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Canadian Authors Association - National Capital Region (CAA-NCR)
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Contests and Opportunities

Contest Calendar

The Canadian Writers’ Contest Calendar, edited by Deborah Ranchuk. Available from:

White Mountain Publications

50 Silver Street, Box 620, Cobalt, ON P0J 1C0
1-800-258-5451
705-679-5555
email: cwcc@wmpub.ca

Canadian Adult Contests

Writing Battle

  • At 10:00 PM EST, receive a prompt and start writing. You have 5 days to write a 2000-word story.
CBC Literary Prizes
  • Deadlines: Annual (November, February & May)

Grain Magazine’s Annual Short Grain Writing Contest

  • Deadline: Annual (April)

London Magazine Poetry Competition

  • Deadline: May

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

  • Deadline: May

A Midsummer Tale Narrative Writing Contest

  • Entries are accepted between 1 April and 21 June each year.

Ontario Poetry Society

  • Deadlines: July

Prairie Fire Writing Contests

  • Deadline: Annual (November)

PRISM International Writing Contests

  • Deadline: Various

Room’s Annual CNF, Poetry & Fiction, and Cover Art Contests

  • Deadlines: Various

Thomas Morton Memorial Prize in Literary Excellence

  • Deadline: October 

The Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition

  • Deadline: Annual (February, April and November)

Write on the Lake Writing Contest

  • Deadline: May 31

Writers Digest Short Fiction Contest

  • Deadline: Annual (varies by contest)

Canadian Youth Contests

James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Award

  • Deadline: Annual (May)
  • Eligibility: Aboriginal students “up to 12 years old” and “13–18 years old.”

International Contests

Aesthetica Creative Works Competition (UK)

  • Deadline: Annual (August).

Aura Estrada Short Story Contest

  • Deadline: October 1

Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition (Ire)

  • Deadline: Annual (31 July)

Disclaimer: CAA–NCR makes every effort to inform its members and other readership of the various contests that are available, both nationally and internationally. However, CAA–NCR is not responsible for the authenticity of contest requests that are made to us for inclusion on our website. Writers BEWARE. Writers wishing to submit to these contests do so at their own risk and are encouraged to do your own research before entering or responding to contest entries to ensure suitability and eligibility.

  • Past NCWC Results
  • Contests and Opportunities
Canadian Authors Association Lobo
Join the Canadian Authors Association

Find a Poem, with JC Sulzenko

Tuesday April 11, 2023
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
via Zoom
Free to members of Canadian Authors. Non-members $10.00

Register by email

Facing the Page Together

Drop-in sessions | Members only

We meet via Zoom to discuss an aspect of writing to focus on for that session. Perhaps it's adding specific detail, or improving dialogue, or working with voice or point of view. We then write "together" (with our without cameras on). We can respond to a prompt or apply the concept to our works in progress. It could be fiction, non-fiction or poetry. We then gather again as a group to discuss the experience.

Mondays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom

October 17: Adding specific, concrete details
November 21: Working with dialogue
January 30: Serving the story
February 27: Filtering, adverbs and goal setting
March 27: Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing
April 24: Voice
May 29: A microfiction challenge

Find out more

Our Anthologies


Merging Waters is an anthology of works by the members of the Poetry Circle of the Canadian Authors Association - National Capital Region. Enjoy poetry by Blaine Marchand, Tsippi Guttmann-Nahir, Kati Lyon-Villiger, Christine Beelen, Adrienne Stevenson and Arlene Somerton Smith.

Cover featuring the Rideau Falls, Ottawa. Title Merging Waters
Buy Merging Waters

Building Community features the top stories and poems from the 2021 National Capital Writing Contest.

Building Community Anthology
Buy Building Community

20/20 Vision features the top stories and poems from the 2020 National Capital Writing Contest.

Front cover of the 20/20 Vision antholoty
Buy 20/20 Vision

The National Capital Writing Contest's 30th Anniversary Anthology features the top stories and poems from the 2017 NCWC.

Front cover of the 30th NCWC anthology
Buy the 30th Anniversary Anthology
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