Each month we curate a list of contests, fellowships, and other writing opportunities with approaching deadlines. Opportunities will be posted in the month prior to their deadlines, so that you have ample time to submit your work or applications.

Fiction Contests

Danahy Fiction Prize
Eligibility: All writers
Prize: $1,000 + publication
Entry fee: $20
Deadline: December 31, 2020

Nonfiction Contests

J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award
Eligibility: Writers with a contract with a U.S.-based publisher to write a nonfiction book
Prize: $25,000
Deadline: December 9, 2020

J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
Eligibility: Writers with a nonfiction book published in 2020 on a topic of American political or social concern
Prize: $10,000
Entry fee: $75
Deadline: December 9, 2020

Mark Lynton History Prize
Eligibility: Writers with a book-length work of history published in 2020
Prize: $10,000
Entry fee: $75
Deadline: December 9, 2020

Poetry Contests

Alice Fay Di Castagnola
Eligibility: All poets
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $15
Deadline: December 31, 2020

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award
Eligibility: Poets 40+ years old who have published no more than one full-length collection of poetry.
Prize: $2,500
Entry fee: $15
Deadline: December 31, 2020

Dorset Prize
Eligibility: All poets
Prize: $3,000 + residency
Entry fee: $30
Deadline: December 31, 2020

Multi-Genre Contests

Chautauqua Prize
Eligibility: Writers (fiction & some nonfiction) with a book first published in the U.S., in English, in 2019
Prize: $7,500
Entry fee: $75
Deadline: December 15, 2020

Writing Fellowships & Residencies

Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship
Eligibility: Writers with book-length project currently in progress, addressing the history and/or legacy of the American Revolution and the nation’s founding ideas
Prize: $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, and a nine-month residency
Deadline: December 1, 2020