Your Guide to Winter/Spring 2013 Magazine Writing Contests

[This post has been updated] Do these long, dark, cold Canadian winters leave you shivering with creative unrest?

If winter teases out your inner Mowat, Mordechai or Munro, you’re probably searching for a creative outlet in the form of a Canadian magazine writing contest, such as these great offerings from some of Canada’s best literary periodicals and competitions.

CBC Canada Writes Creative Non-Fiction Prize
Section: Non-fiction (1200-1500 words)
Deadline: February 1, 2013
Prize: $6000 + publication in enRoute + Banff Centre residency (1st); $1000 each to 4 runners up
Entry Fee: $25
Details:
http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadawrites/literaryprizes/nonfiction/index.html

Geist Literal Literary Postcard Story Contest
Section: Very short fiction or non-fiction (500 words)
Deadline: February 1, 2013
Prize: $500 (1st); $250 (2nd); $150 (3rd); publication
Entry Fee: $20; includes subscription
Details: http://www.geist.com/articles/postcard-contest/

Arc Poetry Magazine Poem of the Year Contest
Section: Poetry
Deadline: February 1, 2013
Prize: $5000
Entry Fee: $32; includes subscription
Details: http://arcpoetry.ca/2012/11/29/poem-of-the-year-contest-2/

The New Quarterly Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest
Section: Poetry
Deadline: February 28, 2013
Prize: $1000 + publication (1st); other prizes for runners up
Entry Fee: $40 (for first 2 poems; $5 each for additional); includes subscription
Details: http://www.tnq.ca/contests

Writers Union of Canada Short Prose Competition
Section: Non-fiction
Deadline: March 1, 2013
Prize: $2500 + assistance with publication
Entry Fee: $29
Details: http://www.writersunion.ca/short-prose

The New Quarterly Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest
Section: Non-fiction
Deadline: March 28, 2013
Prize: $1000 + publication
Entry Fee: $40; includes subscription
Details: http://www.tnq.ca/contests

Narrative Magazine Winter 2013 Short Story Contest
Sections: Non-fiction and Fiction
Deadline: March 31, 2013
Prize: $2,500 (1st); $1000 (2nd); $500 (3rd); $100 (finalist)
Entry Fee: $22; includes 3 months access to Narrative Backstage
Details: http://narrativemagazine.com/node/194590
Notes: Entries may be short fiction or literary nonfiction, including essays, memoirs, or any other form of unpublished manuscript, with a word limit of 15,000. All are judged in the same pool.

Maisonneuve Genre Fiction Contest: Fables & Parables
Sections: Short fiction (1200 words)
Deadline: March 31, 2013
Prize: $300 + publication (1st prize); $100 + publication (each of 2 runners up)
Entry Fee: $25 (includes subscription)
Details: http://maisonneuve.org/contest/maisonneuves-genre-fiction-contest-fables-and-para/ 

Grain magazine Short Grain Writing Contest
Sections: Fiction; Poetry
Deadline: April 1, 2013 April 8, 2013
Prize: $1000 (1st); $750 (2nd); $500 (3rd)
Entry Fee: $35; includes subscription
Details: http://www.grainmagazine.ca/contest.html

Event magazine Creative Non-Fiction Contest
Section: Non-fiction
Deadline: April 15, 2013
Prize: $1500 in total cash prizes
Entry Fee: $34.95; includes subscription
Details: http://eventmags.com/contest-3/

Quebec Writing Competition
Section: Fiction or Non-fiction
Deadline: May 1, 2013
Prize: $1500, publication in Maisonneuve magazine, broadcast on CBC (1st); $1000 (2nd); $300 reader’s choice award
Entry Fee: $15
Details: https://qwf.submittable.com/submit

The New Quarterly Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award
Section: Fiction
Deadline: May 28, 2013
Prize: $1000 + publication
Entry Fee: $40; includes subscription
Details: http://www.tnq.ca/contests

Did we miss one? Send us a note or grab us on Twitter @MagAwards.

Find more awards, prizes and contests for magazine journalism on the Industry Resources page of the National Magazine Awards Foundation website, or check out the Awards and Contests pages of this blog, including:

Your Guide to Summer Magazine Writing Contests
Your Guide to Fall Magazine Writing Contests

Keep writing. Keep reading. Love magazines!