Internationally respected short story prize run since 2008. Up to 4,000 words. Open to writers worldwide. All shortlisted writers receive £50 and publication in the…
One of the world's largest prizes for fiction by women and non-binary writers from the US and Canada, established in 2022. The winner receives US$150,000 — making it…
Celebrates the best fiction translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. The £50,000 prize is shared equally between author and translator. Short stor…
Annual awards from one of America's most prestigious literary journals — published since 1970 by the University of Iowa. Three categories: poetry, fiction, and creat…
Annual contest from one of America's most distinguished literary journals, founded at the University of Iowa in 1969. Open internationally. Submit up to 3 poems (8 p…
Ontario's premier literary prize, awarded annually to the best book written by an Ontario author. Covers fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The prize recognises books…
Prize from one of America's most distinguished literary journals. Stories up to 12,000 words. Open internationally. Winner receives US$1,000 and publication. America…
Founded in 1998 by screenwriter Gordy Hoffman, BlueCat is particularly valued for the written feedback every entrant receives on their script — not just finalists. A…
An annual prize for emerging writers run by the prestigious Cúirt International Festival of Literature in Galway. Four categories: short fiction, poetry, essay, and…
Free-entry flash fiction prize. Max 300 words. Open internationally. Top poem earns €1,000. Winners published in the Fish Anthology. A prestigious platform for write…
A timed, prompt-based screenwriting competition running three rounds. Writers receive a genre, subject, and character assignment and must write an original short scr…
International short story competition with multiple genre categories. Stories must be no longer than 5,000 words. No sexual, political or hate speech content accepte…
One of the world's most reputable flash fiction prizes. Up to 300 words. Open internationally. Two rounds per year with £1,000 first prize each round. All shortliste…
Australia's largest open poetry prize, awarding AU$15,000 for the best single poem. Open internationally. Winning poem published in the annual anthology alongside sh…
Prestigious international competition specifically for independently published authors and small presses. Recognises quality books outside traditional publishing. No…
An annual award for unagented, unpublished writers of children's, YA and adult fiction, run in partnership with Darley Anderson Agency. Now in its eighth year with a…
An annual poetry contest from BOMB — one of New York's most respected arts and culture magazines, known for its artist-to-artist interviews and experimental literary…
One of America's most distinguished prizes for a short story collection manuscript, published by the University of Georgia Press since 1983. Open internationally for…
Canada's oldest and most prestigious literary award, established 1936. Recognises the best Canadian fiction in English. Publisher-submitted. CA$25,000 for the winner…
Known as the 'writer's festival', AFF runs one of the world's largest screenwriting conferences alongside its competition. Categories include feature, short, pilot,…
A significant cash prize for the best unpublished short story. Open to Australian and international writers. 2,000–5,000 words. Winning and shortlisted stories publi…
International contest for unagented novelists worldwide. Submit the first 5,000 words plus a one-page synopsis. Welcomes both unpublished and self-published authors.…
250 words max. Open to writers aged 16+ worldwide. One of the most competitive flash fiction prizes. Winners published in the annual Bridport anthology.
The Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award. Submit 5,000–8,000 words from opening chapters plus a 300-word synopsis. A win or shortlist is one of the most powerful…
One of the most coveted poetry prizes in the English-speaking world. Up to 42 lines. Open to all writers aged 16+ worldwide. Winners published in the Bridport anthol…
One of the world's most respected writing competitions. Open to writers worldwide aged 16+. Max 5,000 words. Winners published in the annual Bridport anthology. Stro…
Seeks bold, original writing that challenges norms and takes creative risks. Emotional stories with fresh perspectives. No AI-generated work accepted. International…
Established 1981 by the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, this prestigious competition has over 40 years of history. Focuses on emerging voices in short fiction. Op…
A biennial award from Canada's oldest literary magazine for emerging writers who have not yet published a full-length book. Alternates annually between poetry and fi…
An annual contest from Ploughshares — one of America's most respected and widely read literary magazines — for writers who have not yet published a full-length book.…
Presented by the makers of the industry-standard screenwriting software, Big Break accepts feature films, TV pilots (hour-long and half-hour), and short scripts. Ope…
Part of the annual HollyShorts Film Festival (Aug 13–23, 2026), this contest accepts short screenplays up to 30 pages and TV pilots up to 50 pages. Winners gain expo…
One of Hollywood's most respected screenplay contests, judged by working producers, agents, managers, and development executives. Ten genre categories including Acti…
Prestigious international prize from Ireland's celebrated literary magazine. Up to 3,000 words. Open to anyone over 16 worldwide. Winning story published in the Iris…
Canada's oldest and most prestigious literary prize, administered by the Canada Council for the Arts. Awarded annually since 1936 across multiple categories. The Eng…
One of Canada's most distinguished poetry prizes, awarded annually since 1981 for the best English-language poetry collection by a Canadian author. Part of the Gover…
Open to women and non-binary writers worldwide writing in English. Submit the first 10,000 words of an unpublished novel plus a synopsis. Winner receives £5,000 plus…
Canada's richest prize for a novel or short story collection, renamed in 2021 in honour of Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson. Awarded annually at the Writers' Trust…
Canada's most prestigious and richest prize for literary nonfiction, awarded by the Writers' Trust of Canada. Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents for a…
One of the longest-running U.S. screenplay contests, focused on connecting writers with representation. Quarterfinalists and above receive personalised development s…
An annual competition for poetry chapbooks run by the Munster Literature Centre and Southword Editions, launched at the Cork International Poetry Festival. Two winne…
The Irish Writers Centre's flagship annual initiative gives unpublished novelists the opportunity to pitch their novels to world-class publishers and literary agents…
Open to women and non-binary writers worldwide. Up to 2,200 words. Winner and finalists published in Mslexia and the Best Women's Short Fiction anthology. One of the…
One of the world's most prestigious literary awards, given annually for the best novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. Open to writers of any…
Canada's richest prize exclusively for debut novels, awarded annually to the best first novel by a Canadian author. The winner receives C$60,000 and finalists each r…
Known as the 'writer's festival', the Austin Film Festival hosts the world's largest screenwriters' conference alongside its film programme. Hundreds of panels, pitc…
A free-to-enter annual prize from CBC Books for an unpublished short story by a Canadian writer. The winner receives C$6,000, publication on CBC Books, and a two-wee…
Awarded to a debut full-length poetry collection published originally in English. Publishers submit four copies. One of the most valuable poetry prizes for debut col…
An annual prize from The Missouri Review — one of America's most influential literary journals — for the best unpublished fiction, poetry, and essay. Open internatio…
Run by The Poetry Society since 1978, one of the world's most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18+. Judged anonymou…
Sister award to the Bath Novel Award, open to unagented writers of children's fiction worldwide — both unpublished and self-published authors welcome. Submit the fir…
Canada's most prestigious free-entry poetry prize. Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents 18+. Winning and shortlisted poems published on CBC Books and bro…
Canada's premier free-entry short story prize. Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents 18+. Up to 2,500 words. Winner receives CA$6,000 and winning and shor…
Respected international poetry prize. Open to all poets worldwide. Winners and shortlisted poems published in the annual Fish Anthology. Judged anonymously. Maximum…
Internationally respected short story prize. Max 5,000 words. Open to all writers worldwide. Winners and shortlisted stories published in the Fish Anthology, a respe…
A major annual international poetry prize run by the Munster Literature Centre (publishers of Southword journal) and named for Cork poet Gregory O'Donoghue. Open to…
One of the world's most valuable prizes for a single poetry collection, with CA$65,000 each for best Canadian and best International collection. Publisher-submitted.…
Created to address gender bias in literary awards. Celebrates excellence, originality, and accessibility in women's writing. Open to women of any nationality writing…
Supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation and named after novelist Neilma Gantner. Seeks powerful short fiction up to 3,000 words on an annual theme. Open intern…
Top award for emerging Canadian poets published in literary journals but not yet in book form. Established 1994 in honour of poet and teacher Bronwen Wallace. Free t…
Prestigious award for emerging Canadian writers of short fiction who are published in literary journals but not yet in book form. Up to 2,500 words. Free to enter. W…
Named for acclaimed Australian-born British poet Peter Porter, this prize is awarded annually by Australian Book Review for the best unpublished poem. Open internati…
Monthly free-entry flash fiction contest run by the Australian Writers' Centre. Stories must be 500 words max and written within a weekend using set criteria. Open i…
Free-entry contest for poetry and short fiction. Winners published in Aesthetica Magazine and receive £1,000. Open internationally. Celebrates innovative and boundar…
Free-entry contest for the best philosophical-themed writing. Offers one of the largest free-entry prizes in creative writing. Open internationally.
International screenplay competition based in Australia, open to screenwriters worldwide. Accepts feature scripts, shorts, and TV pilots. Emphasises detailed reader…
One of the world's most valuable literary awards, honouring exceptional writing by women and non-binary writers in the US and Canada. Launched 2022 to address gender…
International competition for crime novelists writing in English. All crime subgenres welcome. Entrants may not have self-published fiction over 20,000 words. Win ca…
No entry fee prize run by the independent publisher Galley Beggar Press. Seeks extraordinary storytelling. Open internationally. One of the few free-entry prizes fro…
Free-entry competition awarding US$1,000 across multiple genres including short stories, poetry, and flash fiction. Open internationally. Rolling deadlines make it a…
Awarded to the best work of literature in the English language, regardless of form or nationality. Nominated by Academy members. Celebrates literary merit across fic…
Weekly themed short story contest with rolling deadlines and free entry. Open internationally. Strong community of writers. A good entry point for emerging writers s…
Canada's most prestigious literary prize, awarded for the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English. Publisher-submitted. One of the richest…
Runs year-round genre-specific competitions including Drama, Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Animation, and TV Pilot, each judged by relevant industry professionals. Known f…
Canada's most prestigious prize for an emerging short story writer, funded by James A. Michener's royalties from his novel Journey. Stories are nominated by Canadian…
Open to anyone over 16. Five categories: Novel, Short Story, Poetry, Children's/YA Novel, and Writing Without Restrictions. Strong track record of supporting emergin…
Canadian Writing Competitions in 2026
Canada has a rich literary competition landscape, with prizes from major institutions including the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Griffin Poetry Prize, and the Canada Reads competition.
Many Canadian competitions welcome international entries. Use the filters above to find competitions by type.
See the Resources & Festivals tab for Canadian writers' organisations — and literary festivals including the Vancouver Writers Fest and Eden Mills Writers' Festival.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Browse the full Scriptorium directory or submit a competition for review.
Browse the full directory
Search all competitions across Australia, NZ, UK, Ireland, USA and Canada in one place.
Open full directory →Canada's national organisation dedicated to supporting the professional work of poets. Publishes Poetry Pause (daily poem), administers poetry awards and provides pr…
Canada's national professional organisation for published authors. Provides contract support, grievance procedures, the annual conference and the Writing for Childre…
A beloved free literary festival held in the small village of Eden Mills, Ontario, each September. One of Canada's most charming and accessible literary events, attr…
One of Canada's premier literary festivals, held each October on Granville Island in Vancouver. Features major Canadian and international authors across fiction, non…
Canada's most celebrated arts centre. Residential writing programs in the Rocky Mountains covering fiction, poetry, non-fiction, screenwriting and Indigenous storyte…
A prestigious mentorship-based correspondence program pairing emerging writers with professional authors for individualised one-on-one development. Mentors have incl…
Canada's national arts funder, providing grants, residencies and development support for Canadian writers. Administers the Governor General's Literary Awards and fun…
Canada's largest literary charity. Administers the Atwood Gibson Prize, Journey Prize, RBC Bronwen Wallace Award and provides financial grants and fellowships direct…
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