Hello Writers!
Welcome back to another edition of Writing Deadlines - your weekly roundup of writing competitions, prizes, and open calls from around the world. There is no theme this week, just a mix of opportunities that landed on my radar recently and felt too good not to share. Whether you write horror, fantasy, flash fiction, poetry, literary essays, or sprawling novels-in-progress, there really is something here for you.
This week: 16 new opportunities | May to December 2026 | Prizes up to €2,500
A heads-up before you dive in: the very first event on this list closes on 31 May — just over a week away. So if you’ve been sitting on an opening chapter, now’s the moment to polish it up and hit submit. The rest of the deadlines spread generously through the rest of the year, so there’s no excuse not to find at least one that fits.
Creative writing quote of the week:
For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.
– Catherine Drinker Bowen
Deadline: 31 May 2026 ⚠️ Closes in just over a week!
The BPA First Novel Award is run by Blue Pencil Agency, a UK-based literary consultancy, and is open to unrepresented and unpublished writers of adult fiction worldwide. The competition welcomes novels in any adult fiction genre — YA with adult crossover is permitted, but children’s fiction and non-fiction are excluded. Entrants submit up to 5,000 words of their opening chapter or chapters, a 300-word synopsis, and a covering letter. The manuscript must be completed or close to completion, with at least 60,000 words written. The competition is judged by literary agent Olivia Maidment (Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency) and author Freya Bromley. A new Bookseller’s Choice Award has been added this year, selected by the owner of Bàrd Books in East London. A limited number of free entries are available for UK-based writers on low incomes or from underrepresented backgrounds.
Entry fee: £25
Top prize: £1,500 and an introduction to a literary agent
Find out more: https://bluepencilagency.com/blue-pencil-agency-annual-competitions/bpa-first-novel-award-2026/
Deadline: 7 June 2026
The Masters Review Best Emerging Writers 2026 is a prestigious annual prose contest and anthology dedicated to showcasing unpublished fiction and creative nonfiction by new and unestablished writers. Emerging writers may submit unpublished fiction or creative nonfiction under 8,000 words. Submitted work must not have appeared anywhere previously — including personal blogs, social media, and other websites. The contest is for emerging writers only; those with single-author book-length work published or under contract with a major press are ineligible. This year’s contest is judged by Ramona Ausubel, bestselling author of The Last Animal. Ten winners will be selected, and all entries are also considered for publication in New Voices.
Entry fee: $20
Top prize: $700, publication in the print anthology, a contributor’s copy, and exposure to over fifty literary agencies
Find out more: https://mastersreview.com/anthology/
Deadline: 15 June 2026
Blessing the Boats Selections is an annual open call that spotlights poetry collections by women of color, run by BOA Editions as part of the American Poets Continuum Series. The call is open to US women poets of color — cis, trans, and nonbinary people who are comfortable in a space that centres on women’s experiences are all encouraged to submit. Entrants should submit a book-length poetry manuscript of between 65 and 120 pages. The winning manuscript will be published in fall 2028 in an original paperback and e-book edition, and the winner retains full copyright of their work. The winner will be announced in fall 2026.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: $1,500 honorarium and publication with a standard royalties package
Find out more: https://www.boaeditions.org/pages/blessing-the-boats-selections
Deadline: 15 June 2026
The Dan Veach Prize for Younger Poets is an annual competition run by Atlanta Review for college-age writers aged 18–23. The prize invites unpublished poems on any subject or style, with a particular welcome for poems with an international focus, though all submissions must be in English. Students may submit up to two poems (40 lines or fewer each). Submissions must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation (up to 500 words) from a teacher or someone well-acquainted with the student’s writing, plus a brief statement from the poet about themselves and their work.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: $100 and publication in the Fall/Winter issue of Atlanta Review
Find out more: https://atlantareview.submittable.com/submit
Deadline: 28 June 2026
The CRAFT First Chapters Contest is an annual literary competition for unpublished book-length fiction, hosted by CRAFT Literary. Writers are invited to submit the first chapter or chapters (up to 5,000 words) of a novel or novella — the manuscript need not be complete to enter. Work must be previously unpublished, including on personal blogs and social media. This year’s guest judge is Deb Olin Unferth, author of Barn 8 and finalist for the National Book Critics’ Circle Award. The top three excerpts will each be published in CRAFT with an introduction by the judge. All entries are also considered for publication in CRAFT.
Entry fee: $20
Top prize: $2,000, excerpt publication in CRAFT, and a full manuscript critique
Find out more: https://www.craftliterary.com/craft-first-chapters-contest-2026/
Deadline: 30 June 2026
The Cranked Anvil Quarterly Play Writing Competition is an international competition seeking original scripts for radio and audio broadcast. Run by Cranked Anvil in partnership with Radio Northumberland, the competition runs four times a year (deadlines at the end of March, June, September, and December). Scripts should be written for radio or audio broadcast and run approximately 10–20 minutes in length; theatre or film scripts that can be adapted for audio are also eligible. Any theme, genre, or setting is welcome, and there is no limit on the number of characters. Entrants may submit up to three plays per quarter. Entries are judged by a panel headed by Cranked Anvil Editor-in-Chief Paul Dunn, who has written and performed for BBC Radio. All placed and commended scripts are professionally produced, broadcast on Radio Northumberland, made available on-demand online worldwide, and included in a future playscripts digital anthology.
Entry fee: £12 per play (£22 for two, £30 for three)
Top prize: £50, a professional audio recording broadcast on UK radio and around the world online, and guaranteed inclusion in a future playscripts digital anthology
Find out more: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/scriptcomp/
Deadline: 30 June 2026
The Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction is an annual literary competition hosted by the University of North Texas Press. The prize welcomes unpublished collections of short stories, flash fiction, or novellas, with manuscripts between 100 and 200 pages. Material should be previously unpublished in book form. The winning manuscript will be announced in January 2027. Once contracted for publication, UNT Press will hold the rights to the stories in the winning collection.
Entry fee: $25
Top prize: $1,000 and publication by University of North Texas Press
Find out more: https://untpress.unt.edu/authors/porter-prize-submissions/
Deadline: 3 July 2026
The Hubert Butler Essay Prize is an annual international competition dedicated to the art of the essay with a European dimension, commemorating the celebrated 20th-century Irish writer and humanitarian Hubert Butler. The prize is sponsored by Haus Publishing and is open to citizens of the UK and the European Union aged 18 and over. The theme for the 2026 competition is “Poetry makes nothing happen”. Entrants are invited to explore what impact, if any, high culture can have in a world threatened by disaster. Essays must be in English and no more than 3,000 words, submitted by email to the organisers.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: €2,500
Find out more: https://www.hubertbutleressayprize.com/
Deadline: 16 July 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize is an annual competition organised by award-winning novelist and writing teacher Joan Dempsey, open to writers aged 18 and over who are working on an as-yet-unpublished novel. The prize invites entries across any adult fiction genre, including YA with an adult readership (middle-grade, younger fiction, and erotica are excluded). Entrants submit only the first page of Chapter One. There is no word count requirement; the page simply ends wherever it ends. Entries must be entirely the writer’s own original work, and writers may submit more than one entry. Submissions open 16 June 2026 and close promptly at 5:00 PM ET on 16 July 2026.
Entry fee: $20
Top prize: $1,000 and publication
Find out more: https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/page-one-prize/
Deadline: 26 July 2026 (July round)
The Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction is a quarterly international flash fiction competition run from Australia that challenges writers to create an original piece of flash fiction in response to two writing prompts plus one anti-prompt — a challenge to break a specific “rule” of writing. When the July round opens, the prompts are announced by email. Participants have 60 hours to write up to 500 words in response. The competition is open to writers of all ages and experience levels worldwide. The full prize pool of AU$4,000 is distributed across the shortlist, with cash prizes awarded to multiple places. All shortlisted entries are published in an annual print anthology and read aloud on the Not Quite Write Podcast.
Entry fee: AU$35
Top prize: AU$1,500 and the Not Quite Write Trophy
Find out more: https://notquitewritepodcast.com/prize/
Deadline: 29 July 2026
The Letter Review Prize is a quarterly international competition run by The Letter Review literary journal, open to writers anywhere in the world. It runs across three categories: Short Fiction (up to 5,000 words), Poetry (up to 70 lines), and Books (the first 5,000 words of an unpublished novel, novella, or nonfiction work, or the first 15 pages of a poetry collection). There are no theme, genre, or style restrictions in any category. Entries must be original and previously unpublished, though pieces that have appeared on personal blogs or social media are eligible. Self-published and indie-published book manuscripts are accepted provided the author retains copyright. Winning entries are published in The Letter Review and considered for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other prestigious anthologies. Winners retain full copyright.
Entry fee: $20
Top prize: $1,000 (shared equally between 2–4 winners per round) and publication in The Letter Review
Find out more: https://letterreview.com/information/
Deadline: 31 July 2026
The Precocious Prize for Fantasy is run by Precocious Press, an independent publishing imprint based in Brighton, UK. The competition invites writers to submit original, unpublished short fiction in the fantasy genre — including urban, dark, contemporary, and romantic fantasy — with no set theme or prompt. Stories may be up to 6,000 words, with no minimum word count. Precocious Press is looking for bold, character-led work with a strong sense of voice, tension, and emotional stakes, and welcomes stories exploring desire or featuring romance, including explicit content between adult characters. The press notes a particular interest in stories by and about LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent writers, though this is not a requirement. Entries must be complete, standalone stories. The competition is open internationally to writers aged 16 and over.
Entry fee: £9.75
Top prize: £100 and publication in the Precocious Prize for Fantasy anthology
Find out more: https://precociouspress.com/precociousprizefantasy
Deadline: 31 July 2026
The Cranked Anvil Quarterly Short Story Competition invites writers to submit original, unpublished short fiction of between 501 and 1,500 words on any theme or genre. Run by Cranked Anvil, an independent press and digital publishing service established in 2012, the competition runs four times a year (deadlines at the end of January, April, July, and October). Entrants may submit up to three stories per quarter. The competition is open internationally. Please note that prize details for the July 2026 round are to be confirmed — check the website for the latest information.
Entry fee: £5
Top prize: Cash prize (TBC), publication on the Cranked Anvil website, and consideration for future digital anthologies
Find out more: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/
Deadline: 1 August 2026
Arsenal Pulp Press is seeking submissions of speculative poetry, short fiction, and non-fiction for Queer Little Daydreams, a new anthology of queer writing to be published in fall 2027. The editors are looking for work that envisions worlds beyond the edges of this one — where the weird explodes realism, alternate histories shape the future, and imagining itself becomes a radical act. Poetry submissions may include up to three poems or three pages of poetry (whichever comes first). Fiction entries should be between 1,000 and 5,000 words (no fan fiction). Non-fiction essays should also be between 1,000 and 5,000 words and must have a speculative aspect. Reviews and purely critical essays are not accepted.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: Contributors receive an honorarium and a copy of the published anthology
Find out more: https://arsenalpulp.com/News/2026/Queer-Little-Daydreams-Call-for-Submissions-Deadline-August-1-2026
Deadline: 31 October 2026
The Bedford Short Story and Poetry Competition is an established not-for-profit competition that has run annual writing events since 2012, open to writers worldwide aged 17 and over. It offers prizes across multiple categories, including the main international prize, a Bedford Prize for local residents, and the Cygnature Prize for writers aged 17–25. Entries must be original, previously unpublished work written in English. Short stories must not exceed 3,000 words (title excluded) and must be double-spaced in a readable 12-point font, with no author identification. Shortlisted and winning entries are published in an annual anthology available as both an e-book and a paperback, and results are announced at the annual Presentation of Awards Event.
Entry fee: £8.50
Top prize: £2,000 and publication in the anthology
Find out more: https://bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk/
Deadline: 31 December 2026
Killer Shorts is a competition dedicated to discovering and championing new voices in horror fiction, connecting emerging authors directly with industry professionals who publish, manage, and option dark fiction for the screen. Founded in 2019, the competition is evaluated by an elite jury including author and producer Tananarive Due (The Twilight Zone, Horror Noire), literary manager John Zaozirny (Bellevue Productions), and genre icon Barbara Crampton. Winners receive official publication on the Killer Shorts website, a professional Scrivener software licence, and an exclusive one-on-one career consultation with author and screenwriter Chris Hicks.
Entry fee: $25
Top prize: Publication, industry circulation, a career mentorship consultation, Scrivener writing software, and the Killer Shorts Skull-Shaped Typewriter Trophy
Find out more: https://killershorts.com/
If you’ve been thinking about levelling up your writing craft, this weekend is a great time to do it. To celebrate Memorial Day, MasterClass is offering 50% off subscriptions from now until 26 May - which also makes it a thoughtful last-minute gift for the curious writer in your life (no shipping required!). With creative writing courses taught by some of the world’s most celebrated authors, there’s something to inspire every kind of writer, whatever your genre or stage. Grab the offer before it expires on Monday.
Ever wonder why some stories grip you from the first page while others, technically well-written, just don’t land? Lisa Cron has a compelling answer. Wired for Story draws on neuroscience to argue that our brains are literally hardwired to crave narrative — and that most writing advice gets this exactly backwards by focusing on prose before story. It’s a book that reframes everything, from how you build a character to why your opening chapter might be losing readers without you realising it. Practical, eye-opening, and surprisingly hard to put down for a book about writing books.
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That’s all for this week! I hope you found at least one opportunity here that makes you reach for your notebook. A few gentle reminders before you hit submit:
Read the guidelines carefully. Word counts, eligibility requirements, and formatting details really do matter!
Give yourself time to polish. A deadline on the horizon is a gift — use it.
Don’t let fear of rejection hold you back. Every submission is a step forward, and every published writer has a drawer full of “not this time” letters.
Always do your own research before entering. Carefully read the terms and conditions for each event.
If you know a fellow writer who might benefit from these opportunities, please do pass this along. And if you’ve come across a competition you’d like to share, drop it in the comments, send a message on Substack, or submit it through the form linked below. I’d love to hear about it!
Until next week, keep writing!
Victoria
🗓️ Know of any other interesting writing events?
Consider submitting it to our curated calendar through this submission form. You can also post a comment below, or send me a message via Substack. Let me know if there is anything you’d like to feature in next week’s edition of the newsletter.
🧠 Remember: Always do your own research and carefully read submission guidelines before sharing your work!
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