Contests for Canadian Writers

ARC Poem of the Year

Awards: $5,000 grand prize; $500 honourable mention prize, and $250 readers’ choice prize. All shortlisted poems received paid publication in Arc and online.

Eligibility: Open internationally; entry fee depends on number of submissions and includes an Arc subscription.

Website: arcpoetry.ca/contest/poem-of-the-year/

Canadian Jewish Playwriting competition

Award: The winning playwright will receive $1,000 and an 8-hour CAEA workshop with a director and up to six actors that concludes with a public reading.

Website: mnjcc.org/theatre

CBC Nonfiction Prize

Awards: Winner will receive $6,000, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and have their work published on CBC Books. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 and have their story published on CBC Books.

Eligibility: Canadian citizens and permanent residents; entry fee of $25

Website: cbc.ca/books/literaryprizes/cbc-nonfiction-prize-1.4090951

cbc poetry prize

Awards: Winner will receive $6,000, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and have their work published on CBC Books. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 and have their story published on CBC Books.

Eligibility: Canadian citizens and permanent residents; entry fee of $25

Website: cbc.ca/books/literaryprizes/cbc-poetry-prize-1.4090929

CBC Short Story Prize

Awards: Winner will receive $6,000, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and have their work published on CBC Books. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 and have their story published on CBC Books.

Eligibility: Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada; entry fee of $25

Website: cbc.ca/books/literaryprizes/cbc-short-story-prize-1.4090935

Crime Writers of Canada — Best Unpublished Manuscript

Award: $500

Eligibility: Canadian citizens, permanent residents and Canadian citizens living abroad; entry fee of $30 per manuscript ($15 for CWC members)

Website: crimewriterscanada.com/index.php/en/page/page-content/awards-of-excellence

CV2 contests & awards

Awards:

• 2-Day Poem Contest: $500 first prize; $300 second prize; $150 third prize

• The Foster Poetry Prize: $1,000 to the winning entry; cash prizes to four Honourable Mentions

Eligibility: International; entry fee of $16-26.

Creative Nonfiction Collective Contest

Award: $1,000 first prize; $300 second prize; $200 third prize

Eligibility: Canadian citizens and permanent residents; entry fee of $30 ($15 for CNFC members)

Website: creativenonfictioncollective.ca/cnf-contest/

dreamers creative writing contests

Awards:

• $250 prize for Stories of Migration, Sense of Place and Home

• $120 prize for Micro Nonfiction Story Contest

• $120 prize for Haiku Contest

• $150 prize for Flash Fiction and Nonfiction Contest

Eligibility: International; entry fees dependent on the contest.

Website: dreamerswriting.com/submit

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival — Read at The Fringe Literary Contest

Award: One winner in each category (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry) will be invited to read at the festival. The prize also includes $150, and inclusion in a chapbook.

Eligibility: Ontario residents; $20 entry fee

Website: edenmillswritersfestival.ca/the-fringe-literary-contest

EVENT magazine — Non-Fiction Contest

Awards: $1,500 first place; $1,000 second place; $500 third place

Eligibility: International; fee of $34.95 per entry (includes magazine subscription)

Website: eventmagazine.ca/contest-nf

Exile Quarterly — poetry and Fiction competitions

Awards:

• The $15,000 Nona Heaslip Best Canadian Short Fiction Competition; $2000 for runner-up

• The Ruth and David Lampe Poetry Competition awards; $1,500 for Emerging Writer category; $1,500 for Any Career Point category

Eligibility: Canadian residents; fee of $35 per entry (includes magazine subscription)

Website: exilequarterly.com/poetry-and-fiction-competitions

The EX-Puritan — Austin CLarke Prize in literary excellence

Awards: $1,000 first prize; $200 runner-up

Eligibility: International; fee of $20 per entry

Website: ex-puritan.ca/austin-clarke-prize

Federation of BC Writers Literary contests

Awards: $350 for each genre (Flash Fiction, Short Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Poetry), publication in anthology, free copies of anthology

Eligibility: Canadian residents; entry fee of $15 FBCW members, $25 non-members

Website: bcwriters.ca

Feme sole Awards

Award: $1000 scholarship for creative writing

Eligibility: Canadian citizens over 21 years old, living in Canada, who are not receiving funding for their work

Website: zoechilco.ca/feme-sole-awards

The Fiddlehead Annual contest

Award: $2,000; type of submission changes each year

Eligibility: International; entry fee varies by country of residence

Website: thefiddlehead.ca/contest

Freefall ANNUAL PROSE & POETRY CONTEST

Awards:

• $500 First Prize

• $250 Second Prize

• $125 Third Prize

• $75 Honourable Mention Prize

• Contest entries are also automatically entered into the Lynn Fraser Memorial contest for a chance to win $100

Eligibility: International; entry fee of $25 (includes magazine subscription)

Website: freefallmagazine.ca/contest

The Gallery of Human Migration Literary Award

Awards: First Prize: A custom-designed sculpture. Second – Tenth Prizes: Exclusive sketches of the sculpture.

Eligibility: Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are the age of majority

Website: galleryofhumanmigration.org/call-for-expressions-of-interest-2025-migration-literary-award/

Geist writing contests

Awards: Poltergeist Writing Contest, Erasure Poetry Contest, Annual Literal Literary Postcard Story Contest

Eligibility: International; entry fee of $20 (includes magazine subscription)

Website: geist.com/contests

The Great Big Northern Ontario Story Contest

Awards:

• $1,000 for first prize, $250 for second prize

Eligibility: For a non-fiction travel story set in or showcasing the beauty of Northern Ontario, between 800-1600 words in English or French. Open to Canadian residents over 18.

Website: northernontario.travel/best/great-big-northern-ontario-story-contest

GritLit Short Story Contest

Awards: For fiction or creative non-fiction, 500 words or less

• $500 for first place

• $150 for two honourable mentions

Eligibility: Piece that is previously unpublished; entry fee of $15

Website: gritlit.ca/contest

K. Valerie Connor Poetry Competition

Awards: For adult1st Place: $1000, 2nd Place: $500, 3rd Place: $250

Eligibility: Ontario residents only; entry fee of $10 per poem

Website: orillia.ca/poetrycontest

League of canadian poets — Lesley Strutt Poetry contest

Award: $500

Eligibility: Canadian poets, poets living and working in Canada, as well as Indigenous, Inuit and Métis poets who live in the region known colonially as Canada; entry fee of $5

Website: poets.ca/offerings/awards/

The Malahat Review

Award: Various contests including the Long Poem Prize, Novella Prize, Far Horizons Award for Poetry/Short Fiction and the Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize.

Eligibility: International; varies.

Website: malahatreview.ca/contests/contests_info.html

Montreal International Poetry Prize

Awards: $20,000

Eligibility: International; entry fee of $20-25 depending on submission date

Website: montrealpoetryprize.com

MoonLit Getaway Contest

Awards: $100 + publication first prize, publication second and third prize in each category (poetry, flash fiction)

Eligibility: Accepting submissions from within North America

Website: moonlitgetaway.com

Next Generation Short Story Awards

Awards: 1 Winner and 3 Finalists in each of the 30+ categories and 3 Grand Prize Winners

Eligibility: Open to writers in the U.S., Canada or internationally who have written an original short story in English that has not been previously published at the time of entry; the 2025 entry fee is $25 per story for the first category entered and $20 for each additional category entered for the same story

Website: shortstoryawards.com

north shore Writers association contest

Awards: $100 first prize; $75 second prize, $50 third prize in each category (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and writing for children and young adults). First prize is $75 for two separate divisions of Youth under 11 and 12-18 years old.

Eligibility: Canadian youth & adults

Website: nswriters.org/annual-contest

Northwestern Ontario writers workshop - annual WRITING contest

Awards: $150 first prize; $100 second prize; $50 third prize in each category

Eligibility: International; ages 18 and over; $10 entry fee (free for NOWW members)

Website: nowwwriters.ca

THE ONTARIO POETRY SOCIETY - ELLEN S.JAFFE HUMANIST AWARD FOR POETRY

Awards: $500 first prize

Eligibility: Canada and the US; entry fee of $20

Website: theontariopoetrysociety.ca/contest_Ellen_S_Jaffe_Humanist_Award.html

Open Minds Quarterly - Brainstorm Poetry Contest

Awards: $250 first prize, $150 second prize, $75 third prize, Honourable Mentions receive an honorarium

Eligibility: International; people with lived experience of madness, mental health challenges, mental illness and/or neurodivergence; entry fee of $12

Website: openmindsquarterly.com

portal magazine - portent FICTION contest

Awards: $500 and publication

Eligibility: Canadian citizens and residents; entry fee $25

Website: portalmagazine.ca/index.php/portent

pottersfield press - prize for creative non-fiction

Awards: The First Prize winner will receive a contract for the publication of the winning book along with a $1000 advance on 10% royalty for all sales. The Second Prize winner will also see the publication of the book and a $800 advance on 10% royalties

Eligibility: Canadian residents with unpublished manuscripts; entry fee of $25

Website: pottersfieldpress.com/creative-prize-for-nonfiction

Prairie Fire Annual Writing Contests

Awards: $1250 first prize in each of three categories: McNally Robinson Booksellers Poetry Award, Short Fiction, and Creative Non-Fiction.

Eligibility: International; entry fee of $32 (includes magazine subscription)

Website: www.prairiefire.ca/contests

PRISM international recurring contests

Awards: Various contests including Creative Non-Fiction, The Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize, The Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction, The Grouse Grind Prize for V. Short Forms, and the Annual Earle Birney Prize for Poetry.

Eligibility: International; entry fee varies by contest and country of residence; free entries for self-identifying Black and Indigenous writers for all our contests; limited number of free entries offered to low-income writers

Website: prismmagazine.ca/contests

pulp literature contests

Awards: $300 Bumblebee Flash Fiction Contest; $500 Magpie Award for Poetry; $300 The Hummingbird Flash Fiction Contest; $300 The Raven Short Story Contest; $300 Kingfisher Poetry Prize

Eligibility: International; entry fee varies by contest

Website: pulpliterature.com/contests

ROOM Magazine contests

Awards: Varies by contest (Poetry, Short Forms, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction)

Eligibility: Open to women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people; entry fee varies by contest and country of residence; 10 free entries offered to low-income writers

Website: roommagazine.com/contests

The Scribes Prize

Awards: $250 Gold, $125 Silver, $60 Bronze, $20 Honorable Mention

Eligibility: Entry fee of $5

Website: fairfieldscribes.com/the-scribes-prize

subterrain — ANNUAL Lush Triumphant Literary Awards

Awards: $1,000 plus publication for the winning entry in each of three categories (fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction)

Eligibility: Entry fee of $30 (includes magazine subscription)

Website: subterrain.ca/about/103/lush-2024-awards-open+for+entries

Surrey International Writers’ Conference — writing Contest

Awards: $1,000 plus publication for first prize; $150 plus publication for honorable mention

Eligibility: Entry fee of $15

Website: siwc.ca/writing-contest

tnq contests

Awards: $1,000 for the winning entry in each of three categories (The Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest, The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest, The Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award)

Eligibility: Canadian citizens or residents; entry fee varies by contest

Website: tnq.ca/contests

Toronto star short story contest

Awards:

• First prize: $5,000 plus tuition at the Humber School for Writers

• Second prize: $2,000

• Third prize: $1,000

Eligibility: Ontario residents only

Website: thestar.com/contests/2024-toronto-star-short-story-contest-information/article_167c3bfe-9ea4-11ee-a10d-f7d0ec3b48ef.html

Vallum Awards

Awards: $300 Chapbook Award, $750 Poetry Award and one finalist will receive $250; as well as publication

Eligibility: International; entry fee varies by country of residence

Website: vallummag.com/submit

Wine Country Writers’ Festival Writing Contest

Awards: Prizes in each of three categories (fiction, non-fiction, poetry)

• 1st place: $200, free registration for festival, and publication

• 2nd place: $100 and publication

• 3rd place: $50 and publication

Eligibility: International; writers and poets over the age of 18; established and emerging writers; entry fee: $15 or two entries for $25

Website: wcwfestival.com/wine-country-writers-festival-writing-contest

word on the lake writing contest

Awards: $200 first place; $150 second place; $100 Honourable Mention awarded in each category (fiction, non-fiction, poetry)

Eligibility: International; entry fee of $15

Website: https://wordonthelakewritersfestival.com/saw/writing-contest/

Writers’ trust of Canada — RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers

Awards: $10,000 for winners; $2,500 for finalists in each category (poetry, short fiction)

Eligibility: Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have been published in a literary magazine or anthology and unpublished in book form.

Website: writerstrust.com/awards/rbc-bronwen-wallace-award-for-emerging-writers

The Writers’ Union of Canada — Short Prose Competition

Awards: $2,500 for the winning entry; winner and 11 other finalists will be submitted to three Canadian magazines and receive feedback on their submissions.

Eligibility: Canadian citizens or permanent residents; entry fee of $29

Website: www.writersunion.ca/short-prose-competition

Writing Battle

Awards: $5000 USD Flash Fiction, $4000 USD Microfiction

Eligibility: International; entry fee varies by contest

Website: writingbattle.com

yolk Montreal Fiction Prize

Award: $2000 first prize; $500 second & third prize

Eligibility: The contest is open to all Canadian writers.

Website: https://www.yolkliterary.ca/montreal-fiction-prize