Contests, Grants, and Residencies Calls for Submissions January 2026 December 18, 2025 Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab) on Facebook (opens in a new tab) on Linkedin (opens in a new tab) via email Each month we curate a list of contests, fellowships, and other writing opportunities with approaching deadlines. Opportunities will be posted in the month prior to their deadlines, so that you have ample time to submit your work or applications. Fiction Contests Cai Emmons Fiction AwardEligibility: All writersPrize: $5,000 + publicationEntry fee: $25Deadline: January 15, 2026 Nonfiction Contests Ellen Meloy Fund for Desert WritersEligibility: Emerging, mid-career or established writers are all welcome to applyPrize: $5,000Entry Fee: $15Deadline: January 15, 2026 Fund for Investigative Journalism GrantEligibility: Journalists with a letter of commitment from a publication for a specific storyPrize: up to $10,000Deadline: January 26, 2026 Poetry Contests Colorado Prize for PoetryEligibility: All poetsPrize: $2,500 + publicationEntry Fee: $28 online; $25 by mailDeadline: January 14, 2026 Translation Contests French-American Foundation Translation PrizeEligibility: Translations published for the first time in the U.S. between January 1 and December 31, 2025Prize: $10,000Deadline: January 12, 2026 Multi-Genre Contests Mississippi Review PrizeEligibility: All writers except current of former students or employees of the University of Southern MississippiPrize: $1,000 + publicationEntry Fee: $16 onlineDeadline: January 1, 2026 Iowa Review AwardsEligibility: All writers and poetsPrize: $1,500Entry Fee: $20Deadline: January 31, 2026 (must be submitted during the month of January) Writing Fellowships & Residencies Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative WritingEligibility: New writers of any age and backgroundPrize: $15,000. Residency in the San José area is expected during the academic year.Deadline: January 4, 2026 YaddoEligibility: Any artist, except those enrolled in full time undergrad or graduate programsPrize: 2-week to 2-month residenciesApplication Fee: $35Deadline: January 6, 2026 Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship in Creative WritingEligibility: Writers working on their first bookPrize: $58,800 + travel + health and life insuranceDeadline: January 12, 2026 Writers Workshops & Retreats (Please note these may be non-paying opportunities with additional fees such as tuition, room & board, etc.) Lambda Literary Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ VoicesEligibility: Writers in the LGBTQ communityPrize: a one-week intensive workshop immersion in fiction, genre fiction, nonfiction, playwriting or poetryApplication fee: $30Other fees: $1,100; scholarships are available Deadline: January 8, 2026
