Hello Writers!
Summer is arriving (in my hemisphere), and after a good deal of digging around the internet I’ve put together this week’s roundup of competitions and submission calls. There’s something here for all kinds of writers — flash fiction and short stories, nature poetry and essays, book-length manuscripts, and even a live 60-hour writing event. Whether you’ve been quietly polishing a manuscript through the spring months or you’re ready to fire something off this very weekend, I hope you’ll find at least one opportunity worth your time.
This week: 19 opportunities | June and July 2026 deadlines | Prizes up to $130,000
One note of caution before you dive in: a couple of entries this week have very specific eligibility criteria, so do read the details carefully. And as ever, always check the organiser’s website directly before submitting — deadlines and requirements can change, and a few minutes of double-checking is always worth it.
Creative writing quote of the week:
A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.
– Richard Bach
Deadline: 8 June 2026
Mslexia is an established UK quarterly magazine dedicated to women writers, and twice a year the organiser invites leading authors to select poetry and short fiction on a particular theme for its Showcase section. This round’s theme is Gold — an open, evocative prompt that might take you in any direction, from the glinting and the gilded to the metaphorical. Stories must be no longer than 2,200 words; poems up to 40 lines. You may submit up to four poems and/or up to two stories. There is no lower word or line limit, and Mslexia pays for every piece published.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: Publication
Find out more: https://mslexia.co.uk/submit-your-work/poetry/
Deadline: 14 June 2026
The Palette Poetry Nature Poetry Prize is an annual literary contest hosted by Palette Poetry that celebrates the natural world. The organiser seeks imaginative, thought-provoking, and evocative poems that explore our relationship with flora, fauna, and the environment. Palette Poetry‘s editors will select ten finalists before a judge chooses the winner and two runners-up for publication.
Entry fee: $20
Top prize: $3,000, publication, and an interview in Palette Poetry
Find out more: https://www.palettepoetry.com/the-2026-nature-poetry-prize/
Deadline: 15 June 2026
The New American Fiction Prize is an annual literary award established in 2010 by New American Press to discover and promote emerging writers of innovative, book-length fiction. All full-length fiction manuscripts are welcome, including novels, novellas, linked collections, novels in verse, and collections of flash fiction and short-shorts. Full-length manuscripts tend to be at least 100 pages, with no maximum length. All manuscripts are read blind. The final judge this year is Keith Rosson, author of Fever House, Smoke City, Road Seven, and The Mercy of the Tide.
Entry fee: $25
Top prize: $1,500, publication, twenty-five copies of the published book, and promotional support
Find out more: https://newamericanpress.com/2026-new-american-fiction-prize/
Deadline: 19 June 2026 (for books published January–June 2026) | 18 December 2026 (for books published July–December 2026)
The Griffin Poetry Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious and generous awards for a single collection of poetry, founded in 2000 by philanthropist Scott Griffin. The annual prize celebrates living poets and translators for first-edition collections written in, or translated into, English — and is open to poets from any country worldwide. The winner receives C$130,000; each other shortlisted poet receives C$10,000. There is also a separate Canadian First Book Prize of C$10,000 for a debut collection by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Important note: Submissions must come from publishers, not individual writers. If you have a qualifying collection published in 2026, speak to your publisher about submitting on your behalf.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: C$130,000
Find out more: https://griffinpoetryprize.com/submissions/
Deadline: 23 June 2026
The FFF Competition Thirty-Four is a flash fiction competition run by Free Flash Fiction, open to writers worldwide aged 16 and over. Entrants are invited to submit an original, previously unpublished piece of flash fiction on any theme, in any style or form. Entries must be written in English, and there is no limit to the number of entries per entrant, though multiple entries must be submitted separately. The competition is judged by Emma Phillips.
Entry fee: £4.95
Top prize: £200 and publication
Find out more: https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/
Deadline: 30 June 2026
The 12th SUSPECT Poetry Contest is a free-to-enter literary competition hosted by SUSPECT, a Singapore Unbound publication celebrating Asian authors. The organiser calls for poems that use both the words “minor” and “destructions” (or their variants) in an imaginative fashion — together or separately. The contest is open to everyone. Please submit a maximum of three previously unpublished poems.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: $300
Find out more: https://singaporeunbound.org/opp/suspect-poetry-contest-12
Deadline: 30 June 2026
The Elegant Literature Award is a monthly short fiction prize run by Elegant Literature, a digital magazine dedicated to supporting new and unpublished writers. The June 2026 theme is After The Ashes — whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime: all genres are welcome. Entries must be between 500 and 2,000 words in English and must incorporate the theme and the prompt word “shovel” in some form. The contest is open to new or unpublished authors worldwide (excluding Quebec, Canada), and stories are judged on creativity, character, structure and flow, and quality of writing.
Entry fee: Free for Elegant Literature members (membership required to enter)
Top prize: $3,000, publication, and free enrolment in the New Novelist Accelerator
Find out more: https://www.elegantliterature.com/?aff=almondpress&p=2324
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Midnight & Indigo is a literary media company and 100% Black woman–owned publication celebrating the voices of Black women across the diaspora. The organiser is currently open for submissions of literary short fiction (1,500–7,000 words), speculative fiction (2,000–7,000 words), and creative nonfiction personal essays (minimum 1,200 words). All genres and writing styles are welcome. Previously published work is not accepted. Authors retain copyright; the organiser asks for first North American serial rights only. Midnight & Indigo pays for every piece published.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: $150 per essay, or 7 cents per word for short stories (payment on publication)
Find out more: https://www.midnightandindigo.com/write-for-us/
Deadline: 30 June 2026
The Olga Sinclair Prize is an annual short story competition run by the Norwich Writers’ Circle, open to writers worldwide regardless of experience level. The 2026 theme is Walls, inspired by the city’s medieval flint walls — but the theme may be interpreted freely, whether the walls are physical, psychological, or metaphorical, and stories need not be set in or about Norwich. Entrants must submit an original short story of up to 2,000 words (excluding the title) in any genre. Entries are judged anonymously by an independent judge.
Entry fee: £8
Top prize: £300 and publication
Find out more: https://norwichwriters.com/the-olga-sinclair-open-short-story-competition/
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Poetry.com is a platform dedicated to supporting poets of all backgrounds and experience levels, and each month a new contest opens. Submissions must be original, human-created work not previously recognised in any other contest. Poems may be in any form and on any theme, up to 75 lines (excluding stanza breaks). At the end of the year, the twelve monthly winners will compete for a Poem of the Year grand prize of $1,000.
Entry fee: $25
Top prize: $500 and a contest badge
Find out more: https://www.poetry.com/contest?affid=office_9436
Deadline: 1 July 2026
The Chaotic Creators Magazine Poetry Contest is run by Chaotic Creators Magazine, an independent online publication. The contest welcomes poems on any theme from writers at all levels, with no set theme and no minimum line length — each poem must be no longer than 42 lines. All eligible entries are published on the magazine’s website. Entrants may submit any number of poems. Writers retain the rights to their work. A small number of free places are available for low-income creators (those receiving benefits, students, or anyone for whom the fee is a significant burden) on a first-come, first-served basis (contact the organisers to apply).
Entry fee: £3
Top prize: £50 and publication
Find out more: https://chaoticcreatorsmagazine.co.uk/poetry-contest
Deadline: 1 July 2026
The North Street Book Prize is organised by Winning Writers, a US nonprofit that runs international writing contests and supports authors. This annual competition recognises excellence in book-length works across multiple categories including fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, and genre fiction. Eligible entries are original books in English published in 2025 or scheduled for publication by the entry deadline, with ISBNs and available for purchase online or in print. Self-published books are eligible. Each title must be entered separately in the most appropriate category. The competition is open internationally.
Entry fee: $95
Top prize: $10,000
Find out more: https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/north-street-book-prize
Deadline: 3 July 2026
The Hubert Butler Essay Prize is an annual international literary competition commemorating the 20th-century Irish essayist and humanitarian Hubert Butler, and is run by HEART London (House of European Art). The 2026 theme is Poetry makes nothing happen. What impact can high culture make in the real world?. Essays must be in English and no more than 3,000 words. The prize is open to writers aged 18 and over who are UK or European Union citizens.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: €2,500
Find out more: https://www.hubertbutleressayprize.com/
Deadline: 6 July 2026
The RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction are annual literary prizes granted by the Royal Society of Literature to support authors writing their first full-length non-fiction book for a general audience. Three cash prizes are awarded annually to help talented new writers buy the time and resources necessary to complete their research and writing. To be eligible, writers must be working on their very first commissioned work of non-fiction for a mainstream readership, must hold a secured publishing contract with a UK or Ireland-based publisher, and must be a citizen of the UK or Ireland, or have been resident there for at least three years prior to the award.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: £10,000
Find out more: https://rsliterature.org/rsl-giles-st-aubyn-awards-for-non-fiction/
Deadline: 12 July 2026
The Frontier Poetry Open is Frontier Poetry‘s premier annual writing competition, accepting poetry with no thematic, aesthetic, or formal restrictions. The organiser is looking for the strongest contemporary verse — work that demonstrates impact, risk, experimentation, and craft excellence. Open internationally to any poet writing primarily in English. Nine finalists will also each receive $100 and publication alongside the winner.
Entry fee: $20
Top prize: $5,000
Find out more: https://www.frontierpoetry.com/2026-frontier-open/
Deadline: Competition window 24–26 July 2026
The Not Quite Write Prize is an international flash fiction event with a twist: rather than submitting in advance, participants write their stories live during a 60-hour window once the competition opens. When the competition kicks off, two writing prompts and one anti-prompt are announced by email, and entrants have 60 hours to write up to 500 words in response. The competition is open to writers of all levels worldwide, and details on how and where to submit will be provided when it opens. There is a total prize pool of AU$4,000.
Entry fee: AU$28
Top prize: AU$1,500 and the Not Quite Write Trophy
Find out more: https://notquitewritepodcast.com/prize/ref/office@almondpress.co.uk/
Deadline: 31 July 2026
The Protopian Prize is a new fiction contest in its inaugural year, inviting writers to imagine futures that are neither utopian nor dystopian — workably better than today. The word “protopian” was coined by futurist Kevin Kelly, one of the contest’s judges, and describes an achievable, optimistic future built through incremental progress rather than revolutionary leaps. The contest is hosted by Metagov and the Public AI Network, and presents prizes in two categories: the Public AI Prize (stories exploring AI development built for public benefit) and the Democratic Futures Prize (stories imagining expanded public autonomy and collective decision-making). Previously unpublished short stories of 500–6,000 words are invited in each category. Open internationally.
Entry fee: Free 🆓
Top prize: $5,000 per category and publication in anthology
Find out more: https://protopianprize.com/
Deadline: 31 July 2026
The Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition is organised by the Munster Literature Centre, a not-for-profit organisation based in Cork, Ireland, named after one of Ireland’s most celebrated short story writers. Entrants must submit an original, previously unpublished short story in English of up to 3,000 words on any subject and in any style; translated work is not eligible. The competition is open to writers of any nationality worldwide. Multiple entries are permitted; simultaneous submissions are accepted, but entrants must notify the organisers immediately if a story is accepted elsewhere. Previous first-prize winners are not eligible to re-enter.
Entry fee: €19
Top prize: €2,000, a featured reading at the Cork International Short Story Festival (with four nights’ hotel accommodation and full board for those based outside Cork), and publication in Southword
Find out more: https://munsterlit.ie/ofaolain-competition/
Deadline: 31 July 2026
The Ironclad Short Story Competition is run by Ironclad Creative CIC, a Brighton-based community interest company supporting writers and storytellers. The competition runs up to four times a year, with winning and shortlisted stories published in a themed anthology available in print and eBook. This round’s prompt word is HARVEST — the organiser welcomes any genre and any interpretation, however loose. Entrants must submit an original, previously unpublished short story in English of up to 6,000 words. The competition is open to published and unpublished writers of any age from anywhere in the world. A small number of free places are available for low-income writers currently living in the UK (email the organisers before submitting to apply).
Entry fee: £9.75
Top prize: £100 and publication
Find out more: https://www.ironcladcreative.org/shortstorycompetition
Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose
If you’ve ever finished a brilliant novel and thought “but how did they do that?”, this is the book for you. Francine Prose makes the case that the best writing education comes from reading closely — really closely — and takes you through the building blocks of great fiction, from sentences and paragraphs to dialogue, detail, and gesture, drawing on examples from Chekhov, Austen, Flaubert, and many more. It’s the kind of book that will change the way you read, and in doing so, quietly transform the way you write.
📚 Looking for more reading recommendations? I’ve put together a list of the best books about creative writing and publishing over on my website — well worth a browse if you’re building your craft library.
There are 66 upcoming writing competitions listed in our online calendar.
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That’s a wrap on this week’s roundup! Some of the best submissions are the ones that nearly didn’t get sent. So take a breath, give your work one last read, and hit send.
A few gentle reminders as you prepare:
Read the guidelines carefully — word counts, eligibility criteria, and formatting details all matter.
Give yourself plenty of time to polish your work before the deadline.
Don’t let fear of rejection hold you back. Every submission is a step forward.
Always do your own research before entering, and read the terms and conditions for each event carefully.
If you know a fellow writer who might find these opportunities useful, please do pass this along. And if you’ve spotted a competition I’ve missed, drop it in the comments or send it through the form below — I’d love to hear about it!
Victoria
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🗓️ 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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