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.
Contemporary Verse 2 Foster Poetry Prize
Early Bird Deadline: Enter by September 1st, 2026, and submit an extra poem at no additional charge.
Deadline for all contest entries: November 1st, 2026 at 11:59pm central time.
Prize: The Foster Poetry Prize awards $1000 and publication in CV2 Magazine to the author of the winning poem. Second and third place winners and an honourable mention will receive publication in CV2 and $350, $250, and $150 respectively.
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: $35 (first entry, includes 1-year subscription), $20 (subsequent entries)
Winners of the 2026 Foster Poetry Prize will be notified by email and results will be available on the CV2 website in January 2027.
Submission Guidelines
EVENT Magazine’s Non-Fiction Contest
Deadline: October 15, 2026 (submitted online via Submittable, or postmarked)
Prizes: $3,000 in total, plus publication in EVENT: $1,500 First Place; $1,000 Second Place; $500 Third Place.
Entry fee: $34.95; fee includes a one-year subscription to EVENT
All entries are also considered for publication
Guest Judge: TBA
Length: Up to 5,000 words
Submission Guidelines
Grain’s Kloppenburg Hybrid Grain Contest
Deadline: The contest is open from August 1 to November 1, 2026.
First Prize: $1000 Cash Prize and Publication
Second Prize: $750 Cash Prize and Publication
Third Prize: $500 Cash Prize and Publication
Submission Guidelines
Prairie Fire McNally Robinson Booksellers Poetry Award, Short Fiction and Creative Non‑Fiction Contests
Deadline: November 30, 2026 (postmarked, if mailed)
Cash prize: One cash prize of $1250 is awarded in each of the three categories, as well as one Honourable Mention per category. Winners are published in Prairie Fire’s summer issue.
Entry fee: $34 CAD per entry (includes a one-year subscription to Prairie Fire)
Length:
- Poetry: up to 3 poems, maximum 150 lines total
- Short Fiction: one story, maximum 5,000 words
- Creative Non‑Fiction: one piece, maximum 5,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Email to prfire@prairiefire.ca (or mail). Include category, cover sheet with name, pronouns, contact info, title(s) and word/line count. Manuscripts: prose double-spaced; poems single-spaced; numbered pages; 8½ × 11″, clipped not stapled. Multiple entries allowed but only first per category qualifies for subscription. Entries must be unpublished.
Fiddlehead 2026 Fiction Contest, The
Deadline: September 1, 2026
Prize: $2000 CAD for Best Short Fiction!
Entry Fee: $35 CAD. Additional entries $10 CAD.
Judges: Kirti Bhadresa
Submission Guidelines
Arc Poetry Diana Brebner Prize
Deadline: September 1, 2026
Prize: $500
Eligibility: The contest is open to authors who have had their principal home and actual residence in the National Capital Region for at least 6 months immediately prior to the date of submission, and who have not yet published their poetry in book form. Proof of residency may be required.
Entry fee: $35 for 1 or 2 poems; Each entry also entitles the entrant to a 1 year (3 issue) Canadian subscription to Arc.
2026 Judge: Tawahum Bige is a Łutselkʼe Dene, Métis and Nehiyaw spoken word poet from unceded Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh Territory (CKA Vancouver). Queer as heck in obvious ways, they desire a world where acceptance rises while corruption collapses. With a BA in Creative Writing from KPU, Tawahum has performed poetry and hip-hop at countless festivals, their poems featured in numerous publications. His land protection work versus Trans Mountain pipeline expansion had him face incarceration in 2020. Cut to Fortress was published by Nightwood Editions in 2022 and their new collection, Stages of Tanning Words and Remembering Spells, arrived April 2025. Find them online @Tawahum on most social media platforms.
Submission Guidelines
Dreamers Creative Writing
Flash Fiction Contest
Deadline: September 30, 2026
Prize: $150 CAD to the first place winner
Entry Fee: $12.50 USD (Approx. $15 CAD) – includes an e-copy of the next issue of Dreamers Magazine.
Submission Guidelines
2026 gritLIT Short Story Contest
Deadline: 2026 Contest has closed
Entry Fee: $15
Prize: Winners receive $500 (First Place) or $150 (Two Honourable Mentions) PLUS all winners will be invited to read at gritLIT 2026 in April. Winning stories will be published on the gritLIT website.
Submission Instructions
New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest, The
Deadline: 2026 contest has 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.
Submission Guidelines
New Quarterly’s Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest, The
Deadline: 2026 contest has closed
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $40 per essay, includes a 1-year Canadian subscription or renewal to The New Quarterly
Submission Guidelines
New Quarterly’s Peter Hinchcliffe Short Fiction Award, The
Deadline: June 8, 2026
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $40 per work, includes a 1-year Canadian subscription or renewal to The New Quarterly.
Submission Guidelines
Canthius Priscila Uppal Memorial Award for Poetry
Deadline: 2026 contest has closed.
First Prize: $500
Runner-up: $250
Entry Fee: $25 (paid through Submittable)
Guidelines
Dave Williamson Canadian National Short Story Competition
Deadline: 2026 contest has closed
First Place: $1,000
Second Place: $600
Third Place: $400
Short prose in English, 2,500-4,500 words in any fiction genre
Entry Fee: $25
Ex-Puritan Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence, The
Deadline: September 15, 2026
1st Prize (Fiction & Poetry): $1,000
Runner-Up (Fiction & Poetry): $200
In addition to the prize money, the prize winners and runners-up in both categories will be published in the fall issue. Winners will be announced online when the fall issue is released.
Entry fee: All submissions must be accompanied by a $20 entry fee, which can be paid through Submittable.
Submission Guidelines
FreeFall Annual Prose & Poetry Contest
Deadline: December 1, 2026 – April 30, 2027
1st Prize: $500
2nd Prize: $250
3rd Prize: $125
Honourable Mention: $75
Entry fee: $25, includes one-year subscription
Length: 3000 words prose, or 3 poems per entry
Geist Short Long-Distance Writing Contest
Deadline: July 3, 2026
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 entries, includes a one-year subscription to Geist
Length: Maximum 500 words
Grain’s Short Grain Contest
Deadline: 2026 Submissions are closed
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
League of Canadian Poets Spoken Word Award
Deadline: August 13, 2026
Prize: $500
Eligibility: This prize is open to spoken word and poetry performance artists in the country colonially known as Canada, or Canadian artists living abroad.
Entry fee: $5
Submission Guidelines
League of Canadian Poets Lesley Strutt Poetry Contest
Deadline: August 13, 2026
Prize: $500
Eligibility: Eligible to 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
Submission Guidelines
League of Canadian Poets Arts & Letters Club of Toronto Foundation Poetry Award
Deadline: August 13, 2026
Prize: $500
Eligibility: Eligible to all emerging Canadian poets in the early stages of their career, defined as no more than two traditionally published chapbooks and/or one traditionally published book of poetry.
Entry fee: $5
Submission Guidelines
Alberta Views Short Story Contest
Deadline: June 30, 2027
Prize: $1,000 and publication in an upcoming issue
Entry fee: $40, includes a one-year subscription
Eligibility: Open to all current and former Alberta residents
Submission Guidelines
The Malahat Review Open Season Awards (Poetry, Short Fiction, Creative Nonfiction)
Deadline: Submissions Open September 2026
Prize: The winner in each genre will receive a prize of CAD$2,000 and be published in the magazine’s spring 2027 issue.
Entry Fee: CAD $35 for each entry from Canada. Entrants receive a one-year print subscription to The Malahat Review for the initial entry only.
Submission Guidelines
Portal Magazine‘s Portent Contest
Deadline: October 15, 2026
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
Submission Guidelines
PRISM International Creative Non-Fiction Contest
Deadline: There are presently no open calls for submissions.
Prizes: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 second runner-up
Entry fee: $35 for Canadian, $40 for US, $45 for International; all entries include one-year subscription.
Max word count: 6,000 words (including title). One piece per entry. Additional entries are available for $5.
Pulp Literature The Raven Short Story Contest
Contest Opens: September 1, 2026
Deadline: October 15, 2026
Prize: $300 and publication in Pulp Literature Issue 54, Spring 2027
Entry fee: $35, includes a 1-year digital subscription to Pulp Literature
Editorial critique: $50
Length: Between 500 and 2500 words
Submission Guidelines
Pulp Literature The First Page Cage Contest
Contest Opens: August 1, 2026
Deadline: October 1, 2026
Prize: $300
Entry fee: $30, includes a 1-year digital subscription to Pulp Literature
Editorial feedback: $10
Length: The first two pages (up to 500 words) of your novel, novella, or novelette
Submission Guidelines
Pulp Literature The Kingfisher Poetry Prize
Contest Opens: July 1, 2026
Deadline: August 15, 2026
Prize: $300 (First Prize), $50 (2 runner-ups)
Entry fee: $20, includes a 1-year digital subscription to Pulp Literature
Length: This contest is for previously unpublished poems of up to 20 lines in length. Poetry that relies heavily on visual structure is eligible for prize money, but may be excluded from publication if the formatting is difficult to reproduce in print or eBook. Total entries limited to 300. No simultaneous submissions.
Submission Guidelines
Pulp Literature The Magpie Award for Poetry
Contest Opens: March 1, 2027
Deadline: April 15, 2027
Prize: $500 (First Prize), $50 (2 runner-ups)
Entry fee: $35 for the first poem, $10 for each subsequent entry, includes a 1-year digital subscription to Pulp Literature
Length: This contest is for previously unpublished poems of up to 100 lines in length. Poetry that relies heavily on visual structure is eligible for prize money, but may be excluded from publication if the formatting is difficult to reproduce in print or eBook. No simultaneous submissions.
Submission Guidelines
Pulp Literature The Bumblebee Flash Fiction Contest
Contest Opens: January 1, 2027
Deadline: February 15, 2027
Prize: $300
Entry fee: $25, includes a 1-year digital subscription to Pulp Literature
Editorial Critique: $50
Length: This contest is for previously unpublished works of fiction up to 750 words in length. No simultaneous submissions. Total entries limited to 300.
Submission Guidelines
Riddle Fence’s Fiction and Poetry Contest
Deadline: 2026 Contest has closed
First Prize: $1000 GRAND PRIZE IN RF #59
Entry fee: $29, Free entry! for BIPOC contest submissions. Just self-identify upon entry.
Length: One short-fiction submission is one story, maximum 5000 words.
One poetry submission is up to 3 poems; no more than 100 lines per poem.
Submission Guidelines
Room‘s Poetry Contest :
*Extended Deadline: June 30, 2026
First Prize: $1,000
Second Prize: $250
Honourable Mention: $100
Entry fee: $35 for Canadian entry, includes a one-year subscription to Room
2026 Judge: Kai Cheng Thom
Submission Guidelines
Surrey International Writers’ Conference Writing Contest
Deadline: September 15, 2026
First Prize: $1,000 and publication
Honourable mention: $150 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition, The
Deadline: 2026 contest has closed
Prize: $2,500
Eligibility: Writers must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
Length: Up to 2,500 words
Did we miss one? Send us a note. We’ll update this post as more contests are announced!