

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Goldilocks Zone

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Sunspot Lit is looking for the perfect combination of craft and appeal in stories, CNF, novel or novella excerpts, artwork, graphic novels, poems, scripts/screenplays. Literary and genre accepted. Enter through Submittable or Duotrope.

💰 Entry fee: $10

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

Environmental Writing 2024

Write the World

The writer and activist Bill McKibben describes Environmental Writing as "the collision between people and the rest of the world." This month, peer closely at that intersection: How do humans interact with their environment? Given your inheritance of this earth, the world needs your voices now more than ever.

Best entry: $100

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Non-fiction and Essay

Seeking creative nonfiction essays on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style--from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hybrid, and more! The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Electronic submissions via e-mail only; reprints/previously published okay; simultaneous submissions okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual e-mail. Open internationally.

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

💰 Entry fee: $12

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Publication by Red Hen Press

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Jane Austen Society of North America

Genres: Children's and Essay

JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers. Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: high school, college, and graduate school.

$1,000 scholarship

Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired)

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

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 poetry (up to three one-page poems).

💰 Entry fee: $11

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Student Essay Contest

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

For this year’s Essay Contest, we are asking students to think about why the story of the Oklahoma City bombing is important today.

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

Solar Flare

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Sunspot Lit is looking for one work, including a novel or novella excerpt, that provides a flare of creative energy. Literary or genre accepted. Enter through Submittable or Duotrope. Learn more: https://sunspotlit.com/contests

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

Killer Nashville

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.

💰 Entry fee: $79

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Free to enter. Seeking 0-5000 word (poetry: 15 pgs) excerpts of unpublished books (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction), including most self-published and indie-published works. 2-4 Winners (publication of extract is optional). We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind.

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

Tusculum Review Nonfiction Chapbook Prize

The Tusculum Review

A prize of $1,000, publication of the essay in The Tusculum Review’s 20th Anniversary Issue (2024), and creation of a limited edition stand-alone chapbook with original art is awarded. Editors of The Tusculum Review and contest judge Mary Cappello will determine the winner of the 2024 prize.

NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Open to all writers in four categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and critical writing.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award

Trio House Press

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024 (Expired)

Share Your Story

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Essay and Memoir

Write about an event in your life. Everyone has a memoir. Not an autobiography. Too much concern about fact and convention. A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life with the option to create and fabricate and to make sense of a life, or part of that life.

📅 Deadline: August 13, 2024

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing will be administered to the winner of a literary contest designed to champion innovative hybrid and cross-genre work.

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Narratively 2023 Memoir Prize

Narratively

Genres: Essay, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Narratively is currently accepting submissions for their 2023 Memoir Prize. They are looking for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. The guest judge is New York Times bestselling memoirist Stephanie Land.

$1,000 and publication

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired)

The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction

Lascuax Review

Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, or discovered. Pieces may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024

The Hudson Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Hudson Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or prose. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers.

💰 Entry fee: $28

Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition

Indignor House Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

Anthology Travel Writing Competition 2024

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel

The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is open to original and previously unpublished travel articles in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. We are looking for an engaging article that will capture the reader’s attention, conveying a strong sense of the destination and the local culture. Max 1000 words.

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

High School Academic Research Competition

Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal

The High School Academic Research Competition is where talented students from around the world compete to publish high-quality research on any topic. SARC challenges students to sharpen their critical thinking skills, immerse themselves in the research process, and hone their writing skills for success.

Indigo Research Intensive Summer Program

📅 Deadline: April 17, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

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How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

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Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

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After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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By submitting your essay, you give the Berkeley Prize the nonexclusive, perpetual right to reproduce the essay or any part of the essay, in any and all media at the Berkeley Prize’s discretion.  A “nonexclusive” right means you are not restricted from publishing your paper elsewhere if you use the following attribution that must appear in that new placement: “First submitted to and/or published by the international Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence ( www.BerkeleyPrize.org ) in competition year 20(--) (and if applicable) and winner of that year’s (First, Second, Third…) Essay prize.” Finally, you warrant the essay does not violate any intellectual property rights of others and indemnify the BERKELEY PRIZE against any costs, loss, or expense arising out of a violation of this warranty.

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You (and your teammate if you have one) will be asked to complete a short registration form which will not be seen by members of the Berkeley Prize Committee or Jury.

REGISTER HERE.

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300+ Writing Contests You Need to Enter in 2021

• on Dec 17, 2020
• in Writing Tips
• Last update: January 3rd, 2024

Note: Don’t forget to check out the 2024 list of writing contests !

If there’s one thing we need these days, it’s consistency. Something that proves not everything has changed. Something that gives you a bout of comfort given the current circumstances. So what better way to do that than to know 2021 comes with a host of writing contests for people of all ages from all around the world?

Whatever your writing niche or preferred writing genre, there’s bound to be a contest for you. From short stories to poems and even essays, this year we’ve expanded our list more than ever. All you need is one chance, right? You never know, this might be the contest that helps you further your writing career!

The 2020 Exeter Novel Prize

Eligibility & Restrictions

To apply, submit a 10,000 word novel in English. The novel can’t have been published by a traditional publishing house. Anyone above 18 can enter. All genres excluding children’s, but including Young Adult and New Adult, are acceptable.

St. Martin’s Minotaur/ Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

Anyone above 18 can enter. All Manuscripts submitted must be original works between 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words written in English. They also must be written solely by an unpublished entrant. The story should be about murder or another serious crime or to at least have a crime at the heart of the story.

Mississippi Review Contest

The contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction and non-fiction entries should be 1000-8000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems totaling ten pages or less.

Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award

Anyone can enter. Minimum 3 pages; maximum 10 pages. You can only submit one entry. Submission must be previously unpublished material. Students currently enrolled at San Francisco State University are ineligible.

James Knudsen Prize for Fiction

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7500 words. UNO students and alumni are ineligible. All current and former Bayou staff, previous contest winners, and current or former students of the judge are ineligible to submit.

Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry. You may enter up to three poems per entry. UNO students and alumni are ineligible to submit. Previous contest winners, along with current or former students of the judge are also ineligible to submit.

Seaborne Magazine: Call for submissions about the sea

Anyone can enter. They are looking for rich, atmospheric fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual artwork about the sea. Submissions must be formatted to UK spelling. They do not accept previously published submissions, in other magazines, websites or personal blogs. Fiction should be between 2,000-5,000 words for short stories, and 300 words for vignettes. Creative non-fiction should be between 800-1,500 words.

The Crank Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Must submit four previously unpublished poems.

The Hunger Winter Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. You may submit up to 3 poems; please include them all in the same file. Multiple submissions are allowed with a separate entry fee for each submission.

Gemini Magazine Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter.

The Tony Hillerman Prize For Best First Mystery Set In the Southwest

Anyone above 18 and is a resident of one of the US, the District of Columbia or Canada can enter. Entries must be unpublished, publication on an entrant’s website of a single one-chapter excerpt from a work is eligible. The Manuscript must be written in English and must be approximately 60,000 words or 220 pages. The theme is murder or another serious crime and should focus on the solving of the crime(s) rather than the details of such crime(s).

Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize

Entry must be short prose by African-American writers in North Carolina. Entries may be fiction or creative non-fiction, but must be unpublished, no more than 3,000 words, and concerned with the lives and experiences of North Carolina African-Americans. Entries may be excerpts from longer works, but must be self-contained.

San José State University Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing

Anyone can enter. Residency in the San Francisco Bay Area is required during the academic year. Submit a writing sample up to 25, a project proposal for work to be written, a résumé, and three letters of recommendation.

This Sentence Starts The Story

Anyone can enter. Write a story that starts with this sentence: It’s happening tonight. You have the option to put it in quotes (for dialogue) and to change the punctuation at the end for proper grammar.

Books By The Banks Writing Contest

This year’s contest theme is Home. You are encouraged to interpret this theme as literally or figuratively as you desire. Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry are welcome. Submitted work must be original and unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

5-7-5 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a 5-7-5 poem that follows the structure of a Haiku but without any limitation to the topic.

The Mogford Prize for Food and Drink Writing

Anyone above 18 can enter. The English short story should have a maximum of 2,500 words. Entries must never have been published, self-published, broadcast or published on any website, blog or online forum. Entries must be the sole work of the entrant.

The Henshaw Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Entries must be fictional short stories of up to 2000 words on any theme. All entries must be the original work of the author, must not have been published before the date of submission.

BBC Writersroom Script Room 2021

Anyone can enter. Submit one drama or comedy-drama script of at least 30 full pages in length for TV, film, radio, stage or online. No early/first/rough drafts of scripts.

Poetry Kit International Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. There are no style or length restrictions, but it should be stressed that a short poem is just as likely to be selected as a longer one. This year’s theme: “home” which can be broadly interpreted and presented in any form or style.

Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Awards

Authors must be Canadian citizens or a resident of Canada. Entries can be written in French or English. The entry must have been published in Canada during the 2020 calendar year. Entries may deal with aspects of basic or applied science or technology (historical or current) in any area including health, social or environmental issues, regulatory trends, etc. Books must be understandable to the layperson or children, with appropriate clarification of medical and scientific terminology, and an orderly marshalling of facts.

The White Review Poet’s Prize

The Prize is open to residents of the UK and Ireland who have yet to publish a single-authored poetry collection or pamphlet in any language. Entries of poetry portfolios should be 5 – 10 pages per portfolio, as opposed to single-poem entries, and must be written in English. Poems submitted must not have been previously published, either online or in print.

Minute Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The Minute Poem is a poem that follows the “8,4,4,4” syllable count structure. It must have 12 lines total and 60 syllables.

Full Bleed Fifth Issue Contest

Anyone can enter. The theme is adaptation. In addition to essays and stories of up to 7000 words, Full Bleed publishes shorter, recurring columns of approximately 800 to 2000 words. Please submit previously unpublished work along with a brief biography and cover letter.

New Guard Fiction Contest

Anyone above 18 can enter. Up to three poems per entry. Submit up to 5,000 words: anything from flash fiction to the long stories. Please submit previously unpublished work only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, provided they’re notified upon publication elsewhere.

New Guard Poetry Contest

Anyone above 18 can enter. Up to three poems per entry. Up to 150 lines per poem. Please submit all three poems in a single document. Please submit previously unpublished work only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, provided they’re notified upon publication elsewhere.

Joe Gouveia Outermost Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Send up to 5 of your best unpublished poems, any style or subject matter, no more than 7 pages in total.

Colorado Prize for Poetry

The competition is open to anyone, except students, alumni, and employees of Colorado State University. Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages but no more than 100 pages. Manuscripts may consist of poems that have been published, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished. Translations are not eligible.

Virginia B. Ball Writing Contest

The contest is open to students in grades 8-11 during the 2020-2021 school year except students enrolled in Interlochen Arts Academy. The pieces must represent at least two of the following genres: fiction, poetry, spoken word, personal essay/memoir, screenwriting, playwriting, comics, and experimental or unclassifiable writing. Applicants who submit so-called “genre” fiction (science fiction, fantasy, etc.) are encouraged to also submit a sample of more realistic fiction. Length: max 4,000 words.

Erewash Festive Fright Writing Poetry and Story Competitions

Anyone can enter. From creepy spec fic to bleak psychological thrillers, whether you make your writing ghostly and/or ghastly, ​put the frighteners on us to win this competition.​ Set it during the festive season in December. Poetry length: up to 40 lines. Story length: max 500 words.

Erewash Festive Fright Writing Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. From creepy spec fic to bleak psychological thrillers, whether you make your writing ghostly and/or ghastly, ​put the frighteners on us to win this competition.​ Set it during the festive season in December. Short Story length: max 2,500 words.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Any United States high school students in grades 9-12 may apply. Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. Length: 1,000 words max with a minimum of 700. Past winners and finalists, employees of John Hancock Financial Services and members of their families are not eligible to participate.

Rattle Chapbook Prize

Anyone can enter. Each poet may submit 15–30 pages of poems in English only (no translations).Individual poems may be previously published in any format, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished as a collection.

Calibre Essay Prize

Anyone can enter except ABR staff and board members. Essay length: 2,000 to 5,000 words, written in English. Exclusivity is essential for longlisted essays.

Driftwood Press Short Story Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be between 1,000-5,000 words. The work must not have been previously published. Submit works written in English only, no translations.

Driftwood Press Poem Contest

Submitters may send up to five poems in a single document for consideration. Each poem must not exceed sixty lines. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual element are all welcome. Any submissions should be written primarily in English.

Reading Works Short Short Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a short short story no longer than 100 words. The contest is open to prose, any genre. Topics: ants, bowling, 1940s, water.

DISQUIET Prize

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted by authors who have not yet published more than one book. One short story or novel excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry.

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted by authors who have not yet published more than one book.One piece of non-fiction, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry.

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted by authors who have not yet published more than one book. No more than SIX poems per entry, up to 10 pages total.

Dynamo Verlag Book Contest

This contest is open to all authors who have not published more than one (1) full length book in their primary genre (this does not include self-published works). Current and under-contract Dynamo Verlag authors are ineligible, as are any persons employed or associated with the press.This contest is open to primarily textual poetry or prose, minimum 8,000 words for poetry and maximum 75,000 words for prose.

City Limits Love Is in the Air Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. All entries must be about love in some form and written in English. A poem in its entirety must be an original work by the person entering the contest.

Rose Post Creative non-fiction Contest

The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Theme: Lasting non-fiction that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. Each entry must be an original and previously unpublished manuscript of no more than 2,000 words.

William Matthews Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Submit 3 poems in a single file, any style, any subject, any length. Previously published work and translations are not eligible. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but notify us immediately if a poem is accepted for publication elsewhere.

North American Book Award

Anyone can enter. The book of poetry submitted must be the work of a single author, at least 64 pages long, and published in 2020 by an established press. Manuscripts, videos, CDs, chapbooks, and self-published books are not eligible, nor are books that have won awards, including a pre-publication award by the publishing press. It is expected that the book will contain both new and previously published poems.

Rising Writer Prizes

Anyone 36 or younger can enter. Must be the author’s first full-length poetry collection (previous publications of chapbooks are fine). Submissions should be approximately 50-80 pages.

Desert Writers Award

Anyone can enter. Length: no more than 10 pages, double spaced with 1-inch margins. You may submit published, unpublished, or work in progress but it must be an original work.

Magma Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems may be on any subject, and must be in English and your own original work. They must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, broadcast, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time. Length: 11–50 lines.

Writing Magazine Open Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Entries should be no longer than 40 lines. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant which is not currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award. There is no limit to number of entries. Entrants retain copyright in their manuscripts.

Writing Magazine Open Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Entries should be 1,500-1,700 words. The choice is yours for this competition – any story, any style, any genre. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant which is not currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award. There is no limit to number of entries. Entrants retain copyright in their manuscripts.

Early Career Awards

Anyone above 18, lives in England at time of application and until at least June 2022, and has not published a debut novel or full short story collection can enter. Submit a sample of work of up to 2,000 words.

Heron Tree Volume 8

Anyone can enter. Poems that have previously appeared online (temporarily or permanently, on your own or a third-party site) should not be submitted, nor should work that has already been published electronically or in print. Simultaneous submissions are welcome with timely notification of acceptance elsewhere.

Four Line Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The subject can be anything.

Vassar Review: Protest, Prophecy, Play

Anyone can enter. Art: 15 works/ Fiction or Literary non-fiction: 30 pages/ Poetry: 6 poems, or 10 pages/ Reviews: 2 works/ Digital Media: up to 5 digital works.

Novella-in-Flash Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original, unpublished previously, not have won a prize, and written in English between 6,000 and 18,000 words long.

Waxing & Waning Tennessee Tempest Edition

Anyone can enter. Poetry: 1-5 poems, up to 3,000 words. Fiction / creative non-fiction: 100-5,000 words (if any longer, it should be good enough to merit the space it will take up).

Women’s Prize Trust Novel Discoveries

All women in the UK or Ireland above 18 can enter. It is open to any genre of adult fiction, and you only need to submit the first 10,000 words of your novel plus a synopsis (and you’re allowed a very generous 1000 words ).

The Phare Write Words Poetry Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast, or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length: 40 lines max.

The Phare Write Words Short Story Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length: 3000 words max.

The Phare Write Words Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. An entry can only be made by the work’s individual author. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length – 1000 words max.

The Nine Dots Prize

Anyone above 18 can enter. Entries should respond in English to this question: “What does it mean to be young in an ageing world?” Length: 3,000 words max. Joint entries and UK sanctioned country entrants will be considered.

Bethesda Essay Contest

Residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper NW Washington, D.C. (20015 and 20016 ZIP codes) are eligible. The contest will take entries in two categories: High School (grades 9-12) and Adult (ages 18+). Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer’s choosing. Only one entry per person. Stories must be limited to 4,000 words or less.

Poetry Society of Virginia 2021 Contest

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English, typed, unpublished, origi­nal, and not scheduled for publication before May, 2020. All entries not in compliance with category specifications will be disqualified.

Stage It! 10-Minute Plays Competition

Anyone can enter. Plays should be in generally-accepted script format and in English. Length: 10 pages or a 10 minutes read.

Past Search Prize for Non-Fiction

Anyone can enter. Maximum 2,000 words.

Free Verse Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. No restrictions.

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, philosophical ruminations, stageplays, fragments, chapters, and excerpts are all acceptable.

Black Inc. Anthology Contest

Anyone who has spent a substantial part of your life can enter. This year’s theme: Growing Up in Country Australia. Submissions can be in any manner, tone or style, but should not be academic or scholarly. Length: between 1000 and 4000 words.

The Royal Society of Literature Encore Award

The Award is open for any published second novel, which must be a full-length work of fiction. The writer must have been resident in the United Kingdom (UK) or the Republic of Ireland (RoI) for the past three years. Novellas or children’s books are ineligible. Books published with vanity publishers are not eligible.

The 15th Annual Short Story Challenge

Horror writing contest.

Anyone can enter. Put your readers on edge or terrorize them.

Sixfold Short Story Competition

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Must be unpublished and original, simultaneous submissions accepted. Length 20 pages (5,000 words) max.

Sixfold Short Poetry Competition

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Must be unpublished and original, simultaneous submissions accepted. Length 10 pages max.

8th Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed during this week. A modicum of poetic license is acceptable. Poems should be newly written, during the relevant 7-day period.

The Bournemouth Writing Prize

Anyone above 16 can enter. Short Story length: Up to 3000 words maximum. It can be about any topic and in any style. Poetry length: Up to 42 lines. We are looking for poetry that is fresh and unexpected. All entries should be in English and be accompanied by a short (75 word) biography of the author and postal address. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition.

20 Line Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has exactly 20 lines. Any format.

SWAMP Writing

Anyone enrolled in a postgraduate program in any university across the globe can enter. Entries must be unpublished poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction and memoir. This year’s theme: Reflection.

Two Line Poem

Anyone can enter. Write an essence poem. The poem should be of two lines with six syllables per line, each containing an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme.

Fan Story Hate to love Contest

Anyone can enter. The topic for this contest is: A hate to love story. The story does not have to be specifically about the topic. But should clearly incorporate the topic into the story. Minimum length 700 words. Recommended length 2,000 – 3,500 words.

Parracombe Prize 2020

To enter, simply submit a short story of no more than 2,020 words. Entries must be in English, your own original work, must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.

Fiction Factory Flash Fiction Writing Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Stories must be original and unpublished in print or websites. Must in English and a maximum of 1,000 words. All genres will be accepted except children’s and young adult fiction.

Cambridge Autumn Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. The word limit is 1500 words.The theme for this year’s competition is “Lockdown”.

The Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems must be in English, unpublished, not accepted for publication, and must be your original work. They must be no longer than 40 lines.

Caine Prize for African Writing

Submissions can only be made by publishers and the prize winner has to be an African national and the entry has to be in English. Unpublished and self-published work is not eligible for the Caine Prize. Works not eligible for entry include stories for children, factual writing, plays, biography.

Young Authors Writing Competition

The contest is open to students attending grades 9-12. Each individual entry has a limit of ten pages. The number of words is not fixed, but each work cannot exceed 10 pages. No previously published entries. Simultaneous submissions are allowed for our contest, but you must notify them immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere.

Driftwood Poetry Collections

Anyone can enter. It should be between 40-100 pages of poetry. Experimental poetry, hybrid work, poetry with a visual element, prose poetry, and any avant-garde poetry are welcomed! Submissions should be primarily in English, but collections with a moderate bilingual component will of course be considered.

The Winter Anthology

Anyone can enter. Please send as much poetry or prose of which you are the sole author and that were not written earlier than 1999.

Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize

Anyone can enter. The entries can’t have been previously published. Maximum number of words is 4,000 in English.

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. This competition is for original, previously unpublished poems in English, on any subject, in any style up to 50 lines long. Poems posted on members-only non-public groups for review/critique as part of the creative process are not deemed to have been previously published.

GCWA Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Youth category: 11-17; adult category: above 18. Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished, and unproduced, not accepted by any other publisher or producer before April 1, 2021. Fiction/non-fiction/children’s —1500 words maximum. Poetry – 40 lines maximum.

Blackwater Press short story contest

Anyone can enter. Word limit should be between 1000 words to 10,000 words.

Michael McLaverty Short Story Competition

Entrants must have been born in, or are citizens of, or resident in Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland. Entries must not exceed the maximum of 3,000 words. Entries must not have been, by the date of submission, published or broadcast in any medium.

Mighty Pens Winter Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Theme: short story about winter. Entries must be between 500 and 1,000 words. Each entry must be the exclusive work of the author, in English, and must not have been published or appeared anywhere else, including any placement in another competition.

Cheshire Prize for Literature

The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire. Entry must be an original and previously unpublished piece of creative work in one of four categories themed around all aspects of the pandemic including “lockdown”: poetry, short fiction, children’s literature and scriptwriting.

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize

Anyone can enter. All entries must be the work of the person entering and must not have been published anywhere online (including blogs and websites) or accepted for publication elsewhere. It must be in English. The copyright remains with the author. Length: 1000 words, no minimum word limit.

The Chaucer Tales Writing Competition

The competition is open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities (ages 5-18), but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations. The maximum word count is 500 words in English. The special theme of the competition this year is Be Careful What You Wish For!

First Chapter Competition

Anyone can enter. International entries are welcome but first chapters must be written in English and can be up to 3,500 words (no minimum word count) and on any theme and subject (except children’s fiction). The novel should be unpublished and not have been accepted by a publisher.

Cranked Anvil Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. The competition is open to any theme or genre, but your story must be a maximum of 1,500 words and must be written in English. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant. This includes publication online, including (but not limited to) personal blogs or websites. Each entry must not be currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award.

Annual Fifteen Stories High Short Story Competition

The contest is now open to all Ontario resident writers. Stories must be unpublished fiction and creative non-fiction and be between 1, 000 and 3,000 words in length. Each piece must be original, unpublished, not submitted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor accepted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor entered simultaneously in any other contest or competition for which it is also eligible to win a prize.

Lancashire Authors’ Association Open Competition

Anyone 16 or above can enter. The story must be exactly 100 words. Entries must be original, unpublished work which is not currently submitted for publication or entered into any other competition or award.

Teignmouth Poetry Festival Open Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems may be on any subject, must be the original work of the entrant, unpublished and not accepted for publication in any medium. They must not have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems should be in English and not exceed 36 lines of text, no minimum.

Teignmouth Poetry Festival Devon residents Poetry Competition

Residents of Devon can enter. Poems may be on any subject, must be the original work of the entrant, unpublished and not accepted for publication in any medium. They must not have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems should be in English and not exceed 36 lines of text, no minimum.

The Big Moose Prize

Anyone can enter. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional unpublished novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel. Manuscripts should be 90-1,000 pages in length.

The over 90s Short Story Prize

Anyone who lives in the UK around 90 years of age or over on the 1st September 2020 can enter. Write a short story with a maximum of 500 words on the theme of childhood memories.

The British Haiku Society Poetry competition

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be in English, unpublished and not concurrently entered for any other competition, and remain unpublished until the results are declared. Submissions should not appear in any print or online publication, social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) or forums as the competition is anonymous. There is no limit on the number of submissions per competitor.

Stringybark Open Short Story Award

Anyone can enter. It should be about Australia. Length: Up to 1500 words. Written for an audience aged 16 and above.

Dark Tales Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Each entry must be no longer than 5000 words, must be the original, unpublished work of the stated author.

The Masters Review Short Story Award For New Writers

Anyone can enter. Previously unpublished stories only. Simultaneous and multiple submissions allowed. Emerging writers only (Writers with novels published with a circulation of fewer than 5000 copies can also submit.) Length: under 6000 words.

Arachne Press Opportunity for Deaf writers

Submissions are open for UK writers who are deaf only. Deaf writers may submit by video in BSL. No erotica, or horror of any kind, gore or torture. No sexist stereotypes and derivative plotlines, sloppy writing and clichés, romance and chick-lit. Stories and poems must be your own work, written in English, up to 2000 words long and unpublished except for The Story Sessions.

The Danuta Gleed Literary Award

All entries must be Canadian-authored titles published in English between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 and available through bookstores and libraries. Submission must be a first collection/first edition of short fiction, no co-authored entries, no posthumously published works, electronically published works not eligible, submission must be made by a publisher. Translations from other languages into English are eligible if all other criteria are met.

The Brucedale Press Annual Acrostic Story Contest

Anyone under 18 can enter. Stories entered must be original, unpublished work created by the entrant, not previously entered in this contest. Stories may not be longer than 26 sentences. The first sentence must begin with “Because I can…”. Any subject or theme is acceptable, provided there is no profanity, obscenity, ageism, racism or sexism.

The Word Guild 2021 Fresh Ink Student Writing Awards

This contest is designed to encourage student writers in 2 age categories: high school and college/university. Enter original works in 5 categories. Short stories, no-fiction and poetry must be 1500 words or less, first three chapters of an unpublished novel 15 pages or less and short script (screen or stage) 45 pages or less.

Amazon First Novel Award

Anyone between 13-17 and is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada can enter. The Youth Short Story Category invites authors between the ages of thirteen and seventeen to submit a short story under 3,000 words.

Little Tokyo Historical Society Short Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Fiction: 5,000 words. Poetry: single poems or multi-poem cycles. Stories must be set in a current, past or future Little Tokyo in the City of Los Angeles, California.

Bad Betty Press: Pamphlet & Collection Manuscripts

Anyone can enter. Submit 10 pages of poetry from a full collection/pamphlet manuscript.

Bluefire 1000-Word Short Story Contest

Anyone in school grades 6-12 can enter. Entries must be original and not previously published. Length: exactly 1000 words. Previous grand prize winners are not eligible to submit in the same grade category (6-8, or 9-12) in which they have won.

EngineerGirl Essay Contest

Anyone in school (grades 3-12) can enter. Submit a piece of writing that salutes engineering’s role in meeting and defeating the challenges presented by COVID-19. Check guidlines for your category. Grades 3-5: 600 words limit. Grades 6-8: 650 words limit. High school: 700 words limit.

Accenti Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Submissions for original and unpublished English prose texts only. Maximum length: 2000 words. No poetry, plays, reviews, and scholarly essays. No footnotes and endnotes. No pseudonyms. Submissions can be an English translation of the author’s unpublished original work in another language.

River of Words: Youth Art and Poetry Inspired by the Natural World

The contest is open through to 12th grade students, ages 5-20. Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible. All entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian, educator, or facilitator unless the student is 18 years old or older. Poems can be in English and Spanish. All poems must be original work and should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed).

Spread The Word Life Writing Prize

Entrants must be based in the UK, above 18, unpublished (unless self-published), and currently unagented. The entry should be up to 5000 words.

The BookLife Prize

Anyone can enter. Both unpublished or self-published books in the English language are eligible for the BookLife Prize. Entries must contain 40,000 to 100,000 words.

Accenti Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Submissions are open for entries unpublished and not under consideration by any other publication. Maximum length: 40 lines. Submissions can be an English translation of the author’s unpublished original work in another language.

SCWC Poetry Award

Anyone above in Australia 18 can enter. Entries must be single poems of no more than 50 lines. For entries not primarily written in English, an English translation should be provided for the judges. Entries must be original and unpublished works written by an individual author. Entries should not be on offer to other publications or prizes for the duration of the competition. This year’s theme is ‘every body’.

St. Gallen Symposium Esay Competition

Anyone enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) and born in 1991 or later can enter. Essay should be in English and length should be max. 2,100 words. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest.

The Crucible First Novel Award

Anyone can enter. Submit the first 5,000 words of their manuscripts, along with a 150 word ‘elevator pitch’. Manuscripts which have been published in any form, either traditionally or self-published, are ineligible to enter. Entries which fall within the genres of crime, mystery, thriller, or their sub-genres are eligible.

William Van Dyke Short Story Prize

Anyone can enter. The short story must be 5,500 words or less. Entries must be previously unpublished. Regular Ruminate blog contributors, past first-place winners of any Ruminate Prize, past judges of any Ruminate prize, and friends or family of the Ruminate staff can’t enter.

Dialogue Only Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a story using only dialogue. No narration or descriptions. Sentence tags are optional. No length requirements.

2021 Newcastle Short Story Award

All Australian citizens or permanent residents above 18 can enter. Length: 2,000 words max. Entries must be the original work of the applicant and must not be published in any form or currently offered for publication.

Room 204 Writer Development Scheme

Entrant should have a 2-year writing history with up to 3 writing examples, a max of 3,000 words total.

Arizona Mystery Writers Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youths

Writers from 9-16 years of age. Submission must be up to 2500 words (about 10 double-spaced pages).

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

Anyone can enter. Submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration.

The Marten Bequest Scholarships

Australian citizens aged 21-35 can enter. The scholarships provide financial support under the writing categories: poetry and prose. You can’t apply if: 1) you received a grant, or administered a grant, from the Australia Council in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted; 2) you owe money to the Australia Council; 3) you were previously awarded a grant through The Marten Bequest.

Kathleen Mitchell Award

Anyone under 30 years, have been born in Australia or the United Kingdom, or are currently Australian citizens or have been living in Australia for the 12 months preceding the closing date can enter. Entries must be novel or novella and they must have been published or accepted for publication within the 2 years prior to the Award closing date. This can be demonstrated by the providing an ISBN or letter of confirmation from the publisher as part of your entry.

Dal Stivens Award

Anyone under 30 years, Australian citizens, or have been permanent residents in the two years preceding the closing date. Entries must be a short story or essay between 3,000 and 10,000 words and they must have been published or accepted for publication within the 12 months prior to the Award closing date.

The National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest for Professionals

All members of the National Federation of Press Women can enter. High school students may enter the professional contest if they are acting in a professional capacity. Entrants from Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota must be NFPW members to enter. All work must have been published or broadcast between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, to be eligible for entry.

Ottawa Travel Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Eligible entries include items in English or in French that have appeared in magazines, newspapers, or online media in 2020 that highlight Ottawa as a travel destination.

The Elmbridge Literary Competition

All entries must be in English and previously unpublished. Short stories length: 1000 words (8-13 years) or 1500 words (14+). Poems length: 30 lines. Little Rhymes and Stories for the 5-7 years group should be no longer than 20 lines (Rhymes) or 500 words (Stories) and can be hand written (but must be legible).

3 Line Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The poem has to have a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. It shouldn’t rhyme. But the poem must address a loved one.

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. They must also be for adult or young adult readers. Non-fiction and fiction written for children under 13 years are not eligible. Max length is 300 words. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.

The National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest for High School Students

All high school students in the US can enter. All 2021 contest entries must have been published, e-published, broadcast, or issued between February 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021. Entries must be produced by a current high school student or a recently graduated student who produced the work in their senior year after February 1, 2020.

Fan Story Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The theme for this poetry contest is “faith”.

Globe Soup Winter Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone 18 and above can enter. The entries should be no more than 800 words. All entries must be written for adult or young adult readers. Flash Fiction stories aimed at children are not allowed. Entries must be the participants’ own, original work. They must not have been published, self-published, published online or made public on social media or featured among the winners in any other competition. Entries must not include photographs or illustrations.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

The 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie book authors and publishers who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2019, 2020 or 2021 or with a 2019, 2020 or 2021 copyright date.

Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Submit a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words.

The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize

The competition is for novel manuscripts in any genre by unpublished women writer residents in the UK and Ireland. Literary and genre fiction are equally welcomed, and novels for children and young adults may be entered as long as they are primarily word-based. Picture books are not accepted. To enter, send the first 30 to 50 pages and a synopsis between three and five pages.

Short Prose Competition

Any Canadian citizen or resident can enter. Writer must have had no more than one book published (traditionally or self-published) and currently be under no contract for a second book. Piece must be unpublished, original, won no prize before, in English. Length: max 2,500 words.

Fan Story Future Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a flash fiction story that takes place in the future. Maximum length 500 words.

Hippocrates international Open Prize and Health Professional Prize

Anyone can enter. Poems must be no more than 50 lines in length and not have previously been published in any form. They must be written in English on a medical subject and should not be translations of another writer’s work.

Adventures in Fiction Spotlight First Novel Award

Anyone can enter. To enter, submit the first page of your novel and a one-page synopsis. The winner should be prepared to submit the manuscript of their novel in hard copy (12pt, double-spaced, single side of the paper only) to Adventures in Fiction by the beginning of April. Prize: A Stage One Mentoring package for a novel of up to 550 pages/170,000 words including a full manuscript appraisal, a development strategy and two consultations and a dedicated page on the Adventures in Fiction website including a profile of you and your novel.

IndieReader Discovery Awards

Only books that have been either self-published or published by an independent publisher and have an ISBN or ASN can enter.

Achievement Awards in Writing

All 11th grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible. Nominating schools must be US accredited. Participating students submit two types of writing: themed writing (AWA prompt) and best writing. 2021 prompt: My Community. Writing options include poetry, short story, personal narrative, essay, or graphic storytelling. Themed Writing: max 4 pages. Best Witing: max 6 pages.

Promising Young Writers Program

All 8th grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible to nominate juniors. Nominating schools must be US accredited. Participating students submit two types of writing: themed writing (AWA prompt) and best writing. 2021 prompt: Change; Amidst isolation in 2020. You may produce any genre, or kind, of writing. Themed Writing: max 4 pages. Best Witing: max 6 pages.

Anchorage Annual Statewide Creative Writing Contest

The contest is open to Alaska residents. College students who maintain Alaska residency may enter. Work published previously in any copyrighted newspaper, magazine, book or other medium is ineligible. Writing for school publications may be entered. Entries must be original. Contestants may enter one work of fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), one work of non-fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), and up to three poems. A contestant may enter all categories in his or her age group.

Ambroggio Prize

Any US citizen or resident for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline can enter. Poets are not eligible to apply if they have studied with the judge in full-time accredited courses within the last three years The manuscript must be originally written in Spanish and accompanied by a translation in English. Poets may translate their own work or collaborate with a translator who may or may not be a poet. The poet and translator must share the $1,000 prize. Poems may have been previously published in periodicals or chapbooks, but the collection must not have been previously published, including self-publications and e-books. The original manuscript in Spanish must contain original poetry by one poet and must be between 48 and 100 pages, typed single-spaced, unless the poems are meant to be presented using nonstandard spacing.

Writing Magazine Dialogue Only Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Entries should be 1,500-1,700 words. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant which is not currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award. There is no limit to the number of entries. Entrants retain copyright in their manuscripts.

Morton and McCarthy Prizes

Open to any short fiction writer in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc. are not eligible. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included.

Hachette Children’s Novel Award

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. The Hachette Children’s Novel Award is open to debut writers of middle-grade children’s fiction and early teen fiction. Must be English language fiction for children aged 7-11 (the word count can be 15-40K), or teen fiction for readers aged 11-13 (50-65K words), this should still exclude high-end or explicit content including swearing, sex and drugs. The initial work entered for this award will be a submission of 3000-4000 words. Applicants are not eligible if the work that they are submitting is currently part of a book deal that they have received a publishing contract and advance for.

Northern Writers’ Awards for Poetry

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. This award is for English language works of poetry that can be considered as being in progress. Your application can include poems that have been previously published in magazines and anthologies. To enter poets should submit up to 30 poems or an equivalent amount of longer sequences.

Northern Debut Awards: Poetry

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. This award is for English language works of poetry that can be considered as being in progress. Poets who have published pamphlets or in magazines and anthologies may apply if they have not published, or are not contracted to publish, a full collection. For prose writers we expect to see an extract of work supported by a synopsis that fully describes the book that you are working to complete. Poets should submit up to 30 poems or an equivalent amount of longer sequences.

Northern Writers’ Awards for Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. You may submit novels, novellas and collections of short stories, but not individual short stories. Work that fits in this category includes biography, memoir, nature writing and non-fiction with a strong literary intent. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Northern Debut Awards: Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. You may submit novels, novellas and collections of short stories, but not individual short stories. Narrative non-fiction has stylistic and structural similarities to fiction but deals instead with factual or mostly factual subject matter. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. Writers previously published in other genres such as poetry, academic writing and writing for children may apply for this award. Writers who have self-published full-length works are not considered debut authors for this award. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Sid Chaplin Award

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. We accept fiction and narrative non-fiction for this award. Submissions may be on any theme or topic and can include young adult writing, memoir, novels and short story collections, and works of literary essays. They accept fiction from any genre, including literary fiction, crime, science fiction, romance and fantasy. You may submit novels, novellas and collections of short stories, but not individual short stories. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. To enter writers should submit a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis.

The Literary Consultancy Free Reads

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. We accept poetry, fiction, including children’s and young adult, and narrative non-fiction for these awards. You may submit novels, novellas and collections of short stories, but not individual short stories. Narrative non-fiction has stylistic and structural similarities to fiction but deals instead with factual or mostly factual subject matter. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Arvon Award

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. We accept works of fiction of all genres, children’s fiction and creative non-fiction for this award. Narrative non-fiction has stylistic and structural similarities to fiction but deals instead with factual or mostly factual subject matter. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award

Anyone above 18, is a permanent resident in the North of England, and is a final-year student or graduate from any discipline at Northumbria University can enter. They accept English language works of poetry, fiction of all genres, children’s fiction, creative non-fiction and graphic novels for this award. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing, translation or self-publishing projects are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. To enter writers should submit a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Word Factory Apprentice Award

Anyone above 18, is a permanent resident in the North of England, and is a final-year student or graduate from any discipline at Northumbria University can enter. They accept English language works of poetry, fiction of all genres, children’s fiction, creative non-fiction and graphic novels for this award. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing, translation or self-publishing projects are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Young Northern Writers’ Awards

Anyone currently living full-time in the North of England and is a young person in Year 7 upwards (up to a maximum of 18 years of age) can enter. There are two age categories, Year 7-9 and Year 10+. Entrants must be 18 years or under on Thursday 26 November 2020 when the awards open. Young writers can submit creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap.

Matthew Hale Award

Anyone currently living full-time in the North of England and is a young person in Year 7 upwards (up to a maximum of 18 years of age) can enter. The Matthew Hale Award is open to young writers who show promise but have had limited opportunities to pursue their talent. Young writers can submit creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap.

True Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a true story from your life. Write a story that shares a moment, an object, a feeling, etc. This does not have to be a profound memory, but should allow readers insight into your feelings, observations and/or thoughts. Use at least 100 words. No poetry.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

All 9-12 high school students in the US can apply. The essay should be 300-500 words of original work. Entrants must write about: “Why must journalists strive to improve diversity and representation in both their coverage and in their newsrooms, and how might this happen?”

Willow Run Poetry Book Award

Anyone can enter. Must be an unpublished English book length collection of poetry of 75 to 100 pages.

Tanka Poetry Contest

Fan story non-fiction writing contest.

Anyone can enter. Submit literary works of non-fiction on any topic. It doesn’t matter if it’s spiritual, political, intellectual, emotional, funny, serious, or an essay about your DVD player. New entries only. Minimum length 500 words. Maximum Length 7,000 words. Recommended length 2,000 – 3,500 words.

Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Prize

All residents of Australia and New Zealand can enter. Manuscripts must be crime or thriller genres between 60,000 and 120,000 words. The manuscript must be an original work, entirely by the entrant and it must be written in English. It cannot be under consideration by any other publisher or entered into any other award. No more than 10% of the manuscript can have been previously published in print form, or in electronic form, on a commercial basis.

Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

Anyone can enter. The international competition is open to all – both published and unpublished authors from all over the world – and is for short stories of up to 3,500 words. The story cannot have been previously published anywhere, or shortlisted for this competition.

Acumen International Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems must be original, have a title, be unpublished or not accepted for publication. They should be written in English and not exceed 50 lines.

The Writing Wizardry Competition

Anyone 11 years or under can enter. All you have to do is send us a poem or story of fewer than 500 words.

Inkshares All-Genre Manuscript Contest

Anyone can enter. All genres are accepted.

The Exeter Writers Short Story Competition

The competition is open to anyone (except members of Exeter Writers) writing in any genre except children’s. Stories must not have been previously published nor won a prize in any other competition. If the story has previously been self-published, it must be out of circulation or public reach for the whole of the duration of the competition, up until the winners are announced. You may re-enter a non-winning story that was submitted to the competition in a previous years, but it must have been significantly and substantially revised. Previous prize-winning stories are not eligible for re-entry. Length: 3,000 words max.

Flash 500 Short Stories competition

Anyone can enter. Stories should range between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used).

Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize

Anyone can enter. Maximum number of words is 300 and it must be in English. The winning stories must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

Dream One Quest Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Previously published poems in other contests, books, magazines, etc. are accepted and welcomed as long as they are original works created by the contest entrant(s). All entries must be composed or translated into the English language. Poems must be 30 lines or fewer.

Dream One Quest Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Previously published short stories in other contests, books, magazines, etc. are accepted and welcomed as long as they are original works created by the contest entrant(s). All entries must be composed or translated into the English language. Any fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, diary, journal entries, and short stage-plays and screenplays are accepted within a maximum of (5) pages or less.

Blinkpot Flash Fiction Awards

Anyone above 18 can enter. The entry must be in English and must have been written by the person making the submission. Entries must not have been previously published, broadcast or won a prize. Entries can be on any theme or subject. Maximum entry length is 100 words and minimum length 80.

Reflex Fiction Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries must be in Enflish and must be the work of the entrant and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere in print or online including blogs or personal websites. Entries must be fiction but can be on any subject, and written in any style or form. No fan fiction or use of copyrighted material, characters, song lyrics etc.

Writing Magazine and QuoScript Novel writing competition

Adult crime fiction and YA fiction authors can enter. Submit your book synopsis, a covering letter and the first chapter of your novel only. Submissions must be wholly your own work, not contain obscene or libellous material, or derive from the work of other authors.

Southword Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. All poems must be previously unpublished. Works of translation where the original author is still in copyright will require the bios of both the original author and the translator. There is a suggested limit of 40 lines per poem.

The annual Lancaster Writing Award

All students in year 12-13 can enter. Categories: criticism, fiction, poetry, script and screen writing. Students may enter in more than one category and write in any style they wish. The word limit for criticism and fiction is 1500 words.The limit for poems is 25 lines. The limit for screenplays is 8 pages.

Scottish Arts Trust Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Length: 2,000 words or fewer. The entry should not have been previously published, online or in print. Short stories entered for the competition may be on any topic. Stories do not have to be set in Scotland or on Scottish themes but they must be in English.

The Isobel Lodge Award

Anyone above 16, is unpublished, and a resident of Scotland or studying in Scotland can enter. Entry can be published online or in print without compensation can qualify for the Isobel Lodge Award. Writers also qualify if they have self-published a work of fiction. Length: 2,000 words or fewer. The story should not have been previously published, online or in print. Stories do not have to be set in Scotland or on Scottish themes but they must be in English.

Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest

Any Canadian (citizen or resident) can enter. Topic: poems written in response to an existing occasion, personal or public, or poems that make an occasion of something ordinary or by virtue of the poet’s attention. No word limit, must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

15 Syllable Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with exactly 15 syllables.

International Essay Contest for Young People

Guidelines for the 2021 International Essay Contest for Young People will be announced on this website and through the Goi Peace Foundation’s mailing list and facebook page in mid-March 2021.

Nature and Place Poetry Competition

Anyone above 18 can enter. Poems must be no more than 40 lines in English. Poems must be the original work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published or published on online or broadcast.

Hippocrates Young Poets Prize for Poetry and Medicine

Young Poet entrants should be aged 14-18. Poems must be no more than 50 lines in length and not have previously been published in any form. They must be written in English on a medical subject and should not be translations of another writer’s work.

Waxing & Waning Screenplay Contest

Anyone can enter. Screenplays or plays can be up to 25 pages (may be a part of a whole).

City Limits Suspense/Thriller Novel Contest

Anyone can enter. Original work of fiction or non-fiction in English that must be previously unpublished. Word count per chapter should not exceed 3,000 words. Overall, 30,000 word minimum.

City Limits Romance Novel Contest

Elyne mitchell photo story award competition.

Anyone can enter. The theme of the contest is ‘the gathering’. With a maximum of 200 words. Entries must be the entrants original work, unpublished and not acknowledged in any other competitions, and not submited elsewhere until the judging stage.

Bridgend Writers’ Circle Short Story Competition

Anyone above 18 can enter. Story length: 1,500 and 1,800 words. Entries will be accepted provided that they have not previously been broadcast or published in any form and that the story is entirely original, entirely the entrant’s own work and does not infringe the copyright or any other right of any third party. Entries should not be sent for consideration, for publication or broadcast elsewhere during the period of the competition.

The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition

Open to submissions from students between 16-18 years of age who are educated in the UK. Entries must be on written in English, and be no more than 48 lines in length. Entrants must be in full or part-time education at a school, college or other educational institution in the United Kingdom. Each poem must be the entrant’s own work, joint authorship is ineligible.

Deep Wild 2021 Undergraduate Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a single poem of up to 70 lines.

100 Word Flash Fiction

Anyone can enter. The entry should be exactly 100 words.

Geographies of Justice: Call for Submissions

Anyone can enter. Poetry/Lyric: no more than 50 lines. Fiction, essays, creative non-fiction and other prose: up to 4000 words. Must hold the rights to the work and must be unpublished.

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Anyone can enter. Entrees should be 750 words or less. They do not accept work that has been previously published in print, online, or any other medium and works in translation.

Fowey Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. The title for the competition is “Breaking Point”. Length: max 1500 words. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, commended, long-listed or short-listed in another writing competition.

Rhyming Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has a rhyme scheme. How it rhymes is up to you.

Evesham Festival of Words Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Any genre or subject, must be unpublished and original, aimed at adults only. Length: max 2,500 words.

Fan Story Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Entry should be exactly 150 words.

Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction

Anyone can enter. The stories must be at least 10 pages (or 2500 words) but no more than 50 pages (12,500 words). Stories must be previously unpublished.

Zizzle Literary Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English and unpublished previously. Must be aimed at young readers from age 11 and above. Length: 500 to 1,000 words. Simultaneous submissions allowed, only if you notify Zizzle.

Apprentice Writer

Only high school students can enter. You can submit poetry, chorepoetry, spoken word submissions, graphic fiction and non-fiction, and prose.

Eludia Award

All women age 40 and above, who do not yet have a book-length publication of fiction, can enter. The author must be unpublished and the entry should be in English.

Fan Story Write A Script Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a script of any size (can be a small script as shown in the example) for any medium on any topic.

New Welsh Writing Awards

Writers from the UK and Ireland as well as those who have been educated in Wales for over six months can enter. Entries should be prose with a Welsh theme or setting and should be an unpublished book (between 5,000 and 30,000 words) in English. Entries this year may vary across the categories, from short form Welsh-themed- or Welsh-set non-fiction to a novella or short story collection set in Wales or with a Welsh theme.

Fan Story Haiku Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Only haiku poems.

Never Such Innocence 2020/21 Competition

Anyone aged 9-18 can enter. The theme is ‘The Unheard Voices of Conflict: Stories from Around the World’. There are four category awards: Poetry, Art, Speech and Song. All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length. Speeches must be no longer than 5 minutes (roughly between 625-750 words). All works may be written in any language and should consist of the contestant’s own work and should not infringe any copyrights or any other rights of any third parties.

Fan Story ABC Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a one-stanza, five-line poem.

Fan Story 80 Word Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. The submitted work must be between 78 – 82 words.

Fan Story 6 Word Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with only 6 words.

The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

All Canadians (citizen or resident) can enter. No word limit (2,000 – 2,500 expected), must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Rubery Book Award

Anyone can enter. Your entry must be a book that is either self-published or published by an independent press.

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2021

Anyone above 16 can enter. The poem has to appeal to children aged 7-11 and it must be original and previously unpublished.

National Indie Excellence® Awards (NIEA)

Open to all English language printed books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. All titles must have an ISBN and be published books available on Amazon.com or wherever good books are sold. No ebooks.

Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest

The ernest hemingway short fiction prize.

Anyone can enter. Entries should be approximately 1500 words or less. Submissions should be unpublished.

The Blue Mountain Novel Award

Anyone can enter. Entries must be original, and in English. It must be of a published novel of any length.

The Writers Of The Future

All amateur writers can enter. Entries must be original works by the entrant, in English. No excessive violence or sex. Entries may not have been previously published in professional media. Entries must be works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. No poetry, or works intended for children.

An Axe To Grind Flash Short Story Fiction

Anyone can enter. Stories must not exceed 1000 words. Only original, unpublished work may be submitted.

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

The contest is open to first-generation immigrants of their country. Entries should be unpublished and in English (translations welcome). Fiction manuscripts must be complete, a minimum of 45,000 words. non-fiction submissions must consist of either a complete manuscript, or a sample of at least 25,000 words and a detailed proposal.

Fish Publishing Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Maximum number of words is 300 and it must be in English. The winning poem must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

WOW! Women on Writing Creative non-fiction Essay Contest

All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 1000. Minimum words: 200.

Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize

Anyone above 18 who lives in the state of Victoria can enter. Poems may be in any form about any topic, up to 30 lines. The work must be original, written in English and not have been previously published. It should not have won a prize in any other competition.

Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize

Anyone 18 and above who lives in the state of Victoria can enter. Stories must be biographical. Stories must be between 1000 to 3000 words. The work must be original, written in English and not have been previously published. It should not have won a prize in any other competition.

Young Adas short story prize

Anyone aged 14-18 and living, working or studying in the western suburbs of Melbourne can enter. Enter an original short story up to 1000 words in length. The work must be original, written in English and not have been previously published. It should not have won a prize in any other competition.

Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Prize

Anyone can enter. Submit 15–25 poems of up to 50 lines each. Individual poems may have been published online or in magazines provided the writer retains the copyright.

Southword Fiction Story Prize

Anyone can enter. There is an upper limit of 5000 words for short stories. Only unpublished work.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English.

Zone 3 Creative Non-Fiction Book Award

Anyone can enter. The competition is open to all authors writing original works in English. Manuscript should be 120-250 pages.

Zone 3 First Book Award in Poetry

Anyone can enter. Only unpublished work of a full-length collection of poems (48 pages or more) is eligible; those with chapbooks may participate. Manuscript should be 48-80 pages.

Fan Story Cinquain Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries must adhere to the contest’s syllable specifications.

The Orison Prizes in Poetry & Fiction

Anyone can enter. Must be book-length manuscripts. Submissions should be of full-length poetry and fiction (minimum 30,000 words) manuscripts. Original English work only; no translations.

The American Foreign Service Association’s National High School Essay Contest

Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades 9 – 12 in the US, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens attending high school overseas including home-schooled students. Previous first-place winners and immediate relatives of directors or staff of the AFSA and Semester at Sea are not eligible to participate. Length: 1,250 words max.

H.E. Bates Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Must be unpublished (except social media) and original and won no prize before. Length: max 2,000 words.

Fan Story Love Poem Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. But it must clearly be a love poem.

Fan Story Dribble Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. The submitted work must be between 48 – 52 words.

Etel Adnan Poetry Prize

Anyone of an Arab heritage can apply. Only first or second full-length books of poetry written in English may be submitted. Chapbooks are not considered as a previous publication in this regard. Manuscripts must be between forty-eight and ninety pages. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Fan Story New Arrival Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. This is a “New Arrival” contest which is designed to welcome new members to the site.

The Colin Sutton Cup for Humour

Anyone can enter. Any genre is acceptable. Each piece should be funny. The first piece should be exactly 1,000 words long. The second piece should be exactly 100 words long. The third piece will be exactly 10 words long. The 4th piece should be exactly one word long. Work to be unpublished and not entered into previous Circle competitions.

Fan Story 20 Word Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with only 20 words.

Fan Story New Arrival Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a story that uses exactly 100 words.

Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Manuscripts must be between 48 – 84 pages in length. Individual poems from the manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks of less than 25 pages, but the collection, as a whole, must be unpublished.

The Claudia Ann Seaman Awards For Young Writers

High School students from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit original work written in English. Creative writing that was not previously published, can be submitted in the categories of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. Submit a maximum of three pieces across the three genres. Poetry, up to 80 lines. Fiction and creative non-fiction must be 1,800 words or less.

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Anyone can enter. All countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). You may submit stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each. Entries must be in English.

Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition

Anyone 16 and above can enter. Poems should be in English, must not have been published either in print or on a website, nor be currently submitted or accepted for future publication. They must not previously have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems must be your own original work and may be on any subject. Length: no longer than 50 lines

Ver Poets Open Competition

Anyone 16 and above can enter. Poems should not have been published, or accepted for publication, in print or online. They should not have won prizes in other competitions, be simultaneously entered for other competitions or be translations of other poets’ work. Poems must be your own original work and may be on any theme. Length: no longer than 30 lines.

FAPA President’s Book Awards

Any English writing author can enter. All entries must be books with a copyright date from 2019 to 2021. Ebooks should be submitted in PDF format

Fan Story Rhyming Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem of any type. But there must be a rhyme scheme.

World Historian Student Essay Competition

Only students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs can apply. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. The entry should be approximately 1,000 words.

The Peseroff Prize Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. There are no restrictions on content or form. Poems should be previously unpublished. Please do not submit your work if you are associated with the MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston or the Finalist Judge.

The Hunger Spring Prose Contest

Anyone can enter. The theme, topic, and style of stories or essays you may submit are completely open. You can submit one story, essay, or hybrid prose piece of up to 5,000 words.

Bristol Short Story Prize

Anyone above 16 can enter. The maximum length of submissions is 4,000 words in English. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-base .Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, in print or online, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition.

Fan Story Loop Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Loop Poetry requires that the last word of each line becomes the first word of the next line. The rhyme scheme is abcb.

Fan Story My Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. Any type of poem accepted.

James Laughlin Award

Any US citizen or resident for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline can enter. Book must be under contract with a U.S. publisher and scheduled to be published between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.Must be published by December 31, 2021. The author must have published one book of poetry in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Entries must be an English. Submissions are welcome from small presses, university presses, and trade publishers that have previously published at least four books of poetry. Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible.

Fan Story Take A Photo Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem about a photo you’ve taken.

Fan Story 20 Syllable Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables. Any format.

The Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award

All Canadians who haven’t published either a first novel or short story collection can enter. No word limit (2,000 – 5,000 expected), must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

The Bridport Novel Prize

Writers above 16 living in Britain and Ireland and British writers living overseas can enter. Entries must be an exclusive effort and writers must not have previously published a novel, (although self-published and ebooks are accepted). Novel entrants who have had other types of books traditionally published e.g. poetry, memoir, non-fiction, are eligible to submit. Length: between 5,000 to 8,000 words.

The Bridport Short Story Prize

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Short story length: 5000 words max.

The Bridport Poetry Prize

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Poetry length: 42 lines max.

The Bridport Flash Fiction Prize

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Flash fiction length: 250 words max.

Fan Story 3-6-9 Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. This poem has three stanzas. The subject can be anything.

Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

All students in school, university, or graduate school can apply.

Farnham Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone can enter. Story length: 500 words.

Anyone over 16 years old can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. Only non-fiction and fiction work targeting adults and young adults is eligible. Max length is 300 words. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.

Season Themes Contest

Story should be unpublished, from 300 to 1,000 words long.

Writers’ Digest Annual Poetry Writing Competition

Anyone can enter. Due to U.S. Government restrictions they don’t accept entries from Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Crimea. All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital or online publications will be considered. Self-published work in blogs, on social media, etc. will be considered. Length: 32 lines maximum.

Writers’ Digest Annual Writing Competition

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital or online publications, Self-published work, unproduced scripts. Entries in the Print or Online Article category may be previously published.

Fan Story Nonet Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. It has to be a nonet, but it can be on any subject and rhyming is optional.

Ocean Awareness Contest

All students aged 11 – 18 can apply. All entries must be original work in English and not previously submitted. Students ages 11-14 may enter the Junior Division (Creative Writing: up to 750 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 1 page). Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division (Creative Writing: up to 1,250 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 2 pages).

Fan Story Share A Story In A Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. In this contest you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes.

Fan Story 2-4-2 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. The subject can be anything.

7 Day Story Writing Challenge

All participants must follow the same theme with a short story of no more than 2,000 words, written in the genre assigned to them. Participants have exactly 7 days to write and submit their story.

Wild Words Competition

Anybody can enter. The entry should not have been previously published anywhere.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize

Open to writers who have published a novel or a book-length collection of fiction in English. Current University of Pittsburgh employees and students, and former employees and students affiliated with the University within the last three years, are not eligible. Translations are not eligible if the translation was not done by the author. Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Length: 150 – 300 pages.

North Street Book Prize

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 200,000 words maximum in English. You may submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry.

The Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Must be original and unpublished. Each entry must consist of a single sentence. The entry shouldn’t go beyond 50 or 60 words.

Flash 500 Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone can enter. Submit manuscripts up to 500 words.

All amateur writers can enter. Entries must be original works written in English. No excessive violence or sex. Entries may not have been previously published in professional media outlets. They must be works of prose of up to 17,000 words in length. No poetry, or works intended for children.

#GWstorieseverywhere

Anyone can enter. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to June’s theme: Split second.

Geek Partnership Writing Contest

All entries must be original unpublished works by nonprofessional (amateur) authors. Entries must be science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural, and alternate history in short fiction, poetry, or comics. You may only enter one short fiction division.

The Orison Chapbook Prize

Anyone can enter. Must be manuscripts of 20-45 pages, in any genre (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or hybrid). Original English work only; no translations. Individual poems, stories, or essays—or excerpts—may have been previously published in periodicals and/or chapbooks, but the manuscript as a whole must not have been published in book form, whether digital or in print. Self-published manuscripts are not eligible.

Story should be unpublished and from 300 to 1,000 words long.

She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing

Open to any woman over the age of 18 from Canada and the US.

Student Book Scholars Contest

The contest is open to students upto 8th grade. Each book must be between 20 and 30 pages. One book entry per team. Both the text and art must be solely created by the students. Each entry must incorporate the theme of Anti-Bullying. Student teams can have a minimum of one and a maximum of ten students per project.

Narrative’s Annual Poetry Contest

The contest is open to all poets. Each entry may contain up to five poems. The poems should all be contained in a single file. You may enter as many times as you wish.

Anthology Magazine Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Stories submitted must be on the theme of ‘Memories’ in English. To enter, submit an original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘Memories’ with a maximum of 1,500 words.

Polar Expressions National Poetry and Short-Story Contest

Any Canadian resident or citizen can enter. There are two seperate prize categories: 1) ages 16 and above, and 2) ages 15 and under. All work must be original. Entries should not have been previously published and no simultaneous submissions. Poems must be 48 lines or less. Short stories must be 750 words or less. Fanfiction and essays are not permitted. Entries should be in English or accompanied by an English translation.

Highlands & Islands Short Story Association

Any amateur author can enter. Any theme (unusual story lines preferred), must be unpublished and original and won no prize before. Short Story length: max 2,000 words. Flash Fiction length: max 500 words.

Fiction Factory First Chapter Competition

Anyone over 16 years old can enter. Stories must be original and unpublished in print or websites. Must be written in English with a maximum of 5,000 words. All genres will be accepted except children’s and young adult fiction.

Anyone can enter. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to July’s theme: Staycation.

Spring 2020 Story Contest

Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.

The Grindstone Short Story Prize

Anyone above 18 can enter. Writers are asked to submit an English language piece of short fiction between 1000 and 3000 words, of any genre, aimed at adult readers.

Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Writing Competition

Anyone can enter. Theme: courage. Length: maximum 1,000 words. Stories can be a fictional tale or a fictional tale inspired by a true story.

The Orison Anthology Awards

Anyone can enter. Submissions are for single works in 3 genres (poetry, fiction, an non-fiction). Submit up to 3 poems (10 pp. max), 1 story (up to 8,000 words), or 1 work of non-fiction (up to 8,000 words). You may submit in multiple genres, and/or submit multiple entries in each genre.

The Annual Diode Editions Poetry Contest

Open to all poets over the age of 18. Length: 25-50 pages.

The Annual Diode Editions Full-Length Book Contest

Open to all poets over the age of 18. Length: 55-85 pages.

Twist & Twain Short Story Contest

Anyone 18 and above can enter. The story must be written originally in the English language and should not exceed the 4000-word limit.

Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Maximum 1,000 words.

Aesthetica Poetry Creative Writing Award

Anyone can enter. Poetry entries should be no more than 40 lines. They accept works on any theme.

Aesthetica Short Story Creative Writing Award

Anyone can enter. Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words. They accept works on any theme.

Anyone can enter. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to August’s theme: Forgiven.

Blue Mesa Review Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Must be in English, unpublished original work, simultaenous submissions acceptable. Please submit a packet of up to 3 poems or up to 6,000 words of prose.

University of New Orleans Press Lab Prize

Full length works of fiction (novels and short story collections only) are eligible.

Coniston Prize for Women Poets

All women can enter. Submit 3-6 previously unpublished poems in English. This award recognizes an exceptional group of poems.

Tiny Fork Chapbook Series Contest

Anyone can enter. We welcome poetry, prose, and hybrid manuscripts of 15-40 pages. Fiction (1 to 5,000 words), poetry (3-5 poems, in one document), non-fiction (1 to 5,000 words), hybrid/rxperimental (no specified word count).

Impress Prize

Open to all writers. Writers submit a 6,000 word sample of their manuscript, a synopsis, publishing rationale, and author biography to Impress.

Adventures in Fiction New Voices Competition

Anyone can enter. This competition is aimed at writers who have completed at least 50 pages/16,000 words of their manuscript. To enter, submit the first page of your novel and a one-page synopsis.

Robert Watson Literary Prize

Anyone who is an active Greensboro Review subscriber can enter. Entries must be previously unpublished. No simultaneous submissions. Length restrictions: no more than 7,500 words or 25 pages for fiction; up to 500 words for flash fiction; up to 10 pages for poetry.

The Annual SiWC Writing Contest

Short stories in any genre are welcome. Story length must be from 2,500 to 4000 words.

The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered. Writers may enter more than once. Length should not exceed 10,000 words. All topics are welcome; pieces should be written in a nonacademic style.

Miller Williams Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Length: Manuscripts must be between sixty and ninety pages. The manuscript must be previously unpublished. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 250 lines maximum per poem. The entry should be your own original work and in English. You may submit the same poem simultaneously to this contest and to others, and you may submit poems that have been published or won prizes elsewhere. (However, please do not submit work that has previously received recognition at Winning Writers.)

The Grindstone Novel Prize

Anyone above 18 can enter. Writers are asked to submit an English language novel aimed at Young Adult or Adult audiences. To be eligible, the finished (or projected finished) length must exceed 70,000 words. Works in progress are accepted in this competition, and entries may be of any genre. Entrants are asked to submit the opening 3,000 words, accompanied by a short synopsis in the same file.

Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries can be no longer than 20 words on embracing our differences. Please consider submitting an original quotation.

Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award

Only previously unpublished original collection of poetry are eligible. The entry should be a minimum of 48 pages and not exceed 96 pages.

Flash 500 Novels competition

Anyone can enter. Entries may have appeared online in private (password protected) peer review sites, but should not have been published in any commercial online form including blogs or personal websites or accepted for publication elsewhere. Chapters must not exceed 3,000 words and must be accompanied by a one page synopsis of the balance of the story. Entries must be in English.

Edwin Markham Prize For Poetry

Anyone can enter. Writers may submit up to five (5) poems per submission.

The Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction

Anyone can enter. Writers may submit pieces of up to 5,000 words.

John Steinbeck Award for Fiction

Daisy pettles women’s writing contest.

All women writers, age 40 or older.

The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction

Stories may be previously published or unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are also accepted.

The Devon and Cornwall International Novel Prize

Anyone above 18 years old can enter. Entries should be in English and in any genre. Submissions must be unpublished, self-published and independently published by writers worldwide. They should be 5,000 words in addition to a one-page synopsis of the novel’s manuscript. Children genres won’t be accepted.

Anyone can enter. Manuscripts should be up to 500 words long.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) can apply. Critical essay: 500-3,000 words. Dramatic Script: 500-3,000 word. Flash Fiction: 1,000 words. Humor: 500-3,000 words. Journalism: 500-3,000 words. Novel Writing: Up to 3,000 words. Personal Essay & Memoir: 500-3,000 words. Poetry: 20–200 lines. Science Fiction & Fantasy: 500-3,000 words. Short Story: 500-3,000 words.

Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize

Entrants should be in Year 12 (or equivalent) at their school or college.

Young Lions Fiction Award

The writer must be age 35 or younger and must be a US citizen. The book must be written for adults (no children’s or YA). The work must be either a novel or a collection of short stories published between January 2020 and December 2020. The publisher must submit all books. Authors may not submit their work on their own.

Princeton 10-Minute Play Contest

All entrants must be students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade).

We the Students Essay Contest

All students who are legal US residents or citizens, older than 14 and younger than 19, may apply. Stay tuned for updates on the 2021 contest prompt.

The Alpine Fellowship Academic Writing Prize

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Awarded for the best piece of academic essay writing on the theme of the 2021 Alpine Fellowship. A maximum of 4000 words per entry. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time.

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of the 2021 Alpine Fellowship Annual Symposium. All genres permitted. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time (including the Alpine Fellowship Academic Writing Prize).

This year we’ve done you one better and increased the writing contests we found. So if you find yourself struggling to write, or lacking in recognition, here are 300 reasons to be more motivated to write. Yes, they might not all be for you, but one of these might just give you the inspirational kick you’ve been searching for.

The 2024 International Book Fairs Calendar

Amazing Writing Retreats to Attend in 2024

The Comprehensive List of 2024 Writing Contests

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25 Writing Contests and Publication Opportunities for Teens

Portrait of Emilio Terry by Salvador Dalí (detail, 1935).

NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1564999

Are you an aspiring writer, creative artist, scientist or a future scholar? The following list of twenty-five publishing platforms provides teens with opportunities for recognition in those fields. Submitting your work for review and publication can channel your creative energy into a meaningful and rewarding project. Additionally, working on your writing will improve your research and organizational skills. Participating in a contest, or having your work published, is also a factor in college admissions decisions.

In estimating the amount of work each submission requires, be mindful of all provided deadlines. Notice that most essay submissions require a bibliography. If you are tackling an essay with an assigned topic, take advantage of the Library's Research resources. This guide to Remote Research Resources will provide you with guidance on how to use the Library's electronic resources from home. If you are working on composing an oratory, or any other piece of polemical writing, take a look at How to Research for a Debate Using Library Resources . Aspiring poets can consult Columbia Granger's World of Poetr y, a premier poetry online resource. Young artists can draw inspiration from the wealth of imagery in our Digital Collections . The Library encourages everyone to get creative with our public domain collection of digital images. If you are inserting a quotation into your text, learn How to Research a Quotation . Don't forget to attend the Library's events , as they frequently include writing workshops and book discussions . If you have any additional reference questions ,or want to see the full extent of remote research opportunities, take a look at our guide to Remote Collections and Services.

For additional guidance and inspiration, please see the short list of books provided below.

The Writer's Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing by John Warner

Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron

Singing School: Learning to Write (and Read) Poetry with the Masters by Robert Pisnky

Writers's Idea Book by Jack Heffron

Barron's Painless Writing by Jeffrey Strausser

How to Write Better Essays by Bryan Greetham

You Can Write a Play! by Milton E. Polsky

The Artist's Way: a Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

Apprentice Writer

Susquehanna University and the Writers Institute initiative invite high school students to submit fiction, memoir, personal essay , poetry and photography for the thirty-ninth volume of Apprentice Writer , which will be published in the fall of 2021 

Deadline:  submissions are accepted from September 15 , 2020 to March 15 2021

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest 

The Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest provides scholarship, prizes, and recognition for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. No more than two poems per student. For details and prizes please see the contest webpage . 

Deadline: October 31, 2020 

Leonard l. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in the eigth grade in the U.S. or abroad. Contest judges are poets on the Princeton University Creative Writing faculty, which includes Michael Dickman, Paul Muldoon, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, James Richardson, Tracy K. Smith, Susan Wheeler, Jenny Xie, and Monica Youn.

Deadline: to be announced. For the latest information and updates, you can subscribe to a newsletter . 

Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Young Poets Anthology is looking for poem submissions from authors that are 15, and younger. Poets can use their whole name, first name or a pseudonym. Poems could be submitted by students that are younger than 18, teachers, parents and guardians. 

Deadline:  Submission for 2020 accepted until November 16, 2020.

Society of Classical Poets High School Poetry Competition

Invites classic poetry lovers ages 13 to 19 to submit up to 3 metered poems, limited to 108 lines.  Poems must contain meter. Counting the number of syllables and ensuring there are a similar number in each line is sufficient. Society offers a very useful tutorial on  writing poetry with a meter. To learn how to write poetry with a meter, see a brief beginner’s guide on common iambic meter here or a more elaborate beginner’s guide to many kinds of meter here .

Deadline: December 31, 2020

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers   

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers recognizes outstanding young poets and is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world. The contest winner receives a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop. In addition, the winning poem and the poems of the two runners-up will be published in the Kenyon Review, one of the country’s most widely read literary magazines.

Deadline : Submissions accepted between November 1 and November 30

Bennington College Young Writers Awards 

Students in 9th-12th grades, residing anywhere in the world, are invited to submit original works in three categories. Poetry requires a submission of three poems. Category of Fiction accepts short stories or a one-act play. There is a separate nonfiction essay category. Please notice that only original writing is accepted, and all  work has to be sponsored by a high school teacher. For further details, carefully read the submission rules.  

Deadline: Submissions for 2020 are accepted from September 3 to November 1 

Claudia Ann Seaman Awards for Young Writers 

High School students from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit original work written in English. Creative writing that was not previously published, can be submitted in the categories of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. For further detail and submissions guidelines read the rules of the context. In addition to creative writing, you can submit cover art for Polyphony magazine. 

Deadline: Check the website for the latest writing deadlines. Deadline for cover art submission is April 30th.   

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest 

In order to increase high school students' knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media in our lives, Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalist and the Journalism Education Association invites students enrolled in grades 9-12 in US public, private and home schools , to submit an essay on a given topic.  National winners of this essay contest will receive a scholarship award. Topic for 2020 will be released in November. 

Deadline : February 22 

Achievement Award in Writing 

National Council of Teachers of English is offering an Achievement Award in Writing to High School Juniors in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands, and accredited American Schools abroad. Students must be nominated by their school's English department and should submit one themed essay and a sample of their best writing. 

Deadline:  Submissions for 2021 are open from November 15 to February 15. Theme for the essay is available at the time of publication ( October 2020) 

Teen Ink Magazine 

A national teen magazine devoted to teenage writing, art, photos and forums, offers an opportunity to publish creative work and opinions on issues that affect their lives of teens. Hundreds of thousands of students aged 13-19, have submitted their work. Teen Ink magazine has published the creative output of over 55,000 teens. Teens can submit an article, poetry, book, novel, photo or a video though this link.

Deadline: none

Princeton University Ten Minute Play Contest 

Eligibility for the annual playwriting contest is limited to students in the 11th grade in the U.S , or an international equivalent of the 11th grade. Jury consists of members of the Princeton University Program in Theater faculty. 

Deadline: Information regarding submission will be provided in late Fall of 2020.

Youth Plays 

Unpublished one-act plays from authors younger than 19 years of age are accepted for submission. Plays should feature youth characters and be suitable for school production. For detailed submission guidelines and helpful advice visit Youth Plays website. 

Deadline: Next opportunity for submission will open up in early 2021.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards has the largest selection of opportunities for creative self-expression. With twenty eight categories, ranging from poetry to the entire writing portfolio, young artists and writers can choose from a plethora of opportunities. For the latest updates, rules , and information on how to enter, register with Scholastic. Don't forget to view the Gallery of Winning Entries . To participate in the Awards, you must be a student in grades 7–12, age 13 years or older, residing in the United States, U.S. territories or military bases, or Canada.

Deadlines vary by category, with submissions windows between September to December. 

National Young Arts Foundation Competition

Young Arts' signature program is an application-based award for emerging artists ages 15-18, or in grades 10-12. Open to students in a variety of different disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music, National Young Arts Foundation  Competition  asks students to submit a portfolio of work.

Deadline: October 16 , 2020

World Historian Student Essay Competition  

World History Association invites international students enrolled in grades K-12 in public, private and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs to participate in a writing competition that celebrates the study of history. Each competitor will submit an essay that addresses the issue: In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which we live ? For further details on submission guidelines, visit World History Association.  

Deadline: May 1

The Concord Review

This unique publication is the only quarterly journal in the world to publish academic history papers of secondary students. The Concord Review accepts history research papers (about 8,500 words with endnotes and bibliography ) of high school students from anywhere in the world. There is no theme, and papers on every period of history anywhere in the world are accepted. For specific rules and regulators, see the submission guidelines. 

Deadline: essay are accepted on a rolling admissions basis.

George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invites all high school students (9th through 12th grades) interested in the American Revolution to participate in the George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest. To participate, students must submit an original 800 to 1,200-word essay based on an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution. 

Deadline: December 31 

JFK Profiles in Courage Essay Contest 

The contest is open to United States high school students in grades 9-12 attending public, private, parochial, or home schools. In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage.

Deadline: January 15 

Write the World Competition

Write the World is a global community of young writers, ages 13-18. Write the World offers a rotating list of themed competitions. Current competition ( October 2020) is for a Speech Writing Oration. The list of past competitions includes Historical Fiction ( short story), Food Writing, Album Review, Environmental Journalism, Songwriting and Book Review. 

Deadline: a new competition every month

Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize

Established in 2006, the Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize is an essay competition open in year 12 or the equivalent. Students can submit essays on three given topics in Philosophy. The judges will look for originality of thought, a clear grasp of the issues, clarity in presentation and a critical approach to what has been read. They will also look for a clear structure to the essay. Please read the submission guidelines carefully .

Deadline: June 22 , 2021

The American Foreign Service Association’s National High School Essay Contest

Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate in the contest, if they reside in the U.S., U.S territories, or if they are U.S. citizens attending high school overseas. In addition to the winner, there is the one runner-up and eight honorable mentions. For further details, please read Rules and Guidelines 

Deadline: The new prompt and deadlines for 2021 will be announced in the fall of 2020

International Essay Contest for Young People

This annual themed essay contest is organized by the Goi Peace Foundation in an effort to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world's youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. Essays can be submitted in two age categories, by anyone younger than 25. In addition to English, essays can be submitted in French, Spanish, German and Japanese. Please note that essays must be mailed, as no email submissions are accepted.

Deadline: Consult the Goi Peace Foundation website for the 2021 theme .

Engineer Girl Essay Writing Competition

This competition is  open to individual girls and boys in the following three age categories: elementary, middle, and high school students. This year's theme  relates to the COVID-19 virus.

Deadline: The contest will close at 11:59 PM, February 1, 2021, U.S. Eastern Standard Tim e

Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Scholarship Program

Established in 1947 by Veterans of Foreign Wars, Voice of Democracy Youth Scholarship program requires a submission of a themed recorded essay. Students attending any type of school in grades 9-12 are eligible to participate. Essays are judged on content and on delivery technique.

Deadline: October 31

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2 years ago

• #Free Writing Contests
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19 Free Writing Contests With Cash Prizes in 2021

Below are 19 free writing contests with cash prizes and numerous opportunities to see your work published. Check 'em out and get your manuscript ready for submission!

And, if you're looking for help getting your work out into the world with care and purpose, check out these upcoming classes on the business of writing:

You can join literary agent Christopher Hermelin for his 3-Week Zoom Publishing Seminar: Getting Your Query Letter Right starting September 28th.

Sign up for Poets & Writers Magazine contributing editor Michael Bourne for his How to Pitch to your Dream Publication Zoom Seminar on October 14th.

Join our Executive Director, Blake Kimzey, for his Publishing in Literary Journals to Launch Your Career Zoom Seminar on January 13th, 2022.

And, you can get your submissions out the door and into the hands of the waiting editors below. What are you waiting for? Get out there!

You can win $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press with this prize, awarded for a collection of short fiction.

You may submit an unpublished manuscript of short stories, two or more novellas or a combination of novellas and short stories. Your total word count should be between 150 and 300 typed pages. You must also have already published a novel or book-length work of fiction “with a reputable publisher,” or no fewer than three short stories or novellas in nationally-recognized journals.

Deadline: Annual submissions must be postmarked between May 1 through June 30.

2. Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prizes

Graywolf Press hosts a variety of contests for both established and up-and-coming writers. Graywolf also offers smaller fiction and nonfiction prizes, with genres rotating by year; 2020 was a nonfiction year, so fiction is up in 2021. These awards include a sizable advance — $12,000 in previous years — as well as publication with Graywolf.

Deadline: Contest is held annually with rotating genres; the 2021 deadline is TBA.

3. The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans

Hosted by the prestigious Iowa Review, the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award is offered to U.S. military veterans and active-duty members writing in any genre about any subject. Manuscripts of up to 20 pages will be accepted, and the first-prize winner will receive $1,000 and publication in the Review. A second place prize of $750 is also available, as well as three runner-up prizes of $500 each.

Deadline: Biennially. The next contest will be held in 2022.

4. PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers

This contest requires you to have already published a short story in a literary magazine or journal or cultural website. But if you’ve made your debut (but gone no further), you may be eligible for the generous cash prize of $2,000, which is annually awarded to 12 emerging writers, whose works are then published together in an anthology.

Short stories of up to 12,000 words are eligible and must be published in the calendar year preceding the year in which the award is given. Additionally, keep this in mind: Submissions are only eligible if submitted by an editor. Authors may not submit their own work.

Deadline: Contest is open annually between June and November.

5. Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Fiction and nonfiction writers who have recently published a book that “contribute[s] to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity” are eligible for this award, which offers $10,000 cash as well as media and publicity opportunities. Plus, winners receive their prize at a ceremony in Cleveland.

Submissions must be published in the prior year (so books published in 2020 are eligible for the 2021 award).

Deadline: Annual submission window is September 1 through December 31.

6. Marfield Prize (aka National Award for Arts Writing)

Presented by the Arts Club of Washington, this award seeks to honor nonfiction books that deal with the “visual, literary, media, or performing arts.” The prize is $10,000 and may be awarded to works of criticism, art history, memoirs and biographies, and essays.

Deadline: Annually in the last quarter of the year; the 2021 deadline is November 16 to December 31.

7. W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction

If you’re a war buff, this competition is for you. It awards $5,000 — and a 24-karat-gold-framed citation of achievement — to the best piece of fiction set during a period when the U.S. was at war (war may either be the main plot of the piece or simply provide the setting). Submissions may be adult or YA novels.

Deadline: Annually on December 1.

8. Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Contest

Hektoen International, an online journal dedicated to medical humanities, offers two prizes annually for essays of no more than 1,500 words: $5,000 is awarded to the winner and $2,500 to the first runner-up. Eligible topics are broad so long as they have a relation to medicine, and many include art, history, literature, education and more.

Deadline: Annually; September 15, 2021 is the most current deadline.

9. St. Martin’s Minotaur / Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

Writers 18 and older who have never had a novel published (in any genre) are eligible for this prize, awarded to an original book-length manuscript where “murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story.” The winner receives a publication contract with Minotaur Books and an advance of $10,000 against future royalties.

Deadline: Annually in the first quarter of the year; the deadline for 2022 is TBA. 

10. ServiceScape Short Story Award

ServiceScape, a platform matching freelance writers, editors and graphic designers with clients offers a yearly Short Story Award of $1,000 to a winning fiction or nonfiction work of 5,000 words or fewer. The winner will also have their story featured on the ServiceScape blog, which sees thousands of readers each month.

Deadline: November 30, 2021

11. Stowe Prize

This biennial prize of $10,000 honors an American author whose adult fiction or nonfiction work has had an impact on a critical social justice issue (as did Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin ).

Deadline: Biennially; the 2022 deadline is TBA. 

12. The Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction essays of no more than 5,000 words on any subject are eligible for consideration for this award, whose winner receives $250 and publication in Lunch Ticket , the literary and art journal produced by the MFA community of Antioch University Los Angeles.

Works must not have been published elsewhere. Award winners are required to submit a 100-word biography, recent photo and a short note thanking the Woods family for their generosity and support.

Deadlines: Biannual reading periods are in February for the Summer/Fall issue and in August for the Winter/Spring issue.

13. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms Essay Contest

Each year, this Canadian organization offers three prizes, ranging from $500 to $1,500, to the essay with the most thoughtful, well-reasoned arguments around a specific human-rights theme. (For example, 2019’s prompt was, “Should universities police student behavior at private events?”

The contest is open to Canadian college and university students, and essays should be 2,500 words or less in length.

Deadline: 2021 contest guidelines and deadline TBD

14. Write the World

For young writers ages 13-18, these cool contests also serve as mini workshops. Recognizing that “a first draft is never perfect,” submissions actually receive peer review by authors, writing teachers and other experts and writers are given the chance to revise their pieces based on this feedback before submitting them for final prize consideration.

Contests vary each month, but there’s a $100 prize for the winner and $50 for the runner-up (plus $50 for the best peer-reviewer). All three are featured on Write the World’s blog alongside comments from a guest judge. And since each month’s prompt is from a different genre, developing writers get a chance to test out different styles.

Deadline: Monthly.

Prose offers weekly challenges meant to spark your creativity; many are just for fun, but look for the weekly numbered challenges posted by Prose (rather than community members or sponsors) for a chance to win money.

Prizes are typically between $100 to $200 and word counts are low — some as low as under 150, some as high as 500. So even if all you get from the prompt is a chance to flex your brain, it’s not a bad deal.

Deadline: Weekly and monthly.

16. The Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant Writing

First-generation immigrants have a chance to win $10,000 and publication by Restless Books for telling their stories (real or imagined). The contest alternates annually between fiction (novel or short story collection) and nonfiction (memoir, essay collection, narrative nonfiction). In 2021, it will go to a work of nonfiction of at least 25,000 words; 2022 will be fiction.

Deadline: Annually; the deadline for 2021 has passed. The 2022 submission deadline is TBA.

17. African Poetry Book Fund Prizes

The APBF awards three prizes annually for African Poetry. The Luschei Prize for African Poetry gives $1,000 for a book of original African poetry published in the prior year.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets gives $1,000 and a publication contract for a book-length collection of poetry by an as-yet-unpublished African author.

The Brunel International African Poetry Prize is a new prize that grants £3,000 to a poet who was born in Africa, or has African parents, who has not yet had a full-length book of poetry published. (U.S. citizens qualify.) To submit, you’ll need 10 poems.

Deadlines: See individual prize pages.

18. Tufts Poetry Awards

Claremont Graduate University presents two awards each year to poets they deem to be “outstanding.” The Kate Tufts Poetry Award grants $10,000 for a published first book of poetry that shows promise.

The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award grants a mammoth $100,000 for a published book of poetry by an established or mid-career poet.

Deadline: 2021 deadlines not yet announced.

19. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Now in its 21st year, this humor contest wants your best published or unpublished work for a grand prize of $2,000; runners-up are awarded $500 and 10 honorable mentions will receive $100 each. Writers of all ages from eligible countries can submit an original, humorous poem with 250 lines or less, and it must be in English.

Deadline : April 1, 2022.

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2021 Creative Writing Contest Winners

The Creative Writing Program awards a number of prizes annually to University of Pennsylvania students. See below for our most recent prize winners; previous winners are listed at the bottom of this page . Details on our 2022 prizes and how to submit work will be available on our website in early 2022.

Congratulations to the 2021 recipients of the Creative Writing Prizes:  

The Peregrine Prize from the Academy of American Poets Awarded to the best original poetry by a graduate student

Winner: Mir Masud-Elias

Contest judge Rachel Zolf writes: Masud-Elias’s poems “witness, record, survive” in a remarkable range of forms on the page. Traumatic pasts burst into the present space of the poem “like cutouts punched through with the anonymous charity of bullets,” reorienting the future and the reader’s consciousness at one and the same time.  

The College Alumni Society Poetry Prize Awarded to the best original poetry by an undergraduate student

Winner: Sofia Sears

Contest judge Rachel Zolf writes: Sears has a remarkable facility with imagery, diction, the line, and “language...as point of light-stunned pressure—.” The reader viscerally feels the poet’s uncanny thoughts leaking through their body and carving into the white page, working “language as beloved blade beneath the pillow.” Sears is a real, rare talent to watch and listen to.

Second Place: Daniel Cooper

Contest judge Rachel Zolf writes: Cooper’s poems are like tiny uncut diamonds refracting weird and surprising language moments with each turn toward the light. The body and its beautiful betrayals dwell in Cooper’s tight lines, gathering toward poems replete with love. Poems that are easy to love, indeed.

Third Place: Pamela de la Cruz

Contest judge Rachel Zolf writes: The images in de la Cruz’s poems will haunt me for a long while. I love their work with the period as violent caesura. I want to read more from this writer’s beautiful mind.

Honorable mentions: Walden Green, Erin O’Malley

Contest judge Rachel Zolf writes: Both of these writers work with the body and its excesses in fascinating ways. Look forward to hearing more words come spilling out of them.

About the judge:  Rachel Zolf has published six books of poetry, including a selected poetry entitled Social Poesis . No One’s Witness: A Monstrous Poetics is forthcoming with Duke University Press in fall 2021. They have won a Pew Fellowship in the Arts and a Trillium Book Award for Poetry, among other honors. Films Zolf has written and/or directed have shown internationally at venues including White Cube Bermondsey, the Wexner Center for the Arts, and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. They are Artist in Residence at the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Phi Kappa Sigma Fiction Prize Awarded to the best original short story by an undergraduate student A note from contest judge Weike Wang: Judging a fiction award is always hard.  For this year’s PKS fiction prize, I judged our submissions based on the strength of the prose itself and the story’s follow through. I was looking for voices that showed coherency, clarity, and a unique lens without overexertion.

Winner: Jessica Bao, “Chang’e”

Contest judge Weike Wang writes: The story follows Connie in the moments after the score release for the most important exam that she will ever take in her life. In the hands of a different writer, the score itself would have been the climax or ending, yet here it is event one from which the rest of the narrative unfurls. In a few concentrated pages, we are given a glimpse into Connie’s world, both online and at home. We are allowed in but also held at arm’s length. Bao shows restraint and an ability to orient us quickly without weighing us with bulk. She is a promising stylist who is able to balance complex relationships, tensions, and the unknown alongside fate.

Second Place: Emma Blum, “Pastoral”

Contest judge Weike Wang writes: I was moved by the first scene—that of a girl decapitating a chicken. Annie lives with her father and two brothers. Mom is gone, and Annie’s youth is under threat. The men in this setting are not malicious per se, but they intrude, follow, and make their demands known. Yet Annie is never without her agency or indelible presence. Blum writes with simple elegance and takes on character ambiguities in a refreshing and smart way. Here is a story that was gripping, and had a complete arc from first scene to last. 

Third Place: Michelle Paolicelli, “At the Apsis”

Contest judge Weike Wang writes: In these pages, I found a coherent and compelling voice that captured the teeming mind of a young adult. Melissa is still adjusting to high school but is an avid science whiz and admirer of the cosmos. She is trying to make sense of the adults around her—her mother with the new boyfriend, her teachers, other parents, and the celebrity astronomers whom she has long followed. How can these adults ever compare to the celestial beauty of planets? To the mysteries of the universe? I was drawn into the story by the ease of the writing and Paolicelli’s distinct eye for details. 

Honorable Mentions: Dylan Cook, Pearl Liu, Jack Kiyonaga

About the judge: Weike Wang is the author of Chemistry (Knopf, 2017), and her work has appeared in  Glimmer Train  and  The New Yorker , among other publications. She is the recipient of the 2018 Pen Hemingway, a Whiting award, and a National Book Foundation 5 under 35.  She holds a BA from Harvard University, an SD from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, and an MFA from Boston University.

The Judy Lee Award for Dramatic Writing Awarded to a graduate or undergraduate student for the best script (stage, screen, television, or radio)

Winner: Sofia Sears, “I Know the End”

Contest judge Brooke O'Harra writes:  This one-act play packs a punch. The work has an explosive and dynamic quality. The performance piece calls attention to what Sears names as the violences and transcendences of girlhood. Set in LA and considered through archetypes culled and formed from the writer's own Latinx roots, this work is powerful and exciting. One can imagine this work alive on a stage. The language is beautiful and full. The writer is also very clear about they imagine this play/performance to be performed.     

Second Place:   Kate Kearns, “Difficult Discussion #42”

Contest judge Brooke O'Harra writes:   Well-constructed one-act theater script that imagines a future where the government assigns difficult discussion practices for families. The writer employs humor, undermines tropes and delivers a thoughtful unexpected ending. It is a playful and astute way of addressing how people talk about sex when they are engaging in sex. The script is a thoughtful take on consent conversations.    

Third Place (tie): Edmund Cai, “Rust”

Contest judge Brooke O'Harra writes:   This screenplay is a futuristic drama/thriller. The strengths of the work are in the tempo, the dialogue and the world building.   The “viewer” is introduced to an unfamiliar future through two characters—one who is trying to save or change the future and one who has no memory. This helps ease the viewer into this unknown world. This is of the sci-fi genre.   The judge would watch this show.  

Third Place (tie):   Keely Douglas, “May I Write Words”

Contest judge Brooke O'Harra writes: In this one-act play Douglas writes a queer coming-out story.     The dialogue is tight and the story moves quickly.   This play also has a nice ending that circles back around to the beginning.   It mostly focuses on the love of family but how hard truths don't get told to the people you love most.    

About the judge: Brooke O'Harra is a director, artist and performer. Cofounder of the Theater of a Two-headed Calf, O’Harra developed and directed all 14 of Two-headed Calf’s productions, including the OBIE Award-winning  Drum of the Waves of Horikawa  (2007 HERE),  Trifles  (Ontological Hysteric Incubator 2010), and the opera project  You, My Mother  (2012 La Mama ETC, 2013, River to River Festival). O’Harra conceived, directed, scripted, and performed in the Dyke Division’s live serial  Room for Cream  (fur seasons; 28 episodes) at La Mama, ETC 2008-10, and at the New Museum 2017. Brooke and the Dyke Division were also featured in The New Museum’s 40th Anniversary show “Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon.” For several years she has been creating and performing a nine-part directing/performance project,  I am Bleeding All Over the Place: Studies in directing or nine encounters between me and you . Brooke is also the cocreator of a collaborative performance with artist Sharon Hayes called  Time Passes , an 8-hour performance that uses the book-on-tape recording of Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse as its spine. 

The Lilian and Benjamin Levy Award Awarded to the best review by an undergraduate student of a current play, film, music release, book, or performance

Winner: Jessica Bao, “ Me and You and Everyone We Know : The Weirdest ‘Rom-Com’ You Will Watch This Year”

Contest judge Anthony DeCurtis writes: Jessica Bao takes the occasion of writing about Miranda July's first major studio production to discuss the various taboo issues the film addresses. In clear, engaging, unpretentious prose, she works through the movie's themes with insight and sensitivity. No trigger warnings are needed, as Bao makes clear that life is messier, more complex and often lovelier than such easy characterizations would suggest. It's a message worthy of her subject.

Second Place: Lauren Reiss, “ Titus Andronicus in the Text, the East, and the West”

Contest judge Anthony DeCurtis writes: Lauren Reiss coolly explores presentations of Shakespeare’s most blood-curdling play across media and cultures. Her deft analysis reveals how even the most extreme of the Bard’s plays proves endlessly mutable, retaining its powerful essence while artist after artist, and society after society, discovers meaning in them that suits their variable places, times and methods.

Third Place: Beatrice Forman, “ The Nickel Boys : A Novel for the Revolution”

Contest judge Anthony DeCurtis writes: As Colson Whitehead did himself, Beatrice Forman considers his harrowing novel The Nickel Boys squarely within the context of current events. The result is a piece whose understanding of the book is charged with conviction. For Forman, the history limned in the novel is lived and immediate—and, consequently, her writing pulses with animating energy. 

About the judge: Anthony DeCurtis is the author of Lou Reed: A Life  and coauthor of Clive Davis’s autobiography, The Soundtrack of My Life , a New York Times bestseller. He is a contributing editor for Rolling Stone and a member of the nominating committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is a Grammy Award winner and he holds a PhD in American literature. He has taught at Penn since 2002. The Gibson Peacock Prize for Creative Nonfiction Awarded to the best creative nonfiction piece by an undergraduate student

Winner: Andrew Basile, “The Narcissism of the Personal Essay”

Contest judge Marion Kant writes: A remarkable piece that delves into the use of “I.” This “I” is initially a necessary means to examine a state of being but then gains a life of its own: it dictates and unhinges the owner of the “I” who loses control over it. The “I” takes on a male identity, becomes aggressive and colonizes the owner who longs for and needs to find a different way of life. A very well crafted piece that employs a remarkable precision of language that then unleashes a terrifying power of imagination.

Second Place: Wanqi Fang, “Anatomy”

Contest judge Marion Kant writes: It is incredibly difficult to write about the human body, about its anatomy, its physicality, its mechanics and the way it functions, or should function. This essay engages with the beauty of a hand, the texture of skin, and the author succeeds in conveying her fascination with her own obsession and her attempt to capture this beauty on paper, both by drawing as well as writing. The author manages to find ever new ways to write about the tendons and muscles of the hand, and of capturing what makes a body human. It is an unusual choice that departs from the many essays about feelings and feelings about feelings.

Third Place: Jillian Pesce, “CS 200 Spring 2021: Problem Set 4, ​ DUE 11:59 pm March 8th” 

Contest judge Marion Kant writes: A computation exercise in gender equality—or rather inequality—that manages to record and, up to a certain point, entertain (in a sardonic way) and capture the disturbing, touching and also distressing aspects of the constant onslaught of misogyny. It is precise, it follows a distinct format, that of a scientific investigation, and turns it into a literary form. It is successful in transcending the individual experiences as it lays them out as systematic, unthinking remarks as well as conscious insults and denigrations that are intent on undermining the self-confidence of young women.

Honorable Mention: Jessica Bao, “Conflict of Interest”

Contest judge Marion Kant writes: This is the exploration of how to deal with bias, extreme bias, and preconceived ideas in journalism. The writer describes the process of gathering and examining evidence, wanting to be even-handed and fair in a report on the Hong Kong protests—and the difficulty of it all. How does someone who writes for a magazine or newspaper maintain integrity of her own position yet also afford integrity to the opposite side? The problem of open-mindedness, of the depiction and assessment of Chinese politics, is at stake, and the author realizes how difficult and how dangerous it could become, for herself as well as for her interviewees, to reveal which side she and they take. She realizes that she cannot write the article and that “freedom of speech” is an evasive concept. She is not free and goes as far as to question whether she can ever become a real writer.

Honorable Mention: Urooba Abid, “The worst view in the world”

Contest judge Marion Kant writes: An account of traveling to Israel and the Palestinian town of Bethlehem by a Muslim student whose family emigrated to the US only recently. The awareness of fear and anger at the abusive treatment of Palestinians and Muslims more generally in Israel, but also the feeling of displacement and disengagement within the Muslim world is well captured. Can American Muslims hide their identity abroad, are they more or less “Muslim” at home or elsewhere? The essay is driven by discomfort and sadness.

About the judge: Marion Kant is a musicologist and dance historian (PhD, Humboldt University: Romantic Ballet: an Inquiry into Gender ). From the age of 14 she danced with the Komische Oper under the choreographer Jean Weidt. There she also worked as a dramaturge. She has taught at the Regieinstitut Berlin, Hochschule fuer Musik/Theater Leipzig, the University of Surrey in Guildford, Cambridge University, King's College London, and now at the University of Pennsylvania. She has written extensively on romantic ballet in the 19th century, education through dance in the 19th and 20th centuries, concepts of modern dance in the early 20th century, and dance in exile.

The Parker Prize for Journalistic Writing Awarded to the best newspaper or magazine article, feature story, exposé or other piece of investigative journalism by an undergraduate student 

Winner:  Kylie Cooper, “Searching for the light at the end of the tunnel”

Contest judge Lise Funderburg writes: In this colorful temp-check feature story, Kylie Cooper makes a timely choice to report on the 2020 post-Thanksgiving COVID-19 virus spike and how it affects rail travel. She opens with a richly detailed scene of Amtrak’s 30th Street Station waiting room, artfully focusing and then refocusing the lens of observation until she lands—and lands her reader—in the middle of the pandemic. It would be easy for even a seasoned reporter to be overwhelmed by such an immense subject, but Cooper makes wise choices for establishing the scope of her piece, fluidly folding together well-reported traveler interviews with health statistics, industry responses, and the financial hit that Amtrak has taken.

Second Place: Rachel Winicov, “ My Friend BPD: How a Disease Ruins Friendships, Especially in Young People”

Contest judge Lise Funderburg writes: Health writing can so easily be bogged down by science or made mushy by over-reliance on anecdote, but Rachel Winicov succumbs to neither pitfall in her feature story on Borderline Personality Disorder. In this ambitious, well-structured piece, Rachel opens with an arresting anecdote and then fluidly widens the lens to give readers a larger scientific and psychological context for understanding a particular ramification of the disorder, including the implications of the pandemic. Interviews with mental health professionals and people who have the disorder enrich the piece, as does a survey of current treatment modalities. Rachel’s inclusion of her own experience adds another, welcome dimension that amplifies but does not overwhelm.

Third Place:  Beatrice Forman, “For Safe Injection Sites, COVID-19 Offers a New Beginning”

Contest judge Lise Funderburg writes: For a reported feature on the relationship between social service providers and their communities, Beatrice Forman takes on Philadelphia’s highly controversial issue of safe injections sites, an issue that has become more complicated in the time of COVID-19. Beatrice provides context for her story by looking at local and national addition trends, as well as a longstanding aversion of people with addiction when it comes to engaging with institutions. The choice to focus on community responses to the issue, and the considered questions raised about whether communities are adequately considered, make this a provocative think piece.

About the judge: Lise Funderburg teaches creative nonfiction at the University of Pennsylvania and leads writing workshops around the world. She the author of the bestselling memoir  Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home , a contemplation of life, death, race, and barbecue. She also authored the groundbreaking oral history  Black, White, Other: Biracial Americans Talk About Race and Identity , recently released in a 20th anniversary edition. Lise’s latest book is Apple, Tree: Writers on Their Parents , a collection of 25 original essays she commissioned and edited. Lise's essays have appeared in The New York Times , Chattahoochee Review , Cleaver , Broad Street, National Geographic , TIME , and Brevity, among other publications.

Past Contest Winners

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Home › Essay Competition 2024 › Essay Competition Winners › 2021 Essay Competition Winner – Riya R

2021 Essay Competition Winner – Riya R

Table of Contents

Take a look at one of the winning entries to the Immerse Education Essay Competition from the Medicine category. Congratulations to all participants and in particular to those who won 100% scholarships!

by Riya R . Read Riya’s Scholarship Story Here.

How important are soft skills for medical professionals?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines soft skills as ‘personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people’. Soft skills, often referred to as transferable or professional skills, are intangible, non-technical, and are the personal character traits or qualities to help succeed in any profession. 1 For medical professionals, soft skills such as communication, teamwork, patience and compassion are vital to effectively engage with patients, their families and coworkers.

In 2007, a study of 240 medical errors by trainees, including 167 breakdowns in teamwork, identified poor non-technical skills as the main cause. By contrast, 139 errors were attributed to lack of technical competence. 2

Teamwork is a critical soft skill for medical professionals to safely and compassionately deliver patient care. In surgery, increasing effective teamwork between multi-disciplinary teams is found to decrease patient mortality rates. 3 This shows the significance of soft skills in saving lives.

Effective communication skills can help identify patient needs. Medical professionals communicate with one another and patients in various ways including written, face-to-face, and virtually. Written communication is key to making referrals, updating patient records and prescribing medication. 4

“When I define communication, I think of a new grad who is proactive, direct, open, honest, thoughtful and it’s not just about what they say, it’s how they say it,” says Jennifer O’Leary, Faculty, Genetics Technology at The Michener Institute, Canada. 5 Good communication skills include actively listening to others, processing feedback received, and reflecting on the feedback.

Surgeons are among those most resistant to acknowledging the need to brush up their speaking skills and a cause of concern for the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), UK. According to Charles Collins, Chair of the Patient Liaison Groups at RCS, “Only around 25 per cent of a surgeon’s job requires technical expertise, even less in many specialties. The rest is about communicating with patients.” 6 Surgeons need communication skills to discuss complicated procedures and help patients make informed choices. 7

Patience is an essential soft skill for medical professionals. Whether guiding a patient and family through a challenging illness, or managing staff members during a period of heavy admissions, having patience can help decompress stress and enable more effective problem-solving. 8

As medical professionals continually adopt new technologies to engage remotely with patients – as seen during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – there is an increasing reliance on soft skills. In light of COVID-19, the NHS has turned to remote consultations to minimise the risk of infection for staff and patients. 9 Such consultations using live video conferencing highlight a clinician’s body language and facial expressions, enabling a patient to clearly understand the message being conveyed. 10

To summarise, soft skills for medical professionals are more important than ever to deliver safe and effective patient care. An increasing dependency on technology and virtual interactions make it imperative for soft skills to be taught as part of medical and associated healthcare curricula globally.

Bibliography

1 Ashley Rego. “Soft skills: Who says they can’t be taught?” Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science 79:2 (2017): 11

2 Hardeep Singh, Eric J. Thomas, MD, MPH, Laura A. Petersen, MD, MPH, “Medical Errors Involving Trainees: A Study of Closed Malpractice Claims from 5 Insurers” JAMA Internal Medicine 167:19 (2007): 2030-2036

3 Andrew Jenkinson. “Teamwork in Surgery” The Laparoscopic Consultant

https://www.laparoscopicconsultant.co.uk/pdf/teamwork-in-surgery.pdf [Last Accessed: 3rd Jan 2020]

4 Evie Lee. “Effective Communication in Health and Social Care” CPD Online College (2021) https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/care/effective-communication/ [Last Accessed: 3rd Jan 2020]

5 Ashley Rego. “Soft skills: Who says they can’t be taught?” Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science 79:2 (2017):11

6 Jane Feinmann . “Brushing up on doctors’ communication skills.” The Lancet. 360:9345 (2002)

7 Wendy Levinson, Pamela Hudak, Andrea C.Tricco. “A systematic review of surgeon–patient communication: Strengths and opportunities for improvement” ScienceDirect 93:1 (2013): 3-17

8 Bushardt, Reamer L. “Patience is still a virtue” JAAPA (Journal of the American Academy of PAs)

29:5 (2016): 13-14

9 British Medical Association ( BMA ) “COVID-19: video consultations and home working” (2021) https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/covid-19/adapting-to-covid/covid-19-video-consultations

-and-homeworking [Last Accessed: 3rd Jan 2020]

10 P. Vermeir, D. Vandijck, S. Degroote, R. Peleman, R. Verhaeghe, E. Mortier, G. Hallaert, S. Van Daele, W. Buylaert, D. Vogelaers. “Communication in healthcare: a narrative review of the literature and practical recommendations” IJCP (The International Journal of Clinical Practice) (2015) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ijcp.12686 [Last Accessed: 3rd Jan 2020]

British Medical Association ( BMA ) “COVID-19: video consultations and home working” (2021) https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/covid-19/adapting-to-covid/covid-19-video-consultations

Bushardt, Reamer L. “Patience is still a virtue” JAAPA (Journal of the American Academy of PAs)

May 2016 29:5 13-14

https://journals.lww.com/jaapa/FullText/2016/05000/Patience_is_still_a_virtue.1.aspx

Feinmann , J “Brushing up on doctors’ communication skills.” The Lancet. 360:9345 . 16 Nov. 2002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11592-3

Jenkinson, A. “Teamwork in Surgery” The Laparoscopic Consultant

Lee, E. “Effective Communication in Health and Social Care” CPD Online College (2021) https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/care/effective-communication/ [Last Accessed: 3rd Jan 2020]

Levinson, W. Hudak, P. Andrea C.Tricco. “A systematic review of surgeon–patient communication: Strengths and opportunities for improvement” ScienceDirect 93:1 (2013) 3-17 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2013.03.023

P. Vermeir, D. Vandijck, S. Degroote, R. Peleman, R. Verhaeghe, E. Mortier, G. Hallaert, S. Van Daele, W. Buylaert, D. Vogelaers. “Communication in healthcare: a narrative review of the literature and practical recommendations” IJCP (The International Journal of Clinical Practice) 6 July, 2015 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ijcp.12686 [Last Accessed: 3rd Jan 2020]

Rego, A. “Soft skills: Who says they can’t be taught?” Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science 79:2 (2017):11

https://www.proquest.com/docview/1917630414?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true

Singh, H. Eric J. Thomas, Laura A. Petersen, David M. Studdert Arch Intern Med. JAMA Internal Medicine 167:19 (2007):2030-2036.

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Trending Essay Topics | Important Essay Topics for Competitive Exams

Essay writing is a part of various competitive exams. In most of the essay wring exams, trending topics are selected as subjects for essay writing. Here we have prepared a list of trending essay topics which are the most important essay topics for all upcoming competitive as well as academic exams.

• Trending Essay Topics
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The above essay topics are the  most important essay topics  for all competitive exams as well as academic exams. These essay topics are currently in focus and discussed by everyone due to its current relevance. Therefore, these essays are trending essay topics for all competitive exams.

In addition to these trending essay topics , here is a list of evergreen best essay topics that are very important.

Evergreen best essay topics

• Beat Plastic Pollution   (Click on the Topic to Read Essays)
• Meri Mati Mera Desh
• Hate Speech
• PM SHRI School Scheme
• Plastic Waste Management
• Envisioning India @2047
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• Human Trafficking
• Benefits of Yoga
• Online Shopping
• How to control pollution

These are the best essay topics for all competitive exams which contains all the current topics also. Above trending essay topics are most expected essay topics for competitive exams. 

Due to its current relevance these trending essay topics are most important for all exams. Hope these trending essay topics helped you in your exam preparation.

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• Government’s Vision of Amrit Kaal
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PHILOSOPHICAL/ ABSTRACT

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SOCIAL ISSUES (Society, Gender, Caste)

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Announcing TGC’s 2024 Essay Contest for Young Adults

Writers aged 16–22 can get published and win $500.

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The Gospel Coalition announces its 2024 essay contest, inviting young adults (ages 16–22) to explore and write about God’s faithfulness, their relationship with technology, and their heart for full-time ministry in our secular age.

Winning authors will receive a prize, and their essays will be published on TGC’s website. In addition, every writer who submits an essay will receive a coupon code for $50 off the Gen-Z registration for our TGC25 conference .

Essay Requirements

Each 800–1,000 word essay must be original, previously unpublished, and must respond to one of the following three prompts. With each of these prompts, contestants should draw from their own experiences and convictions, and use Scripture to support their conclusions. (Want examples? Read the winning essays from 2022 and 2023 .) Contestants must give permission to TGC to publish their work, and each essay will be judged by TGC’s editorial team.

Submissions will be accepted from June 1 to July 1 and winners will be announced on September 2, 2024.

1. When did the Lord love you by not giving you what you wanted?

Many of us have unfulfilled desires. When was a time you saw the Lord’s love and kindness when he withheld something from you? What was it that you wanted and how did you see the Lord’s faithfulness through not giving it to you? Tell us what you learned from your experience, especially considering that our culture tells us we deserve to have all our desires fulfilled.

2. How has the gospel changed your relationship with your phone?

Today, phones are considered a necessity rather than a luxury. How does the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ change how you view your phone and how you use it? How has your phone been a hindrance and how has it been an asset to your relationship with the Lord? Tell us what you’ve learned in navigating how to use your phone for the glory of God.

3. Why are you considering full-time ministry?

There’s a greater need than ever for young people to pursue full-time ministry. Why are you considering making ministry your vocation? Tell us your heart behind it, why you think it’s important, and what influences in your life have led you to move forward in this direction.

The contest winner will receive $500; second place will receive a $100 gift card to the TGC bookstore; third place will receive an assortment of books. The winning essays will be published on TGC’s website, as will any other essays the judges select.

Read the full contest rules and upload your essay. Questions? Contact [email protected] .

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