Creative submissions, prizes, awards, residencies, workshops & more
Dozens of new prizes, contests, grants, residencies and workshops for writers.
Welcome to the latest roundup from the Freelance Writing Network.
This edition has got 50+ vetted opportunities with deadlines from early March through late May 2026, covering everything from flash fiction and poetry to screenwriting, journalism, residencies and grants.
You’ll find cash-prize contests, major literary awards, fellowships, translation residencies, emergency funding, plus practical workshops and conferences to sharpen your craft and grow your freelance business.
Every listing has been verified, with links to the official source and key details like prize amounts, entry fees, dates and eligibility clearly outlined.
Dip in, see what fits your goals for the next few months, and line up your next round of submissions (or professional development) with a bit less guesswork and a lot more clarity!
Creative submissions, prizes, awards, residencies, workshops & more
Writing Contests & Prizes
Cash prizes for submitted work — stories, poems, essays, and more.
Desmond O’Grady International Poetry Competition
Submit poems for this long-running international competition. Winner invited to read at the 2027 April is Poetry Month in Limerick festival.
Prize: €200 first, €50 runner-up.
Deadline: March 7, 2026
Mairtín Crawford Awards for Poetry and Short Story 2026
Aimed at writers working towards their first full collection. Submit 3–5 poems for the poetry award, or a short story up to 2,500 words. Open to those born in, citizens of, or residents of Ireland and the UK. Winners also receive a “Time to Write” package including a three-night stay in Belfast and four days of writing space. Entry fee: £10.
Prize: £500 per winner, £250 for runners-up.
Deadline: March 11, 2026
The London Magazine Poetry Prize 2026
Open internationally. Poems must be previously unpublished and no longer than 40 lines. Prize winners appear in a print issue and are celebrated at a prize-giving event. Entry fee: £12 per poem (£6 subsequent entries; £6 for students/low-income).
Prize: £1,000 first, £600 second, £400 third.
Deadline: March 13, 2026
Robinson Jeffers Tor House Poetry Prize
Submit up to three poems of no more than three pages each. Entry fee: $10.
Prize: $1,000.
Deadline: March 14, 2026
Waterman Fund Essay Contest
For emerging writers who have not published a major work on environmental topics. Essays of 2,000–3,000 words on wilderness, wildness, or environmental ethics. Free to enter.
Prize: $3,000 first place, $1,000 second place.
Deadline: March 15, 2026
Cymera-Shoreline of Infinity Prize for Speculative Short Fiction
For writers who are Scottish by birth or inclination, aged 14+. Submit a speculative story up to 2,500 words. Free to enter.
Prize: £150.
Deadline: March 22, 2026
Letter Review Prize
Submit the first 5,000 words of a novel or nonfiction manuscript, or 15 pages of poetry. Entry fee: $30 (additional entries $20).
Prize: $1,000 total prize pool shared among 2–4 winners. Winners may choose to have an extract published and receive a letter of recommendation from judges. 10–20 writers shortlisted.
Deadline: March 28, 2026
Parsec Ink Short Story Competition – Metamorphosis
Speculative fiction contest for non-professional writers. Stories up to 3,500 words on the theme of “Metamorphosis.” Free to enter.
Prize: $200 first, $100 second, $50 third. $50 for best youth story.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Foley Poetry Contest (America Media)
Submit an unpublished poem of 45 lines or fewer. Free to enter.
Prize: $1,000.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award
A grant for emerging crime fiction writers of colour. Submit an unpublished piece of crime fiction, 2,500–5,000 words. Free to enter.
Prize: $2,000 towards career development activities (workshops, seminars, courses, research).
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Fish Publishing Poetry Prize 2026
Poems up to 60 lines. Judged by Billy Collins. Entry fee: €16 (€11 for subsequent entries).
Prize: €1,000 first, €300 second, €300 third. Top 10 published in the Fish Anthology 2026.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Wild Atlantic Writing Awards
Flash fiction on the theme of “Power.” Stories up to 500 words — the word “power” cannot appear in the story. Entry fee: €10.
Prize: €500 per category winner (or €1,000 off a writing retreat).
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Prime Number Magazine Awards
Two prizes for a poem and a short story. Entry fee: $15.
Prize: $1,000 each, plus publication in Prime Number Magazine.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Lascaux Prize in Poetry
For poems. Previously published and unpublished poems accepted. Up to five poems per entry. Entry fee: $15.
Prize: $1,000 plus publication in Lascaux Review.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Eye Contact Prize in Genre Fiction
Submit fantasy flash fiction (up to 1,000 words). Free to enter.
Prize: $250.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Henshaw Press Short Story Competition
Short stories up to 2,000 words. Entry fee: £6 (optional critique: £14).
Prize: £200 first, £100 second, £50 third.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Ann Petry Award (Red Hen Press)
For a work of previously unpublished prose (novel or collection of short stories/novellas, minimum 150 pages) by a Black writer. Free to enter.
Prize: $3,000 and publication.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Submit a humor poem of up to 250 lines. Free to enter.
Prize: $2,000 first (plus two-year Duotrope subscription), $500 second, $250 third, plus ten prizes of $100.
Deadline: April 1, 2026
Great American Think-Off
Essay contest — 2026 question: “Has the pursuit of happiness made Americans unhappy?” Essays up to 750 words. For US-based writers. Free to enter. Four finalists are invited to a live debate in New York Mills, MN (travel covered).
Prize: $500 each for four finalists.
Deadline: April 1, 2026
Baen Fantasy Adventure Award
Adventure fantasy short stories up to 8,000 words. Free to enter.
Prize: Industry-standard payment rates plus publication. Winners announced at Dragon Con.
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Black Orchid Novella Award
For novellas (15,000–20,000 words) in the tradition of Rex Stout’s deductive detective fiction. Focus on the sleuth’s deductive skills. Free to enter.
Prize: $1,000 plus publication in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.
Deadline: May 31, 2026
Professional Development Events
Paid professional development events for writers.
Whale Rock Writing Workshops: Digging Deeper – Subtext
A single-evening online workshop on using subtext to add depth to your writing, with former editor and author Laurie Calkhoven.
Cost: $35.
Date: March 10, 2026
The Unglamorous Secrets of Freelance Writing
Live online session digging into the unglamorous but essential parts of freelance life: following up when editors don’t reply, finding and contacting sources, handling rejection, and building long-term professional relationships without awkwardness. Sithara will share practical approaches, real examples, and honest stories about what works (and what doesn’t). The session will be recorded for those who can’t attend live, and complements previous FWN events like Pitch Lab and Write Your First Pitch.
Free for paid members of the Freelance Writing Network.
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 1pm ET / 10am PT / 5pm GMT.
The Inside Scoop on Freelance Journalism: Q&A with Isabel Woodford
In-person masterclass and Q&A at Loom Club, Angel, London. Former Reuters reporter Isabel Woodford shares practical framework for building a freelance career, pitching major publications, financial roadmap, and industry realities (including money talk). Special guests: commissioning editors from Boston Globe, New Scientist, Bloomberg.
Cost: £25.
Date: Monday, March 16, 2026, 7:00 PM GMT
Las Vegas Writers Conference
Three days with virtual attendees from around the world. Pitch sessions with literary agents and editors included. One-on-one mentoring available.
Dates: April 23–25, 2026
The 2026 Online Pittsburgh Writing Workshop
A two-day online “How to Get Published” event. Instruction on queries, pitches, marketing, and more. Includes optional one-on-one agent and editor pitching. 200 seats.
Dates: May 8–9, 2026
Major Literary Awards
High-profile awards and prizes recognising published and unpublished work.
The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
For a debut novel by an American citizen or permanent resident published during the award year. Entry fee: $100.
Prize: $15,000. Six finalists also receive prizes.
Deadline: March 13, 2026
BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University
One of the world’s most prestigious short story awards. For published UK writers. Submit one story of up to 8,000 words. Free to enter.
Prize: £15,000 for the winner, £600 for four shortlisted writers. Stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and published in an anthology.
Deadline: March 16, 2026
Fitzcarraldo Editions / Mahler & LeWitt Studios Essay Prize
For unpublished writers in the UK & Ireland. Submit a proposal (up to 5,000 words) for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words). Free to enter.
Prize: £4,000, publication by Fitzcarraldo Editions, and up to six weeks’ residency at the Mahler & LeWitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy.
Deadline: March 16, 2026
DAG Prize for Literature
For US-based writers working on a second book of prose. Must have published one book with a nationally distributed US press. Free to enter.
Prize: $20,000.
Deadline: March 18, 2026
National Poetry Series Open Competition
Five prizes for poetry collections by American residents or citizens living abroad. Entry fee: $35.
Prize: $10,000 each, plus publication by participating trade, university, or small press publishers.
Deadline: March 21, 2026
The Rubery Prize
International award for indie and self-published authors across fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and more. Entry fee: £46 / $70.
Prize: £2,000 for overall winner, £200 for category winners.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction
For a book-length work of imaginative fiction published in the US in English or translation. Free to enter.
Prize: $25,000.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Maya Angelou Book Award
For a book of fiction demonstrating commitment to social justice, published in 2025 or scheduled for publication by November 2026. Entries must be made by publishers. Free to enter.
Prize: $10,000. Entrants must be available for a two-week reading tour in Missouri.
Deadline: April 1, 2026
Playwriting & Screenwriting
Opportunities for dramatists, scriptwriters, and screenwriters.
David Nobbs Memorial Trust Comedy Writing Competition
For UK-based comedy writers with at least one credited broadcast comedy writing credit. Submit the first 10 pages of a sitcom pilot script, or four three-minute comedy sketches.
Prize: £1,000 for winner, £250 for runners-up.
Deadline: March 6, 2026
Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest
Feature screenplays across all genres. Regular deadline: May 1, 2026.
Prize: $25,000 overall winner, plus industry exposure and representation meetings.
Early Deadline: March 5, 2026 (reduced entry fee)
Script Pipeline TV Writing Contest
Original television pilots or indie series scripts.
Prize: $25,000 overall winner.
Early Deadline: March 5, 2026
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards
Feature screenplays across ten genre categories. Over $50,000 in prizes. Entry fee: $69 (late deadline), $79 (last minute).
Prize: $25,000 grand prize. Genre winners also receive cash prizes.
Late Deadline: March 15, 2026. Last Minute Deadline: April 15, 2026
Papatango New Writing Prize
The UK’s leading unsolicited playwriting award. Open to residents of the UK and Republic of Ireland. Submit an original, unproduced play with a running time of at least 60 minutes. The winner receives a full London production at Park Theatre. All entrants receive written feedback. Free to enter.
Prize: £8,000 commission, royalties, production, and publication by Nick Hern Books. A Discovery prize winner also receives £8,000 commission and development.
Deadline: March 16, 2026
Grants & Funded Opportunities
Direct financial support for writers working on projects.
Paul Engle Prize
Awarded to a writer who represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing, editing, publishing, or education. Free nomination.
Prize: $25,000.
Deadline: March 15, 2026
PEN America Writers Aid Initiative
Emergency grants for fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists based in the US. Must be a professional writer and demonstrate that a one-time grant will help address an emergency.
Grant: Amount varies.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Silvers Grants for Works in Progress (Robert B. Silvers Foundation)
For English-language writers of any nationality. Supports long-form essays in literary criticism, arts writing, political analysis, and/or social reportage. Applicants should have an editorial agreement with a publication or publisher.
Grant: Up to $10,000.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Susan Kamil Emerging Writers Prize
For unpublished writers currently employed at a physical book or comic store in the US. Free to enter.
Prize: $10,000 each (five prizes awarded).
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Creative Capital Awards
Project grants for individual artists, including literature (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays). Multidisciplinary and socially engaged projects welcome. For US-based creators.
Grant: $15,000–$50,000 per project.
Application Period: March 2–April 2, 2026
Fellowships & Residencies
Funded time and space to develop your writing.
NCW Korean–English Translation Residency (Norwich)
A four-week residency at Dragon Hall in Norwich for one experienced literary translator working from Korean to English. Runs Monday 6 July – Saturday 1 August, 2026.
Award: Residency, workspace, mentorship, and networking provided.
Deadline: March 20, 2026
David Whyte Poet-in-Residence Award at Burren College of Art
A four-week residency for a poet with official residency in Ireland, running August 31–September 25, 2026. Develop work in the unique environment of the Burren alongside students and artists-in-residence.
Award: €5,000 bursary plus campus accommodation.
Deadline: March 21, 2026
BMI-Kluge Fellowship (Black Mountain Institute / Library of Congress)
A three-month, primarily virtual fellowship for a writer whose book would directly benefit from access to the Library of Congress collections. Includes two weeks on-site at the Library of Congress and a later visit to UNLV Las Vegas for a public programme. Must have a master’s/doctorate or bachelor’s plus five years’ professional experience.
Award: $15,000, plus flights to Washington D.C. and Las Vegas.
Deadline: March 22, 2026
A Public Space Writing Fellowship
For writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book. Submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry welcome. Three fellowships awarded. Six-month fellowship period (June–November 2026). International applicants welcome (work must be in English). Free to apply.
Award: $1,000, editorial support, publication in the magazine, Master Class access, and a public reading.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
NCW Norwich–Jakarta Circular Residency
Open to published writers based in England with a connection to Norwich. Residency in Jakarta runs September 14–October 10, 2026. Writers of novels, short stories, poetry, children’s/YA literature, or literary nonfiction.
Award: Free accommodation, economy class travel, and a stipend towards living expenses.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers
A three-month residency (September–December 2026) in Carson McCullers’s childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. Apply via email with cover letter, CV, writing sample (up to 20 pages), and two letters of recommendation.
Award: $5,000 stipend plus private apartment.
Deadline: April 1, 2026
Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Public Services Journalism
Supports investigative journalism serving the public interest. For mid-career journalists at US news outlets.
Prize: Up to $100,000.
Deadline: April 20, 2026