Writing Contests Closing in December 2026
Writing Contests with application deadlines in December 2026, sorted by what closes soonest. Deadlines, awards, and entry fees shown on every listing — closed listings drop off automatically.
86 open right now
Cash prizes stated on the listing — no pay-to-enter-win-nothing contestsDeadlines tracked daily; closed contests drop off automaticallyPoetry, fiction, flash, CNF, and essay prizes
Closing soonest
- Contest · Writing2026 Bio-Sanctuary Writing ContestOpen · closes Dec 1$500–$1,000Fee: $10
- Contest · WritingFiction - 2026 organization hidden — members only ContestOpen · closes Dec 1Fee: $15
- Contest · WritingW&A Working-Class Writers' Prize 2026Opens Nov 1 · closes Dec 1£200 + mentorship
- Contest · WritingPoetry - 2026 organization hidden — members only ContestOpen · closes Dec 1Fee: $15
- Contest · WritingNeville Dawes Prize for Emerging organization hidden — members only PoetsOpen · closes Dec 1$1,000
- Contest · WritingThe James Dickey Prize for PoetryOpen · closes Dec 1$1,000Fee: $25
- Contest · Writing2026 Poetry Contest — The Ralph Gustafson Prize for Best PoemOpen · closes Dec 1Up to $2,000 CADFee: from $10
- Contest · WritingCai Emmons Short Fiction Contest entryOpen · closes Dec 1$200–$1,000Fee: $7
- Contest · WritingSillerman First Book Prize for organization hidden — members only PoetsOpen · closes Dec 1$1,000
- Contest · Writing2026 organization hidden — members only Fiction ContestOpen · closes Dec 1$1,000Fee: $10
- Contest · Writing2026 Hybrid Contest: Judged by Brenna WomerOpen · closes Dec 1$100–$300Fee: $15
- Contest · Writing2027 RBC Bronwen Wallace Awards - PoetryOpen · closes Dec 1$2,500–$10,000
- Contest · WritingW.S. Porter Prize for Short Story Collections — $1,000 + PublicationOpen · closes Dec 1$1,000Fee: $25
- Contest · Writing2026 Digital Chapbook ContestOpen · closes Dec 1$500Fee: $15
- Contest · WritingShaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political WritingOpen · closes Dec 1$40,000
- Contest · WritingEditors' Choice Prize (Multigenre)Open · closes Dec 1$50–$250Fee: $10
- Contest · Writing2027 RBC Bronwen Wallace Awards - Short FictionOpen · closes Dec 1$2,500–$10,000
- Contest · Writing❄︎ (2026W) organization hidden — members only Poetry PrizeOpen · closes Dec 2$300 top prizeFee: $9
- Contest · WritingStart A Riot! Poetry Chapbook Prize — Publication, $3000 Prize, $1000 for Tour/PromoOpen · closes Dec 2$3,000
- Contest · Writing2027 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Prize Entry FormOpen · closes Dec 3$25,000
- Contest · Writing2026 organization hidden — members only Scintillating StartsOpen · closes Dec 3$0.02/wordFee: $6.50
- Contest · WritingNeilma Sidney Short Story Prize (current subscriber)Open · closes Dec 4$5,000 AUD top prize + moreFee: $12
- Contest · WritingJudith Wright Poetry Prize (current subscribers)Open · closes Dec 4$1,000–$9,000 AUDFee: $12
- Contest · Writing2027 Nossrat Yassini Poetry PrizeOpen · closes Dec 4$10,000 + moreFee: $50
- Contest · WritingJudith Wright Poetry Prize (non-subscribers)Open · closes Dec 4$1,000–$9,000 AUDFee: $20
- Contest · Writing250-word Microfiction ChallengeOpens Dec 4 · closes Dec 4$4,500 top prizeFee: from $4
- Contest · WritingNeilma Sidney Short Story Prize (non-subscriber)Open · closes Dec 4$5,000 AUD top prize + moreFee: $20
- Contest · WritingIssue 3 - Call for poetry, short fiction, and flash fiction [Submissions are open]Open · closes Dec 5$50/pieceFee: $5.20
- Contest · WritingThe 2026 Ouroboros Prize—$3,500 Awarded—Free Entry for BIPOC and Historically Marginalized PoetsOpen · closes Dec 6$300–$3,000
- Contest · Writing2026 organization hidden — members only Memoir PrizeOpen · closes Dec 6$3,000 + publicationFee: $20
- Contest · Writing2027 Leopold Bloom Prize for Innovative NarrationOpen · closes Dec 7$500 top prize + publicationFee: $10
- Contest · WritingOR Playwriting Prize [Vol. LIII]Open · closes Dec 10$250
- Contest · WritingLiterature AwardsOpen · closes Dec 12$2,500
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition 2027Open · closes Dec 13$10,000 advance + royalties
- Contest · Writing2026 Devotion & Divination Prize // Free to Historically Marginalized GroupsOpen · closes Dec 13$300–$3,000Fee: $20
- Contest · Writing2026 Devotion & Divination PrizeOpen · closes Dec 13$3,000 top prize + publicationFee: $20
- Contest · Writing10:4 Tenn 10-minute Play ContestOpen · closes Dec 14$100–$200Fee: $2
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only TV Retreat & Fellowship ContestOpen · closes Dec 14$3,000 top prize + housing & mentorshipFee: from $14
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Prize 2026Open · closes Dec 15$1,313 + publication
- Contest · Writing2026 Biennial Letters Competition (organization hidden — members only)Open · closes Dec 15$100–$250Fee: from $15
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Essay PrizeOpen · closes Dec 15£500 prize + membership
- Contest · WritingGeorge Bogin Award judged by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo • $500 prizeOpen · closes Dec 15$500Fee: $15
- Contest · WritingLyric Poetry Award judged by Bianca Stone • $500 prizeOpen · closes Dec 15$500Fee: $10
- Contest · WritingCecil Hemley Memorial Award judged by Armen Davoudian • $500 prizeOpen · closes Dec 15$500Fee: $10
- Contest · WritingLucille Medwick Memorial Award judged by Keith S. Wilson • $500 prizeOpen · closes Dec 15$500Fee: $10
- Contest · WritingAnna Rabinowitz Award judged by Kate Colby • $1000 prizeOpen · closes Dec 15$1,000Fee: $10
- Contest · WritingEmily Dickinson Award judged by Edgar Kunz • $250 prizeOpen · closes Dec 15$250Fee: $10
- Contest · WritingAlice Fay Di Castagnola Award judged by Derrick Austin • $1,000 prizeOpen · closes Dec 15Up to $1,000 prize