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Poetry Competitions In Africa 2025

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Submit to poetry competitions in Africa 2025. These African poetry competitions are for African writers. Poetry contest are with cash prizes and more.

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2025 List

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2025 List

Relevance of the list of Poetry Competitions In Africa 2025 —As a writer, there's always a need to explore various entries and other writing opportunities. This could actually help in advancing your career as a writer and set a new pace ahead. So, to ensure African writers get the relevant poetry competitions at their disposal, we have decided to compile a list of poetry competitions in Africa 2025.

Also Check: Poetry Competitions In Africa 2022

These compiled poetry competitions are exclusively for African writers. To check opportunities available for the residents of other regions or continents, there's a provided links below for each country.

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Are Writing Contests Worth Entering?

Writing contests are undoubtedly one of the great ways to explore, complete and grab opportunities that are obtainable within the writing community. They could turn into something bigger or inspire ideas for your other writing.

Entering into any of the writing contests 2025 may guarantee you one or more of the following if your work gets selected.

Cash prizes
You stand a chance to have your work published.
Mentorship.
Recognition in literary events among many others.

Basically, the compiled list of the poetry competitions in Africa 2025 will be arranged based on the month of each competition deadline. Thus, with such categorization, it'll be quite easy to access and avert your mind to the deadline of each of the poetry competitions in Africa 2025.

Before Submitting To Poetry Competitions In Africa 2025

Check the eligibility requirements. Requirements in respect of age, publication, education qualification are something to make sure of. Failure to meet any of the requirements may lead to error in submission.
Check the deadline. This is very essential.
Submission Guidelines.

ALSO READ

Good luck!

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2025

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2025

January Poetry Competitions in Africa 2025

1. Table Feast Magazine Literary Competitions 2024

Deadline: January 1, 2025.

Contests & Prizes:

Nano & Micro Contest for Women Writers: $50 for winners in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction; work featured on merchandise. Entry fee: $3 (waivable). Poetry max 14 lines; prose max 200 words. Submit up to 6 poems or 2 prose pieces.

Fifty & Up Writer Awards: $50 + $1/year over age 50. Fee-free for poetry (2 pages max) and prose (500–2,000 words). Submit up to 5 poems or 1 prose piece.

Translations Prizes: $250 for winners in poetry and prose. Entry fee: $5 (waivable). Poems (2 pages max); prose (500–2,000 words).

2. Gemini Magazine Poetry Open 2025

Submit your best poems to the Gemini Magazine Poetry Open 2025 for a chance to win cash prizes totaling over $1,000.

Prizes:

1st Prize: $1,000

2nd Prize: $100

4 Honorable Mentions: $25 each

Entry Fee: $10 (up to 3 poems)

Deadline: January 2, 2025

Publication: Six finalists will be published in the April 2025 issue.

Additional Information:

Poems can be on any subject, style, or length.
Entries must be unpublished.
Poems on personal blogs are acceptable.
Translations are allowed.
All entries are read blind.

3. Sheptons Snowdrops Poetry Competition 2025

Deadline: 11pm, Monday, 6 January 2025.

Theme: Treasures of Nature.

Prizes: £300 (18+), £100 (12-17), £50 (11 & under). Total cash prizes exceed $400.

Eligibility: Open worldwide; poems must be original, unpublished, and written in English.

Entry Fee: £4 per poem for 18+; free for under 18s.

Submission: Up to 5 poems (18+), 1 poem (under 18). Poems (max 30 lines) must be submitted via Skor.ie.

Prize Ceremony: February 22, 2025, at 2 PM, Baptist Church, Shepton Mallet.

4. Colorado Poetry Prize 2024

Deadline: January 14, 2025 (postmark deadline with a five-day grace period).

Eligibility: Open internationally to published and unpublished poets. Entrants must be over 16 years old.

Prizes: $2,500 honorarium and publication of the winning manuscript by the Center for Literary Publishing, distributed by the University Press of Colorado in fall 2025.

Entry Fee: No specific entry fee mentioned.

Submission: Manuscripts accepted via mail or online; identities of authors are removed before judging. Preliminary judges select finalists from submissions, and the final judge picks the winner.

5. The Bournemouth Writing Prize 2025

Submit your original, unpublished work (short stories or poems) by January 15, 2025, for a chance to win:

Short Story Prize: £500 + an hour-long consultation with Greene and Heaton agent, Laura Williams.

Poetry Prize: £500 + an hour-long feedback session with Dithering Chaps publisher.

Deadline: January 15, 2025

Entry Fee: $10

Open to writers worldwide aged 16+.

Categories: Short stories (up to 3,000 words) and poetry (up to 3 poems, 30 lines each).

Entries judged anonymously; no personal details on submissions. Winners receive 2 free tickets to Bourn Jammy event, publication in the Bournemouth Journal, and a free anthology copy.

February Poetry Competitions in Africa 2025

March Poetry Competitions in Africa 2025

April Poetry Competitions in Africa 2025

1. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest 2025

The Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest 2025 is open for submissions until April 1, 2025. Submit one humor poem (maximum 250 lines). Prizes include $2,000 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third, with ten honorable mentions receiving $100 each. Both unpublished and previously published work are accepted. The contest is free to enter and open to poets worldwide, except for Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus due to US government restrictions. Poems must be humorous and written in English. No AI-generated poems allowed.

Deadline: April 1, 2025

Eligibility: Open to all poets worldwide (excluding certain countries)

Prizes: 1st - $2,000, 2nd - $500, 3rd - $250, 10 honorable mentions of $100

Entry Fee: Free

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 January

Harbor Editions' Laureate Prize 2024

The entry period runs from October 1st to January 31st, 2024.

Full length books should be between 50-80 pages. Manuscripts should include a title page, table of contents, and a list of acknowledgments for previously published poems. Books centered around a unifying theme will be given preference.

Individual poems from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines or chapbooks but not full length books. The collection as a whole must be unpublished.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted. Please let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher while under our consideration. We do not accept translations

Harbor Editions will publish 1 book from the contest. Finalists may be considered or publication. The winner will receive $500 and 20 copies of their book. All entrants will be notified about the status of their submission after the submission period.

Defenestrationism's Lengthy Poem Contest 2024

Submit to Defenestrationism's Lengthy Poem Contest 2024, organized in memory of Christine Gawn Wick

A total amount of 300 U.S. dollars will be offered to a single winner of a Lengthy Poem Contest.

Submission for the 2024 Lengthy Poem Contest is now open.

Deadline: January 1st, 2024

Gemini Magazine Poetry Prize 2024

FIRST PRIZE: $1,000

Second Prize: $100

Four Honorable Mentions: $25

Entry Fee: $9 (up to 3 poems)

Deadline: January 2, 2024

All Six Finalists Will Be Published Online in our March/April 2024 Issue

Any Subject, Style or Length

Entries Must Be Unpublished

Poems on Personal Blogs OK

All Entries Are Read Blind

The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies 2024

The Steinbeck Fellows Program, endowed through the generosity of Martha Heasley Cox, offers emerging writers of any age and background the opportunity to pursue a significant writing project during their fellowship tenure. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success but have not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University's creative writing program.

The Steinbeck Fellowship Program is named in honor of author John Steinbeck and is guided by his lifetime of work in literature, the media, and environmental activism. The program offers the opportunity to interact with other writers, faculty, and graduate students, and to share your work in progress by giving a public reading during the fellowship. Fellowships include a stipend of $15,000.

Deadline: January 5, 2024

The Colorado Prize for Poetry 2024

The Colorado Prize for Poetry is an international poetry book manuscript contest established in 1995. Each year’s prizewinner receives a $2,500 honorarium and publication of his or her book by the Center for Literary Publishing

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts will be accepted between October 1, 2023, and the postmark deadline of January 14, 2024 (note that we observe a five-day grace period for both paper and online submissions).

The winner will be announced by May 2024.

The winning book-length collection of poems will be published by the Center for Literary Publishing and distributed by the University Press of Colorado in the fall of 2024. The author receives a $2,500 honorarium.

Deadline: January 14, 2024

The Gulliver Travel Grant 2023

Award: $1,000 USD.

Winner announced January 15, 2024.

Since 2004, the Gulliver Travel Grant has been awarded annually to assist writers of speculative literature in their non-academic research. These funds are used to cover airfare, lodging, and other travel expenses. Travel may be domestic or international. You may apply for travel to take place at any point in the following year.

This grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature. Speculative literature spans the breadth of fantastic writing, encompassing literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, including ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, slipstream, magical realism, and more. Any piece of literature containing a fabulist or speculative element would fall under our aegis.

This grant is awarded on the basis of interest and merit. If awarded the grant, the recipient agrees to provide a brief report of their research experience (500-1,000 words) and an autobiographical statement describing themselves and their writing (500-1,000 words) for our files and for public dissemination on our website and mailing list.

Rattle Chapbook Prize 2024

While most chapbook contests offer maybe $500 and 25 copies of your chapbook, we’re going to give a few poets something special. Every year, three winners will receive:

$5,000.

500 copies.

Distribution to Rattle’s 8,000+ subscribers.

In a world where a bestselling full-length poetry book means 1,000 copies sold, the winners will reach an audience more than seven times as large on the first day alone—an audience that includes hundreds of other literary magazines, presses, and well-known poets. This will be a chapbook to launch a career.

And maybe the best part is this: Every Rattle subscriber will receive a copy of each winning chapbook. Beginning in 2018, each quarterly issue of Rattle includes a bonus chapbook delivered to every subscriber, most of which being selected through this annual competition.

DEADLINE:

January 15, 2024 (11:59 p.m. PST)

Chris O'Malley Prize in Fiction 2024 and Phyllis Smart-Young Prize in Poetry 2024

The Madison Review accepts contest submissions from November 1st, 2023 to January 22nd, 2024. Contests will have a submission fee of $10.

Phylis Smart-Young prize in poetry:

Phylis Smart-Young submissions should adhere to poetry submission standards, with the exception the 5-poem maximum. Submissions should be exactly three poems, no fewer and no more, with a maximum length of 15 pages.

Chris O'Malley prize in fiction:

Chris O'Malley submissions are to follow the same standards as all other fiction submissions.

Writers may submit one entry per genre (one short story and/or group of three poems). Updates on the contests can be found on our Instagram and our Twitter feed.

Chris O'Malley Prize in Fiction 2024

The finest unpublished short story is awarded $1,000 and publication in the spring issue of The Madison Review!

Deadline: January 22, 2024

Pawners Paper's Spoken Word and Poetry Contest 1.0 2024

The maiden edition of Pawners Paper's Spoken Word and Poetry Contest 1.0 is currently open for submission. We hereby invite submissions from poets and spoken word artists to submit their best pieces in contest for the cash prizes.

About Pawners Paper's Maiden Spoken Words and Poetry Contest 1.0 2024

The Spoken Words and Poetry Contest 1.0 2024 marks the maiden edition of an annual literary competition organized by Pawners Paper with the sole purpose of rewarding writers and other creatives for their outstanding brilliance, creativity, and hard work exerted in their different forms of knowledge production.

Hence, we seek works that showcase creativity, inspire expansive imaginations, and align with the designated themes for each category.

The contest is open to two genres: Spoken Word and Poetry. For each category, interested persons are to follow the submission guidelines below.

Cash Prizes: $40 plus publication of shortlisted entries.

Entry Fee: No entry fee.

Deadline: January 30

Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest 2023

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the annual Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you.

Deadline: The contest submission period opens on January 2, 2024, and submissions can be emailed up to midnight Pacific time, January 31, 2024.

The contest offers prizes for nine winners overall, thanks to the generosity of contest sponsor Askew’s Foods:

$200 for First Place in each category (short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry), plus a 2024 festival registration package

$125 for Second Place in each category, plus a festival banquet package

$100 for Honourable Mention in each category, plus a festival banquet package

All winning entries will also be published in the 2024 edition of the Askew’s Word on the Lake Anthology. Everyone who enters the contest will receive a copy of the anthology in ebook format (epub, mobi, and PDF), and each contest winner also receives the anthology in print. The 2024 anthology, along with anthologies from previous years, will be available at the festival and online.

Each entry to the contest has a $15 Canadian entry fee, one hundred percent of which goes directly to supporting the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 February

The Ambroggio Prize 2024

The Ambroggio Prize is a $1,000 publication prize given for a book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. The winning manuscript is published by the University of Arizona Press, which is nationally recognized for its commitment to publishing the award-winning works of emerging and established voices in Latinx and Indigenous literature, as well as groundbreaking scholarship in Latinx and Indigenous studies.

Established in 2017, the Ambroggio Prize is the only annual award of its kind in the United States that honors American poets whose first language is Spanish.

Deadline: Submissions for the 2024 Ambroggio Prize will be accepted from September 15, 2023 to February 15, 2024. The judge is Norma Elia Cantú.

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award 2024

This $1,000 award recognizes the work of a translator for a poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. Established in 1976, it is given annually. A noted translator chooses the winning book.

Submissions for the 2024 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award will be accepted from September 15, 2023 through February 15, 2024. The judge is Valzhyna Mort.

The Tower Poetry Competition 2024

The Tower Poetry Competition offers the UK’s most valuable prize for young poets. The competition is free to enter and it is open to students between 16-18 years of age who are educated in the UK.

The competition is judged anonymously by two guest judges, who are different each year, and the Christopher Tower Student. Each year the theme is chosen with the intention of giving entrants free rein to interpret it as widely as they like.

The Christopher Tower Poetry Prizes recently reached new heights with a newly increased first prize and a full set of awards worth more than £14000.

This year, the poet who writes the best single poem on the theme of ‘Mirror’ receives £5000. There will be a second prize of £3000, and a third prize of £1500. Along with these, there will be ten runners up, who will each receive £500

Deadline: 23 February 2024

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 March

The 2024 New Poets Prize

The New Poets Prize is a pamphlet competition for writers between the ages of 17 and 24 (inclusive). This prize will run alongside the renowned International Book & Pamphlet Competition, also organised by The Poetry Business, which has now been established for 38 years.

Entrants are invited to submit short collections of twelve pages of poems. Winners and runners-up will be selected to receive a year of support from The Poetry Business, a publisher and writer development agency with a strong reputation for discovering, developing and promoting outstanding new writers.

Two winners will receive editorial support and help in extending their entry to 20 or 24 pages for pamphlet publication by Smith | Doorstop and their work will in appear in a feature in The North magazine.

Two runners-up will receive mentoring, including a place on a residential writing course, and their poems will appear in a feature in East of The North, the Poetry Business’s online poetry publication.

The winners and runners-up will also receive a subscription to The North magazine and will be invited to give a reading organised by The Poetry Business.

Deadline: March 6, 2024

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 April

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest 2024

Now in its 23rd year, Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest is one of the most prestigious poetry competitions that are usually open annually. It's a poetry contest seeks today's best humor poems. No fee to enter. Submit published or unpublished work.

Cash Prizes: The selected winners Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest win $3,750 in total prize.

First Prize: $2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value)

Second Prize: $500

Third Prize: $250

Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $100 each

Top 12 entries published online

Timeline

Please submit one humor poem during

August 15, 2023-April 1, 2024

The results of our 23rd contest will be announced on August 15, 2024.

Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize 2024 | $5,000 Cash Prize

Established in 1981, the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize is administered by the

University of Pittsburgh Press. Named in honor of Agnes Lynch Starrett, the Press’s

first director, the prize is awarded for a first full-length book of poems.

The prize carries a cash award of $5,000 and publication by the University of

Pittsburgh Press as part of the Pitt Poetry Series

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Poetry International Prize 2024 | $1000 Cash Prize

THE POETRY INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2024 is one of two annual contests sponsored by Poetry International to award a cash prize of $1000 and publication for a single poem of any length. Submit up to 3 poems with a $15 entry fee. You may submit additional poems for a $3 reading fee per poem. All entries are considered for publication. Please refer to our contest guidelines for more information.

Deadline: Contest opens in spring and runs from March 1 to April 30. Winners are announced in the fall.

2024 Oversound Chapbook Prize | $1000 and 50 Copies

$1000 and 50 copies to winner.

$18 to enter. (or $21 to enter and receive a back issue or previously published chapbook)

Deadline: March 1-April 30, 2024

The Iowa Poetry Prize 2024

The Iowa Poetry Prize, open to new as well as established poets, is awarded for a book-length collection of poems written originally in English. Previous winners, current University of Iowa students, and current and former University of Iowa Press employees are not eligible.

Deadline: Manuscripts must be submitted during the month of April. Please note that the Submittable form opens at 12:00 am CST on April 1st, and closes at 11:59 pm CST on April 30th.

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 May

Montreal International Poetry Prize 2024 | $20,000 Cash Prize

The Montreal Prize 2024 is open for entries. The Montreal International Poetry Prize is committed to encouraging the creation of original works of poetry, to building international readership, and to exploring the world’s Englishes.

The Montreal Prize awards one prize of $20,000 CAD to a poet for a single poem of 40 or fewer lines. A jury of internationally reputed poets and critics selects a shortlist of approximately 60 poems, from which a judge chooses one winner. The shortlist is published in The Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology.

The prize is run by the Department of English at McGill University in Montreal, Canada

Deadline: May 15, 2024

Academy of American Poets' James Laughlin Award 2024 | $5,000 Cash Prize and Sponsored Residency

Academy of American Poets' James Laughlin Award 2024 is given to recognize and support a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. The award was endowed in 1995 by a gift to the Academy from the Drue Heinz Trust. It is named for the poet and publisher James Laughlin (1914-1997), who founded New Directions in 1936.

The winning poet receives a prize of $5,000, an all-expenses-paid weeklong residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and distribution of the winning book to approximately one thousand Academy of American Poets members.

Deadline: Submissions for the 2024 James Laughlin Award are accepted from January 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024.

Academy of American Poets' Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize 2024 | $25,000 Cash Prize

Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize 2024 recognizes the most outstanding book of poetry published in the United States in the previous calendar year. The prize includes a ten-day residency at Glen Hollow in Naples, New York, and distribution of the winning book to hundreds of Academy of American Poets members.

Submissions for the 2024 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize are accepted from January 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024.

The Yeovil Literary Prize International Writing Competition 2024

The Yeovil Literary Prize international writing competition opens on 1st January 2024 and closes on 31st May 2024. Winners will be announced on their website on 30th September 2024. The categories are poetry, short story, novel, children and adult novel.

Read More

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 June

Boulevard Emerging Poets Contest 2024 | $1,000 Cash Prize

$1,000 and publication in Boulevard awarded for the winning group of three poems by a poet who has not yet published a book of poetry with a nationally distributed press.

Deadline: All entries must be submitted online by midnight CT June 1.

The Bridport Prize 2024

Founded in 1973, the Bridport Prize is the Arts Centres flagship project. Attracting many thousands of entries from across the world each year, it has grown to become one of the most widely respected creative writing competitions in the English language.

The competition has four categories: Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Novel Award.

Deadline: June 2024

2024 McLellan Poetry Competition

The competition is open to anyone except members of the McLellan Festival Team. You may enter any number of poems and on any subject. This year we shall be running both the main International Competition in English plus a separate competition for the best poems in the Scots language.

Deadline: The closing date and time for all entries is midnight on Sunday 2nd June 2024.

University of Akron Press's Akron Poetry Prize 2024 | $1,500 and Publication

Each year, the University of Akron Press offers the Akron Poetry Prize, a competition open to all poets writing in English. The winning poet receives $1,500 and publication of their book as part of the Akron Series in Poetry. The final selection will be made by a nationally prominent poet.

Other manuscripts may also be considered for publication in the series.

Deadline: We will accept submissions for the 2024 Akron Poetry Prize competition from April 15, 2024 through June 15, 2024. The final judge for 2024 is Matthew Olzmann.

The Griffin Poetry Prize 2025 | $130,000 Cash Prizes

The Griffin Poetry Prize 2025 is one of the world’s most generous poetry awards. As of 2023, the prize is worth C$130,000, making it the world’s largest international prize for a single book of poetry written in, or translated into English. The other shortlisted poets each receive $10,000. Explore the 22-year history of the Griffin Poetry Prize here.

The Griffin Poetry Prize is awarded annually for the best collection of poetry written in, or translated into, English. A longlist of 10 books is announced annually in March, and a shortlist of 5 books is announced annually in April. The winner is announced at the Griffin Poetry Prize readings held in Canada annually in June. The winner receives C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets each receive C$10,000.

The 2024 Poetry London Prize | $8,000 Cash Prizes

The competition is open to poets anywhere in the world. Entries must be in English, your own unaided work, and not a translation of another poet. Entries must not have been previously published or self-published, in print or online, or have won a prize in another competition. The maximum length is 80 lines, not including titles or blank lines.

Prizes

First Prize £5,000

Second Prize £2,000

Third Prize £1,000.

Deadline: June 30. The judge of the 2024 Prize is Hannah Sullivan.

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 July

The Wanjohi Prize for African Poetry | $100, $50

The maiden edition of The Wanjohi Prize for African Poetry is currently open for submissions. The Wanjohi Prize for African Poetry is in honour of the remarkable contributions of Benny Wanjohi to African poetry.

Submission open from April 1 to July 1, 2024

Prize For The Wanjohi Prize for African Poetry

The winner receives $100.

First runner-up receives $50.

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 August

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2024 | Poetry and Short Story

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award celebrates outstanding writers. The Award was launched after the publication of Aesthetica Magazine, as a way to support the next generation of literary talent. These were first published in the Creative Works Annual, a collection celebrating innovative poetry and short fiction from both established and emerging practitioners. Originally, it was an anthology of new writing and new artwork. However, as the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award and the Art Prize started to reach more audiences, the decision was made in 2013 to separate them into two Awards with their own prizes and publications.

Prizes

£5,000 prize money
(£2,500 for the Poetry Winner, £2,500 for the Short Fiction Winner)
Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual
A five-day course from Arvon (Fiction Winner)
Two online masterclasses with Arvon (Poetry Winner)
One-year print subscription to Granta (Poetry & Fiction Winners)
One-year digital subscription to Mslexia (Poetry & Fiction Winners)
Six-week writing poetry course from Curtis Brown Creative (Poetry Winner)
Full membership to The Poetry Society (Poetry Winner)
A course from the Poetry School (Poetry Winner)
Consultation with Redhammer Management (Fiction Winner)
Six-week writing short stories course from Curtis Brown Creative (Fiction Winner)
Full membership to Litopia (Poetry & Fiction Winners)
One-year Deluxe Subscription to The London Magazine (Poetry & Fiction Winners)

Deadline: 1 December – 31 August: Entries Open

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 September

Rattle Poetry Prize 2024 | $15,000 Cash Prize

Rattle is a publication of the Rattle Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the practice of poetry, and is not affiliated with any other organization.

One $15,000 Winner and ten $500 Finalists will be selected in an anonymized review by the editors of Rattle and printed in the Winter 2024 issue; one $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award will then be chosen from among the Finalists by subscriber and entrant vote.

Open to writers, worldwide; poems must be written primarily in English (no translations except by the original author). Rattle’s winter issue must be a potential first curation for all works submitted—meaning they can’t have appeared in any books, e-books, magazines, or similar collections, online or in print. The poems may have been self-published to personal blogs or social media. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but we must be notified immediately if any poems are accepted elsewhere. On Submittable, log in, click on the submission, and send us a message using that system to let us know.

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 October

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 November

Poetry Competitions In Africa 2024 December

Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry is awarded annually to an African poet who has not yet published a collection of poetry. The winner receives USD $1000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion in Senegal.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets will only accept “first book” submissions from African writers who have not published a book-length poetry collection. This includes self-published books if they were sold online, in stores, or at readings. Writers who have edited and published an anthology or a similar collection of other writers’ work remain eligible.

Deadline: Manuscripts are accepted annually between September 15th and December 1st.

List Of Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

These poetry competitions are organized according to the days and months of deadlines.

January Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award 2023

We are now accepting submissions for the Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award. The winning poet will receive $500 and publication in the Spring 2023 issue of Fourteen Hills. There is no submission fee. Poems not chosen for the award will be considered for publication in Fourteen Hills.

About Stacy Doris

Stacy Doris was a poet, translator, and an Associate Professor in San Francisco State University's Department of Creative Writing, where she taught for ten years. Her poetry is widely recognized; Fledge: A Phenomenology of Spirit, published shortly after her death, is available from Nightboat Books. Poet Maxine Chernoff has referred to it as “a miracle of attentiveness.”

She was also highly regarded for her writing in French and her contribution to interactions among contemporary French and American poetry and poets.

Doris created new worlds with her unexpected poetics. Following upon her spirit of creative invention, engaging wit and ingenious playfulness, discovery in construction, and radical appropriations based on classical forms, pastiche, etc., and love, the Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award is given to a poet with a truly inventive spirit.

Deadline: January 15, 2023

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February Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

Deep Wild 2023 Graduate Student Poetry Contest

Grad students, send us your three best poems that are backcountry infused and inspired, and that together add up to no more than 100 lines. There are no fees to submit, and the top three winners will receive cash awards.

The winners will receive: The 1st Place prize is $300, 2nd Place $200, and 3rd Place $100.

The editors of Deep Wild: Writing from the Backcountry invite students currently enrolled in graduate studies to submit work for our 2023 Graduate Student Poetry Contest.

Timeline For Submission: Submissions will be accepted from November 1 through February 1 2023

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Center For African American Poetry and Poetics Book Prize 2023

Founded in 2020, the CAAPP Book Prize is a publishing partnership between the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for African American Poetry and Poetics and Autumn House Press with the goal of publishing and promoting a writer of African descent. The prize is awarded annually to a first or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African and African diasporic experiences.

The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. The winning manuscript will be published by Autumn House Press and its author will be awarded $3,000.

Deadline: February 15, 2023

July Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

Winchester Poetry Prize 2023

First Prize: £1,000, 2nd Prize: £500, 3rd Prize: £250.

A prize is also available for the best poem written by a Hampshire-based poet.

Closing Date: 31 July 2023 (11:59pm)

The 1729 Book Prize in Poetry 2023

In collaboration with The Ivy Bookshop, the 1729 Prize is an annual contest provided by Mason Jar Press. Free to enter, with a $1,000 award and guaranteed publication, the Prize seeks the finest unpublished manuscripts of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

The 1729 Prize alternates yearly between Poetry and Prose. Our inaugural Prize in Poetry is currently being judged by Diane Zinna and our forthcoming Poetry Prize will be judged by Chen Chen. More details within

Deadline: July 31

SURGING TIDE: THE ANNUAL SUMMER WRITING CONTEST

Surging Tide is pleased to launch our Second Annual Writing Contest 2023 this summer.

Please find below a more detailed prompt as well as guidelines on how to submit.

Surging Tide editors will shortlist 3-5 writers in each category (poetry and prose).

We will forward this list onto the judges, who will select a winner and a runner-up. All shortlisted writers and artists will be guaranteed publication in Surging Tide Issue 10, though all pieces submitted will be considered.

In addition, the winner and runner-up will receive written commentary from their respective contest judges.

Entrants can submit ONE piece per category per submission or up to FIVE pieces with a donation to Surging Tide. Multi-genre submissions allowed (i.e. you can submit one poem and one flash fiction, but not six poems.)

In addition to publication, the winner of each category will be awarded $100 and each runner-up will also be awarded $25.

Deadline: July 31

August Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

Lucky Jefferson Poetry & Prose Summer Contest 2023

Lucky Jefferson is currently accepting submission for its inaugural poetry and prose competition. Interested writers are to read further on the guidelines for submissions.

20 finalists will receive publication in Lucky Jefferson's digital 365 Collection.

Two finalists from that group (one poetry and one prose) will each receive $100, publication, and a swag box.

Deadline: August 1

Palette Poetry's Chapbook Prize 2023

Poetry chapbook manuscripts of all styles are accepted with no specific theme or aesthetic preference in request.

The winner will receive $2,000 and Summer 2024 publication, which includes a free, downloadable digital chapbook on their website, fifty physical author copies to share and sell, and the option to enable drop-shipping sales at Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Barnes & Noble, earning 50% royalties on your chapbook.

Additionally, thousands of readers, editors, and journals will receive chapbook access through our newsletter.

The winner will have creative agency over cover art/design, and also be offered the opportunity to work with Palette editors to revise the manuscript.

According to the Palette Poetry, there is an extended editorial process for any book that they believe in, so please feel welcome to submit promising work that may not be fully polished yet.

Deadline: August 20

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2023

Aesthetica is looking for the best new writing talent. The £5,000 international literary prize is open to poetry and short fiction entries on any theme, celebrating innovation in content and form.

Deadline: August 31

The Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing 2023: The Hungry Tide 30th Anniversary Special

This year, in celebration of Val Wood, they are back with a brand new theme and a brand new judging panel. Having previously been associated with Hull Libraries, the competition is now solely independent and all of its entries will be received by and judged directly by the competition’s namesake, Val Wood.

The winner of the competition will receive £100 and a signed copy of The Hungry Tide. The winning entry will be published on the website valwood.co.uk and shared via various social media outlets.

There will be two further prizes and the winners will receive signed copies of the Hungry Tide upon it’s re-release in October.

Deadline: Entries should be submitted by 5.00pm (BST) 31st August 2023

Read More

The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing

The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing is currently open for submission. The entry is free. The 2023 Beauchamp Prize will be judged by Micki Meng.

Entries for the Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing should be a single piece of prose, written in English, not exceeding 1,500 words.

There will be one first place prize of $3,000 dollars, and two runners up, awarded $1,000 each. The winning essay will be featured in GC's printed journal, and the two runners-up will be considered for publication. For previous winners, see the sidebar.

Deadline: August 31st

September Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts 2023

Lunch Ticket is honored to host The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts. The Gabo Prize is funded by writers, translators, and Antioch University Los Angeles MFA Alumni Allie Marini and Jennifer McCharen, who launched the prize to support the work of peer translators.

The winner, selected by a guest judge, will receive $200, and the winning piece will be published alongside two semi-finalists in the upcoming issue of Lunch Ticket. The Gabo Prize is awarded twice each year.

Deadline: September 1

Frontier Poetry's Roots and Roads Prize 2023

Frontier Poetry is currently open for submission for its Root and Roads inaugural prize. Read further on the submission guidelines.

The submission is free for BIPOC writers. A total amount of $3000 will be awarded to the first place prize winner, $300 to second place, and $200 to third place.

About The Roots & Roads Prize

The organizers of the prize has the following to say about the prize:

"Not only are root systems vital for a tree to channel sustenance from the soil, but they are also communicators, connecting the plant to its environment and to other plants. Roads, too, are connectors, telling a story of movement and distances. This year, for our inaugural Roots & Roads Prize, Frontier Poetry invites you to imagine your poems as roots and roads, reaching both inward and outward.

We are in search of work that explores the tensions between these ideas, the relationships we have between origin and becoming, between our foundations and the possibilities that are sustained and/or troubled by them. We encourage you to interpret these words loosely and expansively, to let the poem take you where it wants. Bring us your ghosts, your maps, your homes, your alienations, your dreams of the future—lead us somewhere unexpected!"

Deadline: September 18

October Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

The Peter Poetry Prize 2023

The Peter Porter Poetry Prize is one of Australia’s most lucrative and respected poetry awards. It honours the life and work of the great Australian poet Peter Porter (1929–2010), an honoured contributor to ABR for many years. All poets writing in English are eligible to enter.

First prize: AU$6,000

Four other shortlisted poets: AU$1,000

Deadline: October 9

The National Poetry Competition 2023

The National Poetry Competition is now open for entries until 31 October 2023

Judges: Jane Draycott, Will Harris, Clare Pollard

Run by The Poetry Society since 1978, The National Poetry Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for an unpublished poem of up to 40 lines, open to all poets worldwide aged 18 or over

November Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

Frontier Poetry's Award For New Poets 2023

Submissions are open to new and emerging writers (for this contest, we define this as poets with no more than one full-length published work forthcoming at the time of submission).

As part of our dedication to the pursuit of a more inclusive publishing world, there is a free submission window for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, person of color) poets at the beginning of the contest until our cap of fifty.

This is one of the poetry competitions organized by Frontier Poetry. According to the organizers:

"This fall, we’re delighted to bring back our Award for New Poets! We’re looking to uplift an up-and-coming poet, with no more than one full-length collection forthcoming or published at the time of submission. We award $3,000 for the winning poem, selected by our guest judge. Our second- and third-place winners receive $300 and $200, respectively. All three winners will be published.

2024 Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize

The Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize is given to honor exceptional poems that help readers recognize the gravity of the vulnerable state of our environment.

Established in 2019 with generous support from Treehouse Investments, the prize will honor three poets. First place will receive $1,000; second place, $750; and third place, $500. In addition, all three poems will be published in the popular Poem-a-Day series, which is distributed to 500,000+ readers. Poems may also be featured in the award-winning education series Teach This Poem, which serves 40,000+ educators each week.

Deadline: Submissions for the 2024 Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize are accepted from September 15, 2023 through November 15, 2023.

The judges are poet Elizabeth Bradfield and climate scientist Kate Marvel, PhD

Happiful Poetry Prize 2024

Submit your poems that explore mental health and wellbeing for the Happiful Poetry Prize 2024

We’re looking for poems that explore the topic of mental health and wellbeing in relatable, original, and empowering ways. The competition is free to enter, and welcomes new and seasoned writers alike. No prior experience is necessary, the only thing we require is a passion for writing!

The winner will receive £100, and four shortlisted poets will receive a £25 National Book Token. All five poems will be published in issue 84 of Happiful.

Deadline: November 20, 2023

The Poetry.com Contest 2023

Enter our monthly poetry contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and gain worldwide recognition for your talent!

Poetry.com prides itself in supporting and encouraging all writers, regardless of background, education or experience. All poets, whether just starting out or with many years of practice, are encouraged to use our monthly contests as an opportunity to gain motivation, inspiration, exposure and most importantly, build passion and enjoyment for the written word!

What about the awards?

When it comes to the awards, we offer exciting prizes for our contest winners. The top three winners will receive cash prizes, with the first-place winner receiving $500, the second-place winner receiving $300, and the third-place winner receiving $200.

Furthermore, five runners-up will receive a personalized mug featuring their winning poem. And that's not all - at the end of the year, the twelve monthly winners will compete for the Poem of the Year grand prize of $1,000.

Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition 2023

The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition was first held in 2010. It is a poetry prize for a single poem, open to writers from around the world from September to November annually. Sponsored by the Munster Literature Centre, the prize is named in honour of the late Irish poet long associated with the Centre.

Open for entries 1 September – 30 November

Line limit: 40

Closing date: 30th November (midnight)

Entry fee: €7 per poem or €30 for a batch of five

The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast poems in the English language of 40 lines or fewer. The poem can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world.

Translated work is not in the scope of this competition. Once entered, no alterations can be made to the submission. Simultaneous submissions are accepted but please notify us immediately should your work be accepted elsewhere

Prizes For Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition 2023

1ST PRIZE

€2,000

Featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival (with four-night hotel stay and full board)

Featured on the Southword Poetry Podcast

Publication in Southword

2ND PRIZE

€500

Publication in Southword

3RD PRIZE

€250

Publication in Southword

TEN RUNNERS-UP

€50

Publication in Southword

Cafe Writers Poetry Competition 2023

CAFE WRITERS POETRY COMPETITION 2023 IS NOW OPEN

Closing Date 30th November 2023 (Midnight GMT)

PRIZES

1st £1000

2nd £300

3rd £200

Five Commended Prizes of £50

Norfolk Prize £100

For the best poem from a permanent Norfolk resident not winning another prize.

ENTRY FEE

£4 per poem; or £10 for 3 poems & £2 per poem thereafter.

Concessions: We are offering the free entry of one poem to any UK resident with a household income of less than £16,000 for whom the cost of entering would be prohibitive. Your status to claim this will be taken on trust

Deadline: 30th November 2023 (Midnight GMT).

Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest 2023

We are now accepting submissions through November 30, 2023.

The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

Word Limit: 100 words or less per entry. Word limit includes the title and introduction, though these are not required.

Entry Limit: You may submit as many entries as you'd like.

Writers: All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome.

Genre / Theme: Any genre.

Prizes: 1st place: $2,000 USD.

2nd place: Writing coaching package valued at $450 USD.

3rd place: Developmental and diversity editing package

valued at $250 USD.

Entry Fee: $15 USD.

Deadline: November 30, 2023.

J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction 2023

The 2023 J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction is currently open for submission. All writers can submit their best short fiction works in contest for cash prizes.

“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.

Cash Prizes

1st place: $500

2nd place: $250

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

December Poetry Competitions In Africa 2023

The Sarah Maguire Poetry in Translation Prize 2023

The Sarah Maguire Poetry in Translation Prize is offered biennially for the best book of poetry in English translation by a living poet from beyond Europe, published anywhere in the world. £1,500 is awarded to the winning poet and £1,500 to the winning translator (or shared if there is more than one translator).

Deadline: December 31

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry is currently open for submission till December 2023. The Sillerman Prize is awarded annually, with submissions open between September 15th and December 1st.

The African Poetry Book Series is made possible through the generosity of philanthropists Laura and Robert F. X. Sillerman, whose generous contributions have facilitated the establishment of the APBF. In recognition of their invaluable support of our work, Mr. and Mrs. Sillerman have welcomed the use of their name for the First Book Prize for African Poets.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry is awarded annually to an African poet who has not yet published a collection of poetry. The winner receives USD $1000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion in Senegal

Deadline: December 1

Love Letters to London returns for its third year with thousands of pounds in cash prizes . Dust off the keyboard or get tapping on your mobile, because there is more than £4,000 of prizes in the London Society’s free to enter writing competition “Love Letters to London”.

Now in its third year, this competition is open to everyone to celebrate our wonderful, fantastic, infuriating city in prose or poetry.

Open to all ages, and to all writing styles - fiction, poetry, essays and reportage - whether you live in the capital or not. There are special categories for under 18s, as well as prizes for schools.

The theme this year is: Love Letters to London of the Future.

What does your London of the future look like – what are your passions, hopes, dreams and aspirations for this most wonderful of cities?

Deadline: The closing date for entries is midday (UK time) December 1st 2023, and prizes will be presented at an awards ceremony next Spring.

Mslexia Women's Poetry Competition 2023

This competition is open to unpublished poems of any length, on any subject. Your £10 entry fee allows you to submit up to three poems.

Prizes

1st: £2,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £250

Unpublished Poetry Prize for the best poem by a previously unpublished poet: £250.

The four winners, plus sixteen additional finalists will have their poems published in the March 2024 issue of Mslexia.

Deadline:

The deadline for all entries is 23.59GMT, 4 December 2023

Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2023

Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2023 is currently open for submission and is to be judged by mona arshi & tom sleigh. The poetry competition offers the following cash prizes to the winners:

first prize £2,000
second prize £1,000
third prize £500
plus 20 commendeds
plus – winners & commendeds will be invited to read with judges (live & online) at the Bedford Park Festival ‘Yeats Birthday’ poetry event in June 2024.

The poems can be on any theme

Deadline: submit via email by sun 10 dec 2023

The 2023 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition

The 2023 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition is currently open for submission.

First Prize:

$2,000. Publication on the Society’s website and Journal.

Deadline:

December 31, 2023, 11:59 p.m. EST. Winners announced February 1, 2024 on our e-Newsletter and on the Society’s homepage. (Annual submission dates Sept. 1 – Dec. 31.)

2024 Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award

The Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award celebrates an author whose work embodies the lyrically powerful and historically engaged nature of Dr. Alexander’s writing. We aim for this award to highlight different forms of knowledge production that emerge from the artistic, political, and cultural advocacy undertaken by women of color nationally, transnationally, and globally.

The award is open to all genres, including: poetry, fiction, play scripts, and non-fiction. All submissions will be judged blind, please do not include any identifying information or contact information in your manuscript. A separate title page may be included with your submission, but is not required.

The Lyric College Poetry Contest 2023

The Lyric College Poetry Contest is open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university

First Prize ~ $500

Second Prize ~ $200

Third Prize ~ $100

Honorable Mention ~ Year’s subscription and bragging rights

The Writivism Literary Prizes 2023

The Writivism Literary Prizes announce the opening of the submission window and a seven-member panel of judges for 2023.

The prize includes poetry, fiction and nonfiction genres.

The deadline for receiving entries is November 30, 2023, at 11:59PM, East African Time.

The winner of the prize will be awarded $1000 USD and each shortlisted writer will receive $50 USD and a copy of the resulting anthology comprising all the shortlisted work.

The Tony Quagliano Poetry Award 2023

This award is established in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities. This award honors Tony Quagliano’s legacy as an experimental poet and editor. It recognizes an accomplished poet with an outstanding body of innovative, cutting-edge work pushing the boundaries of poetic craft, such as experimental approaches to form and/or language. This award also recognizes a poet who contributes meaningfully to a literary community. Preference is given to poets with connection to Hawai‘i and/or the Pacific.

The biennial Tony Quagliano Poetry Award is for $1000.

Deadline: December 1, 2023

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