Just in time for Spring, our annual Writing Contest Listing is back!
What inspires your sense of the world? What’s your penchant for endings? Whatever your approach to the craft–and whether fiction, poetry, memoir –you’ll find plenty of outlets for your stories in Canadian magazines. Be inspired to create your next work of poetry, fiction or personal essay. Take the opportunity to finish your latest literary creation and submit it to a Canadian magazine writing contest.
All contests and awards listed below accept previously unpublished works of Canadian poetry, short fiction and creative non-fiction. If you know of one that we missed, please let us know or Tweet at us @MagAwards. And check out our Canadian Literary Magazine Guide for other ideas for where to submit your work.
And for more inspiration, check out the National Magazine Awards Archive, with hundreds of winning and nominated stories and poems to read.
Grain Magazine Short Grain Contest Deadline: April 5, 2019 Prize: $1000 (1st); $750 (2nd); $500 (3rd); publication Entry Fee: $40 for up to two entries; includes registration + subscription
Contemporary Verse 2 CV2 2-Day Poem Contest Deadline: April 12, 2019 Prize: $500 (1st); $300 (2nd); $150 (3rd); publication Entry Fee: $26; includes registration + subscription (registration only is $16)
Vallum The Vallum Chapbook Award 2019 Deadline: April 30, 2019 1st Prize: Publication + $300 Entry fees: $25 CDN for Canadian entrants
The Magpie Award for Poetry Deadline: 15 April 2019 Winner notified: 15 May 2019 Winners published in: Issue 24, Autumn 2019 First Prize: $500 and a 1-year subscription to Duotrope ($50 value).
The Hummingbird Flash Fiction Prize Open: 1 May-June 15, 2019 Winner notified: 15 July 2019 Winner published in: Issue 25, Winter 2020 Prize: $300 Entry fee: $15 This contest is for previously unpublished works of fiction up to 1000 words in length.
The Malahat Review The Malahat Review Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction Genre: Fiction (max 3500 words) Deadline: May 1, 2019 Prize: $1,000; publication Entry Fee: $25 (additional entries are $15); includes subscription
Dreamers Creative Writing Haiku Contest 2019 Deadline: May 13, 2019 Entry Fee: $10 (includes an electronic copy of Dreamers Magazine Issue 1) Prize: $120 to the first place winner The winner will receive $120 CAD ($100 prize + $20 honorarium), 2 copies of our magazine (1 print, 1 electronic), and 2 special Dreamers keychains on which the winning poem will be printed. Submit up to 3 Haiku per entry; enter as many times as you want.
SubTerrain 17th Annual Lush Triumphant Literary Awards Deadline: May 15, 2019 Fiction: Maximum 3,000 words Poetry: A suite of 5 related poems (maximum 15 pages) Creative Non-Fiction: (Based on fact, adorned w/fiction) maximum 4,000 words Prize: $1000 Entry Fee: $30
The Canadian Stories 11th Contest for Short Stories, Poetry, and Black & White Line Art. Deadline: May 15, 2019 True Stories $350 Creative Non-Fiction $350 Fiction $350 Poetry $200 Lest We Forget $350 Black & White Line Art $350 First Honourable Mention $100 Second Honourable Mention $50 Notification approximately August 1, 2019. Entry Fee: $20
Creative Non-Fiction | Open April 1 – June First Prize: $500 + publication in Room Second Prize: $250 + publication in Room Honourable Mention: $50 publication on Room‘s website Entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Room, beginning with issue 42.3 (September 2019).
Poetry| Open June 15 – August 15 First Prize: $1,000 + publication in Room Second Prize: $250 + publication in Room Honourable Mention: $50 publication on Room’swebsite Entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Room, beginning with issue 42.4 (December 2019).
Short Forms | September 1 – November 1 First Prize: $500 + publication (2 prizes) Honourable Mention: $50 publication on Room’swebsite
Cover Art| November 15 – January 15 First Prize: $500 + publication on the cover of Room 42.2 Second Prize: $50 + publication in Room 42.2 Honourable Mention: publication on Room’swebsite
The Grouse Grind Lit Prize for V. Short Forms Deadline: May 15, 2019 $500 Grand Prize, $150 runner-up, $50 2nd runner-up Entry fee: $15 for all entries. Option to pay an additional fee to include a subscription (or an extension of an existing subscription) with your contest entry. Max. word count: 300 words.
Creative Non-Fiction Contest Open: May 2019 – July 31, 2019 Grand Prize: $1,500 Second Prize: $600 runner-up 2nd runner-up: $400 Entry fee: $35 Canadian entries (includes a one-year subscription or extension) Additional entry: $5 per piece Max. word count: 6,000
Annual Earle Birney Prize for Poetry An annual prize of $500 awarded by the outgoing Poetry Editor to an outstanding poetry contributor published in PRISM international. Enter by regular submission only: no fee required.
The New Quarterly The Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award Deadline: May 28, 2019 One top prize including $1000 and a one-year Duotrope Gift Certificate (a USD $50 value) will be awarded for one work of short fiction (no word limit). Entry fee: $40 per piece (includes a 1-year Canadian subscription or renewal to The New Quarterly).
CBC Canada Writes Poetry Prize Contest Opens: April 1, 2019 Deadline: May 31, 2019 Prize: The winner will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and will have the opportunity to attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Their winning submission will be published on CBC Books. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their poetry published on CBC Books. Entry Fee: $25
Eden Mills Writers Festival Read at the Fringe Deadline: May 31, 2019 Contest Categories: Prose: 2500 words maximum, double-spaced Poetry: Up to five poems, five pages maximum, single-spaced Prizes: Winners selected in each category will be invited to read at the EMWF on Festival Sunday (September 8, 2019), and will be treated to all the perks of attending the festival as an author, including access to the author hospitality suite, and an invitation to the festival’s gala dinner for authors. Entry Fee: $15
Eden Mills Writers Festival Literary Contest Deadline: May 31, 2019 Contest Categories: Short Story: 2500 words maximum Poetry: A poem or collection, no more than five poems Creative Non-Fiction: 2500 words maximum Prizes: The best entry in each category will win a $250 prize. Winning entries will be published on the EMWF website and the names of the winners will be included in the festival weekend program. Entry Free: $15
The Fiddlehead Creative Nonfiction Contest Deadline: June 3, 2019 Prize: $2000 Entry Fee: The fee for first entry is $30. Additional entries after that first contest entry (to either contest category) are $10.
Prairie Fire Banff Centre Bliss Carman Poetry Award, Short Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction Contests Deadline: November 30, 2019 1st prize $1,250 2nd prize $500 3rd prize $250 Entry Fee: $32
The Surrey International Writer’s Conference The Surrey International Writer’s Conference (SIWC) Writing Contest Deadline: September 21, 2019 First prize: $1000 plus publication Honourable Mention: $150 plus publication Cost: $15/entry
Soul Disabled writers in Canada (including but not limited those who are physically/invisibly disabled, d/Deaf, blind, neurodivergent, chronically ill or suffering from mental health issues) Monthly Literary Prize dedicated to underrepresented writers in Canada. Genres: Poetry/Prose/Fiction/Creative Non-Fiction There are no themes. There is no minimum or maximum word count. There is no submission fee. Only non-published work (print or online). One submission per month, & you are eligible to win the top prize once every twelve months. You are eligible for a maximum of two prizes every twelve months. Awards: $1000 for the top prize. $300 for the second prize. $150 for the third prize. All winning pieces will be published online at http://shootforthemoon.art
Spark QT2S / BIPOC (Queer / Trans, 2 Spirit and/or Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) Monthly Literary Prize dedicated to underrepresented writers in Canada. Genres: Poetry/Prose/Fiction/Creative Non-Fiction There are no themes. There is no minimum or maximum word count. There is no submission fee. Only non-published work (print or online). One submission per month, & you are eligible to win the top prize once every twelve months. You are eligible for a maximum of two prizes every twelve months. Awards: $1000 for the top prize. $300 for the second prize. $150 for the third prize. All winning pieces will be published online at http://shootforthemoon.art
Did we miss one? Send us a note or grab us on Twitter @MagAwards. We’ll update this post throughout the spring and summer as more contests are announced.
They publish much of Canada’s best poetry and prose. The writers whose creative work appears in their pages range from established icons of Canadian literary arts–such as Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood and Lynn Coady, to name just a few–to new writers published for the first time.
They are Canada’s literary magazines, and they are not only a source of reading pleasure, but also a critical part of our country’s culture and a forum for literary artists across the land.
The following list, an A-to-Z guide to Canadian literary periodicals and their submissions guidelines, compiled by the National Media Awards Foundation, focuses on those magazines that currently publish short fiction, poetry and/or creative (aka literary) non-fiction. Many also accept submissions for essays, literary criticism, reviews, interviews, graphic narratives and visual art. And many have won National Magazine Awards. If we missed any, tell us via Twitter @MagAwards or contact us by email.
Artery, The Published in: Ontario (Lakehead University) Founded: 2008 Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Plays Issues per Year: 1-2 National Magazine Awards: None Submission Guidelines
GUTS: Canadian Feminist Magazine Published in: Ontario (Toronto) Founded: 2012 Genres: Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Essays, New Media Issues per Year: Biannual, plus regular online content National Magazine Awards Nominations: None Submission Guidelines
Impressment Gang, The Published in: Nova Scotia (Halifax) Founded: 2014 Genres: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Reviews Issues per Year: 3 National Magazine Award Nominations: None Submissions Guidelines
In/Words Published in: Ontario (Carleton University, Ottawa) Founded: 2001 Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Visual Art Issues per Year: 2-3 National Magazine Awards Nominations: None Submission Guidelines
Mackinac, The Published in: Online Founded: 2013 Genres: Poetry Issues per Year: 3-4 National Magazine Awards: None Submission guidelines
MacroMicroCosm Published in: British Columbia Founded: 2015 Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Visual Art Issues per Year: 4 (online) National Magazine Awards: None Submission guidelines
NōD Published In: Alberta (U. of Calgary) Founded: 2014 Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Reviews, Visual Arts Issues per Year: 2 National Magazine Awards: None Submission Guidelines
Northern Appeal, The Published In: Ontario (Simcoe County and Muskoka) Founded: 2016 Genres: Poetry, Short Stories, Photography, and Visual Art Issues per Year: 2 National Magazine Awards: None Submission Guidelines
Poetry is Dead Published in: British Columbia (Burnaby) Founded: 2009 Genres: Poetry Issues per Year: 2 National Magazine Award Nominations: None Submissions Guidelines
Polymath Published in: British Columbia Founded: 2015 Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Visual Art Issues per Year: 4 (online) National Magazine Awards: None Submission guidelines
Prairie Journal Published in: Alberta (Calgary) Founded: 1983 Genres: Poetry, Short Fiction, Drama, Literary Criticism Issues per Year: 2 National Magazine Award Nominations: 2 Submissions Guidelines
Pulp Literature Published in: British Columbia Founded: 2014 Genres: Short Stories, Novellas, Novel Excerpts and Graphic Novel Shorts Issues per Year: 4 National Magazine Award Nominations: None Submissions Guidelines
Rhubarb Published in: Manitoba (Winnipeg) Founded: 1970 Genres: Creative Non-fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Visual Art, with a focus on Canada’s Mennonite communities Issues per Year: 2-3 National Magazine Award Nominations: None Submission Guidelines
Read all about this year’s National Magazine Award winners, which included medals by literary magazines Arc Poetry Magazine, Event, Hazlitt, Little Brother, Prairie Fire, PRISM International, sub-Terrain, The Feathertale Review, The New Quarterly, Vallum and Maisonneuve, which won Magazine of the Year.
Published in: Canada
Broken Pencil
Canadian Literature
Canadian Poetry
Carte Blanche
Eighteen Bridges
ELQ: Exile, the Literary Quarterly
Freefall
Geez
Glass Buffalo
GUTS: Canadian Feminist Magazine
Hamilton Arts & Letters
Hart House Review
Hazlitt
Humber Literary Review, The
Impressment Gang, The
In/Words
Little Brother
MacroMicroCosm
Maisonneuve
Nashwaak Review, The
Northword
Nouveau Projet
One Throne
Open Minds Quarterly
Poetry is Dead
Prairie Journal
Pulp Literature
Quilliad, The
QWERTY
Rampike
Rhubarb
Scarborough Fair
THIS Magazine
untethered
