Grain Magazine’s Annual Short Grain Writing Contest

Genre: Fiction, Poetry
Entry Fee: $40 CAD for up to 2 Canadian entries, $50 CAD for up to 2 US entries, and $60 CAD for up to 2 International entries (all entries include a one-year subscription to Grain Magazine)
Deadline: April 1, 2026
Prize: First prize of $1,000 CAD in each category; second prize of $750 CAD in each category; third prize of $500 CAD in each category; all winning entries will be published in Grain Magazine
Description: Poetry entries to consist of one or two poems no longer than 100 lines each. Fiction entries to consist of one or two stories no longer than 2,500 words each.
Details: https://grainmagazine.ca/contests/short-grain#Entry%20Guidelines

 

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Genre: Poetry
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: April 1, 2026
Prize: First prize of $2,000 USD and a two-year gift certificate from Duotrope (a $100 USD value); second prize of $500 USD; third prize of $250 USD; 10 honorable mention prizes of $100 USD each; top 13 entries will be published online
Description: Now in its 25th year, this contest seeks today’s best humor poems. Submit published or unpublished work. One poem only. Length limit of 250 lines maximum.
Details: https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free

 

Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG) Arts Writing Prize

Genre: Arts Writing
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: April 7, 2026
Prize: Arts Writing Winner prize of $1,000 CAD, paid public program opportunity worth $391 CAD, and an arts writing mentorship; Arts Writing Runner-up prize of $250 CAD and an arts writing mentorship; Aruna D’Souza Award Winner (BIPOC) prize of $1,000 CAD, paid public program opportunity worth $391 CAD, and an arts writing mentorship
Description: The SAAG Arts Writing Prize recognizes and supports emerging writers whose work relates to contemporary art. Submissions can include exhibition reviews, critical essays, ekphrasis, poetry, prose, creative fiction, and experimental approaches to art writing. ​Writers must be at least 18 years old, reside in Canada or be Canadians living abroad, and have limited prior publication experience in art writing. ​Submissions must be original, unpublished, and limited to 1,000 words.
Details: https://www.saag.ca/programs/arts-writing-prize

 

Contemporary Verse 2 Two-Day Poem Contest

Genre: Poetry
Entry Fee: $30 CAD for registration plus a one-year subscription to Contemporary Verse 2 magazine or $20 CAD for registration only
Deadline: April 10, 2026
Prize: First prize of $500 CAD; second prize of $300 CAD; third prize of $150 CAD; Editor’s Choice, Editor’s Mom’s Choice and People’s Choice prizes of one-year subscription to and publication in Contemporary Verse 2 magazine
Description: This annual contest challenges you to write an original poem in 48 hours — with only one catch. The final poem must include ten words that they provide.
Details: https://contemporaryverse2.ca/2-day-poem-contest/#

 

Edna Staebler 2026 Award for Creative Non-Fiction

Genre: Creative Nonfiction
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: April 15, 2026
Prize: $10,000 CAD
Description: Submissions for the 2026 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction recognize books published between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
Details: https://www.wlu.ca/information-for/community-members/literary-initiatives/edna-staebler-awards/edna-staebler-award-for-creative-non-fiction/guidelines-for-submission.html

 

Stephen Leacock Student Humorous Short Story Competition 2026

Genre: Humor, Short Story, Essay (Ages 14 – 19)
Entry Fee: $5 CAD
Deadline: April 15, 2026
Prize: First prize of $1,500 CAD; second and third prize of $750 CAD each; all three student winners will read their works at the Meet the Authors evening and will receive their awards
Description: Entry to this contest is limited to teens ages 14 – 19 who are students in public, separate, private, home school, university or college situations in Ontario. Entry will be an original humorous story or humorous personal essay in English. Maximum length of 1,500 words.
Details: https://leacock.ca/studentaward.php

 

Omnidawn 2026 “Single Poem” Broadside Poetry Contest

Genre: Poetry
Entry Fee: $14 USD for one poem, $17 USD for two poems, or $30 USD for up to five poems
Deadline: April 16, 2026, at 11:59 pm PT
Prize: $1,000 USD, letterpress publication of the broadside by Omnidawn, 20 free copies of the broadside, and publication of the winning poem in the Omniverse online journal
Description: Omnidawn’s poetry broadsides, like other fine art poetry broadsides, are done with an old fashioned letter press, which uses an inked raised surface directly applied to sheets of paper. Letterpress printing was the type of printing originally invented by Gutenberg about 1450. The letters created by this method are slightly raised on the paper by the impression made with the raised type. Such poetry broadsides are highly prized and collected within the poetry community. It is recommended that poems be between 8 and 24 lines in length, with blank lines used as stanza breaks each counting as a line. The title line and the blank line following are not counted in this 8 to 24 line recommendation. Poems that are outside this recommended size are still completely eligible, but may require special formatting and/or smaller type to fit well on the finished broadside.
Details: https://www.omnidawn.com/contests/omnidawn-poetry-contests/

 

Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents

Genre: Fiction (no poetry or plays)
Entry Fee: $15 USD for the first story, $20 USD for two stories, and additional entries at $10 USD each
Deadline: April 17, 2026, at 12:00 am ET
Prize: $2,000 USD, a year of mentorship, the opportunity to read the winning story online at a Pen Parentis Literary Salon in Fall 2026, publication in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (both online and in print) and the annual Dreamers Writing Anthology; second prize of $500 USD; third prize of $250 USD
Description: Awarded annually since 2010, this Fellowship is intended to incentivize writers to produce new works of quality fiction at the very busiest point in their parenting journey. Entrants must be the parent of at least one child under 10 years of age, but there are no style or genre limitations on the works of fiction submitted for consideration. Entrants can be at any level of their literary careers.
Details: https://www.penparentis.org/fellowships/guidelines/

 

Desperate Literature 2026 Short Fiction Prize

Genre: Short Story
Entry Fee: €20 for the first entry and €10 for every further entry up to a maximum of five entries per person
Deadline: April 19, 2026, at 23:59 CEST
Prize: First prize of €2,000, a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, and a manuscript assessment and follow-up meeting with a literary editor from The Literary Consultancy; two runner-up prizes of €1,000; various shortlist prizes
Description: The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is awarded to an original work of fiction under 2,000 words.
Details: https://desperateliterature.com/prize/

 

Alberta Champions Alberta-Wide 2026 Student Contest

Genre: Essay, Short Story, Poetry, Other Media (Grades 4 – 6 and 7 – 9)
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: April 24, 2026
Prize: Grades 7 – 9 Essay Contest wins first prize of $500 CAD VISA gift card; second prize of $350 CAD VISA gift card; third prize of $200 CAD VISA gift card
Grades 4 – 6 Story Contest wins first prize of $300 CAD VISA gift card; second prize of $200 CAD VISA gift card; third prize of $100 CAD VISA gift card
All winners receive a certificate of recognition of achievement
Description: Students grades 4 – 9 write about great Albertans, catch the inspiration, start to emulate the champions, begin their community involvement, learn good citizenship, and can win great prizes. The contest is open to students from all schools in Alberta, from grades 4 – 6 and grades 7 – 9.
Details: https://albertachampions.org/student-contest/

 

FreeFall Annual Prose & Poetry Contest 2026

Genre: Prose, Poetry
Entry Fee: $25 CAD (includes 1-year subscription to FreeFall magazine) and $5 CAD for each additional entry (at time of original entry only)
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Prize: First prize of $500 CAD; second prize of $250 CAD; third prize of $125 CAD; honorable mention prize of $75 CAD
Description: All contest entries are also automatically entered into the Lynn Fraser Memorial contest for a chance to win $100 CAD. Maximum of 3,000 words prose, or 5 poems per entry. Only previously unpublished work may be entered. No simultaneous entries.
Details: https://freefallmagazine.ca/contest/

 

Future Scholar Foundation Short Story Competition

Genre: Fiction
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: April 28, 2026, at 11:59 pm PT
Prize: First prize of $60 USD Amazon gift card; second prize of $40 USD Amazon gift card; third prize of $20 USD Amazon gift card; all winners will have their writing published on the FSF’s global platform
Description: The Future Scholar Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit organization founded in Redmond, Washington. They have impacted over 6,100 elementary and middle students in over 35 countries through their writing competitions, workshops, and coaching programs, and have been supported by New York Times staff, The Seattle Times, NorthwestAsian Weekly, and more. Submit your story now to win gift cards, publish your story on a global stage, and receive FREE feedback!
Details:  https://www.futurescholarfoundation.org/shortstorydesktop

 

Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize

Genre: Poetry (Grades 7 – 9 and 10 – 12)
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Prize: First prize of $400 CAD; second prize of $350 CAD; third prize of $300 CAD
Description: The  Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize for Canadian Youth was established to foster a lifelong relationship between Canadian youth and the literary arts, specifically poetry. The prize is supported through a generous donation from the Stursberg family and other donors in honour of Jessamy Stursberg. The prize accepts submissions from young poets all across Canada, with three prizes awarded in both the Junior (grades 7 to 9) and Senior (grades 10 to 12) categories.
Details: https://poets.ca/awards/

 

Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction

Genre: Nonfiction Manuscript
Entry Fee: $25 CAD
Deadline: April 30, 2026 (early submissions encouraged)
Prize: First prize of publication with a $1,000 CAD advance on 10% royalty for all sales; second prize of publication and an $800 CAD advance on 10% royalties
Description: Manuscript of 30,000 to 150,000 words. Genres include history, memoir, autobiography, biography, literary journalism, political or social commentary, travel writing or any nonfiction medium. Winners will be announced on June 30, 2026.
Details: https://www.pottersfieldpress.com/creative-prize-for-nonfiction

 

Storyhouse Nonfiction Animal Stories Contest

Genre: Nonfiction
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Prize: First prize of $200 USD and automatic entry to the Winners Circle Contest; runner-up prize of $100 USD; all winners receive certificates of recognition suitable for framing
Description: Stories should be factual and true accounts of an encounter or encounters by the author with a wild animal or animals. These include, but are not limited to, birds, fish, butterflies, snails, lions, bears, turtles, wombats, etc., as long as it is not a pet. Stories must be between 1,000–10,000 words in length. Language in the stories should be free of words or scenes not suitable for children. Stories can be submitted from any country, although they must be written in English. There is a limit of two contest submissions. No story may be entered in more than one contest. Stories entered in any of our previous contests will not be eligible for current year contests.
Details: https://www.storyhouse.org/contest2026.html

 

Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest

Genre: Flash Fiction
Entry Fee: $15 USD per entry
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Prize: First prize of $1,000 USD; total value of all prizes is over $15,000 USD
Description: All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. 100 words or less per entry. Any genre. You may submit as many entries as you’d like. This year’s theme is Truth-telling.
Details: https://www.tadpolepress.com/100-word-writing-contest

 

Toronto Book Awards 2026

Genre: All Genres
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Prize: Grand prize of $10,000 CAD; five finalist awards of $1,000 CAD
Description: Submission must contain some clear Toronto content (this may be reflected in the themes, settings, subjects, etc.), but authors do not necessarily have to reside in Toronto. There are no separate categories: novels, short story collections, books of poetry, books on history, politics and social issues, biographies, books about sports, children’s and young adult books, graphic novels, and photographic collections are judged together. Books must be published between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026.
Details: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/awards/toronto-book-awards/toronto-book-awards-submission-information-eligibility/

 

Vallum 2026 Chapbook Award

Genre: 12 to 30 Page Chapbook
Entry Fee: $25 CAD for Canadian entrants and $30 CAD for U.S. and International entrants
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Prize: First prize of $300 CAD and publication in the Vallum Chapbook Series
Description: The editors at Vallum are committed to enriching and continuing the tradition of poetry in the present day. They welcome submissions that deepen their understanding of what poetry is and can be. They encourage Indigenous writers, writers of colour, gender non-conforming writers, differently abled writers, LGBTQ writers, writers with mental or physical illnesses, and writers who are otherwise affected by structural inequality to submit their work for consideration.
Details: https://vallummag.com/guidelines-chapbook-award/

 

Whistler Independent Book Awards (WIBA)

Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Children’s, Poetry
Entry Fee: $75 CAD for the first title and $50 CAD for each additional title
Deadline: April 30, 2026 (entries for the 2026 awards open March 1, 2026)
Prize: Direct participation in Whistler Writers Festival events; various non-monetary prizes and marketing promotions
Description: Established in 2016 to recognize excellence in Canadian independent publishing, the Whistler Independent Book Awards  (WIBA) now provide self-published English-language authors worldwide with a unique opportunity to have their work recognized through a juried process typically reserved for trade-published titles. Winners are announced at the annual Whistler Writers Festival in November.
Details: https://independentbookawards.ca/

 

Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest

Genre: Poetry
Entry Fee: $10 CAD per poem
Deadline: Inactive contest in 2026
Prize: First prize of $300 CAD; second prize of $200 CAD; third prize of $100 CAD; eight honourable mention prizes of $75 CAD each; nine prizes of $50 CAD each will be given for Judge’s choices; all Judge’s choices will be included in an anthology
Description: There is no theme, and poems must be titled, previously unpublished, on white background with no artwork. Poems are not to exceed 50 lines in length, including the title. Space between the title and any paragraph is counted as one line. So please measure these lines carefully. Do not put your name on the pages your poems are typed on. There is a blind judging contest, and the Judge will not know your name.
Details: https://www.springpulsepoetryfestival.com/rules.html