Each month we aim to provide a helpful round-up of writing competitions, fellowships, publication opportunities and more for writers at all stages of their careers.
Deadlines and details do sometimes change, so please check the relevant websites (linked in bold) for all the latest details. For more opportunities and regular updates follow Aerogramme Writers’ Studio on Facebook and Twitter.
Stoneboat Literary Journal
is seeking contributions for ‘Beyond Red and Blue: Voices for America’. From the editors:
“The recent presidential election has revealed a deep divide in the American political and cultural landscapes. Also emerging in the wake of the election is a clear need for conversation among Americans on all sides of this divide. We are excited to facilitate this discourse by providing a space for all people to express their views, not only about the election outcome but also about what it means to be an American in 2017 and what it means to make America great again. (Or, what already makes America great.)” Closes 1 February.
Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship
is an annual award that allows professional writers living in Scotland to enjoy a month-long residency at the Hôtel Chevillon International Arts Centre at Grez-sur-Loing in France with a stipend of £1200. Each year four writers are invited to spend time with other artists and absorb fresh cultural experiences. Applications close 1 February.
Philosophy Through Fiction Short Story Competition
is open to speculative fiction (including but is not limited to science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternative history, or magical realism) that explores one or more philosophical ideas. These can be implicit; there is no restriction on which philosophical ideas you explore. First prize is US$500 and the winning story will be published in Sci Phi Journal. Entries close 1 February.
Cuttyhunk Island Writers’ Residency
This is an eight-day workshop and residency for fourteen writers on Cuttyhunk Island, seven nautical miles off the coast of southeastern Massachusetts. There are two sessions in 2017: 2 June – 9 June and 25 September – 2 October. Five days are dedicated to the workshop, three to free writing time. A total of four scholarships are available. Applications close on 1 February.
subTerrain Magazine
is based in Vancouver and is published three times a year. Submissions for its spring issue with the theme ‘The Future’ close on 1 February.
Close Approximations
is a contest for emerging translators, offered by Asymptote literary magazine. There are two categories, poetry and fiction, and the winner and runners-up of each category receive US$1000 and $250 respectively. The entry deadline is 1 February.
Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing
is hosted by Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Named for the University’s renowned literary alumnus and initiated in the fall of 1993, the Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing offers up to four months of unfettered writing time for a writer working on a first or second book. The program provides lodging in Poets’ Cottage and a stipend of US$5000. Applications close on 1 February.
Buffalo Almanack
is an online quarterly journal of fiction, photography and literary criticism. It welcomes submissions from new and established writers. New issues are released quarterly and submissions are open throughout February and March.
Southampton Review
is dedicated to “discovering new voices and visions while savoring long-standing favorites.” Some of the established writers it has published include Billy Collins, Meg Wolitzer, Frank McCourt and David Rakoff. Submissions reopen on 1 February.
Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing
is for unpublished manuscripts by writers from Australia and New Zealand. The winner receives AUD$10,000 (US$7300) and a publishing contract with Text Publishing. Entries close 3 February.
Spread the Word Life Writing Prize
is a new prize established in 2016. Open to any writer living in the UK aged 18 or over, the prize was established to celebrate and develop life writing in the UK. The prize will reward the winner with £1500, an Arvon course, two years membership to the Royal Society of Literature and a meeting with an agent or editor as appropriate. Two highly commended writers will receive £500 each and a meeting with an agent or editor. The prize is open for entries until 5 February.
Overland
is seeking a guest fiction editor to contribute to its June 2017 issue. Aimed at emerging Australian or New Zealand editors, the successful applicant will have a demonstrated interest in contemporary fiction and be capable of writing a short editorial to introduce the edition. Applications close 5 February.
Creative Nonfiction
is seeking new essays about adaptation for its summer 2017 issue. A prize of US$3500 will be awarded to the best essay and all essays will be considered for publication. Closes 6 February.
Charles Perkins Centre Writer in Residence Fellowship
supports an established Australian writer to create new work within Australia’s leading interdisciplinary centre dedicated to easing the global burden of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related conditions through innovative research and teaching. The fellowship runs for one year and includes a grant of AUD$100,000, an Honorary Appointment at the University of Sydney and a base in the Charles Perkins Centre Research and Education Hub. Applications close 10 February.
Glass Mountain
is seeking fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry from undergraduates at any college or university. Submissions for 10th Anniversary Edition close on 11 February.
Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook Short Story Competition
offers the winner a place on an Arvon residential writing course of your choice (valued at £1000) and publication on writersandartists.co.uk. Stories must be under 2000 words and, unlike previous years, can be on any theme. Entrants can be from anywhere in the world and there is no entry fee. Closes 13 February.
Granta
is one of the world’s most prestigious literary magazines. Granta will be accepting unsolicited fiction submissions until 15 February. There are no strict word limits, though most prose submissions are between 3000 and 6000 words and the editors advise they are unlikely to read more than 10,000 words of any submission.
Granta is also seeking submissions in English and French for a special edition on Canada. The editors welcome fiction, poetry and non-fiction. The work may be of this place, directly or obliquely – historical, imagined, recuperated, possible – but there is no theme and no parameters. Submissions close on 6 February.
American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship
is open to writers worldwide. Fellows receive a stipend of US$5000 to assist with travel and housing costs. Applications close 14 February.
Milkweed Editions
is accepting literary nonfiction manuscript submissions until 15 February. Milkweed primarily publishes works that focus on nature and the environment, a deeply felt sense of place, and/or the relationships between human and nature communities.
Gigantic Sequins
is a black & white print journal based in Philadelphia. It publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics and book reviews. The current reading period closes on 15 February.
Vermont Studio Center
is the largest international artists’ and writers’ residency program in the United States. Each month the Center hosts over 50 writers and artists from across the country and around the world. The next fellowship application deadline is 15 February.
Headland
is a New Zealand-based international literary journal of short fiction & creative non-fiction. It aims to give a voice to aspiring writers, alongside established authors, offering a platform for first-time publication and acting as a springboard for writers to explore and develop their potential, and showcase their early career works. The current reading period closes on 17 February.
Litro Magazine
is seeking submissions for its April print issue with the theme ‘Wants and Needs’. It accepts short fiction, flash/micro fiction and non-fiction. Submissions close 19 February.
Amazon UK
is launching a new £20,000 literary prize for self-published books. The Kindle Storyteller Prize will be open to any English-language book published through Kindle Direct Publishing between 20 February and 19 May 2017. Titles must be previously unpublished and have a minimum of 5000 words with no upper word limit.
Neon Books
is accepting chapbook proposals for new work to be published in 2017. The editors ‘want something odd, adventurous, and with a hint of the uncanny.’ Proposals are due by 28 February, though this date may be extended ‘in the unlikely event (they) haven’t found a suitable project by then.
Charles Pick South Asia Fellowship
is awarded to an unpublished writer of fictional or nonfictional prose from South Asia who wants to write in English to spend six months in the UK, at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. The Fellowship is worth £10,000 and encompasses accommodation and travel costs. Applications close 28 February.
CBC Creative Nonfiction Competition
is open to all Canadian residents. The competition is for original, unpublished work of creative nonfiction between 1200 and 1800 words and carries a grand prize of CA$6000. Entries close 28 February.
Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing
is only open to first-generation residents of the United States. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated to the U.S., or to American-born residents whose parents were born elsewhere. The 2017 award is open to non-fiction manuscripts which must consist of 100 samples pages and a detailed proposal. The winner receives a US$10,000 advance and publication by Restless Books. Entries close 28 February.
Can Serrat Residency
near Barcelona is offering one writer a two-month residency including accommodation, workshop space and food. The residency is open to all writers regardless of nationality or age. Applications open on 1 February and close on 1 March.
Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize
is awarded by Selected Shorts and the 2017 judge is Lauren Groff. The winning entry will receive US$1000 and the work will be performed and recorded live at the Selected Shorts performance at Symphony Space, and will be published on electricliterature.com. The winning writer will also earn free admission to a 10-week course with Gotham Writers Workshop. Closes 1 March
Black Warrior Review
publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art by Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners alongside up-and-coming writers. Stories and poems appearing in Black Warrior Review have been reprinted in the Pushcart Prize series, Best American Short Stories, Best American Poetry, New Stories from the South, and other anthologies. Submissions close 1 March.
Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize
is run by Vermont-based journal Hunger Mountain. The winner receives US$1000 and publication. Stories may be up to 10,000 words in length and all entries will be considered for publication. Entries to the prize close on 1 March.
Norton Island Residency
is Maine, halfway between Mount Desert National Park and Campobello Island. Norton Island is a remote, rustic wilderness with facilities to accommodate writers and artists. A committee of independent jurors will select 16 writers (from fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction) for inclusion in the program which runs from 6 to 17 July 2017. If accepted, a $125 residency fee is payable, though a small number of scholarships are available. Applications close on 1 March.
Glastonbury Festival
is seeking experienced poets, wordsmiths, lyricists, spoken word artists, raconteurs, storytellers, stand-up poets and slam champs to perform on its poetry stage. Applications close 3 March.
Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing
is open to unpublished one-act plays from amateur playwrights. The winning writer will receive a £500 prize and The Windsor Fringe will underwrite the staging of the winner and the two runners-up with selected directors. Entries close 5 March.
Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers
is open to Canadian writers aged under 35. Candidates should submit 5 – 10 pages (up to 2500 words) of previously unpublished fiction. First prize is CA$5000 and there is no entry fee. Entries close 6 March.
BBC National Short Story Award
is one of the most prestigious for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000, and four further shortlisted authors £600 each. The 2017 Award is open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing. Entries close 6 March.
Room Creative Nonfiction Contest
is open to until 8 March. Room is Canada’s oldest literary journal by and about women. The winner receives CA$500 and publication. The entry fee includes a one-year subscription to the magazine.
Jack Kerouac Writer in Residence Project
provides four residencies a year to writers living anywhere in the world. Each residency consists of approximately a three-month stay in Orlando, Florida, in the cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums. Utilities and a food stipend of US$800 are included. The Project also offers opportunities for residents to participate in readings, workshops and to interact with the central Florida writing community. Applications for the 2017-2018 residencies close on 12 March and results will be announced in May.
Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction
is offered each year by Colorado State University’s Center for Literary Publishing. The winner receives a US$2000 honorarium and the story is published in the fall/winter issue of Colorado Review. There are no theme restrictions, but stories must be at least 10 pages (or 2500 words) but no more than 50 pages (12,500 words). Entries close 14 March.
Calibre Essay Prize
is one of the world’s leading prizes for a new essay and it is now worth a total of AUD$7500 (US$5600). The organisers are seeking essays of between 3000 and 7000 words on any non-fiction subject. The prize is open to anyone in the world who is writing in English. The closing date is 15 March
Missouri Review
is looking for stories, poems, short audio documentaries and humour pieces for its 2017 Miller Audio Prize. A US$1000 prize will be awarded to the winner in each category. Closes 15 March.
Bridge & Tunnel Books
is currently seeking submissions for three anthologies: Farmhouse Poetry closing on 6 March, and Write Up Your Street Challenge and Voices of Industry both closing on 15 March.
Tobias Wolff Award for Fiction
offers a prize of US$1000 and the winner and many runners-up will be published in the Spring 2018 print edition of Bellingham Review. Entries close 15 March.
Lamplight
is a quarterly magazine of dark fiction. The next reading period opens on 15 March contributors receive US$150 for short stories and $50 for flash fiction.
Dangerous Creations: Real-life Frankenstein Stories
is daring writers (as Mary Shelley was dared in Geneva) to write original and groundbreaking stories in the spirit of Frankenstein – but nonfiction. First prize is US$10,000 and publication and there are two $2500 prizes and publication for runners-up. All essays will be considered for publication in the winter 2018 issue of Creative Nonfiction magazine. Entries close 20 March.
Mslexia Women’s Short Story Competition
is open to stories between 300 and 3000 words and can be on any subject. The winner receives £2000 (US$2500) plus two optional extras: a week’s writing retreat at Gladstone’s Library and a day with a Virago editor. Women writers from all countries are eligible to enter. Closes 20 March.
Ireland Funds Monaco Residential Bursaries
have been established to enable literary and academic writers born or living in Ireland to pursue a current project during a one-month residency at The Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Recipients receive flights, accommodation, a weekly ssubsistence payment and a €1300 honorarium. The next application deadline is 30 March.
Hugo House
in Seattle aims to provide an inspiring and creative place where writers and readers of all levels share an appreciation for well-written words. Its writer-in-residence program offers private writing offices and a monthly stipend for a period of nine months. Applicants should have a specific artistic project they are working on during their residency (e.g., developing a manuscript for publication) and should have a special interest in helping writers become better writers and fostering an appreciation of the craft. Applications close 31 March.
Masters Review
is accepting submissions for its printed anthology. The anthology is open to fiction and narrative nonfiction from emerging writers worldwide who have not yet published a novel-length work. The selected writers will each receive US$500, publication, and distribution to over 50 editors and agents.Submissions close 31 March.
Scribe Publications
is an independent publisher based in Australia. It publishes “narrative and literary nonfiction on important topics, and the best of local, international, and translated fiction.” Scribe is considering unsolicited submissions until 31 March.
Caterpillar Poetry Prize
is open to poems written for children aged 7 to 11. The poem can be on any subject and there is no line limit.
Puerto del Sol
now in its 47th year of publication, is the journal of the English Department at New Mexico State University. It welcomes submissions of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, translations, artwork and criticism, as well as any interesting combinations thereof. Puerto del Sol’s current reading period closes on 31 March.
Dial Books for Young Readers
is a hardcover division of the Penguin Young Readers Group. It publishes approximately 70 titles per year for children of all ages, from preschool through young adult. Dial Books accepts unsolicited submissions year round but it is extremely competitive.
Booth Literary Journal
is accepting submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, comics and lists until 31 March. Booth was established in 2009 and its staff is comprised of MFA faculty and students in the Butler University graduate writing program.
Montreal International Poetry Prize
is open to original, unpublished poems up to 40 lines long and the winner will receive CA$20,000 (US$15,200). Entrants can be from anywhere in the world. The discounted early entry deadline for the 2017 prize is 31 March and the final entry deadline is 15 May.
Patricia Nelson
is a California-based literary agent. Nelson is currently accepting queries for young adult fiction, middle-grade fiction, women’s fiction, romance and select literary fiction.
Bodega Magazine
releases digital issues on the first Monday of every month, featuring poetry, prose, and occasional interviews by established and emerging writers. Submissions of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction are read year-round and simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Harper’s Magazine
is the oldest general-interest monthly in America. While it is extremely competitive, Harper’s does accept unsolicited submissions of fiction, as well as unsolicited queries. Both submissions and queries should only be submitted via mail.
