Competitions
Doris Betts Fiction Prize ›
Postmark Deadline: October 31
Submissions accepted: September 15 – October 31
The Doris Betts Fiction Prize awards the first-prize winner $250. Up to ten finalists will be considered for publication in the North Carolina Literary Review.
Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize ›
Postmark deadline: January 2 (annual)
Submissions accepted: November 1 – January 2
The Jacobs/Jones African-American Literary Prize honors Harriet Jacobs and Thomas Jones, two pioneering African-American writers from North Carolina, and seeks to convey the rich and varied existence of Black North Carolinians. The contest is administered by the Creative Writing Program at UNC-Chapel Hill. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication of the winning entry in The Carolina Quarterly.
Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition ›
Postmark deadline: January 15 (annual)
Submissions accepted: November 15 – January 15
The Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition encourages the creation of lasting nonfiction that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. The first-, second-, and third-place winners will receive $1,000, $300, and $200 respectively. The winning entry will be considered for publication by Ecotone.
Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize ›
Postmark deadline: January 30 (annual)
Submissions accepted: December 1 – January 30
Honors internationally celebrated North Carolina novelist, Thomas Wolfe. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication in The Thomas Wolfe Review.
Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition ›
Postmark deadline: March 1 (annual)
Submissions accepted: January 15 – March 1
The Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition awards the winner publication in storySouth and $200.
Sally Buckner Emerging Writers’ Fellowship ›
Postmark deadline: June 30 (annual)
Submissions accepted: May 1 – June 30
The Sally Buckner Emerging Writers’ Fellowship awards a $500 fellowship to an emerging North Carolina writer between the ages 21-35 whose work shows promise of excellence and of a commitment to a literary career. Each year, the fellowship will go to a writer working primarily in a designated genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or drama (stage and screen)), with the genres rotating on a four-year cycle. The 2023 Buckner Fellowship will support an emerging poet.