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Writing Competitions Closing December 2026

Nov 1
5 min read

26 opportunities to submit next month.


Open to emerging and established writers. Accepts unpublished commercial fiction and nonfiction, including adult fiction, YA, middle-grade, picture books and nonfiction. Adult manuscripts up to 80,000 words. Entry Fee: 45AUD standard, 99AUD ‘Enhanced’ entry. Two winners, one in the Open category and one in the Own Voices category. Prizes: a trade publishing contract (subject to terms) and an editing package valued at $3,500.

 

Open internationally to writers at any stage of their career. Short fiction up to 3,000 words, themed around travel. Entry fee: $20 AUD (non-subscribers). Prizes: $5,000, $750 and $750, with publication in Overland for the winning story.

 

Open to Australian and New Zealand poets who have published no more than one commercially distributed solo poetry collection. Unpublished poetry. Entry fee: $20 AUD (non-subscribers). Prizes: $6,000, $2,000 and $1,000, with publication in Overland.

 

Open to Australian citizens and residents aged 18 and over. Poems of up to 200 lines, on any subject. Entry fee: $35.20 AUD. Prize pool: $21,000, including $10,000 first prize, $5,000 second and $2,500 third, with additional awards and publication in the annual anthology.

 

Open to women writers internationally. Up to three previously unpublished poems, any length and on any subject. Entry fee: £12. Prizes: £2,000, £500 and £250, plus a £250 unpublished poet prize. The four winners and 16 additional finalists will be published in Mslexia.

 

Open to women poets internationally who have not published a full-length poetry collection. Submit a pamphlet of 18–20 poems, comprising 20–24 pages. Entry fee: £20. Prize: £500 and publication by Bloodaxe Books, with a selected poem also appearing in Mslexia.

 

Open internationally to published and unpublished writers. Short fiction up to 6,000 words, inspired by the prompt 'Glimmer'. Entry fee: £9.75. Prize: £100 and publication in the Winter 2026/27 anthology. Shortlisted writers are also offered publication.

 

13 December: Verge 2027: Ghosts

Open to writers in Australia. Fiction, creative nonfiction, experimental or hybrid writing up to 2,500 words, or poetry up to 35 lines. Theme: Ghosts, interpreted broadly to include memory, inheritance, place, landscape and unfinished business. Entry fee: Free. Prize: publication in the 2027 Verge anthology. This is a publication opportunity rather than a cash-prize competition.

 

Open internationally. Submit an unpublished fiction excerpt from a novel in progress, 1,001–5,000 words. Entry fee: $20 USD. Three co-winners receive $1,000 USD each, online publication and a 45-minute consultation with a literary agent. Judge: Liz Shipton.

 

Open to Australian residents. For an original, unpublished adult literary fiction manuscript, with a maximum of 100,000 words, accompanied by a 300-word synopsis and one-page pitch. Entry fee: Free. Prize: $20,000 AUD. 

 

Open internationally. Original, unpublished short fiction up to 1,500 words. Final entry fee: $35 USD. First prize: $3,000 USD, publication in Writer's Digest and a trip to a Writer's Digest conference. Second $1,500, Third $500, Fourth through Tenth $100, 11th through 25th $50 gift certificate. Note: the competition does not accept AI-generated or AI-assisted work.

 

Open entry. Flash fiction: 250 words, with the entry fee covering two pieces. Entry £8.50. First prize £200, second prize £50.

 

Open entry. Rhyming poetry, any form, up to 40 lines. Entry £8.50. First prize £100, second prize £50.

 

Open to Australian citizens and permanent residents aged 18 and over, currently living in Australia. Submit a full-length play. Entry fee: Free. Prize: $7,500 AUD.

 

Open internationally. Submit a previously unpublished full-length poetry manuscript of at least 48 pages. Entry fee: Free. Prize: $1,500 USD, publication by Lit Fox Books, 25 author copies and an author interview.

No submission fee

 

Open internationally to writers aged 13 and over. Short fiction in the horror genre, set in winter and responding to the annual theme. Entry fee: Free. Prize: publication in Toasted Cheese and a $25 USD Amazon gift card. A modest prize, but free entry.

 

Open internationally. Flash fiction of 100–300 words. Entry fee: £4.95 per entry (or £3.50 by UK bank transfer). Prizes: First £200, Second £100, 3x £80 for each of three shortlisted entries. Winners receive publication.

 

Open internationally. Submit the opening 5,000 words of an unpublished novel, accompanied by a synopsis. Entry fee: £27.50. Prize: £5,000 and a consultation with literary agent Piers Blofeld. Runner-up receives £500 and a consultation with literary consultant Monica Chakraverty.

 

31 December: Grand Flash 2026

Open internationally. Original, unpublished flash fiction of up to 500 words. Entry fee: £18.50 (!) First prize: £1,000 and publication in Writing Magazine or on the Writers Online website. Runner-up receives £200 and online publication. Relatively expensive for a very short entry.

 

Open internationally to writers aged 16 and over. Previously unpublished poetry, any subject and any length. Entry fee: €17 per poem. Prizes: €6,000, 3 x €1,000, 8 x €250. The four shortlisted poems will also be published in the Irish Times online.

 

Open internationally to writers aged 18 and over. Short stories in English up to 3,000 words. Up to two stories may be submitted. Entry fee: £10 per story. Prize £100 (it seems only one). 

 

Open internationally to writers aged 16 and over. Short stories on any subject, maximum 2,000 words. Entry fee: £6. Prizes: £200, £100 and £50. Profits from the competition go towards purchasing books for a selected school. Entries are submitted by email after payment. The organiser states that suspected AI-generated entries will be disqualified.

 

Open internationally. Original short fiction, 1,000–5,000 words, open theme. Entry fee: $25 CAD. Prizes: $1,000 CAD, $300 CAD and $200 CAD. All three winning stories will appear in a forthcoming Backhouse Press anthology.

 

Open internationally to writers aged 18 and over. Original ghost stories up to 5,000 words. Entry fee: Free. First prize: £100, with second, third and five honourable mentions also recognised. Copyright remains with the writer; publication is not guaranteed. The story need not actually be set at Christmas. Results January 15 2027.

 

Open internationally. Flash fiction up to 500 words. Entry fee: £5 for one story, £8 for two, £11 for three or £14 for four. Prizes: £300, £200 and £100.

 

Open internationally to writers aged 16 and over. Original, unpublished fiction of at least 1,500 words, beginning with the sentence 'The door was open when I returned.' Entry fee: Free. Prize: publication on Amazon, a digital certificate and promotional recognition. This is a very modest publication-based opportunity rather than a substantial literary prize.

 

 


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