The National Media Awards Foundation has compiled a comprehensive list of national and international writing contests that are open to Canadian writers, poets, and creators. There are competitions for everyone—from seasoned, published writers to up-and-coming writers who are just getting started in the industry. Contests cover genres such as poetry, non-fiction, fiction, and line art. For more information on each contest, please click on the contest you’re interested in below.
Would you like your publication’s writing contest included in our guide? Send us an email today indicating the name of your contest, the deadline, entry fee and prizes, and who’s eligible to compete. Publications from around the world can be included in our guide, as long as Canadian creators are eligible to submit to your publication’s contest.
Room‘s Poetry Contest
Deadline: September 30, 2023
First Prize: $1,000 + possibility of publication in Room
Second Prize: $250 + possibility of publication in Room
Honourable Mention: $100 + publication on Room’s website
Entry fee: $35 for Canadian entry, includes a one-year subscription to Room; $7 for each additional entry
Length: One poetry initial entry includes up to three poems or 150 lines of poetry in a single document. An additional poetry entry can include up to three poems or 150 lines of poetry in a single document.
2023 Judge: John Elizabeth Stintzi
Contest Guidelines
Dreamers Creative Writing
FLASH FICTION AND NONFICTION CONTEST
Deadline: Sept. 30th, 2023
Prize: $150
Entry Fee: $12.50 USD (Approx. $15 CAD) – includes an e-copy of the next issue of Dreamers Magazine
Length: Between 300 and 1,000 words
STORIES OF MIGRATION, SENSE OF PLACE AND HOME
Deadline: January 31, 2024
Prize: $250 to the first place winner
Entry Fee: $20 USD (Approx. $25 CAD), includes 1-year electronic subscription for Dreamers Magazine
MICRO NONFICTION STORY CONTEST
Deadline: March 31, 2024
Prize: $120
Entry Fee: $9 USD (Approx. $12 CAD) – includes an e-copy of the next issue of Dreamers Magazine
Submit a nonfiction story “from the heart” of between 100 and 500 words.
EVENT Magazine’s Non-Fiction Contest
Deadline: October 15, 2023
First Place: $1,500 + publication in EVENT
Second Place: $1,000 + publication in EVENT
Third Place: $500 + publication in EVENT
Entry fee: $34.95; fee includes a one-year subscription to EVENT
All entries are also considered for publication
Guest Judge: Omar Mouallem
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Grain’s Kloppenburg Hybrid Grain Contest
Deadline: Open from August 1 to October 15, 2023
First Prize: Two $1000 Cash Prizes
Second Prize: Two $750 Cash Prizes
Third Prize: Two $500 Cash Prizes
Portal Magazine‘s Portent Contest
Deadline: October 15th, 2023
Prize: $500 and publication in Portal Magazine
Eligibility: Canadian citizens and residents
Entry fee: $25, includes one-year print subscription to Portal
Length: Maximum 2,000 words
Pulp Literature The Raven Short Story Contest
Contest Opens: September 1, 2023
Deadline: October 15, 2023
Winner notified: November 15, 2023
Prize: $300 and publication in Pulp Literature
Judge: Leo X Robertson
Entry fee: $20, includes a 1-year digital subscription to Pulp Literature
Earlybird fee (before 15 September): $15
Editorial critique: $25
Length: Between 250 and 2500 words
Writing Battle
AUTUMN SHORT STORY — 5 days to write 2000 words
Deadline: October 31, 2023
Prize: $5,000 cash prize pool
Entry fee: $22 (12% off); Entry fee increases to $25 on September 29
Winners are published
Contemporary Verse 2 Foster Poetry Prize
Deadline: November 1st, 2023 at 11:59pm central time
Prize: The prize is awarded to the author of the single best submitted poem, along with $1000 and publication in CV2. Three honourable mentions are also awarded, each with a cash prize and publication in CV2.
Length: Your submission may consist of 1-2 poems, and is not to exceed 80 lines total. If you are submitting within the Early Bird Deadline and will be including a third poem, that poem can put you over the 80-line limit. However, the extra poem must not be longer than 28 lines.
Entry fee: $26 (first entry, includes 1-year subscription), $16 (subsequent entries)
Early Bird Deadline: Enter by September 1st, 2023, and submit an extra poem at no additional charge.
Judge: Emily Riddle
The Malahat Review Open Season Awards
Deadline: 11:59pm (PST) on November 1, 2023
Prize: The winner in each genre will receive a prize of CAD$2,000 and be published in the magazine’s spring 2024 issue #226.
Entry Fee: CAD $35 for each entry from Canada (early bird discount until June 30, 2023: CAD $20); CAD $15 for each additional entry
Judges:
- Kayla Czaga (poetry)
- Michelle Poirier Brown (creative nonfiction)
- Deepa Rajagopalan (short fiction)
We’re now accepting entries for our annual Open Season Awards in poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. The contest is open to Canadian and international writers anywhere in the world.
Submission Guidelines
Geist PolterGeist Writing Contest
Deadline: November 13, 2023 at 11:59PM PST
First Prize: $500 and publication in Geist and on geist.com
Second Prize: $250 and publication in Geist and on geist.com
Third Prize: $150 and publication in Geist and on geist.com
Entry fee: $25, $5 for additional entires, includes a one-year subscription to Geist
Length: Maximum 500 words
Prairie Fire McNally Robinson Booksellers Poetry Award, Short Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction Contests
Deadline: November 30, 2023
1st prize: $750 and publication in Prairie Fire
2nd prize: $350 and publication in Prairie Fire
3rd prize: $150 and publication in Prairie Fire
Entry fee: $34, including a one-year subscription to Prairie Fire
Length: One fiction entry consists of one story, maximum 5,000 words; one poetry entry consists of up to 3 poems, maximum 150 lines total; one creative non-fiction entry consists of one essay, maximum 5,000 words.
The Fiddlehead 2023 Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best Poem
Deadline: December 1, 2023 11:59 pm PDT
Prize: $2,000 and publication in The Fiddlehead
Entry Fee: $35 CAD. Additional entries $10 CAD.
Judges: Kirby, Sadiqa de Meijer, and Rebecca Salazar
Submission Guidelines
Arc Poetry Poem of the Year
Deadline: February 1, 2024
Prize: $5,000 for the winning poem, a $500 award for the poem selected as Honourable Mention, and a $250 prize for the Readers’ Choice selection. In addition, all 10 to 12 shortlisted poems receive paid publication in Arc and online.
Eligibility: Poems published elsewhere (including excerpts and revised versions) are not eligible for consideration.
Entry fee: $35 for up to two poems (additional poems $5), includes one-year subscription to Arc
Submission Guidelines
The New Quarterly’s Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest
Deadline: March 28, 2024
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $40 per essay, includes a 1-year Canadian subscription or renewal to The New Quarterly
Grain’s Short Grain Contest
Deadline: Open from January 15 to April 1 each year
First Prize: $1,000 and publication in Grain
Second Prize: $750 and publication in Grain
Third Prize: $500 and publication in Grain
Entry fee: $40 for Canadian entrants for a maximum of two entries in one category
FreeFall Annual Prose & Poetry Contest
Deadline: NEXT CONTEST DEC 1, 2023 – APR 30, 2024
1st Prize: $500
2nd Prize: $250
3rd Prize: $125
Honourable Mention: $75
Entry fee: $25, additional entries $5 (at the time of original entry only), includes one-year subscription
Length: 3000 words prose, or 3 poems per entry
Surrey International Writers’ Conference Writing Contest
Deadline: 2023 Contest has closed
First Prize: $1,000 and publication
Honourable mention: $150 and publication
Eligibility: International
Entry fee: $15
The Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition
Deadline: Deadlines forthcoming for 2024.
Prize: $2,500
Eligibility: Writers must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
Length: Up to 2,500 words
Jurors: Doretta Lau, Tāriq Malik, and Ann Shortell
Dave Williamson Canadian National Short Story Competition
Deadline: Submissions are closed for this year
First Place: $1,000
Second Place: $600
Third Place: $400
Short prose in English, 2,500-5,000 words in any fiction genre
Entry Fee: $20
Postcard Fiction Contest
Deadline: 2023 contest has ended
1st Prize: $300 and publication in Counterflow Magazine
2nd Prize: $200 and publication in Counterflow Magazine
3rd Prize: $100 and publication in Counterflow Magazine
Entry fee: $25, $5 for Wordstorm members
Length: 250 words or less
The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest
Deadline: The 2023 contest is now closed.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $40 for up to 3 poems, includes a 1-year Canadian subscription or renewal to The New Quarterly. Additional poems are $5 each.
The New Quarterly’s Peter Hinchcliffe Short Fiction Award
Deadline: The 2023 contest is now closed.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $40 per work of short fiction, includes a 1-year Canadian subscription or renewal to The New Quarterly
Open Minds Quarterly’s Annual BrainStorm Poetry Contest
Deadline: The 2023 contest is now closed.
First Prize: $250, publication, and a contributor copy
Second Prize: $150, publication, and a contributor copy
Third Prize: $75, publication, and a contributor copy
Entry fee: $12 for up to three poems
Length: 30 lines or less
Riddle Fence’s Fiction and Poetry Contests
Deadline: 2023 contests have ended
First Prize: $1,000 grand prize and publication in Riddle Fence #50
Entry fee: $25 for an entry from Canada, fee includes a one-year subscription to Riddle Fence
Length: Up to 5,000 words for a short story; no more than 100 lines per poem (up to three poems per submission)
The Vallum Award for Poetry
Deadline: 2023 has ended
First Place Prize: $750 and publication in Vallum
Finalist: $250 and publication in Vallum
Entry fee: $25 for Canadian entrants, includes a 1-year subscription to Vallum Magazine
Judge: Erín Moure
PRISM International 2023 Creative Non-Fiction Contest
Deadline: 2023 contest has ended
Grand Prize: $1,500
Second Prize: $600
Second runner-up: $400
Entry fee: $35 for Canadian entries, includes a one-year subscription
Additional entry: $5 per entry
Max. word count: 6,000
Judge: Suzannah Showler
EXILE Quarterly Short Fiction Competition and Award
Deadline: 2023 contest has ended
Prize: $15,000 and publication in EXILE Quarterly
Entry fee: $35, includes one-year subscription to EXILE Quarterly
Length: Maximum 6,000 words
EXILE Quarterly Poetry Competition and Award
Deadline: 2023 contest has ended
Prize: $1,500 and publication in EXILE Quarterly
Entry fee: $35, includes one-year subscription to EXILE Quarterly
Length: Maximum 16 pages
League of Canadian Poets Lesley Strutt Poetry Contest
Deadline: 2023 contest has ended
Prize: $500
Eligibility: Canadian poets, poets living and working in Canada, as well as Indigenous, Inuit and Métis poets who may not identify as Canadian but live in the region known colonially as Canada
Entry fee: $5
Did we miss one? Send us a note or message us on Twitter @MagAwards. We’ll update this post as more contests are announced!