Winners of the J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction will be announced in February 2023 and published throughout the subsequent issues that year.

J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction 2022

“One foot in this world and one in the next”:

 that’s how J.F. Powers described the Midwestern priests he wrote about in his fiction. Having one foot in another world can be awkward, and Powers’ characters are known not for their graceful mysticism, but for the humiliating and mordantly entertaining stumbles they make while trying to live their faith. 

We’re looking for carefully crafted short stories with vivid characters who encounter grace in everyday settings—we want to see who, in the age we live in, might have one foot in this world and one in the next. 

Related Competitions

• Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize 2022
• ServiceScape Short Story Award 2022
• Sillerman First Book Prize 2022
• The Evaristo Prize for African Poetry 2022
• J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction 2022
• The Writers College Free Writing Competition 2022
• Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition 2023
• The European Writing Prize 2022
• Royal Institute Of Philosophy Essay Prize 2022

What are the prizes?

1st place: $500

2nd place: $250

Up to 8 honorable mentions: publication in the journal and a one-year subscription

When will winners be announced?

Winners of the J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction will be announced in February 2023 and published throughout the subsequent issues that year.

Is there a reading fee?

No.

Guidelines For J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction 2022

Only one submission per author will be accepted.

Please do not submit any previously published work.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.

Please include in your contact information, including e-mail and mailing address, in your cover letter, as well as one or two lines with your biographical information as you would like it to appear if published.

The word limit is 8,000 words. Longer submissions will be returned unread.

Submit