We found over three dozen excellent free poetry and prose contests with deadlines between April 15-May 31. In this issue, please enjoy "The Buried Port" by Giuseppe Ungaretti, illustrated by Julian Peters.
 KIZZIAH BURTON and MIKAELA HAGEN won the top awards of $3,000 each in our 21st annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. Contest co-sponsor Duotrope awarded our winners two-year gift certificates (value $100) to access Duotrope's extensive literary information services. Visit the winners' pages to read their poems.
2,509 poets competed from around the world. We awarded 10 Honorable Mentions to F.J. Bergmann, Ja'net Danielo, Lee Desrosiers, Mary Chi-Whi Kim, Shereen Leanne, Darius Simpson, Spencer Chang, Maia Elsner, Clif Mason, and Maya Salameh. We further recognize these finalists: Carlos Gómez, Ziyi Yan, Joyce Schmid, Partridge Boswell, Penda Mbaye Smith, Remi Recchia, and Christian Collier.
Read our press release, and read all the winning entries selected by Michal 'MJ' Jones with assistance from Briana Grogan and Dare Williams. We would also like to acknowledge the dedicated administrative support provided by Annie Mydla and her staff in Poland. Our judges will return for our 22nd contest opening today. We will now award $3,500 to each of the top winners and $300 to each Honorable Mention. The entry fee remains $22 for
1-3 poems. Enter here.
Last Call!
TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID FICTION & ESSAY CONTEST
Deadline: May 1. 32nd year. $10,000 in prizes, including two top awards of $3,500 each. Fee: $22 per entry. Final judge: Mina Manchester. Both unpublished and previously published work accepted. See last year's winners and enter here.
View past newsletters in our archives. Need assistance? Let us help. Join our 135,000 followers on Twitter and 52,000 followers on Facebook. Advertise with us,
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Jendi Reiter's transgressive, genre-bending second novel, Origin Story (Saddle Road Press, forthcoming July 2024), foregrounds a gay comic-book artist who transforms traumatic memories through his creative work. Set in late-1990s New York City, Origin Story features an uncompromising anti-hero, a gender-fluid teenaged artist, a loving fashion photographer, so-called social workers, and BDSM dungeoneers, among many others.
Origin Story is a stand-alone sequel to Reiter's Rainbow Award winning novel Two Natures. Pre-order Origin Story now at Bookshop or Amazon.
Jendi Reiter is the editor of Winning Writers.
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Congratulations to Tawanda Mulalu, Roberta Beary, Maurya Kerr, Gary Beck, Alice McVeigh, Tong Ge, Terri Kirby Erickson, Gloria Mindock, Robbie Gamble, Lori Jakiela, R. Bremner, Samantha Terrell, Koss, and Lesléa Newman.
Learn about our subscribers' achievements and see links to samples of their work.
Have news? Please email it to jendi@winningwriters.com.
Do you use TikTok or Instagram? Send your news to the @winningwriters account so we can share it!
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Grand Prize Winner, 2023 North Street Competition sponsored by Winning Writers
"A sensitive, tragic love story between a modern-day Romeo and Juliet who transgress religious boundaries."
—Judges, North Street Book Prize
This year's North Street judges selected The Evil Inclination from over 1,850 competing submissions, calling the book "a brilliant novel that works on many levels—theological, personal, cultural—with high stakes and sharply observed humorous moments that make the characters achingly real." See their full critique.
Lev Livitski, devoted son and upright young man, walks the path of Jewish observance without giving it a second thought. But one day in college, Lev encounters Angela Pizatto, a dark-haired knockout, and suddenly, what used to mean everything to him is no longer enough.
Layered into this love story are themes about identity and longing: how desire—what traditional Judaism calls the "evil inclination"—can define who we think we are. It's a novel not only about the burdens of tradition clashing with the power of passion, but also about the struggle to understand how the people we fall for can change us in profound and unexpected ways.
"An exhilarating, spellbinding tale...that will surprise, astonish and move you deeply."
—Joseph Telushkin, best-selling author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal.
"A captivating love story pitting passion against faith ... an irresistible read..."
—Judith Shulevitz, best-selling author of The Sabbath World.
"A riveting—and surprising—book about family, faith, lust, heresy, temptation, wisdom and God."
—Ari Goldman, Professor and author of the best-selling The Search for God at Harvard.
The Evil Inclination is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Learn more at the author's website.
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30-minute talk and Q&A!
Gabi Coatsworth is not only an award-winning author and writing coach. She is also a renowned speaker on the publishing experience for authors. That's why Atmosphere Press is proud to host her for this limited-attendance presentation and Q&A. She'll be sharing her thoughts on one of the hottest and most talked-about developments in the publishing landscape: hybrid publishing. Gabi Coatsworth will paint you an honest picture of hybrid publishing, and whether you should pursue it yourself.
This brief talk takes place at noon US Central time on Thursday, April 18th, and attendance will be limited to 500. So grab your spot now! And FYI that if that time doesn't work for you, you can register and will receive a recording after the event.
Because knowing your publishing options is key to maximizing yourself as a writer, make sure to learn from this exclusive talk and Q&A about the new hybrid publishing models and what they mean for you!
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First Prize, Children's Picture Book, 2023 North Street Competition sponsored by Winning Writers
A story of loss & healing through friendship, knitting & community!
Don't tell the kids but adults like it too!
North Street judge Ellen LaFleche, author of the widowhood-themed poetry collection Walking into Lightning (Saddle Road Press), praised how well this book handled a challenging topic: "The art is gentle and Aunty Jane is such a pretty older woman. This feels so refreshing and I love the author's respectful tone. Wolfson also nails the concept that it helps to alleviate grief if you have a 'container' for it. The container could be art, writing, social justice work, expanding friend networks, exercise, children or grandchildren, or maybe knitting!"
Ellen added, "I love that the hero of the story is an older woman. Although knitting is a traditional female domain, she takes it to a deeper, mythical level. She's a healer with needles and yarn, like someone in a fairy tale!"
Author Steve Wolfson & Illustrator Charity Russell
More about Aunty Jane Knits Up A Storm
Aunty Jane trailer
Read an excerpt (PDF)
Aunty Jane Knits Up A Storm is available as a paperback, hardcover, and ebook at Amazon, independent bookstores, and other fine booksellers.
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Deadline: April 30
Authors & Artists Eligible. The Goldilocks Zone appears wherever conditions make a planet habitable. Sunspot Lit is looking for the perfect combination of excellence in craft and reader or audience appeal. The contest is open to short stories, novel or novella excerpts, artwork, graphic novels, and poems. Literary and genre works accepted.
No restrictions on theme or category. Maximum of 2,500 words for short stories or nonfiction, 24 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels/scripts/screenplays. No size requirements for painting, photography, video stills or sculpture.
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Contest entry fee: $10
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Prize: $500 cash and publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.
Sunspot asks for first rights only; all rights revert to the contributor after publication. Works, along with the creators' bylines, are published in the next quarterly digital edition as well as in the annual print edition. Artists offered publication may display their pieces in galleries, festivals or shows throughout the publication contract period.
Enter as many times as you like through Submittable or Duotrope, but only one piece per submission. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
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Join renowned authors and professional park educators for a writers conference like no other set on a lush, secluded campus nestled within America's most-visited national park. Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont partners with Smokies Life to bring this five-day intensive retreat to a small group of selected writers.
Apply to be a part of your chosen cohort: fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—and enjoy the benefits of award-winning author workshop leaders dedicated to focusing on you and your work. Days will be dedicated to learning and writing in small groups. Each afternoon, writers will have the option to join experienced Tremont naturalists for guided explorations that spark curiosity and wonder through a deeper connection to the region's cultural and natural history. Evenings will conclude with hearty dinners, fellowship with peers, and readings by writing faculty.
Apply now through April 30.
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Early-bird deadline: May 1
The Montreal International Poetry Prize is committed to encouraging the creation of original works of poetry, to building international readership, and to exploring the world’s Englishes. A.E. Stallings is this year's final judge.
One poet will win $20,000 CAD for a single unpublished poem of 40 or fewer lines. A jury of internationally reputed poets and critics selects a shortlist of approximately 60 poems, from which A.E. Stallings will choose one winner. The shortlist is published in The Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology.
The prize is run by the Department of English at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. It is a not-for-profit initiative to recognize the single poem as a work of art.
Fee: $20 CAD for a first poem during the early entry period; $17 CAD for every additional poem.
Learn more and submit at the Montreal International Poetry Prize website.
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Deadline: June 15
Lynx House Press will award $2,000 plus publication for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems. Submit manuscripts and a $28 reading fee via Submittable or mail to Lynx House Press, Attn: Blue Lynx Prize, P.O. Box 96, Spokane, WA 99210. This year's winner is Martha Silano for This One We Call Ours.
Former winners include Sara Moore Wagner, Jim Daniels, Flower Conroy, Heather Sellers, Kirsten Kaschock, Joe Wilkins, Carolyne Wright, and Lue Lipsitz. Judges have included Yusef Komunyakaa, Melissa Kwasny, James Tate, Christopher Buckley, Dara Wier, Dorianne Laux, and Robert Wrigley.
See the contest guidelines.
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$500 will be awarded to the Grand Prize winner of The MacGuffin's POET HUNT 29. This year's contest runs April 1 through June 15 with Michael Meyerhofer serving as the contest's guest judge. Up to two Honorable Mention poets may also be published along with the names of the finalists and semifinalists. All entrants will receive a copy of the issue that includes the judge's selections.
Send up to five poems per $15 entry fee, payable to Schoolcraft College. Include a cover page that lists your contact info and poem titles. This should be the only page containing personally identifiable information to preserve the anonymous review process. On the following pages, include your poems, beginning each poem on a new page.
Enter via Submittable, by email at the Schoolcraft College Bookstore, or mail your materials to: The MacGuffin • Attn: Poet Hunt 29 • 18600 Haggerty Road • Livonia, MI 48152.
For the complete rules, please visit our website.
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Deadline: June 24, 11:59pm Pacific Time
Grist is excited to open submissions for the fourth year of our Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors Short Story Contest.
Imagine 2200 is an invitation to writers from all over the globe to imagine a future in which solutions to the climate crisis flourish and help bring about radical improvements to our world. We want to celebrate stories that envision the next decades to centuries of equitable climate progress, imagining futures of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope. We seek stories that are rooted in creative climate solutions and community-centered resilience, showing what can happen as solutions take root, and stories that offer gripping plots with rich characters and settings, making that future come alive.
In 2,500 to 5,000 words, show us the world you dream of building.
Your story should be set sometime between the near future and roughly the year 2200.
There is no cost to enter. The winning writer will be awarded $3,000, with the second- and third-place winners receiving $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. An additional nine finalists will each receive $300. All winners and finalists will have their story published in an immersive collection on Grist's website. Stories will be judged by authors Omar El Akkad and Annalee Newitz.
Learn more and submit your story here.
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10th year. Submit self-published or hybrid-published books in one of these categories:
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Mainstream/Literary Fiction
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Genre Fiction
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Creative Nonfiction & Memoir
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Poetry
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Children's Picture Book
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Middle Grade
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Graphic Novel & Memoir
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Art Book
Prizes: $10,000, 8 X $1,000, 8 X $300, plus additional benefits from our co-sponsors Carolyn Howard-Johnson, BookBaby, Book Award Pro, Laura Duffy Design, and April Cox at Self-Publishing Made Simple.
New this year: All entrants who submit online via Submittable will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges (5-10 sentences).
Deadline: July 1. Entry fee: $79.
Learn more
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Deadline: July 15
The annual Rattle Poetry Prize celebrates its 19th year with a 1st prize of $15,000 for a single poem. Ten finalists will also receive $500 each and publication, and be eligible for the $5,000 Readers' Choice Award, to be selected by subscriber and entrant vote. All of these poems will be published in the winter issue of the magazine.
With the winners judged in a masked review by the editors to ensure a fair and consistent selection, an entry fee that is simply a one-year subscription to the magazine—and a runner-up Readers' Choice Award to be chosen by the writers themselves—the Rattle Poetry Prize aims to be one of the most writer-friendly and popular poetry contests around.
We accept entries online and by mail. See Rattle's website for the complete guidelines and to read all of the past winners.
Please enjoy one of last year's finalist poems by Amy Miller, published in Rattle #82, Winter 2023:
UMBRELLA
Someone said Watch
the baby, so I watched her
sleep, small mouth with
a bubble at the edge. Hands
like little double OKs. All
of human history pulsing
in the shallow vein
of her temple. A thin beige
umbrella over her head,
raindrops exploding
themselves against it,
trying to touch her.
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Some contests are best suited to writers at the early stages of their careers. Others are better for writers with numerous prizes and publications to their credit. Here is this month's selection of Spotlight Contests for your consideration:
Emerging Writers
Dream Foundry Speculative Short Story Contest. Dream Foundry is a Chicago-based nonprofit that seeks "to bolster and sustain the nascent careers of professionals working in the field of speculative literature." Submit unpublished speculative fiction, 10,000 words maximum, to win up to $1,000. Contestants must have published no more than 4,000 words of paid or income-earning speculative fiction in English and have earned less than $320 from those words. Contestants must also have never been nominated for any major speculative fiction award. Must be received by May 27.
Intermediate Writers
Rabbi Sacks Book Prize. The Rabbi Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University will award $10,000 for a published nonfiction book that contributes significantly to the arena of modern Jewish thought and heightens awareness of issues pertaining to the intersection of faith and modernity. Book must have a copyright in the current calendar year. Themes may include Jewish thought and philosophy, ethics, Jewish history, Jewish education, Jewish identity, contemporary Jewish practice and sociology, Jewish peoplehood, Israel from a religious perspective, or antisemitism. All manuscripts should be submitted by the publisher. Must be received by May 1.
Advanced Writers
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. The Writers' Trust of Canada will award C$60,000 for novels or short story collections published in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Books published between February 27 and April 29 must be received by April 30. Publisher makes the submission.
See more Spotlight Contests for emerging, intermediate, and advanced writers within The Best Free Literary Contests database.
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Winning Writers finds open submission calls and free contests in a variety of sources, including Erika Dreifus' Practicing Writer newsletter, FundsforWriters, Erica Verrillo's blog, Authors Publish, Lit Mag News Roundup, Poets & Writers, The Writer, Duotrope, Submittable, and literary journals' own newsletters and announcements.
• Glint
(poetry, prose, visual poetry, comics, hybrid texts - April 30)
• Paperbark
(poetry, prose, art on environmental themes - May 1)
• Brilliant Flash Fiction: "TENacity" Anthology
(short prose about tenacity - May 15)
• Voices of Lincoln Poetry Contest
(poems in adult and youth categories on "Leap" themes - July 18)
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Here is Julian Peters' graphic interpretation of the 1916 poem "Il porto sepolto" ("The Buried Port") by the great Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888-1970). Mr. Peters provides this translation:
The poet arrives there
And then returns to the light with his songs
And disperses them
Of this poetry
What is left me
Is that nothing
Of inexhaustible mystery.
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American Eclipse
In an age when one can instantly retrieve high-resolution images of nature's most dramatic sights, one can underestimate the power of being physically present. Sure, there are clearer photos on the Internet, but nothing compares to experiencing a historic moment with the people you love. The energetic resonance of sudden darkness at mid-day, or of the waters thundering over Niagara Falls at the golden hour, can't be captured by our eyes alone. [read more]
Jendi Reiter is the editor of Winning Writers.
Follow Jendi on Twitter at @JendiReiter.
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