Submit to the best list of international writing competitions 2023. These feature several online writing competitions in 2023 made available to writer
List Of International Writing Competitions 2023
Getting a handful of several international writing competitions 2023 is one of the dire needs of writers. Basically, there are numerous international writing competitions 2023 around the world in different genres. While some are restricted and made available only to a particular region, country or continent, some are made available generally to every writer irrespective of the nationality.
For this purpose, we are devoted to gathering several available online writing competitions 2023 around the whole world in all literary genres. They will however be listed in the following format.
Each competition will be categorized based on the month of deadline and a few detailed description of the competitions
In a more curated outline, the following benefit can be gained from entering the list of international writing competitions around the world 2023
- Cash prizes
- Writing Fellowship membership
- Publication in a magazine or a newly published book personally for the author.
- Acknowledgement in the gathering of writers.
- Free internship among many others
Genres
The list of international writing competitions 2023 will feature many of the following categories:
- Short Story Competitions 2023
- Fiction Writing Competitions 2023
- Non Fiction Writing Competitions 2023
- Poetry Competitions 2023
International Writing Competitions 2023 List
The contests are organized based on the days and months of deadlines.
January International Writing Competitions 2023
- European Writing Prize 2023
The European Society of Literature hosts many writing competitions each year, but the European Writing Prize is the most prestigious of them all. The annual competition will help showcase a variety of writers from different backgrounds, and this year marks the first.
The theme is usually quite vague so as to give authors room to add as much of their own individuality and creativity to their pieces as possible.
Submissions will open on 1 October 2022, and will close on 1 January 2023. The longlist will be published 2 weeks later, on 15 January 2023
Theme For The European Writing Prize 2022
The theme for this European Writing Prize is ‘Anxiety’. Writers should incorporate the notion of anxiety into their work however they see fit.
What matters most is whether you submit a fine piece of writing — it isn’t so much about how close to the prize theme you make your work.
Who can submit?
Anyone! Despite ‘European’ being in the title, you can submit a piece of writing regardless of where you are in the world. We only ask that your submission be written in English, as our judges mostly speak that as their first language.
What’s the prize if I win?
- The prize for the winner will be as follows:
- 50 euros paid via PayPal or bank transfer
- Automatic lifetime membership into The European Society of Literature
- Publication in the following quarterly literary journal of TESL
- Potential talks with literary agents — they may scout the shortlist and winners.
- The prestige associated with being victorious! An unmatched opportunity to get your foot in the burgeoning literary industry of Europe and the Americas.
There is no entry fee
- Island Prize For African Writers 2023
Founded by Booker longlisted author Karen Jennings, we are delighted to announce that The Island Prize has opened submissions for its second year running.
The Island Prize is a literary prize that has been curated with the primary aim of helping African writers break into the UK publishing scene. This prize is open to unpublished debut novelists from all African countries, or the diaspora. All short-listed writers will be read by publishers and agents both in the UK, US, and South Africa.
The first year of The Island Prize exceeded all expectations. We received over 120 entries from all over the continent, a fine and diverse long list, and then an excellent shortlist. The winner already has a UK agent as a direct result of the prize, and three books have been offered publishing contracts. The competition has aroused much interest in the UK, and we expect even more this year.
All long-listed authors will receive detailed feedback on their submission, with their entire manuscript being read by industry professionals.
All short-listed authors will receive in-depth editorial attention to their entire manuscript, working closely with publishers, agents, and our judges to ready their work for submittance to agencies and publishers once the winner has been announced.
Prizes For Island Prize For African Writers
Winner – £500
Two Runners Up (Shortlist) – £200
Both the winner and runners up will receive detailed editorial feedback and will be mentored by industry professionals and read by UK and US agents.
Deadline: January 6, 2023
- International Student Essay Competition 2023
The international student essay competition for 2023 has been announced open to students all over the world. To submit your essay for the contest, read further on the prescribed guidelines and form of submission.
The competition is open to students who are between the age of 7-18 years
Each student is invited to submit one essay in English, entitled: “How can young people be better supported to thrive in green jobs?”
Prizes For The International Student Essay Competition 2023
One overall Grand Prize trophy winner will receive a free international trip to a TSL Summit, including £500 spending money.
The Top 10 essay medallists will receive eco-friendly e-medals with redeemable gift tokens.
All participating Teacher Champions, Essay Finalists & Honourable Mentions, and International Debate participants, will receive personalised e-certificates.
Deadline: 11 January 2023
- RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers 2023
Established in memory of writer Bronwen Wallace, this award has a proven track record of helping talented developing authors get their first book deal. Two $10,000 prizes will be given for outstanding works of unpublished poetry and short fiction.
The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award is sponsored by RBC Emerging Artists. The initiative supports organizations that provide the best opportunity for artists to advance in their projected career paths. Providing key funding across artistic genres, RBC contributes to the positive, sustained impact of the arts in building strong, diverse, and vibrant communities. Since 2015, more than 28,000 artists have been supported through these programs.
Genre: Poetry and Short Story
Winner: $10,000; Finalists: $2,500
Deadline: January 16, 2023
- In Profile In Courage Essay Contests 2023
In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. These leaders demonstrated political courage by taking a stand for the public good in spite of pressure by interest groups, their political party, or even their constituents. The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage.
The maximum word count is 1,000 with a minimum of 700, not including citations and bibliography. Use at least five varied sources such as government documents, letters, newspaper articles, books, and/or personal interviews.
All submissions must adhere to contest requirements.
The contest deadline is January 13, 2023.
RECOGNITION AND AWARDS
The winner receives a $10,000 cash award. If the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation holds the 2023 Profile in Courage Award event in person, the winner and her/his/their family will be invited to travel to Boston to accept her/his/their award in May 2023. Travel and lodging expenses will be paid for the trip to Boston for the winning student and her/his/their parents.
Second-place winner receives $3,000.
Five finalists receive $1,000 each.
Eight semifinalists receive $100 each.
Ten students receive honorable mentions.
The nominating teacher of the first-place winner is also invited to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library to receive the John F. Kennedy Public Service Grant in the amount of $500 for school projects encouraging student leadership and civic engagement. Travel and lodging expenses will be paid for the trip to Boston.
All participants receive a Certificate of Participation.
Winners and finalists will be notified by April 30.
All participants will receive a letter announcing the winners and finalists by the end of May.
- Ballard Spahr Prize for Poetry 2023
The Ballard Spahr Prize for Poetry supports outstanding poets from the upper Midwest and brings their work to a national stage. Expanding on the Lindquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry, which was established in 2011, this prize awards $10,000 and publication by Milkweed Editions to a poet residing in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or Michigan. Selected from a small number of finalists by an independent judge, the prizewinning poet will also receive a standard royalty contract, national distribution, and a comprehensive marketing and publicity campaign.
A public book launch and celebration for the winning poet will be held in Minneapolis around publication.
Submissions Open: December 1–January 15
Finalists & Winner Announced: April
Publication: January
- The Elie Wiesel Prize In Ethics Essay Contest 2023
The Elie Wiesel Prize In Ethics Essay Contest 2023 is announced open for submissions. The competition is organised by Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.
2023 Writing Contest Prompt
What challenges awaken your conscience?
Is it the conflicts in American society? An international crisis? Maybe a difficult choice you face or a hard decision you had to make?
Engage us. Enlighten us. Explore the ethics of any problem, question, or issue, whether close to home or in the world at large. We are eager to learn from you.
Submission Guidelines For Elie Wiesel Prize In Ethics Essay Contest 2023
Students are eligible to enter the 2023 contest if:
They are registered undergraduate full-time juniors or seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States during the Fall 2022 semester, or
They fulfill the guideline requirements and are studying abroad during the Fall 2022 semester, as long as they are registered as full-time juniors or seniors at their home schools in the U.S., or
They are international or non-citizen students who fill the guideline requirements and are attending schools in the U.S.
- 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
- Nine Dots Prize 2023
The Nine Dots Prize has now revealed the question it will pose as part of a global problem-solving competition, offering US$100,000 and a book deal with Cambridge University Press for the winning response.
The question for the 2023/2024 cycle is: ‘Why has the rule of law become so fragile?’
First launched in 2016 and now in its fourth cycle, the Nine Dots Prize encourages innovative thinking and engaging new writing that confronts some of the most significant issues of our time. The Prize is judged entirely anonymously and seeks submissions from both established names and emerging talent, including those who may not have been published before.
Entrants must respond to the set question in 3,000 words and provide an outline showing how they would expand their response into a short book of between 25,000-40,000 words, backed up with relevant research and evidence.
The winner will receive editorial support from Cambridge University Press as well as the opportunity to spend a term at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), at Cambridge University, to help develop their ideas and focus on their writing.
Deadline: Monday 23rd January 2023
- Ako Caine Prize For African Writing 2023
The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing is a registered charity whose aim is to bring African writing to a wider audience using our annual literary award. In addition to administering the Prize, we work to connect readers with African writers through a series of public events, as well as helping emerging writers in Africa to enter the world of mainstream publishing through the annual Caine Prize writers’ workshop which takes place in a different African country each year.
Eligibility Criteria For The Ako Caine Prize 2023
The story must have been published in the five years preceding the submissions deadline. For 2023 eligibility, the judges will only consider work published between 1st February 2018 and 25th January 2023.
Entries must be more than 3,000 words or less than 10,000 words.
Deadline: Thursday 26th January 2023 (12:00 GMT).
- Welkin Writing Prize 2023
From the organizer:
I’m running this competition as a thank you to the writing community which has done so much to support both my writing and my freelance work over the past few years. In September 2022, I was lucky enough to receive a DYCP grant from Arts Council England to fund paid research and writing time, and this competition feels like a small thing that I can do to pay forwards my good fortune. As such, the competition is free to enter and I hope it will be a welcoming space for all writers. The competition is open to all forms of narrative prose, be that flash fiction, short-short, vignette, haibun, hermit crab, prose poem or work that sits outside such labels. There is a whole universe (or welkin) of possibilities.
Prizes For Welkin Writing Prize 2023
The competition will award prizes for:
- 1st place (£150 + annual membership of Writers' HQ worth £190)
- 2nd place (£75 + AdHoc Fiction book voucher worth £25)
- 3rd place (£50 + a copy of "Deflection" by Roberta Beary)
There are additional prizes of £25 for the best non-placed:
writer with a disability or chronic health conditionL, GBTQ+ writer, working class writer, writer whose first (or home) language isn't English carer for an adult dependent, new writer (for a writer with five or fewer publishing credits).
Deadline: 28th February 2023 at 11:59pm GMT.
- Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest 2023
Three times a year, Jerry Jazz Musician awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of short fiction.
The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Our newsletter subscribers include publishers, artists, musicians, and fellow writers. While your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.
No entry fee is required. One story entry only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
The contest is open to entrants from anywhere in the world (English language only please)
A prize of $150 will be awarded for the winning story.
Deadline: January 31, 2023
- Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest 2023
Celebrate and participate in the 10th Anniversary of LTHS’ popular program with your fictional story about Little Tokyo. Winners of Adult, Youth (18 and under) and Japanese language categories will receive a special prize of $1,000.
Story submission deadline is January 31, 2023.
The story must be original, fictional, written in either Japanese or English by the submitting author and never been published (even online).
- Jack Hazard Fellowship For Fiction 2023
Jack Hazard Fellows are fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir writers who teach full-time in an accredited high school in the United States. We provide a $5,000 award that enables these creative writers who teach to focus on their writing for a summer.
Applications for the Jack Hazard Fellowship is now open.
Below, you will find the eligibility requirements, an FAQ, and the link to the online application.
ELIGIBILITY FOR A JACK HAZARD FELLOWSHIP 2023
Three years minimum of full-time grades 9-12 teaching experience.
Teaching full-time grades 9-12 in the 2022-2023 school year in an accredited high school in the United States and committed to return to that school in 2023-2024.
- Zocalo Poetry Prize 2023
Since 2012, the Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize has recognized the U.S. writer of a poem that best evokes a connection to place. Zócalo is currently accepting submissions. The deadline for entries is January 23, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST. There is no fee required to enter the contest.
According to the organizers of the Zocalo literary prize:
Since 2012, the Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize has recognized the U.S. writer of a poem that best evokes a connection to place. Zócalo is currently accepting submissions. The deadline for entries is January 23, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST. There is no fee required to enter the contest.We are on the lookout for that rare combination of creativity and clarity, excellence and evocation. The prize interprets “place” in many ways: A location may possess historical, cultural, political, or personal importance, and may be literal, imaginary, or metaphorical.Our 12th annual winner will be selected by the Zócalo staff, working in conjunction with a poetry prize selection committee. The winner will receive $1,000 and will have the opportunity to deliver their poem at the Zócalo Book Prize event in the spring. Zócalo will also publish the poem on our site alongside an interview with the poet. In addition, we plan to recognize our honorable mention submissions.
Entries will be judged based on originality of ideas, theme, and style. Judging is at the sole discretion of Zócalo Public Square and our poetry prize committee.
The winner will be announced in spring 2023, and the winning poet will receive $1,000, a published interview, and an opportunity for a public reading hosted by Zócalo.
The winning poem will be published on zocalopublicsquare.org. They will also be celebrating our honorable mention submissions
Deadline: January 23, 2023.
February International Writing Competitions 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
- Global Essay Competition 2023
Compete in our Global Essay Competition and qualify for participation as a Leader of Tomorrow in the world’s premier opportunity for cross-generational debates: The St. Gallen Symposium.
Meet 300 of society’s brightest young minds. Present and debate your ideas with 600 senior leaders. Be inspired by some of the world’s most impressive speakers. Gain a unique and new perspective on this year’s topic. Become a member of a unique global community. Participate in the symposium with us. Win prize money of CHF 20,000 split amongst the three winners.
Topic Question For Global Essay Competition 2023
The best or worst legacy from previous generations: How to preserve or replace it?
Deadline: 1 February 2023, 11:59 p.m. last time zone (UTC-12)
- 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
- The Diana Woods Memorial Award 2023
The Diana Woods Memorial Award in creative nonfiction was established in Diana’s memory by her family, friends, and the Antioch University Los Angeles MFA community. Diana Woods Memorial Award serves as a special opportunity for authors worldwide to be published in the literary journal Lunch Ticket. Launched in the spring of 2012, Lunch Ticket is produced by the Antioch University Los Angeles MFA program, an innovative creative writing graduate program devoted to the education of literary artists, community engagement, and the pursuit of social justice.
Twice each year an author of a work of creative nonfiction will be selected for the Diana Woods Memorial Award award by a special guest judge. One author will be chosen for the Summer/Fall issue of Lunch Ticket and one in the Winter/Spring issue. The winning submissions will be published in Lunch Ticket and the recipient will receive $250.
- Christopher Tower Poetry Competition 2023
The 23rd Christopher Tower Poetry Competition opened for entries on 10 October 2022, with students between 16-18 years of age challenged to write a poem on the theme 'The Planets.'
The competition will close at 12 noon on 24 February 2023.
About the Competition
The Tower Poetry Competition 2023 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.
This year the Christopher Tower Poetry Prizes are blasting off to new heights with a newly increased first prize and a full set of awards worth more than £14000.
The poet who writes the best single poem on the theme of ‘The Planets’ 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
- The Graywolf Press African Fiction Prize 2023
January 3, 2023—Graywolf Press is pleased to announce that the submission period for the fourth Graywolf Press African Fiction Prize 2023 will run from February 1-28, 2023.
The prize will be awarded for a first novel by an African author primarily residing in Africa and will be judged by Tsitsi Dangarembga, author of the Booker Prize short-listed This Mournable Body and the forthcoming Black and Female, in conjunction with the Graywolf editors.
Graywolf Press, a nonprofit American publisher, publishes work that is distinctive, artistically singular, and of a high literary quality. For this prize, the judge and the Graywolf editors are seeking novels that are engaged with the current moment and that approach contemporary issues with innovative prose and fresh perspectives.
Submissions must be full-length, previously unpublished first novels, or first novels published in Africa that have not been distributed or available for sale outside of the continent of Africa.
Deadline: February 28
- Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA) Self-Publishing Literary Awards 2023
Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA) Self-Publishing Literary Awards 2023. Through this contest, the BCALA honors the best self-published eBooks by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres.
These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. The purpose is to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research including biographical, historical, and social history treatments by African Americans. The judging committee will be comprised of a BCALA-appointed panel, which will select one winner in each genre.
Each genre prize winner shall receive: $2,500.00, formal recognition at the Black Caucus of ALA Literary Awards, and a BCALA Literary Award Seal to use in their marketing.
Deadline: February 28
March International Writing Competitions 2023
- Annual BSFS Poetry Contest 2023
The contest deadline is March 1.
Entries should address the themes of science fiction/fantasy/horror/science.
1st prize: $100; 2nd prize: $75; 3rd prize: $50.
Limit: 3 poems/person, maximum 60 lines each.
No entry fee.
- Please no previously published submissions.
- Winners will receive a cash prize, convention membership and be invited to read their winning entries at Balticon. Attendance at Balticon is not required to win.
- Winning poems will be published one time in the BSFAN, the Balticon convention souvenir book. In addition, a pdf version of the winning poems as they appear in the BSFAN will be available on the Balticon Poetry Contest website. Writers retain all rights to their work. By submitting to the contest, entrants agree to these terms
- Pen America Free Expression Essay Competition 2023
PEN America is inviting submissions for a national student essay competition 2023 about the role of free expression in today’s world. If you’re in high school or college, PEN America wants to know what you think about the threats to this crucial right! Essays will be judged for their originality, clarity of thought, and relevance to free expression by experts at PEN America and prominent guest judges. Winning essays will be published on PEN America’s website, and promoted on our social media channels. We are very pleased to offer a total of $7,500 in prizes to the competition winners.
The submission window will close on March 1, 2023. Winners will be announced in May 2023.
For each competition level, we will honor 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. The top three college-level essayists will receive $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 respectively; and the top three high school-level essayists will receive $1,500, $1,000, and $500 respectively.
- The Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards 2023
The Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards 2023 recognize outstanding translations into English of modern Italian poetry through a $10,000 book prize and a $25,000 fellowship, given in alternating years.
The Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards Fund was established in 1995 through a bequest to The New York Community Trust by Sonia Raiziss Giop, a poet, translator, and long-time editor of Chelsea. The Trust has selected the Academy to administer the award.
The Raiziss/de Palchi Fellowship will be given in 2023 to enable an American translator to travel, study, or otherwise advance a significant work-in-progress. The Academy invites applications from American translators currently engaged in the translation of twentieth-century Italian poetry. The winning translator will receive an award of $25,000 and a five-week residency at the American Academy in Rome.
The judges for the 2023 Raiziss/de Palchi Fellowship are Graziella Sidoli, Jennifer Scappettone and John Taylor. Submissions are accepted from September 30, 2022, to March 1, 2023 (11:59 p.m. ET).