Here are some upcoming deadlines for chapbook, book or literary awards, contests and prizes. All deadlines are at the end of this month!
Persea Books
Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Persea Books is given annually for a debut poetry collection by a writer who identifies as a woman. The winner also receives an optional six-week, all-expenses-paid residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy. Writers who are either U.S. citizens or who currently reside in the United States are eligible.
Entry fee: $30
Deadline: October 31, 2025
Northwestern University Press
Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize
A prize of $500 and publication by Northwestern University Press will be given annually for a poetry chapbook by a writer of color. Writers who have not previously published a book-length poetry collection are eligible. Chris Abani and Susannah Young-ah Gottlieb will judge.
Entry fee: None
Deadline: October 31, 2025
River Teeth
Book Prize
A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of New Mexico Press is given annually for a book of creative nonfiction. Ander Monson will judge.
Entry fee: $27
Deadline: October 31, 2025
Tucson Festival of Books
Literary Awards
Three prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The winners will also receive scholarships to attend a workshop at the University of Arizona campus in Tucson in March 2026.
Entry fee: $20
Deadline: October 31, 2025
Tupelo Press
Helena Whitehill Book Award
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a full- or chapbook-length poetry collection or a book of creative nonfiction (including memoir, essays, and hybrid work). The winner will also receive a one-week residency at Gentle House in Port Angeles, Washington. Jane Wong will judge.
Entry fee: $30
Deadline: October 31, 2025
