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Last updated 8th September 2023
Below are tables listing various essay contests and other non-fiction writing competitions, prizes and awards. Some are academic, some offer scholarships and others are just for fun.
Please read and make sure you fully understand the rules and the terms & conditions of each competition listed before entering.
If you run an essay competition or non-fiction writing contest and would like me to add it to the lists below, please contact me providing the following information in the body of an email:
I do my best to keep this page up-to-date, but if you spot any errors, incorrect information or links that no longer work, please get in touch and let me know. I try and fix any problems quickly :-)
Some of the contests and scholarships that used to be listed on this page were run by essay writing service providers. The more I found out about these types of business, the more I felt that they're not ethical. Essentially, they allow students to cheat, by paying someone else to write their essay/thesis for them. While some of them do offer large cash prizes, so can be of benefit to writers, I wasn't comforable promoting these brands or being associated with them.
Due to my reservations about this business niche, essay writing service providers that offer a non-fiction writing opportunity were removed from the lists in my 2019 January update. You will find them in the history section of the page, with a note that says, 'Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists'.
In 2017 I started to receive a lot of requests for listings by affiliate websites that have little or nothing to do with writing. They often offer scholarships with decent cash prizes, but were run by websites that promoted vacuum cleaners, or baby products etc. My audience are writers, so I want to keep this page on topic and relevant to them.
Therefore I am no longer accepting listing requests from websites that are not about writing. I've also moved any listings I did have for off-topic websites into the History of Closed Contests list, with a note saying, 'REMOVED because website has nothing to do with writing'.
Do you run an essay competition or non-fiction writing contest? Do you want it featured at the top of this page? If so, get in touch.
You'll Enjoy
Non-Fiction Contest Highlights
This table lists non-fiction competitions that are run regularly; weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, bi-annually etc.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| Dandy Writers' Writing Contests | USA | Monthly | Monthly | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Dandy Writers' Contest: Any style / genre - they run a variety of regular contests for short stories, flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry and more, so check website for full details | ||||||
| Dream Quest One Writing Contest | USA | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 5 pages | $10 | $500 |
Notes on Dream Quest One Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in the 'Dare to Dream' section of the website - they also accept
short stories |
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| FanStory Writing Contests | USA | Weekly | Weekly | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on FanStory Contests: FanStory run a variety of contests including non-fiction - some contests have cash prizes (up to $100) | ||||||
| Immerse Education Essay Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Immerse Education Competition: Any style or subject but visit their website for a list of current topics - for students aged 13 to 18 - prize is a scholarship for one of Immerse Education’s residential or online academic programmes - current competition details are usually somewhere on their homepage | ||||||
| Lab42 Essay Contest | Switzerland | Quarterly | Quarterly | 3,000 | FREE | $2,000 |
| Notes on Lab42 Contest: Any style but themed, so check the website for current details - the best papers will be published on the Lab42 website and the winning author will be featured on their hall of fame page - to find the competition page, look in the "Challenges" section of the site and click on "Essay: ARC" | ||||||
| Letter Review Prize for Non-Fiction | Australia | Bi-Monthly | Bi-Monthly | 5,000 | $20 | $333 |
| Notes on Letter Review Prize: Any style / genre - open to memoir, journalism, essay (including personal essay), fictocriticism, creative nonfiction, travel, nature, opinion, and many other permutations - there are three winners who each receive the $333 top prize - winners published at Letter Review - all entrants considered for publication | ||||||
| Memoirist Prize | Spain | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 3,000 | FREE | $100 |
| Notes on Memorist Award: Any style or subject but must be autobiographical - winners published on website - see their submissions page for details | ||||||
| Monomousumi International Monthly Essay Competition | India | Monthly | Monthly | no max | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Monomousumi Competition: Any style, subject but sometimes themed, so check website for current info | ||||||
| New Millennium Award | USA | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | Varies | $20 | $1,000 |
Notes on New Millennium Awards: Any style or subject - word limit varies, but has been up to 7,500 words in the past - winners published in print and online - multiple categories, each with a $1,000 prize |
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| UniPrepare Book Review Scholarship | UK | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | No max | Free | See notes |
| Notes on UniPrepare Scholarship: Book reviews - the winner receives a UniPrepare premium scholarship worth over £3,000 | ||||||
| WOW! Women on Writing Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,000 | $12 | $500 |
| Notes on WOW! Women on Writing Contest: Any style / genre, from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay, hybrid and more, so see website for full details - multiple runner-up prizes (a very generous prize pot) | ||||||
| YeahWrite Super Challenge | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | Varies | See notes |
| Notes on YeahWrite Challenge: Any style, but check website for current theme and writing prompts - alternates between non-fiction and fiction - prize varies ($150 guaranteed minimum) - YeahWrite also run free weekly challenges for both fiction and creative non-fiction | ||||||
This table contains details of renowned contests, often offering large amounts of prize money. Any prize awarded in excess of £1,000 ($, € or other currency) is listed here.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| Accenti Writing Contest | Canada | February | May | 2,000 | C$30 | C$1,000 |
| Notes on Accenti Contest: Any style, subject or theme - open to non-fiction and fiction submissions | ||||||
| Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 2,500 | FREE | £10,000 |
| Notes on Alpine Fellowship Prize: Any style but themed, so check website for this year's details - winner and two runners up invited to attend the current symposium - usually closes around March / April time | ||||||
| American Foreign Service Association National High School Essay Contest | USA | April | May | Varies | FREE | $2,500 |
| Notes on AFSA Contest: Any style but themed, so check website for full details - winner also recieves an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to meet U.S. Department of State and a full-tuition paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon the student’s enrollment at an accredited university - very generous runner-up prize too, including cash and scholarship | ||||||
| Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest | USA | November | February | 1,600 | FREE | $10,000 |
| Notes on Atlas Shrugged Contest: Any style or subject but based on prompts themed around the heroic mystery novel written by Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, so check website for current details - open to students - multiple cash prizes for runners-up - to find the contest details, look in the "Students" section of the website | ||||||
| Bodley Head/Financial Times Essay Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 3,500 | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Bodley Head/FT Prize: Any style or subject - entrants must be between 18 and 35 years old - you can find more information on the FT website - seems to run once every 2 or 3 years - prize has been £1,000 to £1,500 in the past | ||||||
| Lab42 Essay Contest | Switzerland | Quarterly | Quarterly | 3,000 | FREE | $2,000 |
| Notes on Lab42 Contest: Runs regularly, so see listing in regular comps list above for full details | ||||||
| Fountain Magazine Essay Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 2,500 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on Fountain Magazine Contest: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - no dedicated competition page, so go to the 'Blog' section of the website to find details of the latest competition - winners published in Fountain Magazine | ||||||
| Hektoen International Grand Prix Essay Competition | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Hektoen International Competition: Medical and humanities, see website for full details - top prize varies, but has been up to $5,000 in the past - winners published in Hektoen International Journal - no dedicated competition page, so type 'grand prix' into their website search to find the most recent information | ||||||
| Hidden Compass Pathfinder Prize | USA | July | December | no max | FREE | $15,000 |
| Notes on Hidden Compass Prize: They are looking for proposals that showcase the diversity of exploration and touch on subjects such as history, science, art, ethics and more - prize to be used to fund a global expedition - to find the competition page, look in the "Explore" section of their website | ||||||
| Michael Terence Publishing (MTP) Competition | UK | May | ? | 3,000 | £8 | £1,000 |
| Notes on MTP Competition: Any style or subject - winners published in printed anthology - also accept short stories (fiction) - generous cash prizes for runners-up | ||||||
| Moth Magazine Nature Writing Prize | Ireland | September | December | 4,000 | €15 | €1,000 |
Notes on Moth Magazine Nature Prize: Any style / genre but themed around nature: check website for full details - in addition to cash, winner receives a week's stay at a writing retreat - winning story published in Moth's winter issue - also accept fiction and poetry |
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| Narratively Profile Prize | USA | April | June | 7,000 | $20 | $3,000 |
Notes on Narratively Prize: Any style / genre, but they are looking for profile pieces that tell the story of ordinary people or communities doing extraordinary things - winners published online and in a digital collection - to find the current competition page, put "prize" into their website search function, which can be found by clicking on the menu icon located on the top right of their website |
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| Narratively Spring Memoir Prize | USA | June | August | 7,000 | $20 | $3,000 |
Notes on Narratively Memoir Prize: Memoirs in any style - also offer additional prizes like conferencing for story development - winners published in digital collection - when competition is running it is featured prominently on the Narratively website homepage |
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| New Millennium Essay Award | USA | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | Varies | $20 | $1,000 |
Notes on New Millennium Awards: See notes in regular awards list above |
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| Prism International Creative Non-Fiction Contest | Canada | Varies | Varies | 6,000 | See notes | C$1,500 |
Notes on Prism International Contest: Any style or subject - all contest entrants receive a 1 year subscription to Prism International - winners published in the Prism International magazine - second prize C$600 and C$400 third prize - entry is C$35 if you live in Canada, C$40 if you live in the US and C$45 if you live anywhere else in the world |
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| Room Magazine Creative Non-Fiction Contest | Canada | Varies | Varies | 3,500 | $55 | $1,000 |
Notes on Room Magazine Contest: Any style / genre - entry cost varies depending where you live ($55 is most expensive tier), but all entries include a year's subscription to Room Magazine - winners published in Room Magazine |
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| Ruminate Magazine's Nonfiction Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 5,500 | $20 | $1,500 |
| Notes on Ruminate's Contest: Any style or subject - entry fee includes a complimentary copy of Ruminate Magazine - winner published in Ruminate Magazine - usually closes around October / November time - go to the 'submit' section of the website to find contest details | ||||||
| UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | |
Notes on the Society of Authors Prizes: Any style or genre - they run a variety of non-fiction competitions, including The Somerset Maugham Awards and The Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography - prizes up to £5,000 - see the 'prizes' section of their website |
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| Story Unlikely's Short Story Contest | USA | January | June | 4,500 | FREE | $1,500 |
Notes on the Story Unlikely Contest: Any style or genre - open to creative non-fiction and fiction - winning stories are professionally illustrated and published in Story Unlikely magazine |
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| StoryShares Story of the Year Contest | USA | February | May | 15,000 | FREE | $2,000 |
| Notes on the StoryShare Contest: Any style or genre - 4 categories, all with large cash prizes | ||||||
| TCK Publishing Short Story Awards Contest | USA | August | September | 4,000 | $12 | $1,000 |
| Notes on the TCK Publishing Awards: Any style / genre but multiple categories, so check website for full details - winners published on website - no permanent award page, so type 'award' or 'contest' or 'short story' into the search function at the top of the homepage and all the current award details will come up - it's a short story contest, but they have a creative non-fiction category | ||||||
| The Douglas B. Rogers Essay Competition | USA | January | February | No max | FREE | $2,000 |
| Notes on Douglas B. Rogers Competition: Any style or subject but often themed - open to full-time students in North America - often run in conjunction with other institutions, lastest of which is Abbeville Institute | ||||||
| TNQ Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest | Canada | March | Varies | Varies | C$40 | C$1,000 |
Notes on The New Quarterly Edna Staebler Contest: For essays in which the writer’s personal engagement with the subject provides the frame - must be Canadian citizen or resident to enter - entry fee includes a 1-year subscription to The New Quarterly - all entries are considered for publication in TNQ (paid at $250) |
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| Tom Howard / John H Reid Essay Contest | USA | April | October | 6,000 | $20 | $3,000 |
Notes on Howard / Reid Contest: Any style / genre - they accept short stories and essays and give 2 x $3,000 prizes: one for fiction and one for non-fiction - winning stories published on the website
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This table lists contests that are run on a yearly basis.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| Anthology Travel Writing Competition | Ireland | November | December | 1,000 | €15 | €500 |
| Notes on Anthology Competition: For travel writing - winners offered publication in Anthology Magazine | ||||||
| Australasian Association of Writing Programs Life Writing Prize | Australia | July | September | 3,500 | $20 | $500 |
| Notes on AAWP Prize: Any style, subject but for autobiography, biography, memoir, and essays - in addition to cash, winner receives a one-year magazine subscription and free entry to the annual conference of the AAWP, where they will be invited to read their work - winner considered for publication in Westerly magazine | ||||||
| Cambridge Centre for International Research 'Re:think' Essay Competition | UK | July | July | 2,000 | £15 | £150 |
| Notes on CCIR Prize: Any style, subject but based on certain topics, so check website for current details - various categories - judged by a panel of leading academics from the University of Cambridge - to find details of the competition, scroll to the bottom of the homepage and look under 'Think Tank' in the footer | ||||||
| Cyberworld Publishing 'The Good Life in Galicia' Competition | Galicia, Spain | August | Varies | 4,500 | FREE | €15 |
| Notes on Cyberworld Publishing Competition: Any style, subject or theme but must be about Galicia in a significant way - winners published in anthology - also accept fiction and poetry | ||||||
| Fairfield Scribes "The Scribes Prize" | Canada / USA | September | October | 110 | $5 | $250 |
| Notes on The Scribes Prize: Creative non-fiction in any style / genre - all winning entries awarded a cash prize, digital award seal to use for promotions, interview & permanent author page on website, plus publication - they also accept fiction | ||||||
| Ireland Writing Retreat Wild Atlantic Writing Awards | Ireland | Varies | Varies | 500 | €10 | €500 |
| Notes on Ireland Writing Retreat Awards: Any style, subject but sometimes themed, so check website for current details - they also run a flash fiction award | ||||||
| Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project Essay Contest | USA | January | February | Varies | FREE | £500 |
| Notes on KSCPP Essay Contest: Any style but based on different topics, so check website for current subject and choice of essay questions - for young writers aged between 10 and 18 - winners published on website | ||||||
| Libra Essay Prize | UK | June | July | 2,000 | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Libra Essay Prize: Any style, subject or theme, but essays must be written responding to a single-word essay title, so check website for current details - entrants must be students in years 12 or 13 of UK education - winners published on website - top prize has been up to £150 in the past - you can find the prize page in the footer of the website, under "Resources" | ||||||
| Living Springs Publishers Baby Boomers Plus | USA | June | Varies | 4,000 | $25 | $500 |
| Notes on Living Springs Publishers Competition: Any style / genre - you have to have been born before 1966 to enter - open to non-fiction and fiction - minimum of top fifteen finalists published in book | ||||||
| Principia Perspectives | USA | April | June | See notes | FREE | $200 |
| Notes on Principia Perspectives Competition: Any style, subject but themed, so check website for current details - 2 categories: middle school and high school - word limits are 600 words for middle school and 800 words for high school - winners published on website - find the competition details in the 'Academics' section of the website | ||||||
| San Francisco Writers' Conference Writing Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,500 | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on SF Competition: Any style, subject or theme - top prize has been up to $250 in the past - they also accept short stories - winners published in anthology and / or on SFWC website | ||||||
| Society of Spanish Researchers UK 'Science me a Story' Competition | UK | April | June | 4 pages | FREE | £150 |
| Notes on SRUK Competition: Any style / genre but story must be related to science - they accept non-fiction and fiction submissions - stories can be written in English or Spanish - winning stories published in the online magazine PRINCIPIA and in the literature hub at the University of Liverpool | ||||||
| SMK Contests | USA | November | January | Varies | $5 | $100 |
| Notes on SMK Contests: Any style / genre - they have multiple categories for flash fiction, poetry, short story, non-fiction, novel and more, so check website for full details | ||||||
| The Royal Commonwealth Society 'Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition' | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Royal Commonwealth Society Competition: Check website for current topics - for writers aged 18 and under - prizes vary, but in past prizes have included certificates, resources for schools, visits to London and activities /work experience at international organisations - winners published in worldwide media - usually mentioned on homepage, but if not, put 'essay competition' into their site search |
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| Urban Tree Festival Writing Competition | UK / Belgium | March | May | 250 words | €6 | €200 |
| Notes on Urban Tree Festival Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for details - winner becomes writer in residence for the next Urban Tree festival - winners published in illustrated anthology and each author included receives complementary copies - also accept flash fiction and poetry | ||||||
| Walt Whitman Film 'East Rock Films' Student Essay Contest | USA | January | March | 1,000 | FREE | $500 |
Notes on Walt Whitman Film Contest: Any style / genre but based on a questions, so see website for full details - for
high school or college students from U.S. or Canada - they accept traditional essays, video essays and performance essays |
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This table lists contests that are run on a yearly basis. There are very few current memoir competitions. If you know of any, please let me know.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| Fish Publishing Short Memoir Competition | Ireland | January | April | 4,000 | €18 | €1,000 |
Notes on Fish Publishing Competition: Any style or theme - winners published in anthology |
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| Narratively’s Spring Memoir Prize | USA | June | August | 7,000 | $20 | $3,000 |
Notes on Narratively Memoir Prize: See notes in prestigious comps list above |
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| TCK Publishing Short Story Awards Contest | USA | August | September | 4,000 | $12 | $1,000 |
| Notes on the TCK Publishing Awards: See full details in main listing above, but they also accept memoirs | ||||||
| Write by the Sea Literary Festival Writing Competition (Memoir) | Ireland | June | September | 1,000 | €10 | €250 |
| Notes on Write by the Sea Literary Festival Competition: Any style or theme - they also have categories for flash fiction, short stories and poetry | ||||||
This table lists details of one-off essay and non-fiction competitions.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| No one-off competitions to list at present | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Notes on None to list at present: More details coming soon... | ||||||
Here you will find details of other online resources that provide lists of non-fiction and essay competitions.
For reference, a record of non-fiction writing contests that have closed.
| Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
| 123Writings Scholarship Writing Contest | USA | August | September | 1,000 | FREE | $2,500 |
| Notes on 123Writings Contest: Any style, subject or theme, but see website for current list of topics - winners published on website - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| 24Writer 'How Winning Are Your Essays' Contest | USA | 15th May 2016 | 1st June 2016 | 1,000 | FREE | $500 |
Notes on 24Writer Contest: Any style but themed so check website for details - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Academic Help Writing Contest | USA | August | September | 1,200 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Academic Help Competition: Any style or subject, but must be
persuasive
- winner receives a writing certificate - entrants must be a high-school, college or university student - CLOSED 2016 |
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| ACW Journalism Competition | UK | 31st August 2018 | 30th September 2018 | 1,000 | £3 | £25 |
| Notes on ACW Competition: Any style but themed around news stories, so check website for full details - prizes paid as book tokens - winning entry published in Christian Writer (ACW magazine, distributed to 800 members) - entry is free for ACW members - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Affiliate Blogging Tips Scholarship Program | USA | December | December | 500 | FREE | $800 |
| Notes on Australian Help Contest: Any style, but see website for current subject matters - entries from US citizens / residents only - DOESN'T SEEM TO BE RUNNING ANYMORE, and website is for sale so removed listing Jan 2018 | ||||||
| Ageless Authors Writing Contest | USA | July | September | 3,500 | $20 | $500 |
Notes on Ageless Authors Contest: Any style or subject but sometimes themed, so check website for current contest details - entrants must be aged 50 years or older - winning essays published in anthology - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing in 2021 update |
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| All Top Reviews Writing Contest | USA | 31st December 2017 | 10th January 2018 | 700 | FREE | $500 |
| Notes on All Top Reviews Contest: Review writing contest - prize money has to be spent with a website reviewed by All Top Reviews - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Apps Free For PC Digital & Technology Scholarship | USA | March | April | 1,000 | FREE | $500 |
| Notes on Apps Free For PC scholarship: Any style, subject or theme - winner published on the website - REMOVED because site has nothing to do with writing | ||||||
| AskPetersen Scholarship: Essay Writing Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,000 | FREE | $200 |
Notes on AskPetersen Scholarship: Any style or subject, but themed so check website for current topics - CLOSED 2016 |
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| Assignment Essay Help Benjamin Bloom Scholarship Program | USA | December | February | 2,500 | FREE | $2,500 |
| Notes on Assignment Essay Help Scholarship: Any style or subject - entrants must currently be a student of a college or university - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| Assignment Masters Winter Essay Contest | USA | 20th February 2018 | ? | 800 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on Assignment Masters Essay Contest: Any style or theme - CLOSED, was a one off | ||||||
| AussieWritings Scholarship | Australia | 31st May 2019 | 20th June 2019 | 1,000 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on AussieWritings Scholarship: Any style or theme, but check website for list of topics - winners published on website - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| Australian Help Writing Contest | Australia | Varies | Varies | 1,200 | FREE | $700 |
| Notes on Australian Help Contest: Any style or subject but check website for current list of topics - winners published on website - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| Best Essay Scholarship | UK | 30th November 2017 | 7th December 2017 | 1,000 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on Best Essay Scholarship: Any style or theme, but see website for prompts - decent cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place too - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Best of Bests Scholarship | USA | November | December | 1,200 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on BoB Scholarship: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on website - REMOVED because site has nothing to do with writing | ||||||
| Best Pressure Cooker Student Scholarship | Bangladesh | December | December | 1,000 | FREE | $2,000 |
| Notes on BPC Scholarship: Any style, but see website for current topics - you have to be a student to enter - the scholarship - REMOVED because site has nothing to do with writing | ||||||
| Bid 4 Papers Essay Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,500 | FREE | $500 |
Notes on Bid 4 Papers Essay Competition: Themed, so check website for current theme - entrants must be 25 or under - winners published on Facebook - CLOSED 2016 |
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| Blue Mesa Review Non-Fiction Writing Contest | USA | August | October | 6,000 | $12 | $500 |
| Notes on Blue Mesa Review Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in the Blue Mesa Review - CLOSED, not run since 2016 so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
Boom Essays Writing Contest |
USA | February | March | 1,000 | FREE | $2,000 |
| Notes on Boom Essays Contest: Any style, but check website for current topics - winner published by Boom Essays - 2nd prize $1,500 and 3rd prize $1,000 - NOT RUN FOR OVER A YEAR, so removed listing Jan 2018 | ||||||
| Build Your Own Blog New Writer Scholarship | USA | 29th Nov 2015 | Dec 2015 | no max stated | FREE | $4,000 |
Notes on Build Your Own Blog Scholarship: Any style or theme - CLOSED |
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| Casevac Writing Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 2,000 | see notes | $2,500 |
| Notes on Casevac Contest: Any style / genre but themed and must also relate to a prompt, so check website for current details - $12 adult entry, $9 for students - 10% of proceeds go to the UNHCR - also open to fiction - sometimes runs more than once a year - CLOSED 2022 | ||||||
| Castle Craig Essay Competition | UK | December | April | 3,000 | FREE | £1,000 |
| Notes on Castle Craig Competition: Any style or subject but must be about 1 of 3 essay questions, so see website for full details - open to students studying medicine, psychology, nursing, psychotherapy, social work or a related discipline - winners published on website - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing 2020 | ||||||
| Confident Writers Scholarship Essay Writing Contest | UK | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 700 | FREE | $700 |
| Notes on Confident Writers Scholarship: Any style or subject but check website for current topics - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| Craft Resumes Creative Workforce Transition Scholarship | USA | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 1,000 | FREE | $1,000 |
Notes on Craft Resumes Scholarship: Any style or subject but themed so check website for details - winners published on the Craft Resumes blog and offered a paid 1 to 3 month internship - CLOSED 2016 |
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| Custom Writing Essay Writing Contest | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 650 | FREE | $800 |
| Notes on Custom Writing Contest: Any style or subject but check website for current topics - winners published on the Custom Writing blog - NOT RUN SINCE 2016, so removed from lists Jan 2018 | ||||||
| EduBirdie Essay Writing Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,500 | FREE | $500 |
Notes on EduBirdie Essay Contest: Themed, so check the website for current details - winners published on website - cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place writers too - CLOSED 2016 |
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| EduGeeksClub Essay Writing Contest | USA | 31st May 2019 | 15th June 2019 | 1,000 | FREE | $450 |
| Notes on EduGeeksClub Competition: Any style / genre but there are set topics, so check website for full details - winners published on EduGeeksClub website - lots of prizes for runners up too - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| EssaysCapital Writing Contest | USA | Biannually | Biannually | 1,700 | FREE | $3,000 |
Notes on Prism International Contest: Any style or subject but there are a choice of topics, so check website for current details -
winners' essays will be published on EssaysCapital Blog - I've recently received some concerns from users about this competition - it seems they have not announced winners and not contacted entrants - you can learn more on the EssaysCapital Facebook page, where users are asking what's going on with no response - I've contacted EssaysCapital to ask them if the competition is still running - if I don't hear back soon I'll remove this listing - UPDATE JAN 2017: I NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THEM SO HAVE RETIRED THIS LISTING |
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| EssayHub Essay Writing Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,000 | FREE | $500 |
| Notes on EssayHub Contest: Any style but check website for current topics - winners published on website - CLOSED 2017 | ||||||
| Essay Mama Writing Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,300 | FREE | $450 |
Notes on Essay Mama Competition: Themed, so check the website for current details - winners published on the Essay Mama website - CLOSED 2016 |
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| Essay Mama Christmas Writing Contest | USA | 25th December 2014 | 5th January 2015 | 4,000 | See notes | $450 |
Notes on Essay Mama Competition: Any style / genre, but themed around Christmas - to enter, you must like their Facebook page and share the competition link - 15 winning stories published in a printed book - CLOSED 2015 |
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| EssayMash Monthly Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 1,000 | FREE | $100 |
| Notes on EssayMash Competition: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for current details - the EssayMash goal is to promote intellectual discussion around the world - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2020 | ||||||
| EssayPro Writing Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies |
Notes on EssayPro Contest: Any style or subject, but you need to chose from a list of topics so check the link for current details - winners published on the EssayPro website - usually offers a $1,000 prize pool - Essay writing service provider
–
unethical, so removed from lists |
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EssayRoo Australian Writing Contest |
Australia | March | March | 800 | FREE | $3,000 |
| Notes on EssayRoo Contest: Any style or subject but check website for current topics - 2nd prize $2,500, 3rd prize $1,500 - winners published on the website - CLOSED 2017 | ||||||
| Essay Service Writer’s Encouragement Scholarship | USA | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 1,200 | FREE | $500 |
Notes on Essay Service Scholarship: Check website for current topic and other rules regarding citations and style - Essay writing service provider
–
unethical, so removed from lists |
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| Essay Supply Cyberbullying Experience | USA | 30th June 2017 | 31st July 2017 | 1,000 | FREE | $1,500 |
| Notes on Essay Supply Contest: Any style but themed so check website for details - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Essay Writing Expert Essay Writers Contest | UK | November | November | 1,000 | FREE | $500 |
| Notes on Essay Writing Expert Contest: Any style but check website for current list of topics - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| Expert Assignment Help Student Essay Writing Competition | Australia | December | December | 1,000 | FREE | $450 |
| Notes on Expert Assignment Help Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in on EAH blog - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| Expert Assignment Help Global Goals Scholarship Program | Australia | December | January | 3,000 | FREE | $2,500 |
| Notes on Expert Assignment Scholarship: Any style or subject but themed around Global Goals, so check website for full details - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
Field of Words Memoir Competition |
Australia | Varies | Varies | 2,000 | $15 | $400 |
| Notes on Field of Words Competition: Any style or theme - winners published on website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019 | ||||||
| Garden Museum’s Festival of Garden Literature Writing Competition | UK | May | June | 2,500 | £5 | £2,500 |
Notes on Garden Museum’s Writing Competition: Memoirs inspired by or set in a garden - winners published by Granta Online - CLOSED 2015 |
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| Gulf Stream Summer Contest | USA | August | September | 5,000 | $7 | $100 |
| Notes on Gulf Stream Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published in Gulf Stream Lit Mag - also accept fiction and poetry - NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing in 2023 update | ||||||
| Hektoen International Blood Writing Contest | USA | 15th January 2020 | April 2020 | 1,600 | FREE | $3,000 |
| Notes on Hektoen Blood Writing Contest: Medical and humanities - themed contest related to blood - winners and other best articles published in Hektorama and may be publicized in email newsletters and on social media - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Highfield Press 'Picture Worth 1000 Words' Essay Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,000 | $20 | $1,000 |
Notes on Highfield Press Competition: Themed - uses a different picture to inspire writers for each contest, see website for current details - winners published on website - entries may be a personal essay, memoir, narrative nonfiction, commentary, travel piece, historical account, biography, or short story - CLOSED 2016 |
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| Hourglass Literary Magazine Best Essay Award | Bosnia | April | September | 9,000 | $15 | $1,000 |
Notes on Hourglass Contest: No theme, or genre limitations - winners published in
Hourglass Literary Magazine - not run since 2017, so removed from lists 2019 |
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| Iceland Writers Retreat Writing Contest | Iceland | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Iceland Writers Retreat Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - prize is usually a place on a writing retreat - comps are sometimes for fiction, sometimes poetry and sometimes non-fiction - look at 'News & Events at bottom or homepage or in 'About IWR' section of website then 'News' to find latest competition details - CONTEST NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| JetWriters Essay Writing Contest 2nd Edition | USA | 15th Nov 2015 | 23rd Nov 2015 | 1,200 | FREE | $400 |
Notes on JetWriters Competition: Themed, so check website for current topics - 2nd prize $250, 3rd prize $150 - CLOSED |
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| Jittery Monks Scholarship | USA | March | March | No max | FREE | $1,500 |
| Notes on Jittery Monks Scholarship: Any style or subject but themed so check website for details - you have to be in full time education to enter - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
Juicingbeasts Staying Healthy Scholarship |
Malaysia | October | November | 1,000 | FREE | $500 |
| Notes on Juicingbeasts Competition: Any style but check website for current topic - winners published on website - REMOVED because site has nothing to do with writing | ||||||
| KidGuard For Education Scholarship Program | USA | October | November | no max | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on KidGuard Scholarship: Any style or subject but must be inspired by prompts, so check link for current details - 4 categories, university, high school, middle school and elementary school - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2020 | ||||||
| King's Cut Proofreading and Editing Company Essay Writing Competition | UK | 21st September 2020 | October 2020 | 500 | £5 | £200 |
| Notes on King's Cut Competition: Any style, subject but themed around justice - entrants must be between 11 and 16 years of age - the final is a live speech reading by the finalists on Zoom before a panel of judges - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Lifesaver Essays Essay Writing Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,300 | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on Lifesaver Essays Contest: Any style but see website for list of current topics - competition will be run up to 4 times a year - winners published on the Lifesaver Essays blog - top prizes have been as high as $600 in the past - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| Logos Institute Essay Writing Competition | UK | 15th December 2018 | 19th May 2019 | 1,500 | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on Logos Institute Competition: Any style / genre - UK citizens only - top prize is scholarship to study theology at the University of St Andrews as well as a £2000 towards living expenses - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Londnr Magazine New Voices Competition | UK | 1st June 2017 | 1st August 2017 | 1,000 | £4 | See notes |
| Notes on Londnr Magazine Competition: Any style or theme - winner receives a paid feature-length article, published in A/W 2017 magazine and a paid contract for a set of three articles for the Londnr online, mentoring, free tickets to the launch party and other Londnr events - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| MichelsonIP Udemy Learner Writing Contest | USA | 5th June 2020 | 25th June 2020 | 800 | FREE | $500 |
| Notes on MichelsonIP Contest: Any style, subject but themed around intellectual property - to participate, you have to enroll in their free course - winners published on blog and in Inventors Digest - Closed, was a one-off | ||||||
| Nerdy Bot Scholarship Essay Competition | USA | February | March | 500 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on Nerdy Bot Competition: Any style or subject but check website for current topic - CLOSED 2018 | ||||||
| Ninja Essays Writing Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | FREE | $500 |
Notes on Ninja Essays Competition: Themed, so check website for current topics - competition is run every 3 to 4 months - NOT RUN SINCE 2016, so removed from lists Jan 2018 |
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| Noplag Scholarship Essay Contest | USA | 31st August 2017 | September 2017 | 5,000 | FREE | $2,500 |
| Notes on Noplag Contest: Any style but there are a number of topics to choose from, so visit the Noplag website for full details - deadline was in June, but extended to end of August - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| NUHA Foundation Blogging Prizes | UK | Varies | Varies | See notes | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on NUHA Foundation Prizes: Themed, so check website for current details - 3 categories: 10-14 years 800 words max $250 top prize, 15-18 years 1,200 words max $900 top prize and 19+ years 1,500 words max $2,400 top prize - all entrants published on website - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| OmniPapers Writing Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,500 | FREE | $500 |
Notes on OmniPapers Contest: Themed, so check website for current theme - participants must be 20-25 years old - winners published on the OmniPapers website - NOT RUN SINCE 2016, so removed from website 2018 |
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| Oz Essays Scholarship Essay Writing Contest | Australia | July | July | 5 pages | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on Oz Essays Contest: Any style, but entry must answer a question so check website for current details - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| Phenq Avis Value Of Being Fit Scholarship Program | USA | March | April | 1,000 | FREE | $750 |
| Notes on Phenq Avis Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winners published on the Phenq Avis website - REMOVED because site has nothing to do with writing | ||||||
| Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition | USA | Varies | Varies | 2,500 | Varies | Varies |
| Notes on Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society Competition: Any style or subject - winners might be published - essay / non-fiction prizes in the past have been up to $2,000 - many categories, one of which is non-fiction books and one of which is an essay prize - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 | ||||||
| Plozee Post Competition | UK | 22nd February 2022 | 22nd March 2022 | No max | FREE | $100 |
Notes on Plozee Competition: Any style or theme - Plozee is a user-generated content platform, all submissions will be published immediately on the page each contestant has posted their writing - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Productivity Spot Education Scholarship | India | October | November | 1,000 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on Productivity Spot Scholarship: Any style but check website for current subject/theme - winners published on website - REMOVED because site has nothing to do with writing | ||||||
| ProEssayWriting Challenge | USA | 10th February 2017 | 20th February 2017 | 1,000 | FREE | $1,000 |
Notes on ProEssayWriting Challenge: Any style but there are a number of topics to choose from, please visit the website for full details - 2nd prize $500, 3rd prize $250 - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| READ Foundation Writing Competition | UK | 10th October 2018 | 13th October 2018 | 500 | FREE | See notes |
| Notes on READ Foundation Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - winner publicly displayed across hundreds of schools and read by tens of thousands of children, plus feedback from writer Qaisra Shahraz - also accept poems and flash fiction - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Resume Writing Lab Scholarship | USA | 31st December 2018 | 14th January2019 | 500 | FREE | $500 |
| Notes on Resume Writing Lab Scholarship: Any style or genre but check website for topics - CLOSED was a one-off | ||||||
| Rewarded Essays Writing Contest | USA | 20th October 2017 | 30th October 2017 | 900 | FREE | $500 |
| Notes on Rewarded Essays Competition: Any style or theme - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Sentence House Scholarship | USA | December | January | 1,500 | FREE | $1,500 |
| Notes on Sentence House Scholarship: Any style or subject - winners published on website - OPENS UP RANDOM SPAMMY LINKS, so removed from listings Jan 2018 | ||||||
| Shooter Literary Magazine 'Shooter Flash' Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 1,000 | £3 | £50 |
| Notes on Shooter Flash Competition: Any style or subject and they also accept fiction - winner published on website and in anthology sent to Shooter subscribers - NON-FICTION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON SUBS GUIDELINES, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
| Showboxa.Com Writing Contest For Science & Tech Enthusiasts | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,500 | FREE | $1,000 |
Notes on Showboxa Contest: Any style but themed, so check website for current details - REMOVED because site has nothing to do with writing |
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| SisterShip Magazine Writing Competitions | Australia | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies |
| Notes on SisterShip Competition: Any style or genre but themed so check website for full details - only open to people who identify as women - winners published by SisterShip Press Pty Ltd. - top prize varies, but has been up to $250 in the past - COMPETITION PAGE DISAPPEARED, so removed listing at the end of 2o19 | ||||||
| SisterShip Magazine Writing Competition | Australia | 17th August 2018 | 5th October 2018 | 1,500 | FREE | $100 |
| Notes on SisterShip Competition: Any style or genre but themed around facing fears - only open to people who identify as women - winners published by SisterShip Press Pty Ltd. - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| SiW Internet Marketing Scholarship | USA | December | January | 1,200 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on SiW's Scholarship: Any style but themed around internet marketing - winners published on the SiW website - CLOSED, not run since 2017, so removed from lists 2019 | ||||||
| Sleek City Press Prose Contest | Canada | 18th September 2022 | 3rd November 2022 | 1,000 | See notes | $600 |
| Notes on Sleek City Press Contest: Any style / genre and prompt is "who I was, before this" - entry fee is $10, $5 for students - they also accept fiction - $600 prize is awarded in each catgory - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Smart Paper Help Writing Scholarship | USA | January | January | 1,000 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on Smart Paper Help Scholarship: Any style but check website for current topics - 2nd prize $700, 3rd prize $400 - CLOSED 2016 | ||||||
| Smart.Study Essay Writing Scholarship | UK | 1st August 2016 | 15th August 2016 | 700 | FREE | $700 |
Notes on Smart.Study Scholarship: Any style but there are 3 topics to choose from, visit the site for details - winners published on the Smart.Study blog |
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| SolidEssay Essay Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 800 | FREE | $1,000 |
| Notes on SolidEssay Contest: Any style or subject but you need to chose from a list of topics, so check website for current details - winners published on website - Essay writing service provider – unethical, so removed from lists | ||||||
| South Warwickshire Literary Festival Creative Writing Competition | UK | 30th June 2023 | 23rd September 2023 | 800 | £3 | £50 |
| Notes on South Warwickshire Literary Festival Competition: Any style / genre - winner offered the chance to read their work at the festival if they are able to attend - also open to fiction and poetry - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| SpeedyPaper Global Essay Writing Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 600 | FREE | $1,000 |
Notes on SpeedyPaper Contest: Any style, but themed, so check website for current details - NOT RUN FOR OVER 6 MONTHS, so removed listing Jan 2018 |
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| Student Scholarship from Unplag | Cyprus | 1st Mar 2016 | 9th Mar 2016 | 500 | FREE | $2,000 |
Notes on Unplag Contest: Any style but themed so check website for details - winners published on the Unplag blog - prize money given to the University the student studies at, so goes towards their tuition fees -
2 runners-up receive free subscription to Unplag plagiarism detection service |
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| Student Wordsmith 'The Growing Unease' Journalism Competition | UK | 18th December 2015 | Jan 2016 | 2,000 | £5 | See notes |
Notes on Student Wordsmith Competition: Themed, so check website for current topics - winners published in a pamphlet and 'exciting prizes' offered to winners |
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| Swift River 'My Mother, My Hero' Essay Contest | USA | 1st May 2017 | 12th May 2017 | 250 | FREE | $200 |
| Notes on Swift River Contest: Any style but themed - Swift River will use the winning essay as part of their efforts to fight addiction | ||||||
| Taadiib National Essay Writing Competition | Pakistan | March | April | 750 | FREE | PKR 12,000 (£60) |
| Notes on Room Magazine Contest: Any style / genre but themed and based around a specific question, so check website for current details - for school children living in Pakistan - winners published on website - COMPETITION LINK BROKEN, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
| The London Magazine Essay Competition | UK | 31st August 2017 | October | 1,500 | £10 | £500 |
| Notes on The London Magazine Competition: Any style or theme - winner published in The London Magazine - runners-up published on website - 2nd prize £300, 3rd prize £200 - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| The Notting Hill Editions Biennial Essay Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 8,000 | £20 | £20,000 |
Notes on Notting Hill Prize: Any subject in classic essay format - 2,000 to 8,000 words - 5 runner up prizes of £1,000 - winners published in anthology - entry fee includes copy of previous anthology - runs every 2 years - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed listing during 2021 update |
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| ThePensters Scholarship | USA | May | June | 500 | FREE | $1,000 |
Notes on Pensters Scholarship: Any subject, but narrative writing preferred - check the website for details of essay requirements - Essay writing service provider
–
unethical, so removed from lists |
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| The Spectator John Murray Prize | UK | May | October | 4,000 | FREE | £20,000 |
| Notes on The Spectator Prize: Any style or subject but themed, so check website for full details - for previously unpublished authors only - prize is a £20,000 book deal with John Murray - winning essay published in The Spectator and anniversary anthology - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
| The Travelex Next Great Travel Writer 2017 | UK | 5th February 2017 | ? | 1,000 | FREE | £1,500 |
Notes on Travelex Competition: Any style but themed around travel - in addition to cash, the winner receives
a session with a Penguin editor - there's also a student category with a £500 prize - the contest is judged by journalists, Penguin editors and international bloggers - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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| Those That Breathe Environmental Writing Competition | UK | Monthly during 2021 | Monthly during 2021 | Varies | £4 | See notes |
| Notes on Those That Breathe Competition: Any style or subject, but themed so check website for details - the competition is open from the 1st until the 25th of each month during 2021 - proceeds from entry fees are donated to charities that are trying to make a difference to climate change - winners published on website and in anthology in 2022 - open to non-fiction, poetry, short stories and flash fiction - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| UK Writing's British Essay Writing Contest | UK | May | June | 900 | FREE | £3,500 |
| Notes on British Essay Contest: Any style or theme, but check website out for the list of current topics - the 3 winning essays are published on the UK Writing website - NOT RUN FOR OVER A YEAR, so removed listing Jan 2018 | ||||||
| Verbolatry Laugh-a-Riot Non-Ficiton Contest | UK | August | October | 500 | See notes | See notes |
| Notes on Verbolatry Laugh-a-Riot Contest : Humorous style and check website for current topic - if you enter for FREE, the top prize is £50; if you pay £5 entry, the top prize is £100 - winning entries published in Verbolatry newsletter and on their website - NOT RUN SINCE 2016, so removed from lists Jan 2018 | ||||||
| Widows & Widowers Magazine Writing Competition | UK | 1st Sept 2015 | 12th Dec 2015 | 5,000 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Widows & Widowers Competition: Themed, so check website for current details -
3 winning essays published in magazine - all shortlisted entries published in an anthology |
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| Win Our Inn Essay Contest | USA | 31st March 2020 | May 2020 | 350 | $99 | See notes |
| Notes on Win Our Inn Contest: For essays about why owning an inn would fulfill your dreams and why you think you'd be successful - prize is a turnkey motel operation on an island off the coast of Maine, plus $25,000 operating fund - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
| Wonder Institute Essay Contest | USA | November | December | 1,500 | $20 | $1,000 |
Notes on Wonder Institute Contest: Any style or subject but see website for current topic - winner published on the Wonder Institute website - POSTPONED in 2017 and not run since, so removed listing 2019 |
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Cathy M
I am semi retired and thinking about taking up writing. I am in the process of putting together my biographical memoirs about a woman growing up during the 20th century in America. I have had a fairly interesting life being born in Southern California just after World War II and wondered if you could direct me to whomever might be interested in reviewing it.
Chris Fielden
Cathy, you could try some memoir writing competitions. I know Fish Publishing and Writers Digest accept memoir entries and are well renowned. You could also try the Creative Nonfiction website as they accept all sorts of nonfiction submissions.
If you want to do some research, the Writers' & Artists' yearbook is a good place to start. It's UK based, but contains all sorts of details about different publishers that might be appropriate for you.
I hope that's helpful and wish you the best of luck with publishing your work :-)
Justin S
Hi Christopher, this question is purely out of curiosity and not at all an attempt at criticism, but when you post potential writing competitions on your website, have any of them turned out to be fraudulent? I've heard people running into problems with the Essays Capital essay competition and was wondering if you had any more information on the legitimacy of the company and the contest.
Thanks!
Chris Fielden
Hi Justin. No, I haven't heard of any problems regarding the Essays Capital competition.
The only website I've ever encountered that kind of problem with was called Chapter One Promotions. A couple of my users highlighted issues and with a bit of research (and personal experience, unfortunately - I had a short story due to be published by them at the time; needless to say, it never happened) I found that there were lots of complaints about the contest and made that clear on my site, linking to other resources that highlighted the problems.
So, if you have any information on issues with this particular competition, please let me know so I can research it. And if there are any relevant links you can send, that would be much appreciated.
Justin S
Hello Chris. Well it's mostly from what I've seen from their facebook page. They announced a very truncated time - roughly 6 days - until winners would be notified of their status, however, there hasn't even been any emails of declination. My nephew who entered the competition told me there were no confirmation emails; no social media status updates and basically no aid from their 24/7 help desk. Looking at your description of their competition, it seems like they've done this more than once (since you wrote they hold it biannually in their description).
I'd love to know more about it if you find more information about their legitimacy.
Thank you!
Chris Fielden
Hi Justin. Great stuff, thanks for letting me know.
I’ve had a search about and can’t find any other feedback about them, but their Twitter hasn’t been updated for months either.
It looks like there might be issue, so I’ll change the listing on my site to reflect this and link to their Facebook profile as an example. That might spur them to get in touch.
I’ll let you know if I hear from them.
Madeeha K
Hi Christopher. Thanks for the links which provide us with information regarding Essay writing contests. Back in August I participated in the EssayPro writing contest. Later they extended the date for the submissions to their essay writing contest. It's now December 2016.
I've also participated in EssayHelp's writing contest which happens to also be a project linked with EssayPro writing services. Now it's been a month, I'd like to know about some Twitter handle for EssayPro so that I can know about the results of the contest, but I'm not able to get in touch with any of customer service representatives there.
It's making me a bit confused and I would very much appreciate it if you could help me in solving this matter. If the chat option is available on their site, why don't they respond to my queries?
Chris Fielden
Sorry to hear about your experiences with EssayPro. And thank you for letting me know about it.
I recently liaised with Kurtis (in November), who runs it. So I assume the contest is still active.
I’ve emailed him for you and asked him what is going on.
I’ll let you know if I hear back from him.
In the meantime, this is their Twitter profile: @EssayPro_
Madeeha K
Many thanks for your response. I'll be glad if you'll let me know when you hear back.
Chris Fielden
Hi Madeeha
I’ve heard back from Kurtis. Please see his message below.
He said you can feel free to contact him.
I hope that’s helpful. Please let me know if you need any more help.
Hi Christopher,
The contest is actually extended, that's absolutely right. We are going to announce names of the winners after the contest is over.
We decided simply to update the page with the contest details rather than get in touch with the participants because there were not many.
EssayHelp is another organization and I can't help with that.
But I will be happy to help this person with the EssayPro contest and to answer all the questions she/he has.
Thank you for this letter.
Let me know if there is anything else you'd like to clarify.
Regards, Kurtis
Madeeha K
Thanks Christopher, I've just heard from Kurtis and have found answers to most of my queries.
Chris Fielden
Hi Madeeha. OK, great – thanks for letting me know :-)
John S
Hi - was looking through your list of essay prizes, and didn't see one on there which you might want to add: The
Bodley Head/Financial Times Essay Prize.
Chris Fielden
Thanks for this, John – much appreciated. I’ve added the competition to the listings.
Madeeha K
Hi Chris. Thanks for your effort in compiling this page of essay writing competitions. Last year, I was declared winner in the edubirdie writing competition listed on your page. I also received an appreciation certificate from lifesaver essay contest, but still have some doubts about writing essays for these essay service providers.
You have mentioned that some of the contests on the page are run by essay service providers, but don't you think that most of them are run by theses types of services? I'm confused, if I write for some contests run by these services, what are they going to do with my essay later on? This is putting me off participating in these types of competition.
I haven't found any other site with this much information and love to write essays, but the thing which is confusing me is the fact that writing competitions listed on your site under the heading of regular and prestigious competitions are all run by essay service providers. Is it fine to write for them?
Chris Fielden
Hi Madeeha. No problem. And congratulations on winning the edubirdie competition – that’s great news.
A lot of the contests I list are run by essay writing services. I guess it makes sense for them to run these types of competitions as they are relevant to their websites and help with marketing their brands.
Most of the competitions listed publish winning essays on their websites. That’s good for a writer’s portfolio. And cash prizes are always beneficial :-) Beyond that, I haven’t seen any other statements about what the competition administrators might do with an essay you submit. As you own the copyright, they couldn’t do anything without your permission anyway.
I don’t think there is any harm in submitting to these competitions. I just question the ethics of an industry that offers a service that writes essays for students – to me, it seems like offering a way of cheating. Still, the contests are separate from that and can help a writer develop and add credits to their CV. I guess it’s your call, but personally I don’t see a problem with submitting to contests run by these businesses.
If you’re worried about it, I’d simply submit to contests that are not run by these types of business. There are other sites outside of the essay writing service industry listed on my site. Maybe try some of those?
I hope that answers your question, but please let me know if you require any further information.
Padma P
Hi Christopher. I want to write a novel about a girl's life - inspirational, loving, entertaining mood swings, family, schooling and her entire life in different situations. I want to publish it but I don't know whom to trust my novel story with.
Chris Fielden
You could try Inkitt. They offer a trustworthy platform. It's free to use. I deal with them regularly and they seem like good people.
I hope that helps - good luck with your book :-)
Sandeep N
Hi Chris, you are doing great service through this site. Thank you!
I have written a book on raising human consciousness, titled RENEWAL, which I have been advised to enter into competitions. That search is what got me to your site.
Would you have any suggestions for me? Would you like to read a copy?
Chris Fielden
Hi Sandeep, thank you for your message. And congratulations on publishing your book.
There are lots of competitions for books, but you'd have to look through all the rules / terms and conditions and see which ones might be suitable for your style of writing. I have a book and novel contest list on my site. You can see that here.
I receive lots of requests to read books and can't accommodate them all, I'm afraid. But thank you for the offer.
I wish you all the best with submitting your book to competitions.
Sandeep N
YOU ARE TOTALLY AWESOME CHRISTOPHER! Thanks, Sandeep.
Chris Fielden
Thank you Sandeep :-)
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