Writing Contests Closing in September 2026
Writing Contests with application deadlines in September 2026, sorted by what closes soonest. Deadlines, awards, and entry fees shown on every listing — closed listings drop off automatically.
111 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 · WritingFall/Winter Print Edition Short Story Contest ($300 Award)Deadline September 1, 2026$300Fee: $20.00
- Contest · WritingThe St. organization hidden — members only Book Award - ProseDeadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: $30.00
- Contest · WritingPersonal Essay Awards 2026Deadline September 1, 2026$2,500Fee: $30.00
- Contest · WritingNarrative Poetry ContestDeadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: $20.00
- Contest · Writing6th Annual Arthur Smith Poetry PrizeDeadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: $25.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only PRIZE FOR BOOKS 2026Deadline September 1, 2026$5,000Fee: $100.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Poetry and Prose Contest - Summer 2026Deadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: $15.00
- Contest · Writing$3000 Strange Pilgrims Prize for Story of the Year & Essay of the YearDeadline September 1, 2026$3,000
- Contest · Writing2026 Fiction ContestDeadline September 1, 2026$65
- Contest · Writing2026 Robert J. DeMott Short Prose Contest Judged by B.J. HollarsDeadline September 1, 2026$1,008.15Fee: $15.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – organization hidden — members only Book AwardsDeadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: $25
- Contest · WritingClimate Playwriting Prize 2026Deadline September 1, 2026£15,000
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Writing ContestDeadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: 20
- Contest · WritingSt. organization hidden — members only Book Award — First Collection of Poetry or ProseDeadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: $30.00
- Contest · Writing🪷🐇 2026 organization hidden — members only Poetry Open Book Contest judged by Julie CarrDeadline September 1, 2026$3,000Fee: $30.00
- Contest · Writing2027 Novella PrizeDeadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: $25.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging WritersDeadline September 1, 2026$2,000
- Contest · Writing2026 organization hidden — members only Publishing Lab PrizeDeadline September 1, 2026$10,000Fee: $28.00
- Contest · WritingWinter 2026 Contest Edition (Early Bird)Deadline September 1, 2026$50Fee: $8.50 (early bird)
- Contest · WritingLiterary Awards — Essays (Creative Nonfiction) ContestDeadline September 1, 2026$1,000Fee: $15
- Contest · WritingRSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-FictionDeadline September 1, 2026£2,500
- Contest · WritingDiana Brebner PrizeDeadline September 2, 2026$500Fee: $35.00
- Contest · Writing2026 organization hidden — members only Video ContestDeadline September 2, 2026$500Fee: $15
- Contest · WritingYoung Lions Fiction AwardDeadline September 3, 2026$10,000
- Contest · WritingOTP Mini-Contest #66: Three SentencesDeadline September 4, 2026$15
- Contest · WritingOregon Book AwardsDeadline September 4, 2026$1,000Fee: $55
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Annual Writing ContestDeadline September 5, 2026$1,000
- Contest · WritingPoetry & Prose Contest (2026) - PROSE SUBMISSIONDeadline September 6, 2026$200
- Contest · WritingFlash 405Deadline September 6, 2026Fee: $5.00
- Contest · WritingPoetry & Prose Contest (2026) - POETRY SUBMISSIONDeadline September 6, 2026$200
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Book PrizesDeadline September 6, 2026$150Fee: $7
- Contest · WritingStories Out of School Flash Fiction ContestDeadline September 6, 2026$1,000
- Contest · WritingPoetry Contest SubmissionsDeadline September 7, 2026$200Fee: $20
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only 17th Annual Fiction ContestDeadline September 7, 2026$200Fee: $20
- Contest · Writing2026 organization hidden — members only Prize in TranslationDeadline September 7, 2026$250Fee: $20.00
- Contest · WritingCharlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year AwardDeadline September 7, 2026£10,000
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only 17th Annual Contest — Nonfiction (judged by Lia Purpura)Deadline September 7, 2026$200Fee: $20
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only 2026 Flash Fiction ContestDeadline September 7, 2026$100Fee: $15.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Prize in Translation (Poetry)Deadline September 7, 2026$1,000Fee: $20.00
- Contest · Writing2027 organization hidden — members only First Book AwardDeadline September 8, 2026$5,000Fee: $35.00
- Contest · WritingShaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political WritingDeadline September 9, 2026$40,000
- Contest · WritingNew Writers Prize 2026 (with Brunel University of London)Deadline September 11, 2026£1,000
- Contest · WritingThe organization hidden — members only Play AwardDeadline September 11, 2026£1,000
- Contest · WritingLEVEL 3 — YOU ARE TIMEDeadline September 12, 2026Fee: $5.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Sydney Taylor Manuscript AwardDeadline September 13, 2026$1,000
- Contest · Writing2026 Myths & Fables PrizeDeadline September 13, 2026$300Fee: $20.00
- Contest · Writing2026 Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art WritingDeadline September 14, 2026$1,000
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only 2026 Flash Prose Prize — Guest Judge Amy HempelDeadline September 14, 2026$3,600Fee: $20.00