August, September and October 2021 Short Story Competitions
Updated: Aug 16, 2021
You can make anything by writing. C.S. Lewis
A happy-winter-is-nearly-over greeting to you if you are in the southern hemisphere or enjoy-the-warmer-days hello if you are in the northern hemisphere.
Have you been hibernating during the winter months, thinking about fantastic story ideas? Or have you spent the summer break enjoying new experiences, going to new places or meeting new people?
Or has our COVID world forced you to remain at home, in lockdown, and your imagination has ignited. Here in Australia, a lot of us are living a life in lockdown. In Brisbane, where I live, we have just come out of a successful snap lockdown. Unfortunately, fellow Australians in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory are still in lockdown.
I send my good wishes out to all people across the globe who have been affected by the pandemic.
I know that escaping into stories has been helpful—as a reader and a writer. Hopefully, you might find some inspiration for your writing in the following competitions.
Below is a curated list of competitions. I go in and check to see if they are running at the time of writing this article. Please do check the websites to ensure the competition is still running and current, and to check all details about the competition.
Good luck and happy writing. Stay safe all.
I found this competition has had a deadline change. As it is in August I have added it here:
AUGUST
Val Wood Prize: 2000 words
Deadline: 28 August:
Entry: Free
Prize: £100 plus shared on various social media
More information: https://www.valwood.co.uk/val-wood-prize
Aesthetica Creative Writing: up to 2000 words
Deadline: 31 August
Entry: £18
Prize: £2500
More information: https://aestheticamagazine.com/creative-writing-award/
Exeter Story Prize: up to 5000 words
Deadline: 31 August
Entry: £12
Prize: £500, £150, £100
More information: https://www.exeterwriters.org.uk/p/short-story-competition-2021.html
Scarlet Stilleto Awards: 5000 words
Deadline: 31 August:
Entry: $25 ($20 Members)
Prize: $1500; $1000; $600. (There are a number of prizes in this competition)
SEPTEMBER
Southhampton Review Short Fiction Prize: up to 7500 words. Flash Fiction welcomed: Deadline: 1 September:
Entry: $5
Prize: $1500, $300, $200
More information: https://www.thesouthamptonreview.com/short-short-fiction-contest
Stringybark Short Stories:
At the time of writing there short story is closed but will open soon
More information: https://www.stringybarkstories.net/competitions/open---no-open.html
Surrey International Writing Conference: 2500 - 4000 words
Deadline: 17 September
Entry: $15
Prize: $1000
More information: https://www.siwc.ca/writing-contest/
Mslexia Women’s Fiction Awards: up to 3000 words
Deadline: 20 September
Entry: £12
Prize: £3000
More information: https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/short-story/
Dzanc Prizes: This ones for a short story anthology
Deadline: 30 September
Entry: $25
Prize: $2500 and publication
More information: https://dzancbooks.submittable.com/submit
Hammond House International Literary prize: 1000 to 5000 words
Deadline: 30 September:
Entry: £10
Prize: £1000; £100; £50
More information: https://www.hammondhousepublishing.com/competitions
Overcome Writing Competition: up to 2000 words - Theme: Connected
Deadline: 5pm 30 September
Entry: £5
Prize: £250
More information: https://www.ovacome.org.uk/about-the-ovacome-writing-competition
OCTOBER
Galley Begger Press Short Story: up to 6000 words
Deadline: 10 October:
Entry: £10
Prize: £2500 short list £200
More information: https://www.galleybeggar.co.uk/short-story-prize-tc
The Raven Short Story Contest: 250 to 2500 words
Deadline: 15 October
Entry: $20 (Early bird: $15)
Prize: $300
More information: https://pulpliterature.com/contests/the-raven-short-story-contest/
Scribble Annual Short Story Competition: 2000 words
Deadline: 15 October
Entry: $12
Prize: $200 plus publication in November edition
More information: https://www.scribblelit.com/1st-annual-short-story-contest
The Larry Brown Short Story Award: up to 4000 words
Deadline: 31 October
Entry: $10US
Prize: $500US; $50US
More information: https://pitheadchapel.com/larrybrown/
I thought I would throw in ...
NOVEMBER
Briar Cliff Review Contest: up to 5000 words
Deadline: 1 November
Entry: $20
Prize: $1000
More information: https://www.bcreview.org/contest
Retreat West Short Story Competition: 1500 to 5000 words
Deadline: 1 November
Entry: Free
Prize: £400, £250, £150
More information: https://retreatwest.submittable.com/submit
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize: 2000 to 5000 words
Deadline: 1 November
Entry: Free
Prize: £5000; Regional winners: £2500
More information: https://www.commonwealthwriters.org/our-projects/the-short-story/
John Steinbeck Award for Fiction: up to 5000 words:
Deadline: 1 November
Entry: $20
Prize: $1000
More information: https://www.reedmag.org/john-steinbeck-award-for-fiction
This one is open for 2022 ...
The ALSC Tom-Gallon Trust Award: upt to 5000 words
Deadline: 2022. There is an email link you can enquire. No deadline was noted to date.
Entry: £1000
More information: https://www.societyofauthors.org/Prizes/Society-of-Authors-Awards/ALCS-Tom-Gallon-Trust
Good luck everyone. Please let me know if you have entered any of the competitions, especially if you placed or got a notable mention. We would love to celebrate your success with you.
See you in October for the next round of Competitions.
Happy Writing,
Valerie 🌼
Image courtesy of Marta Putsylo @Dreamstime.com