Two $25,000 prizes—one in poetry, one in prose—awarded to exceptional manuscripts-in-progress poised to become significant books. Five finalists in each category also receive $1,000 awards.
Submit fifteen pages of poetry or twenty-five pages of prose. Submissions may be excerpts of novels, memoirs, book-length essays or poems, or collections of poetry or short stories.
Submissions must be primarily in English. International submissions accepted.
This award is open to writers who have not published or are not contracted to publish a single-author work of creative poetry or prose with a Big Five publisher (or their imprints) between January 31, 2017, and January 31, 2027.
Entry fees:
The early-bird submission fee is $30 (October 1, 2026 to November 30, 2026). The regular deadline submission fee is $35 (December 1, 2026, to January 31, 2027).
Find out more here
Deadline: January 31, 2027