GRANTS & AWARDS79 POETS & WRITERSDeadlines
POETS & WRITERS MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES state, national, and international prizes in poetry, fiction, and creative
nonfiction. We list only prizes of $1,000 or more, prizes of less than $1,000 that charge no entry fee, and prestigious nonmonetary
awards. Applications and submissions for the following prizes are due shortly. Before submitting a manuscript, first contact the sponsoring
organization for complete guidelines. When requesting information by mail, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). See
Submission Calendar for deadlines arranged by date and the Anatomy of Awards for a closer look at the numbers behind Grants
& Awards. For announcements of recently awarded prizes, see Recent Winners.
Aesthetica
CREATIVE WRITING AWARD
Two prizes of £1,000 (approximately
$1,300) each and publication in the Aes-
thetica Creative Writing Annual are given
annually for a poem and a short story.
The winner in poetry also receives a
membership to the Poetry Society in
London, and the winner in short fiction
receives a consultation with the literary
agency Redhammer Management. Both
winners receive a subscription to Granta
and a selection of books from Bloodaxe
Books and Vintage Books. Katy Guest,
Oz Hardwick, Liz Jones, Teresa Palmi-
ero, Martine Pierquin, and Steve Toase
will judge. Submit a poem of up to 40
lines with a £12 (approximately $16)
entry fee or a short story of up to 2,000
words with an £18 (approximately $23)
entry fee by August 31. All entries are
considered for publication. Visit the
website for complete guidelines.
Aesthetica, Creative Writing Award,
P.O. Box 371, York, YO23 1WL, England.
[email protected]
http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/creative-writing
-awardAspen Words
LITERARY PRIZE
A prize of $35,000 is given annually
for a book of fiction published in the
current year that “illuminates a vital
contemporary issue and demonstrates
the transformative power of literature
on thought and culture.” The winner
also receives an all-expenses-paid trip to
attend the 2020 Aspen Summer Words
Literary Festival in Aspen, Colorado,
as a featured speaker and the Aspen
Words annual benefit dinner as a guest
of honor. Novels, story collections,
and translations of books of fiction
published in the United States in 2019
are eligible. Publishers may submit therequired entry form with a $45 entry
fee, along with five copies of a book (or
bound galleys), by August 1. There is
no entry fee for presses with annual net
sales that are less than $4 million. Visit
the website for the required entry form
and complete guidelines.
Aspen Words, Literary Prize, 110 East
Hallam Street, Suite 116, Aspen, CO- (970) 925-3122, ext. 5. Ellie Scott,
Contact.
[email protected]
http://www.aspenwords.org/programs/literary-prize
Baton Rouge Area Foundation
ERNEST J. GAINES AWARD FOR LITERARY
EXCELLENCE
A prize of $10,000 is given annually to
an emerging African American writer
for a book of fiction published in the
current year. The winner also receives
travel and lodging expenses to attend
an awards ceremony and participate in
educational outreach events in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, in January 2020.
Anthony Grooms, Edward P. Jones,
Elizabeth Nunez, Francine Prose, and
Patricia Towers will judge. Submit eight
copies of a short story collection or a
novel (or bound galleys) published in
2019 by August 15. There is no entry
fee. Visit the website for the required
entry form and complete guidelines.
Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Ernest J.
Gaines Award for Literary Excellence,
100 North Street, Suite 900, Baton
Rouge, LA 70802. (225) 387-6216. Lois
Smyth, Donor Services Officer.
[email protected]
http://www.ernestjgainesaward.orgBlack Lawrence Press
ST. LAWRENCE BOOK AWARD
A prize of $1,000 and publication by
Black Lawrence Press is given annually
for a debut collection of poems or shortstories. The editors will judge. Using
the online submission system, submit a
poetry manuscript of 45 to 95 pages or
a fiction manuscript of 120 to 280 pages
with a $25 entry fee by August 31. Visit
the website for complete guidelines.
Black Lawrence Press, St. Lawrence Book
Award, 279 Claremont Avenue, Mount
Vernon, NY 10552.
http://www.blacklawrence.com/submissions-and
-contests/the-st-lawrence-book-awardBlack Warrior Review
WRITING CONTESTS
Three prizes of $1,500 each and publi-
cation in Black Warrior Review are given
annually for a poem, a short story, and
an essay. Tommy Pico will judge in
poetry, Rivers Solomon will judge in
fiction, and Selah Saterstrom will judge
in nonfiction. Using the online submis-
sion system, submit up to three poems
of any length or a story or essay of up to
7,000 words with a $20 entry fee, which
includes a subscription to Black Warrior
Review, by September 1. All entries are
considered for publication. Visit the
website for complete guidelines.
Black Warrior Review, Writing Contests,
University of Alabama, Office of Student
Media, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, ALComstock Review
MURIEL CRAFT BAILEY AWARD
A prize of $1,000 and publication in
Comstock Review is given annually for a
single poem. David Kirby will judge.
Using the online submission system,
submit up to five poems of no more
than 40 lines each with a $27.50 entry
fee (or $5 per poem via postal mail) by
July 15. All entries are considered for
publication. Visit the website for com-
plete guidelines. (SEE RECENT WINNERS.)