These are themed calls and contests for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Some of the call themes are: love; motherhood; aftermath; into the archive; vampires; coffee; heightened anxiety; obsidian (space horror); while the snowstorm was raging; illusion & confusion; fantastic voyages; doom scroll.
THEMED CALLS
Chortle: Love
“We’re seeking short humor pieces (700 words or fewer) with a funny, unique POV on romance, dating, love, or relationships.
Short humor means we’re generally open to satire, parody, lists, fake articles, absurdist pieces, and other formats you might see in McSweeney’s or The New Yorker’s Shouts and Murmurs section. … Before you submit, I highly suggest you read some of our most popular posts to get a sense of our readers’ tastes.” They do not want personal essays or short fiction. Also see their tips for strong submissions, as well as common mistakes they see writers making.
Deadline: 6 February 2026
Length: Up to 700 words
Pay: $100
Details here.
(And, Talk Vomit is accepting submissions on the theme, It’s Complicated. They’re open till 1st March or until they reach a submission cap. There is no payment. Details here and here.)
Little Somethings Press: Motherhood Anthology
They want “poetry, prose, and art centered on motherhood — the joy and the trauma...Poetry should be under one page, and prose under 500 words.”
Deadline: 7 February 2026
Length: See above
Pay: $40
Details here.
The Suburban Review: Aftermath
The Suburban Review is an Australian literary magazine, and they want submissions of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry on the Aftermath theme. “So, tell us… where to from here?
Whether you’re starting from scratch or back to your old tricks, we want writing that honours the past, tends to the present, and shapes the future. Show us non-fiction that sticks around to pick up the pieces and artwork so indelible it defies a clean slate. Send us twist-y comics, ghost stories and poetry tender enough to soothe a comedown… or inspire a comeback.” They also accept comics and art.
Deadline: 8 February 2026 (5 p.m. AEDT)
Length: 500-2,500 words for fiction, 1,250-2,000 words for nonfiction, up to 3 poems
Pay: Up to AUD450 for fiction, up to AUD550 for poetry, AUD400 for nonfiction
Details here and here.
(Submissions are also scheduled to open for NonBinary Review and the theme is Saying Goodbye to Yesterday; they accept speculative fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art on the theme, till end-February or until their submission cap is reached, whichever is earlier. Submission is via Duosuma. The deadline is 28 February 2026, or until their submission cap is met, whichever is earlier; they pay up to $30; details here and here.)
Griffith Review: Into the Archive
Griffith Review is an Australian literary magazine and they want fiction and nonfiction submissions for issue 93; the theme is Into the Archive. “The archive has long been a form of collection, preservation and communication. As the internet and social media reshape what, why and how we record information, whether for personal or institutional means, the nature of the archive itself is also in flux. How does the archive mediate the relationship between public and private space? How do archives shape individual and collective memory? Should the archivist preserve without intervention? What will the archives of the future look like? And in what ways do other mediums – bodies, places, cultures – act as their own kinds of archive? This edition of Griffith Review goes on the record to reveal the secrets and surprises of the archive.”
Do not send poetry. They mostly accept work from writers in Australia, and some work from overseas writers.
Deadline is 15 February 2026 (11:59 pm AEST)
Length: Up to 4,000 words for prose
Pay: AUD0.75/word
Details here and here
(Griffith Review is also open for an Emerging Voices contest, for which they charge a submission fee; the deadline for that is in April.)
Flame Tree: Vampires
This is a fiction anthology of vampirism in all its forms. “Vampire-like creatures appear in almost every culture in some form: from ancient civilisations such as the Romans, Greeks, Hebrew and Mesopotamia, to the walking, blood-drinking corpses of mediaeval Europe and the Transylvanian tale of Vlad the Impaler, which of course gave rise to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This anthology will include tales that reflect both these older legends and also the current view of modern-day vampires – as evoked in films such as Sinners and 30 Days of Night, as well as in literature such as Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, the American Vampire comic series, George R.R. Martin’s Fevre Dream and Anne Rice’s Interview With a Vampire just to name a few.” They do not want reprints.
Deadline: 15 February 2026
Length: 2,000-4,000 words
Pay: $0.08/word
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for Need: Horror Stories You Can’t Live Without; “Addiction. Hunger. Desperate Love. Medical care. Compulsion. Illness. Oxygen. Technology. If it's about an all-consuming, soul-destroying, life-altering NEED -- I want it. I need it.” They pay $20 for fiction up to 2,000 words, and the deadline is 28th February 2026. Details here.)
100-Foot Crow: Coffee
They want speculative fiction drabbles, of exactly 100 words; horror must also have a speculative element (science fiction or fantasy). They want submissions on the Coffee theme, as well as unthemed submissions. See the kind of stories they do not want, and they also list their hard sells. Submission is via a form.
Deadline: 15 February 2026
Length: 100 words
Pay: $8
Details here.
The Slab Press: Obsidian – The Dark Space Novelette Anthology
“We are looking for darker stories about exploration, isolation, and the harsh conditions of space. Think space horror, like Sunshine or Event Horizon, psychological stories, dystopian, and bleak. The crucial thing is the space setting.
What we will love: stories that focus on character.”
Deadline: 15th February 2026
Length: 9,000-25,000 words
Pay: 1p a word up to £100
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for The Slab Press’s Screams and Wails – The Rock-Horror Anthology;they want “original horror short stories with music at their still-beating heart. Think cursed instruments; songs that drive the listener mad; zombie fans; haunted studios.
What we will love: anything with music or music culture as a predominant theme, but are particularly keen on alternative rock types such as rock, indie, metal, goth, prog, dub etc. We want the mood, style and trappings of music, which means fiction, aspiration, glamour, dirt and grit, but mostly fiction.” Do not send real music lyrics or reprints. They accept translations – see guidelines. Pay is 1p a word up to £50 for stories of 2,000-9,000 words, and the deadline is 28 February 2026; details here.)
The Rebis: The Moon
They publish “Creative writing and art inspired by tarot. … The Rebis is a physical publication and a digital newsletter. Each print issue will focus on one card, where every contributor's interpretation adds layers of richness and depth. The newsletter unpacks broader themes of tarot and the creative process.” You can read more about them here. They want submissions on The Moon. “We are looking for original writing, artwork, and any other form of creative expression that you dream up inspired by the 18th card of the Major Arcana.” See examples of the themes they want to explore on their guidelines page, including nonlinear time, ancestral time, dream time; ancestry, inherited memory & collective grief; disorientation & bewilderment; resistance to Western logics of coherence; diverse cultural understandings of the Moon; tidal intelligence & water stories (Tidalectics, flood states, brackish zones, amniotic memory); lunar states beyond Full/New Moon (progressed lun; ations, eclipses); subcultural spaces & underground worlds; nonhuman consciousness, shapeshifting, anti-anthropomorphism, biodiversity; and more. And, “We are especially interested in publishing experimental and genre-bending work (creative non-fiction, short stories, flash fiction). Personal memoirs, researched articles, interviews, and poetry are all welcome, too.” Regarding non-fiction, “Please submit either a first draft, or an outline with a 500-word excerpt. The excerpt can be the opening paragraphs or a developed idea from another section—please specify in your submission.” They accept fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and artwork, hybrids, as well as collaborative works (see guidelines).
Deadline: 17 February 2027
Length: Up to 3 poems; up to 2,000 words for prose
Pay: $100-200
Details here and here.
Poetry Wales: On Teaching
They want pitches of essays, interviews and submissions of poetry to feature in their upcoming issue. “As always, we welcome work on any and all themes, but we do have a particular slant that we are especially interested in hearing about; for Summer 2026, we want to explore the meeting point between poetry and teaching. … We are open to all poetry but poems by teachers would be welcomed in this issue. Teachers and tutors are often focussed on supporting the creative practice of others – in this issue, we want to spotlight your own practice. Let us know in your cover letter what context you teach in, and please submit a maximum of four poems, but know that the poems themselves do not necessarily have to be on teaching related topics.
We also have a general call for poetry which may include non-teachers and/or on non-teaching topics.” They’re also looking for submissions on ‘How I Teach a Poem’ and tributes to the poet and critic Jeremy Hooker.
Deadline: 28 February 2026, or until filled
Length: Varies
Pay: Unspecified
Details here.
Scylla Publishing: Who Am I? A Sapphic Spec Fic Anthology of Identity and Purpose
This is a fiction anthology. “This anthology aims to explore sapphic identity and purpose through the lens of fantasy and speculative fiction. Give us your adventure, introspection, daring, romance, or conflict!
Put simply, being sapphic is not all we are, but it does play a role in who we are and the choices we make. Same with our characters. We’re looking for stories that give sapphic characters something amazing to do while remaining visibly and proudly queer.” Please see their detailed guidelines, including about hard sells. And, “Authors must be female identifying or non-binary.
We will be stating in our marketing that all contributors are sapphic/wlw. If you are uncomfortable with this, please do not submit, or use a pen name to submit.” They also accept reprints and translations. Apart from payment of AUD0.10 per word, they’ll pay an additional AUD50 per story if your story is to be used in whole or in part in the email/social marketing campaigns for the anthology. You can submit via Duosuma, or a submission form on their website.
Deadline: 28 February 2026 (5pm AEDT)
Length: 2,000 and 5,000 words
Pay: AUD0.10/word, up to AUD400, potentially more if story used for marketing campaign
Details here.
Inkd Publishing: Heightened Anxiety Anthology
They are open for a thriller/suspense. “Heightened Anxiety – we’re searching for the thrills and suspense that quicken the heartbeat of the reader.
There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. We encourage you to weave the theme into an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion. Suspense and thrillers are encouraged over horror for this anthology, but a great horror story may rise to the top.”
Deadline: 28th February 2026
Length: 2,000-7,000 words
Pay: $10 + royalty share
Details here – scroll down.
(Inkd Publishingis also open for their fourth anthology in their Behind the Shadows series; they want horror fiction. “Gore is accepted, but good characters we engage with are paramount and a satisfying ending is a must. … There is no restriction as to how you incorporate the theme into your story. However, we’ll be seriously impressed if you can work within Sci-Fi or Fantasy, but they won’t be the bulk of the accepted submissions.” Submission is via a form. US authors also get a contributor copy – see guidelines. They pay $10+ royalty share for stories of 2,000-6,000 words and the deadline is 31 March 2026; details here.)
Shtriga: Slavic Supernatural Anthology
They want Slavic fantasy and horror fiction for this anthology; the theme is Slavic folklore and mythology.
Deadline: 28 February 2026Length: 1,500–7,500 words
Payment: $35
Details here.
MEMEZINE
Memezine wants “pieces that blur the lines between art, literature, and content. We want work that feels like it only could have been written now. Send anything that directly or indirectly engages with memes, current events, viral content, apps, trends, social media, pop/internet culture, and technology. Gift us your best and your worst because we want to explore all facets of participation in this digital landscape.” They are reading submissions for their Spring issue. They want “traditional or hybrid pieces that directly or indirectly engage with memes, political/current events, viral content, trends, social media, pop/internet culture, technology, and any other work that blurs the lines between art, literature, and content.”
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Length: Up to 3 pieces (up to 5 pages total) for both prose and poetry
Pay: $10
Details here and here.
Black Beacon Books: The Fourth Black Beacon Book of Mystery
They want “Fair-play detective stories where the reader is called upon to solve the puzzle. We want clues, red herrings, and a final reveal. Give our clever readers a puzzle! …DO NOT send a submission that is not a mystery. We don't want crime or detective stories without a mystery to solve. We don't want supernatural tales.” They also accept reprints.
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Length: 3,000 and 9,000 words
Pay: $30 for originals
Details here.
(Black Beacon Books is also open for Kindle-only novelettes. “Preferred genres are fair-play mystery, suspense, folk horror, ghost stories, and post-apocalyptic.” They pay S50 for novelettes of 9,000 and 25,000 words; no reprints. The deadline is 15th February 2026; details here.)
The Ranger's Almanac
They accept “stories, poetry, artwork, photographs, and music for consideration in a (US) Forest and Park Service-specific literary journal” from rangers and creators across the US. Submissions must be related to, or inspired by, a national/state forest or park and must be PG-13.
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Length: Stories of 500 to 10,000 words
Pay: $5 for poems, photos, and reprints; $10 for music and original audio pieces; $25 for artwork; $5 per 500 words for stories
Details here and here.
Altar: Spirals and Stars / Spring
This is a new magazine; “We’re not a typical literary magazine, we’re your guide for the season. Yes you’ll find poems and beautiful stories but there’s also reviews, recipes, and rituals. We want to provide a space for creatives and help you navigate the energy of the season whether it’s through prose or some kitchen magic, we’re here.” They want submissions for their first issue. “Our inaugural issue explores Spring and all that comes with it. Buds breaking through willow trees. Fresh blooms scenting the air. The return of the songbirds and rabbits. Ferns unraveling on the forest floor. Fertility magic, fae, gardens. New beginnings.
While the season is filled with new life and bright energy, there’s also abandoned nests, a struggle to break free from the cold, the chance of getting whisked away by the fae and never being seen again.”
The want fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, reviews, recipes, and spells/rituals. Their submission portal will open during the reading period.
Deadline: 1st March 2026
Length: Up to 10 pages for prose, up to 3 poems
Pay: $5
Details here.
FLARE Magazine: Disability as Strength
FLARE Magazine accepts creative submissions that relate to chronic illness, disabilities, and mental health in some way; they are open for their themed contest, on Disability as Strength; it is open for international submissions.“We want pieces that show finding your voice when it comes to managing mental health, disabilities, and chronic illnesses. So often, a disability, a chronic illness, and/or a mental health condition is seen as a stigma or a weakness. But we didn’t have a choice–we were dealt a bad hand. So, this is your chance to find your voice and showcase how being disabled has made you (or a character, if fiction) stronger. What are your badges of honor, your battle scars? What does your “fight” look like?” The first three winners get cash prizes, runners-up get online publication (no monetary payment).
Value: $125, $75, $50
Deadline: 1 March 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here. (FLARE Magazine is also accepting general submissions that relate to chronic illness, disabilities, and mental health till 13th February; there is no payment for these submissions; details here.)
Thema: While the Snowstorm Was Raging...
They publish three themed issues a year. They accept short stories, essays, poetry, and art. Their upcoming theme is ‘While the Snowstorm Was Raging...’. They have other themes too, with other deadlines. They also accept reprints. Only writers outside of the US can submit by email, US-based writers have to post their submissions.
Deadline: 1 March 2026 (see guidelines)
Length: Up to 20 pages for fiction, up to 3 poems
Pay: $10-25
Details here.
Transcendent Fiction Publishing: Verify You’re Not Human Anthology
Tf Publishing is a furry & speculative fiction publisher. And, Verify You’re Not Human is “an anthology about therian experiences. Stories may be realistic without any fantastical elements, or may result in transformation or some other kind of adapting to a therian identity over the course of the story.
The main character of the story must be therian (or similar forms of identity, such as otherkin) - this can be a “coming out” story as the character recognises themselves as therian, or can be an established identity.
The story should have a strong focus on what it means to be therian - stories where this is incidental or not a focus will likely not be accepted. There are, however, many ways to be therian and all kinds of this will be considered.” Stories may be of any age rating including explicit 18+ stories, and may be of any genre so long as they include obvious therian (or otherkin, etc.) main characters.
Deadline: 1 March 2026
Length: 2,000-10,000 words
Pay: AUD 1c/word
Details here.
Liars’ League: Illusion & Confusion
They want themed short fiction in any genre – flash fiction, short stories. and novel extracts (so long as they can stand alone). One of their upcoming themes is Illusion & Confusion:“Give us conjurors & confidence tricksters, halls of mirrors, AI hallucinations, Kafka-esque bureaucracies & any other illusory, confusing fictions your twisted brain can invent”. Apart from cash payment, Liars’ League offers reading of your story by a professional actor, as well as podcast, video and online publication of your work.
Deadline: 1st March 2026
Length: 800-2,000 words
Pay: £20
Details here and here.
(Liars’ League has other themes listed as well with later deadlines, including Above & Below: “Lofty or lying low, your stories can fly high in the clouds or drag us down to hell, literally or metaphorically…. Go above or below, to deep-sea trenches & radio-towers, mineshafts & Alpine peaks & don’t forget the social stratospheres, from high & mighty monarchs to the downtrodden & penniless”. Deadline: 3rd May 2026, details here and here.)
ROF Publishing House: Pathways to Imagination - Whispers Made Flesh Anthology
They want stories “where the unseen insists on being seen. This volume explores what happens when ideas, desires, fears, prayers, rumors, secrets, memories, or grief take on form. These are stories of embodiment and consequence, where what was once intangible leaves a mark on the living world.
We're drawn to genre-blending work that is eerie, intimate, playful, unsettling or quietly devastating. Stories where the strange is not decoration, but consequence.” And, some genre mashups they like are: Folk Horror entwined with intimacy or inheritance; Cosmic Horror filtered through identity, memory or grief; Dark Fantasy intersecting with desire, obsession, or romance (see the submission form for more).
Deadline: 15 March 2026
Length: 1,000-7,000 words
Pay: $25-45
Details here and here.
(Also, Cosmic Horror Monthly will open briefly for a CL Moore tribute fiction call, from 1st to 7th March 2026; they pay $0.03/word for fiction up to 5,000 words; the submission link will be active during the submission period; details here.)
Critical Blast Publishing: Fantastic Voyages Anthology
“We are looking for portal stories, with characters taken unexpectedly and unexplainedly from the world they know into a world they don't. We're talking rabbit holes and wardrobes here. Absurdly huge magician's top hats and the yawning mouths of hippos at the zoo.”Deadline: 31 March 2026
Length: 2,500 to 10,000 words
Pay: $25
Details here.
Whisper House Press: Doom Scroll Anthology
They want social media horror fiction. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Think of the influencer grind forced on (or volunteered into?) creators for video apps, the performative nightmare of business-oriented sites, the curated perfection of photo-sharing sites, the niche obsession of sub-reddits, or the high-stakes world of dating apps.” They are reading general submissions (from all writers) till end March, and have an extended submission window for till mid-April for underrepresented writers. Please see their submission requirements/options before you begin work, to ensure the recipient can see the document history, to ensure the no-AI rule.
Deadline: 31 March 2026 for general submissions; 15 April for writers from diaspora communities, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or Autistic writers
Length: 200 to 2,000 words
Pay: $30
Details here.
Skipjack Review: Music
“These waters are eclectic, baby, sometimes irreverent and odd, but mom loves us anyway—Mother Nature, that is. And we love her. That’s why everything we publish at Skipjack Review shares a reeling concern for the world around us.” This literary journal publishes fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry. They also publish an anthology. And they want submissions for their Music-themed anthology. “Whether it’s sweetness to your ears or the sounding of an alarm, Skipjack Review wants to see your most musical writing and art. For this special anthology, we’re looking and listening for shortform fiction, essays, CNF, and art about music and its relationship to our environment.” Some submissions are have a submission fee, but there is no fee for Music themed submissions.
Deadline: Open now
Length: Up to 5,000 words for prose
Pay: $0.01/word
Details here (general submission guidelines) and here (theme details – see the relevant category).
THEMED CONTESTS
(Apart from the themed contests, there are also some unthemed ones open now, including:
-- VCA Playwriting Award: The winning writer will receive a fee, a guarantee of publication by Methuen Drama, and a fully-produced, 4-week run of their script at The Glitch in Waterloo. Two runners-up will receive mentorship. Additionally, up to 15 shortlisted writers will receive written, developmental feedback on their script, and invitation to a talk by Methuen Drama on getting work published. Winner receives a £2,500 fee, or 10% of the production’s ticket sales, whichever is greater; the deadline is 20 February 2026; Details here and here.
-- A Public Space Editorial Fellowship: This is a program for aspiring editors who must be residents of New York City for the duration of the fellowship; the fellowship period is approximately six months, from June 1, 2026 through November 30, 2026. Two Editorial Fellows will be selected to work alongside the editorial staff at A Public Space on various aspects of the magazine. They have some eligibility and application requirements. They pay $6,000, and the deadline is 15 February 2026; details he.
-- Poetry Northwest: James Welch Prize for Indigenous Writers:
This is a poetry prize for Indigenous writers who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its trust territories. Only poets who have not published more than one book-length collection are eligible. Apart from cash prizes, two poets will also be invited to read at a literary venue; the award is $1,000 each, and the deadline is 15 February 2026; details here (scroll down), here, and here.
-- Lunch Ticket: Diana Woods Award in Creative Nonfiction: This award is for a creative nonfiction piece of up to 3,500 words on any subject. The contest is open in February and August. The award is $250, and the deadline is end-February; details here.
-- Lunch Ticket: The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts: Translators and authors of multilingual texts are encouraged to submit their work for The Gabo Prize. Writers should indicate whether the translation falls under poetry or prose, and include the original work along with your translation. Original, bilingual work qualifies for the Gabo Prize. This contest, too, is open in February and August. The award is $200, and the deadline is end-February; details here.
-- Poetry Foundation: Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships: These grants are for US poets ages 21-31 years. Applicants have to register on their online portal. Poets can also apply for alternative formats to submit applications. One of the application requirements is a writing sample. The grants are $27,000 each; the deadline is 2nd March 2026 (virtual information session, deadline to request alternative application formats, and cut off to submit application portal registration for first time applicants are earlier – see guidelines); details here; see all of Poetry Foundation’s grants and awards for individuals here.)
Narrative ‘Tell Me a Story’ High School Contest
They want a poem, story, or essay, on a theme by students in grades 9-12 all over the world – see guidelines for suggestions on what the theme can entail, and length guidelines. The work must be submitted by the student’s English teacher. The prompt is, “One True Thing”.
Value: $500, $200, $100; $50 for finalists
Deadline: 4 February 2026
Open for: High school students
Details here.
Footnote x Counterpoints Literary Prize
This is open to writers from a refugee or migrant background who is a resident of the UK or Ireland. For this cycle, they want an excerpt from a fiction manuscript. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Submissions must be for a fiction book centred on themes of displacement, courage and/or belonging … and consist of a sample of 8,000-10,000 words and a detailed synopsis of a minimum of 1,500 words, as well as a fully completed online submission form. You will be asked to provide an estimated word count for the complete book, as well as the date by which you would be able to deliver the completed manuscript. You must be able to deliver a complete manuscript of approx. 60,000- 100,000 words before 27th June 2027.”
Value: £15,000
Deadline: 13 February 2026 (see guidelines)
Open for: Those from a refugee or migrant background in the UK/Ireland
Details here.
International Thriller Writers Scholarships
They are awarding two separate scholarships for ThrillerFest: the Fresh Perspectives Scholarship for any underrepresented author, published or unpublished, and the Undiscovered New Voices Scholarship for any unpublished author who is writing a mystery/thriller novel (80k-100k words). Each scholarship recipient will receive a cash stipend and a free pass to attend ThrillerFest XXI, which takes place May 5 – May 9, 2026 in New York City. One of the application requirements is a writing sample. Application is via a form on their website.
Value: $1,000 stipend, ThrillerFest pass
Deadline: 15 February 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
(Also see The Poisoned Pen / Barbara Peters Scholarship for ThrillerFest 2026, for ITW members; details here.)
The Gay & Lesbian Review: The Charles S. Longcope Jr. Writers and Artists Grant
They are awarding three grants of up to $5,000 each. “Emerging scholars, writers, or artists whose proposed project makes a contribution to LGBTQ+ scholarship or the arts are eligible to apply. Multi-author applications and international applicants are welcome. The gift(s) will be awarded to scholars, writers, and artists to provide funding to write an article for The G&LR and to begin, complete, or advance LGBTQ+ related writing and other creative projects such as a research paper or thesis, a book, a podcast, a video, a script, a novel, a multimedia creation, or an art installation. Proposals that incorporate discussion of race, gender, and class, disability, or other similar topics are of particular interest.”
Value: Up to $5,000 each
Deadline: 15 February 2026
Open for: Emerging scholars, writers, or artists whose proposed project makes a contribution to LGBTQ+ scholarship or the arts
Details here.
The Academy of American Poets: 2026 Raiziss/de Palchi Fellowship
The fellowship recognizes “outstanding translations into English of modern Italian poetry through a $10,000 book prize and a $25,000 fellowship, given in alternating years. The Raiziss/de Palchi Fellowship will be given in 2026 to enable an American translator to travel, study, or otherwise advance a significant work-in-progress. The Academy invites applications from American translators currently engaged in the translation of twentieth-century Italian poetry. The winning translator will receive an award of $25,000 and a five-week residency at the American Academy in Rome.”
Value: $25,000, residency
Deadline: 15 February 2026
Open for: American poets translating Italian poetry
Details here and here.
(Also see the Academy of American Poets’ Harold Morton Landon Translation Award, a $1,000 award recognizing a poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year; the deadline for that, too, is 15th February; details here.)
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition
This is for young poets studying in the UK, aged 16-18 years. Submit a poem of up to 48 lines. The theme for 2026 is ‘A Riddle’.
Value: £5,000, £3000, £1500; £500 for runners-up
Deadline: 19 February 2026 (12 noon GMT)
Open for: Young poets studying in the UK
Details here and here
West Chester University: Five contests
They run some contests, five of which are free to enter, and offer cash prizes.
-- Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award: This contest is for undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university for poems composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prizes are $1,500, and $500.
-- Sonnet Award: This is a contest for undergraduate poets in the US, for sonnets. The prize is $1,000.
-- The Villanelle Award: This contest is for undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university, for villanelles. The prize is $1,000.
-- Myong Cha Son Haiku Award: This contest is for undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university for unpublished, original haiku. The prizes are $1,500, and $500.
-- Rhina P. Espaillat Award: This contest is for undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university for original poems written in Spanish, and translations of English poems to Spanish. The prize is $500.
Deadline: 20 February 2026 for all West Chester University contests
Open for: Undergraduate poets in the US
Details here (scroll down) for all the West Chester University poetry awards; click on each contest name for details.
NYU Journalism: Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award
The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award is “to provide the means for promising early-career, creative nonfiction writers to report on an untold story that uncovers truths about the human condition”. Writers can apply for one of the institute’s awards per year.
Deadline: 22 February 2026
Value: Up to $15,000
Open for: Unspecified
Details here.
Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest
This is a short fiction contest run by the Little Tokyo Historical Society in Los Angeles. Stories must take place in Little Tokyo, and can be set in the past, present, or future. Stories can be in Japanese (5,000 ji or fewer) or English (up to 2,500 words). There are three categories: Youth (under 18s), Japanese, and English. They want fictional stories set in Little Tokyo.
Value: $500 in each category
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here (download the guidelines and agreement form).
BCALA Self-Publishing Literary Awards
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) is now accepting submissions for the 2026 Self-Publishing eBook Award. “Through this contest, the BCALA honors the best self-published ebooks by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres.
These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. The purpose is to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research including biographical, historical, and social history treatments by African Americans.”
Value: $2,500 each for a self-published poetry and prose ebook
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Open for: African American authors in the US
Details here.
(Submissions are also open for The Caine Prize for African Writing, also called the African Booker. Entries must be sent by the publisher or a third-party institution that is independent of the author – entries sent by the author will be ineligible. It is for published short stories of 3,000 to 10,000 words, written by an African writer, published within the last five years – see guidelines. The award is £10,000, and the submission deadline is 27 February 2026, 12:00 GMT.)
The Sejong Cultural Society Writing Contest
This is only for US and Canadian writers. The Sejong Writing Competition aims to introduce young adults to Korean culture through poetry. They are currently open for a sijo contest – you can enter in the adult division (age 19 and older) and pre-college division (age 18 and younger – see guidelines). They have detailed guidelines, please read them carefully.
Value: Adult division: $1,000, $750, $500; pre-college division: $500, $400, $300, and $50 each for honorable mentions
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Open for: Young US and Canadian writers (see guidelines)
Details here and here
Kinsman Quarterly: Voices of Mixed Heritage
This is an award forauthors and poets of mixed heritage or relationships. “Submit essays, fiction, or poetry exploring themes of multicultural or third-culture identity, love, belonging, home life, and pain. We seek heartfelt reflections on living between worlds.
Win up to $500 in cash prizes and publication in Kinsman’s upcoming anthology.” They accept prose of 300 to 2,000 words, and up to 10 pages of poetry. Please note, you have to log into their website to access submission guidelines.
Value: $500, $250, $150; $25 Amazon gift cards for runners-up
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Open for: Authors and poets of mixed heritage or relationships
Details here.
(Kinsman Quarterly has other contests in 2026 too, both fee-based and fee-free, see brief information about those on this page; again, you have to log in to access detailed information.
The Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Prize
The Orwell Society is organising its annual short story competition for current students (both BA and MA) at British universities. They want dystopian narratives of up to 3,000 words. The theme for 2026 is Belonging. “Exploring the following concepts:
What it means to truly belong
The impossibility of returning home or inability to recapture the past”.
Value: £750
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Open for: Current students (both BA and MA) at British universities, who are permanent UK citizens
Details here.
The Kelpies Prize for Writing
This is for Scotland-based writers, for writers who want to start a career in children’s books. A couple of the submission requirements are the first five chapters of a book for children, either fiction or non-fiction, or a whole picture book story (see guidelines), as well as “a short piece of writing (1,000–3,000 words) for children that includes one of the following phrases at any point in the piece: • And then I remembered the porridge was still on the stove • We didn’t plan to get lost in the woods • If only I could remember what [insert character name] always said
This can be a short story, poetry or a picture-book text; it can be comic, dramatic, moving, largely dialogue or whatever you like. It can be very different from your writing style in (1) (see guidelines): show us your range!” They are looking for work for children ages 3 to 13. They do not want works for young adults.
Value: £500, mentorship
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Open for: Scotland-based writers
Details here (download guidelines) and here
(They also have a prize for illustration.)
The Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize
This prize is for writers aged 25+. They want short pieces of stand-alone prose in either fiction or non-fiction (1,500 - 3,000 words). “It can be adapted from a longer work but must be satisfying to read by itself.
The prize invites writers from all walks of life, whether writing a short story, essay, memoir, piece of reportage, historical investigation, or other hybrid form, as long as the writer reflects the sensibility of the prize.
The prize is not aimed at the action-adventure genre nor limited to the idea of physical adventure. We invite writers to grapple with the spirit of adventure in any way they interpret. Pieces will be read and judged on their literary merit and their engagement with the general reader.” Entrants must not have a previous or new book under contract with a mainstream publisher (see guidelines), or be represented by a literary agent. All three finalists will also get a meeting with a literary agent. The fee-free reading period for this prize is until 28th February; after that, they charge a submission fee.
Value: £1,000; £500 each for runners-up
Deadline: 28 February 2026 (for fee-free submissions)
Open for: Emerging writers who are 25+ (see guidelines)
Details here and here.
Baltimore Science Fiction Society Poetry Contest
For this contest, poets are required to submit poetry on science fiction/fantasy/horror/science themes. Send poems up to 60 lines. Winners will receive a cash prize, convention membership and be invited to read their winning entries at Balticon. Attendance at Balticon is not required to win.
Value: $100, $75, $50
Deadline: 1 March 2026
Open for: All poets
Details here.
(A couple of contests with later deadlines are:
-- Verity Bargate Award: Launched in 1982, the Verity Bargate Award one of the longest-established playwrighting awards in the UK. It is “Soho Theatre’s flagship new writing award with the winning play produced in a full production on our stages.” Emerging playwrights in the UK or Ireland can enter; you must have had fewer than three professional productions. The winner receives £12,000 and the deadline is 13th April 2026; details here and here.
-- The Mike Resnick Memorial Award: This award is sponsored by Galaxy’s Edge magazine and Dragon Con. They want a science fiction story by a new writer (who has not been paid a per-word rate of 6 cents a word or more or received a payment for any single work of fiction totaling more than $50). Send stories up to 7,499 words. Writers do not need to be members of Dragon Con. The awards are $250, $100, $50, and the deadline is 15 April 2026; details here (scroll down) and here.
-- Terrain.org Editor’s Prize: They welcome submissions on place, climate, and justice – fiction (short story, flash fiction series, novel excerpt, radio play, or other fiction piece) and non-fiction; they are not open for poetry in 2026. They also accept translations, and art. Payment for general submissions is a minimum of $50. And, “All accepted submissions by writers of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and/or other marginalized communities whose contributions explore place particularly in the context of social, environmental, or climate justice are considered for our annual Editor's Prize of $500 per genre.” There is no separate submission process or entry fee for this contest; they have other, fee-based contests too. Certain sections, like Letter to America and ARTerrain, are open year-round. Submissions close on 30th April for fiction and non-fiction. The Editor’s Prize for underrepresented writers is $500 per genre. Details here.)
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
