Poetry Competitions, Submissions & Opportunities – August 2020

After a month in seclusion, I’m back to some semblance of health and sanity, and come bearing a bright new shiny list of over 120 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in August 2020!

First of all, I’m hugely grateful to everyone who contacted me after last month’s list to wish me well during my time off. I was exhausted at the beginning of July but so touched by your lovely messages of support, and to hear how the work I put into the list each month is valued and appreciated by this writing community. Thank you for your kindness and encouragement.

This month also brings The Grand Tour 2020 Summer Writing Challenge – a 30 day virtual jaunt around Europe, with all the travel-themed prompts, ideas and poetic inspiration you’ll need to keep you writing every day in August!

The first writing exercise went live today and there are still a couple of spots available in the supportive Facebook group but, be warned, I’m pulling up the gangplank by end of day tomorrow (Aug 3) to avoid stragglers. Ready to pack a trunk and join us? Find all the info and deposit your shiny guineas here:

http://www.adreamingskin.com/thegrandtoursummerchallenge2020

Or, if you prefer to ‘wander lonely as a cloud’ on your Grand Tour, there’s a reduced-rate email version of the daily exercises, avoiding social media to work at your own pace – there’s no numbers limit on this option and it will remain available until 8 August.

If you’re too busy for either but would like a little inspiration in the coming weeks, here’s the basic prompt list we’re working with – feel free to dip in when the muse strikes. 

If you’d like to hear about future events, sign up to my mailing list for first dibs on the next challenge before it goes public!

Otherwise, be well this month, and mind yourselves – we’re still a long way from normality. Take care of yourselves and each other. As always, stay creative, stay grounded, stay connected and stay safe.

Whatever you are writing in August, I wish you luck. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to support it, consider making a small donation via the Paypal donation button (right) and/or share the link on your own blog or social media pages. Thank you!

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August 2020

Impossible Archetype – Poetry (LGBTQ+, all genders) – closes 1 Aug (submit online)

Porridge – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction, Art – closes 1 Aug (submit online)

Shoreham Wordfest Poetry & Short Story Competition – Poetry, Fiction (10 lines / 10 words) – closes 1 Aug (submit online)

The North Magazine – Poetry – closes 1 Aug (submit online)

Frontier: Types of Burns – All genres, under 1500 words (Black voices only) – closes 2 Aug (submit online)

The Dalkey Writing Prizes – Poetry, Fiction – closes 2 Aug (submit online)

Poetry News Members’ Poems Competition – Poetry, theme: Vision – closes 4 Aug (submit online)

Cill Rialaig Residencies 2020 – All genres – closes 5 Aug (submit online)

Second Light Poetry Competition – Long & short Poetry by women – closes 6 Aug (submit online)

The Magma Open Poetry Pamphlet Competition – Poetry pamphlets (18-20 pages) – closes 10 Aug (submit online)

Patrick & Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship – Irish poets in middle years – closes 14 Aug (submit online)

Gigantic Sequins Summer Contests – Poetry, Flash – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

Gloucestershire Poetry Society Open Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

Grist Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

Inklette Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

Room Magazine 2020 Poetry Contest – Poetry – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

The Boiler Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Essay – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

The Bray Literary Festival Competitions – Poetry, Flash – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

The Charroux LitFest Competitions – Poetry, Fiction, theme: Truths – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

The Vallum Award for Poetry – Poetry – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

Visual Verse – Poetry, Flash, Non-Fiction – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

Palette Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 16 Aug (submit online)

Modern Poetry in Translation: Dead Women Poets – Translations of work by dead women and non-binary poets (women translators encouraged esp. women of colour, LGBTQ women, working class women, d/Deaf women and disabled women, and those new to translation) – closes 17 Aug (submit online)

The Cormorant – Poetry, Flash – closes 20 Aug (submit online)

Buzzwords Open Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 22 Aug (submit online)

The A3 Review – Poetry, Flash, Art, theme: Habitat – closes 22 Aug (submit online)

The Red Line Book Festival Poetry Competition – Poetry (unpublished poets only) – closes 24 Aug (submit online)

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award – Poetry, Fiction – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Beloit Poetry Journal – Poetry – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Brett Elizabeth Jenkins Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition – Poetry pamphlets (16-24 pages) – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Pallina Press – Poetry pamphlets (25-40 pages) – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Poems from Pandemia Anthology – Poetry, theme: Covid-19, Pandemic, Plague – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Reliquiae – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, theme: Landscape, Nature & Mythology – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Saveas Writers’ International Writing Competition 2020 – Poetry, Fiction, theme: Post Apocalypse – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Split Lip Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Memoir & Art (free entry for Black writers until the end of 2020) – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

The 8th Annual Ó Bhéal International Poetry-Film Competition – Poetry films – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Waxwing – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Visual Art & more (monthly limit of 300 submissions) – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Kinsale Literary Festival Words by Water Competitions – Poetry, Fiction – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

SAND – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Translations, Art – closes 1 Sept (submit online)

Black Warrior Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translations & more – closes 1 Sept (submit online)

Tiny Fork Chapbook Series Contest – Poetry, Prose, Hybrid manuscripts (15-40 pages) – closes 1 Sept (submit online)

For Women Who Roar – Poetry, Non-fiction, Art, Photography – closes 2 Sept (submit online)

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JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH RECURRING DEADLINES

Ó Bhéal Five Words – Poetry – deadline each week, annual prize (submit online)

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JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS IN AUGUST:

Into the Void – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction – closes 7 Sept (submit online)

Arts Council Literary Project Award – All genres – closes 10 Sept (submit online)

Parentheses Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Art, Photography – closes 10 Sept (submit online)

2020 Manchester Writing Competition – Poetry, Fiction – closes 18 Sept (submit online)

Troubadour Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 28 Sept (submit online)

The Adroit Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – closes 1 Oct (submit online)

Acumen – Poetry – open (submit online)

Agenda – Poetry, Essays, Reviews – open (submit online)

Ambit – Poetry, Fiction, Art – open (submit online)

A New Ulster – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)

Anthropocene – Poetry – open (submit online)

Apartment Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

Atrium – Poetry – open (submit online)

Bear Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Artwork – open (submit online)

Brittle Star – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

Carve Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction – open (submit online)

Cheat River Review – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)

Dreich Mag – Poetry – open (submit online)

Driftwood Press – Poetry, Fiction, Literary Criticism – open (submit online)

Dust Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

Empty Mirror – Poetry, Non-fiction, Visual Art (committed to diversity & inclusion) – open (submit online)

Fecund Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Essay & more (POC only) – open (submit online)

FIVE:2:ONE – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Artwork by underrepresented writers (POC, LGTBQ, non-binary, neurodivergent, trauma survivors etc.) – open (submit online)

Frontier Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

Fruit Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Hybrid (LGBTQI+, with emphasis on unheard voices – POC, trans, working class) – open (submit online)

Guernica – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Photo Essays – open (submit by post)

Hosking Houses Trust Residencies – Women writers over 40 (all genres – must have contract to publish / broadcast / perform) – open (submit online)

Idler – Poetry, Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)

Ink Sweat & Tears – Poetry – open (submit online)

Irish Literary Review – Poetry – open (submit online)

Lighthouse Literary Journal – Poetry & Short Fiction – open (submit online)

LitMag – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)

Marble – Poetry – open (submit online)

New Contrast – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

Omelette Literary Magazine – Poetry, Visual Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction & more – open (submit online)

One – Poetry, a single poem – open (submit online)

Orbis – Poetry – open (submit by post (UK) or online (overseas only))

PANK – Poetry – open (submit online)

Palette Poetry – Poetry (under-represented and marginalized voices of all colors encouraged to submit) – open (submit online)

Peepal Tree Press – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction manuscripts from Black & Caribbean writers – open (submit online)

Pigeon Pages – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – open (submit online)

POETRY Magazine – Poetry (submit online)

Poetry Ireland Review – Poetry – open (submit by post)

Poetry London – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)

Poetry Salzburg – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)

Poetry Wales – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)

Porridge Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – open (submit online)

PN Review – Poetry, Essays, Reviews – open (submit by post)

Riggwelter – Poetry, Short Fiction, Visual Art – open 31 March 2020 (submit online)

Shakespeare & Co Tumbleweeds Residency – all writers – open (submit online)

Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)

South Bank Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

Spry Literary Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)

Squawk Back – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)

Stand Magazine – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

Stepaway Magazine – Poetry, Flash Fiction, theme: walking in the city – open (submit online)

Tears in the Fence – Poetry – open (submit online)

The American Journal of Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)

The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)

The Compass Magazine – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Curly Mind – Poetry, theme: experimental – open (submit online)

The Dark Horse – Poetry – open (submit by post)

The Ellis Review – Poetry, published weekly – open (submit online)

The Galway Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)

The Lake – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Lascaux Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)

The London Magazine – Poetry, Non-Fiction, Art – open (submit online)

The Missouri Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)

The Moth – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

The Offing – Poetry, Translation, Art and more – open (submit online)

The Ofi Press Magazine – Poetry & Short Fiction – open (submit online)

The Poetry Village – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Poetry Review – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)

The Selkie – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Features (marginalised and/or under-represented voices incl. women (or identify as), people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and more) – open (submit online)

The Seventh Quarry – Short Poetry – open (submit online)

The Southeast Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Reviews, Artwork – open (submit online)

The Sun Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Interviews – open (submit online)

The Times Literary Supplement – Poetry (submit by post)

Three Drops From a Cauldron – Poetry, Flash, theme: Myth, Folklore, Fables, Fairytales – on hiatus until 2021 (submit online)

Tinderbox Poetry Journal – Poetry – open (submit online)

Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)

Best of luck!

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If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in August 2020, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!

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(Illustration by Nicole Ray via Etsy)

Join The Grand Tour Summer Writing Challenge – a 30-Day Virtual European Odyssey!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This August, you are cordially invited to join The Grand Tour Summer Writing Challenge 2020!

On our 30 day European odyssey, you will be following in the footsteps of the great writers and thinkers of the Enlightenment – Byron, Wordsworth, Bosworth, Shelley et al – encountering the cities, landmarks, sights and people of this magnificent continent. A feast for the imagination and the senses, all to be captured in your own writing style and personal travelogue.

Yes, it’s summer and as many of us cannot travel as we usually would, the 30 Day Writing Challenge returns in August with a whistle-stop virtual tour of Europe, in the style of ‘The Grand Tour’ – a traditional right-of-passage in the 17th & 18th centuries for writers, thinkers and aristocratic types in search of art, culture, experience and adventure.

As always, there will be lots of topical travel and locality-themed prompts to spark your imagination and get you writing every day in August.

While our real-life jaunts may be curtailed, The Grand Tour Summer Writing Challenge will whisk you away to pastures new, with bite-sized daily exercises, inspiration and opportunity to explore or vent in equal measure, and a supportive and encouraging community of writers in the private Facebook group.

Whether you’re looking for focus, connection or a creative kick-start, the challenge offers a pleasurable summer escape.

Numbers in the Facebook group are limited and spots are allocated on a first come, first served basis – please book early to avoid disappointment as the last challenge sold out in 24 hours!

Once again, I’m also offering an email only version of the challenge as a reduced price for those who want to avoid social media and the internet right now. You’ll receive all the materials direct to your inbox, without any external distractions. And no need to worry about meeting the challenge timescale – the prompts will be waiting for you in your inbox whenever you feel ready to engage.

All the information is on the website – just click the link or button below for details.

I completely understand that this might not be the right timing for you to take part in a challenge and that’s OK. Nurture your creative self in any way you can during this difficult time – ALLOW YOUR IMAGINATION TO TRAVEL – play, read, make art, make something with your hands, knit, sew, mend, grow seeds, try something new. Stay grounded.

Angela x

join the #thegrandtour summer writing challenge!

Image by Amy Shamblen for Unsplash.

Black Lives Matter: What Can I Do As a Writer?

For those of you waiting for the new list of poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in June 2020, it will be published tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.

I’ve held it back a day for #BlackOutTuesday – to show respect for the death of George Floyd, highlight the senseless loss of black lives due to police brutality and protest the disturbing use of state force against the citizens of the US right now.

We all live in a world shaped by racism and now more than ever, we need to acknowledge and understand that Black Lives Matter. This quote from a 2014 essay by Scott Woods is particularly resonant.

In immediate response to the murder of George Floyd, here’s a great summary of direct action options from Black Lives Matter.

If you want to better understand the issues surrounding racism, the POC Online Classroom is curated by and for people of colour and has a fantastic database of reading and resources, including articles, essays and poems on everything from identity to organizing to self care with writing by Audre Lorde, Bell Hooks, Angela Davis, Langston Hughes, Marlon James, Angel Nafis and more. Here are a few relevant sections to check out:

• White supremacy & empire

• Prisons, police, and state violence

• Self care, mental health and healing for people of color and within activist movements

I’ve been thinking about how I could better educate myself and help amplify black voices within the literary community. If you feel as helpless as I do and want to know what you can do to take a stand against racism, here are some of the things I’m pledging to:

1. Make a donation – to the family of George Floyd, to Black Lives Matter, to Reclaim the Block who work to make communities like George’s safer, without police intervention, or to Minnesota Freedom Fund to help with bail funds for protesters who have been arrested. In Ireland, you can tackle racism by supporting MASI (Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland) or MERJ (Migrant & Ethnic-Minorities for Reproductive Justice). Petition your local TDs and councillors to end Direct Provision. If you are in the UK, check out this poem and list of resources by poet, Salena Godden.
2. Educate myself. Do the work to understand the insidious nature of racism and how it impacts on everyone’s lives. None of us are free from its impact, as Scott Woods explains above. Don’t ask black friends or colleagues to do this work for me. The information is widely available. There are lots of resources being shared under the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag on Twitter and Instagram right now. Here are a few ideas to get started:
   • How to Be an Anti-Racist, Ibram X. Kendi;
   • This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work, Tiffany Jewell;
   • Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge;
   • Me and White Supremacy, Layla F. Saad;
   • Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehesi Coates;
   • So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo;
   • This thread on racism in Ireland by Dr. Justine Akase.
3. Support the work of black writers and poets. As a writer, read and share their work. Here are some great books to get started:
   • Citizen, Claudia Rankine;
   • Don’t Call Us Dead, Danez Smith;
   • Incendiary Art, Patricia Smith;
   • The Evidence of Things Not Seen, James Baldwin (pretty much anything by Baldwin);
   • White Teeth, Zadie Smith;
   • The Black Flamingo, Dean Atta;
   • Don’t Touch My Hair, Emma Dibiri;
   • This Hostel Life, Melatu Uche Okorie;
   • Correspondences: An Anthology to Call for an End to Direct Provision, ed. Stephen Rea and Jessica Traynor;
   • The Jhalak Prize is also a great reference point for recent work by British BAME writers.
4. Amplify. I actively seek out and highlight submission opportunities for Black writers, as well as other marginalised groups, in my monthly poetry list but am painfully aware how few journals and competitions make their work a priority. As an editor or publisher, please ensure your submissions policy is inclusive toward black and other marginalised groups of writers. Make space for their voices.
5. Listen. Who am I following on social media? Whose voices and experiences am I paying attention to? Am I only listening to voices and experiences that chime with my own? Break out of the echo chamber. Accept that my opinion is neither relevant nor necessary in every conversation.
6. Know that I will make mistakes. Know that those closest to me will make mistakes and some will not be interested in doing the work. Don’t dig in behind these errors. Learn from them. Apologise and pledge to do better. Continue to hold myself and others accountable for words or actions that are harmful to others. Do this with compassion.

Will you join me?

Don’t forget, when buying books, please try and support local, independent and/or black-owned bookshops. 

For some poetry to read right now, here’s a great compilation of Poems of Protest, Resistance, and Empowerment by Poetry Foundation. It includes one of my all-time favourite poems: Rosa Parks by Nikki Giovanni.

…they noticed his stutter and probably understood
why his mother wanted him out of Chicago during the summer
when school was out. Fourteen-year-old Black boys with limps
and stutters are apt to try to prove themselves in dangerous ways
when mothers aren’t around to look after them.

Rosa Parks – Nikki Giovanni

Update: Here’s a fantastic thread of poems and recommended reading by black poets from Luther X. Hughes on Twitter.

Update: Here’s a link to an Antiracist Allyship Starter Pack from Kandice Le Blanc’s post ‘Dear White People, This is What We Want You to Do’, with thanks to writer and editor Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi for sharing on FB.

Update: Here’s a link to Racial Equity Tools: Arts & Culture Strategies, with thanks to Chiamaka, as above, for sharing on FB.

Update: For those who prefer visual materials, Two Thumbs Up: Movies and Documentaries to Use (and Avoid) When Teaching Civil Rights, an article by Hasan Kwame Jeffries at Zinn Education Project, is a great run-down of good, bad and downright ugly documentaries and films covering civil rights history.

I realise this only scratches the surface of a pervasive problem and if you have any other ideas or reading recommendations, please feel free to add them in the comments section below. I’ll keep updating this post as more ideas about useful information come to me.

Featured Image: Black Lives Matter

Submitting to Poetry Journals & Competitions: A Beginner’s Guide

Chatting to writers during the recent #JanuaryWriteOff 30 Day Challenge, it became clear many people find the process of submitting to poetry journals and competitions quite daunting. From formatting to bios to fees, there can be a lot of hoops to jump through and I thought it might be useful to walk you through the process.

What Goes into a Submission?

When you’re preparing work to send out into the world, you will need to put together a package of information comprising some, or all, of the following:

• Your work, presented in accordance with the competition or journal’s Submission Guidelines;
• A short writer’s bio;
• A cover letter and/or a completed application form;
• An author’s photo;
• Competition or Submission fees (if applicable).

Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.

Poetry Competitions, Submissions & Opportunities – July 2020

Is it just me or does it feel like the beginning of 2020 was about a million years ago? June was a hell of a month but it’s finally over and I’m here with a new list of over 130 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in July 2020.

I’m still reading and thinking a lot about the impact of George Floyd’s death, Black Lives Matter and how to be actively anti-racist in my local and literary community. I’ll probably write more about this soon but in case you missed it here’s my piece from last month with resources, reading lists and work by Black writers and poets – Black Lives Matter: What Can I Do As A Writer?

We’re now in Phase 3 of re-opening after Covid-19 in Ireland with the final phase due to kick off on 20 July and, like many others, I’m both exhausted from the stress and grief of the past few months and nervous about what comes next. The pandemic hit at the end of a particularly difficult 12 months for me and, for my own well-being and to manage ongoing health problems, I’ve decided to switch off in July.

I try to be a good literary citizen online, sharing info on FB, Twitter and Instagram but it really sucks you in, between literary news, social activism, local horror stories like the latest round of sexual abuse revelations involving the comedy, music and entertainments communities in Ireland. I want to be supportive but I also need to look after myself and, right now,  I need a break.

Aside from the poetry list updates, I’ll be unplugging from social media and the online world. If you are currently waiting to hear from me regarding a book order or a mentoring session, I’ll be in touch this week with confirmation and/or available dates from August onward. Thanks for your patience.

If you need to contact me for any other reason, please use the website contact form and I’ll be in touch when I’m back up and running in August.

Otherwise, I hope you are all well and keeping it together whether you are still isolating or if restrictions are now easing. Take care of yourself and each other. As ever, stay creative, stay grounded, stay connected and stay safe.

Whatever you are writing in July, I wish you luck. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to support it, consider making a small donation via the Paypal donation button (right) and/or share the link on your own blog or social media pages. Thank you!

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July 2020

Carte-Blanche – Poetry, Comics, Translation, Photography, theme: Anxiety – closes 1 July (submit online)

Penfro Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: Ecology – closes 1 July (submit online)

The Barbara Mandingo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards – Poetry, theme: Peace & the Human Spirit – closes 1 July (submit online

The Blue Nib (Web) – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction & more – closes 1 July (submit online)

The Second Shelf – Essays, Creative Non-fiction – closes 2 July (submit online)

Charlotte Mew Chapbook Contest – Poetry manuscript (35 pages max, lesbian-identified poets (see submission guidelines)) – closes 4 July (submit online)

Mineral Lit – Poetry (Black writers only) – closes 5 July (submit online)

Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust Special Commemorative Anthology – Poetry, Essay, theme: Poetry Mentors (emerging Irish/NI writers, especially those under-represented on the basis of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, and membership of the Traveller community; as well as writers from diverse socio-economic backgrounds) – closes 6 July (submit online)

Black Lives Matter Anthology – Poetry, Micro-fiction, theme: any of the images, issues, triggers, histories, lives, demands and outcomes that are being highlighted by Black Lives Matter and current and past protests – closes 7 July (submit online)

Wine Cellar Press – Poetry, Visual Art – closes 8 July (submit online)

Abridged 0-60: Echo – Poetry, Art, theme: Echo & Narcissus, Communication – closes 10 July (submit online)

Write by the Sea Writing Competitions – Poetry, Fiction, Memoir – closes 10 July (submit online)

Los Angeles Review Literary Awards – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction – closes 14 July (submit online)

Ambit Annual Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: Cataclysm – closes 15 July (submit online)

The Bellevue Literary Review Prizes – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, theme: Health, healing, illness, the mind and the body – closes 15 July (submit online)

Vallum Award for Poetry – Poetry (strongly encourages submissions from LGBTQI2S, Indigenous writers, writers of colour, gender non-conforming writers, differently abled writers or persons with mental or physical challenges) – closes 15 July (submit online)

Visual Verse – Poetry, Flash, Non-Fiction – closes 15 July (submit online)

Ledbury Poetry Festival Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 16 July (submit online)

The Stephen Spender Prize – Poetry in Translation – closes 16 July (submit online)

Narrative Magazine Annual Poetry Contest – Poetry – closes 17 July (submit online)

Frontier Poetry Industry Award – Poetry – closes 19 July (submit online)

Feral Journal – Poetry, Art, theme: The Body – closes 20 July (submit online)

The A3 Review – Poetry, Flash, Art, theme: Heroes – closes 25 July (submit online)

Varuna Residential Fellowships – Poetry, Flash, Art, theme: Heroes – closes 29 July (submit online)

192 Magazine – Poetry – closes 31 July (submit online)

Amsterdam Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Art & Photography, theme: Choices – closes 31 July (submit online)

Arc Poetry Magazine – Poetry – closes 31 July (submit online)

Bring Your Limericks to Limerick Competition – Poetry – closes 31 July (submit online)

Columbia Journal – Poetry, Non-fiction – closes 31 July (submit online)

Channel Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, theme: The Natural World – closes 31 July (submit online)

Dreich Chapbook Competition – Poetry manuscript (20 poems) – closes 31 July (submit online)

Finished Creatures – Poetry, theme: Stranger – closes 31 July (submit online)

Fly on the Wall – Poetry, Flash, Fiction, Reviews & Art, theme: Unite (BAME only) – closes 31 July (submit online)

Into the Void: We Are Antifa Anthology – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, theme: Fascism, Racism and/or Police Violence – closes 31 July (submit online)

Lunch Ticket: Amuse-Bouche – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction & more – closes 31 July (submit online)

Magma – Poetry, theme: Dwelling – closes 31 July (submit online)

Not Very Quiet – Poetry, theme: Memoir – closes 31 July (submit online)

Poetry London Mentoring Scheme – Poetry (incl. travel bursary) – closes 31 July (submit online)

Poetry Wales – Poetry – closes 31 July (submit online)

Poets Meet Politics International Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: Anything related to politics – closes 31 July (submit online)

Robert Graves Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 31 July (submit online)

Rhino Poetry – Poetry – closes 31 July (submit online)

Seashores – Haiku, Senryu – closes 31 July (submit online)

The Haibun Journal – Haibun – closes 31 July (submit online)

Winchester Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 31 July (submit online)

Impossible Archetype – Poetry (LGBTQ+, all genders) – closes 1 Aug (submit online)

Porridge – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction, Art – closes 1 Aug (submit online)

Shoreham Wordfest Poetry & Short Story Competition – Poetry, Fiction (10 lines / 10 words) – closes 1 Aug (submit online)

The North Magazine – Poetry – closes 1 Aug (submit online)

Frontier: Types of Burns – All genres, under 1500 words (Black voices only) – closes 2 Aug (submit online)

The Dalkey Writing Prizes – Poetry, Fiction – closes 2 Aug (submit online)

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JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH RECURRING DEADLINES

Ó Bhéal Five Words – Poetry – deadline each week, annual prize (submit online)

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JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS IN JULY:

Second Light Poetry Competition – Long & short Poetry by women – closes 6 Aug (submit online)

The Magma Open Poetry Pamphlet Competition – Poetry pamphlets (18-20 pages) – closes 10 Aug (submit online)

Patrick & Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship – Irish poets in middle years – closes 14 Aug (submit online)

Inklette Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

The Bray Literary Festival Competitions – Poetry, Flash – closes 15 Aug (submit online)

Palette Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 16 Aug (submit online)

The Red Line Book Festival Poetry Competition – Poetry (unpublished poets only) – closes 24 Aug (submit online)

Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition – Poetry pamphlets (16-24 pages) – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Pallina Press – Poetry pamphlets (25-40 pages) – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

The 8th Annual Ó Bhéal International Poetry-Film Competition – Poetry films – closes 31 Aug (submit online)

Acumen – Poetry – open (submit online)

Agenda – Poetry, Essays, Reviews – open (submit online)

Ambit – Poetry, Fiction, Art – open (submit online)

A New Ulster – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)

Anthropocene – Poetry – open (submit online)

Apartment Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

Atrium – Poetry – open (submit online)

Bear Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Artwork – open (submit online)

Brittle Star – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

Carve Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction – open (submit online)

Cheat River Review – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)

Dreich Mag – Poetry – open (submit online)

Driftwood Press – Poetry, Fiction, Literary Criticism – open (submit online)

Dust Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

Empty Mirror – Poetry, Non-fiction, Visual Art (committed to diversity & inclusion) – open (submit online)

Fecund Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Essay & more (POC only) – open (submit online)

FIVE:2:ONE – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Artwork by underrepresented writers (POC, LGTBQ, non-binary, neurodivergent, trauma survivors etc.) – open (submit online)

Frontier Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

Fruit Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Hybrid (LGBTQI+, with emphasis on unheard voices – POC, trans, working class) – open (submit online)

Guernica – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Photo Essays – open (submit by post)

Hosking Houses Trust Residencies – Women writers over 40 (all genres – must have contract to publish / broadcast / perform) – open (submit online)

Idler – Poetry, Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)

Ink Sweat & Tears – Poetry – open (submit online)

Irish Literary Review – Poetry – open (submit online)

Lighthouse Literary Journal – Poetry & Short Fiction – open (submit online)

LitMag – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)

Marble – Poetry – open (submit online)

New Contrast – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

Omelette Literary Magazine – Poetry, Visual Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction & more – open (submit online)

One – Poetry, a single poem – open (submit online)

Orbis – Poetry – open (submit by post (UK) or online (overseas only))

PANK – Poetry – open (submit online)

Palette Poetry – Poetry (under-represented and marginalized voices of all colors encouraged to submit) – open (submit online)

Peepal Tree Press – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction manuscripts from Black & Caribbean writers – open (submit online)

Pigeon Pages – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – open (submit online)

POETRY Magazine – Poetry (submit online)

Poetry Ireland Review – Poetry – open (submit by post)

Poetry London – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)

Poetry Salzburg – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)

Poetry Wales – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)

Porridge Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – open (submit online)

PN Review – Poetry, Essays, Reviews – open (submit by post)

Riggwelter – Poetry, Short Fiction, Visual Art – open 31 March 2020 (submit online)

Shakespeare & Co Tumbleweeds Residency – all writers – open (submit online)

Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)

South Bank Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

Spry Literary Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)

Squawk Back – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)

Stand Magazine – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

Stepaway Magazine – Poetry, Flash Fiction, theme: walking in the city – open (submit online)

Tears in the Fence – Poetry – open (submit online)

The American Journal of Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)

The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)

The Compass Magazine – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Curly Mind – Poetry, theme: experimental – open (submit online)

The Dark Horse – Poetry – open (submit by post)

The Ellis Review – Poetry, published weekly – open (submit online)

The Galway Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)

The Lake – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Lascaux Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)

The London Magazine – Poetry, Non-Fiction, Art – open (submit online)

The Missouri Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)

The Moth – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

The Offing – Poetry, Translation, Art and more – open (submit online)

The Ofi Press Magazine – Poetry & Short Fiction – open (submit online)

The Poetry Village – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Poetry Review – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)

The Selkie – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Features (marginalised and/or under-represented voices incl. women (or identify as), people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and more) – open (submit online)

The Seventh Quarry – Short Poetry – open (submit online)

The Southeast Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Reviews, Artwork – open (submit online)

The Sun Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Interviews – open (submit online)

The Times Literary Supplement – Poetry (submit by post)

Three Drops From a Cauldron – Poetry, Flash, theme: Myth, Folklore, Fables, Fairytales – on hiatus until 2021 (submit online)

Tinderbox Poetry Journal – Poetry – open (submit online)

Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)

Best of luck!

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If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in July 2020, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!

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(Illustration by Nicole Ray via Etsy)

TIMEY RYMEY: A FREE ONLINE WRITING CHALLENGE FOR POETRY DAY IRELAND 2020

‘Time is a storm in which we are all lost.’ – William Carlos Williams

‘…it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.’ – The Doctor

‘There Will Be Time’ is the theme for Poetry Day Ireland 2020 and to celebrate you’re invited to become Time Lords for the day and explore the phenomenon of Time in all its glory in this FREE online writing challenge!

We are living in the eye of a global storm right now but through poetry we can write the words to change the weather, unravel the wibbly-wobbly bits or find our way home.

The rules of the challenge are simple. 

• Read the Time-themed prompts and poems.

• Listen to the Time-themed tunes.

• Write for 15 minutes.

• Share your poem in the Facebook group.

• Read and respond to other posted work.

Most of all, be creative and enjoy yourself!

how do i join the writing challenge?

Here’s what to do:

• Sign up for the FREE challenge on Eventbrite by clicking the button below.

• Join the Timey Rhymey Challenge Facebook group on 29 April.

• Get ready to enjoy a day of Timey Rhymey poetry writing fun!

What are you waiting for? Click here to sign up:

join the Timey Rhymey Poetry Day Ireland 2020 Challenge!

The group opens on the 29 April, with a welcome, introductions and time-related stuff to get you in the mood for writing.

The challenge proper kicks off on Thursday 30 April for Poetry Day Ireland 2020, with poet Angela T. Carr sharing new prompts and inspiration throughout the day.

This event is hosted in conjunction with Poetry Ireland as part of their Bright Ideas programme for Poetry Ireland Day 2020.

what’s next?

Please share the challenge on social media with the hashtags #PoetryIrelandDay #ThereWillBeTime #TimeyRhymey.

Don’t forget to tag me @adreamingskin and @poetryireland (Twitter & Instagram).

JOIN THE 30 DAYS OF SPRING WRITING CHALLENGE FOR NAPOWRIMO 2020

What a strange time we’re living through right now. Wherever you are, I hope you are staying safe and well as we move into Spring with all its promise of endurance and rebirth. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed in uncertain times. Our physical and mental health are in such sharp focus at the moment that flexing the creative muscle might not seem like a priority, even when it has the potential to do us so much good. 

If you need to reclaim that creative space, this is a reminder that it’s almost April and National Poetry Writing Month or NaPoWriMo – the annual call to write a poem a day for 30 days. Once again, I’m running a 30 Day Writing Challenge with plenty of topical and Spring-themed prompts to spark your imagination and get you writing every day.

If ever there was a year to get things off your chest and onto the page, it’s 2020. There’s so much going on in the world and all of it moving so quickly, it’s hard to focus on big projects or ideas. The 30 Day Challenge helps you tap back into your writing, with bite-sized daily exercises, inspiration and opportunity to explore or vent in equal measure, and a supportive and encouraging community of writers in the private Facebook group.

Whether you’re looking for focus, connection or a creative kickstart, the challenge offers a reprieve from the world – plus a chance to conquer the inimitable #NaPoWriMo. Numbers in the Facebook group are limited and spots are allocated on a first come, first served basis – please book early to avoid disappointment as the last challenge sold out in 24 hours!

For the first time, I’m also offering an email only version of the challenge as a reduced price for those who want to avoid social media and the internet right now. You’ll receive all the materials direct to your inbox, without any external distractions. And no need to worry about meeting the challenge timescale – the prompts will be waiting for you in your inbox whenever you feel ready to engage.

All the information is on the website – just click the button below for details.

For those of you using this time to send your work out, a new poetry list will be out in a couple of days and there are still plenty of opportunities available in the March Poetry Competitions, Submissions & Opportunities list!

I completely understand that this might not be the right timing for you to take part in a challenge and that’s OK. Nurture your creative self in any way you can during this difficult time – DO WHAT YOU LOVE – play, read, make art, make something with your hands, knit, sew, mend, grow seeds, try something new. Stay grounded.

 

join the #30daysofspring writing challenge!

 

Image by Riz Mooney for Unsplash.

JOIN THE 30 DAYS OF WINTER WRITING CHALLENGE

Do you want to set some new writing resolutions this winter? Fancy getting a jump on a new year and new decade by having 30 crisp new first drafts by 1 February 2020?

Following the success of the January & April Write-Offs and 30 Days of Summer, the 30 Day Writing Challenge returns next month with #30DaysofWinter – a series of fun new year and winter-themed prompts to spark your imagination and get you writing every day during January 2020.

Writers on my mailing list always get first dibs on new opportunities and places on the new challenge have already been snapped up overnight. Numbers are limited and the remaining spots will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

The challenge takes place online – follow at your own pace at home or interact with the Facebook group and community, it’s up to you. All the information is on the website – just click the button below for details. And if you have any questions, drop me a line.

Hope to see you in the Challenge!

join the #30daysofwinter writing challenge!

 

JOIN THE 30 DAYS OF SUMMER WRITING CHALLENGE

Do you want to keep your daily writing practice on track this summer? Fancy having 30 crisp new first drafts by 1 September?

Following the success of the January & April Write-Offs, the 30 Day Writing Challenge returns next month with #30DaysofSummer – a series of fun summer and sun-themed prompts to spark your imagination and get you writing every day during August 2019.

Writers on my mailing list always get first dibs on new opportunities and places on the new challenge have already been snapped up overnight. Numbers are limited and the remaining spots will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

The challenge takes place online – follow at your own pace at home or interact with the Facebook group and community, it’s up to you. All the information is on the website – just click the button below for details. And if you have any questions, drop me a line.

Hope to see you in the Challenge!

join the #30daysofsummer writing challenge!

 

Surviving NaPoWriMo: Tips for a 30-Day Poetry Challenge

NaPoWriMo kicks off on April 1 and writers around the world will attempt to write a poem a day for 30 days. I’ve taken part in NaPoWriMo and other 30-day challenges, and I’ve also hosted them. I thought it might be useful to share some tips about how to get the most out of an intensive creative challenge.

Why Do It?

Writing is a solitary experience – we are only accountable to ourselves and that can be isolating. A 30-day challenge provides the opportunity to:

• Focus: Put your writing front and centre for a set period of time.
• Commit: Show up at the page every day.
• Establish Boundaries: Protect your writing time as an integral part of your day.
• Create a Writing Habit: It only takes 22 days to form a habit.
• Be Part of a Community: Enjoy support and encouragement around a shared experience.
• Be Surprised: At what you can accomplish in a single month!

What to Expect?

Week 1 – enthusiasm, excitement, fun – it’s a novelty and you’re full of ideas!

Week 2 – life intrudes, miss a day and it feels like failure, habit starts to slip.

Week 3 – inspiration fades, repeating yourself, overwhelm, time to push through.

Week 4 – almost there, renewed spurt of energy, rush of adrenaline, triumph!

Top TIPS for Surviving NaPoWriMo

It’s easy to become overwhelmed and burn-out when doing an intensive challenge like this, or to miss a day due to the everyday responsibilities and feel like a failure. Here are some ideas to help you make it through.

1. Go easy on yourself: NaPoWriMo is a bit of fun, not another chore. If you miss a day, start again the following day. If need to take a day to catch your breath, same. Don’t write off the whole challenge because of a couple of missed days. At the end of the month, you will still have achieved much more than you normally would or had even thought possible.
2. Manage your mindset: The challenge is derived from NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month in November, where the focus is on quantity, not quality. Think of it as a 30-day scavenger hunt – you want to spark an idea, capture the essence of it and move on. Switch off your critical voice. Knowing that these are fast first drafts takes the pressure off. As Jodi Picoult says: ‘You might not write well every day but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.’
3. Limit your writing time: I recommend a 15-minute free-write. It’s enough time to explore an idea or prompt but not so much that it will interfere with the rest of your day. It keeps the bar nice and low and the challenge manageable. Setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier or taking the time out at the end of the day isn’t too much of a hardship.
4. Use prompts: Prompts focus the mind on finding the best way to write about a subject, rather than finding something to write about. It’s one less barrier to getting started and they can startle interesting responses that, otherwise, you might never have written. There are lots of resources online for writing prompts and the official NaPoWriMo site publishes a prompt every day.
5. Join a group: Because it’s a global phenomenon, there’s so much support out there for poets during the month of April. A group provides encouragement for when the novelty wears off and you need to dig a little deeper. Check in once a day to keep yourself accountable. I recommend a ‘no critique’ environment as the work is just at the first draft stage – the focus of the group should simply be on supporting and encouraging one another in the task.
6. Don’t try to write a complete poem in a day! Poems need time to come to fruition – this is about catching an idea, getting enough down on the page to pick up again later but do try to get the complete shape of the poem if you can. You’re creating a store of potential poems to come back to and develop.
7. Manage Expectations: Not every idea will be genius and that’s OK. There is more to be gained in showing up at the page every day. It trains your mind to be receptive and open to new ideas. Think of it as a month of new beginnings, of exploration rather than achievement.
8. Don’t Cheat: If you’re working with prompts, it can be tempting to pull a poem with a similar theme out of a drawer to give yourself a day off. The problem is your brain knows you didn’t do the work, that you’ve let yourself off the hook, and – because brains like problem-solving – it immediately goes looking for other ways to bunk off, the scamp! I recommend the fifteen-minute free-write for this reason – it’s achievable, even on the busiest of days. And if you need a day off, it’s better just to acknowledge this and start fresh the next day.
9. Experiment with Poetic Form: Not every poem has to be an epic! On the days when the words are in short supply, try one of the many short poetic forms like Haiku, Cinquain, Triolet or Sonnet. Here’s a great resource of 100 Poetic Forms to play with.
10. Ego & Competition: Challenges and group dynamics can quickly bring out your competitive streak – ignore it! The only person you are competing with in writing is yourself – your last poem, your best ideas. Don’t get caught up in ego trips or mind-games.
11. To share or not to share? It’s daunting to share a first draft with a group of strangers – I leave it up to you to decide if it’s the right choice for you. Other options are to share a line or two that you like from your free-write or to simply report how you got on that day. I do think it’s important to post something every day even if you’re finding it hard to write (especially if you’re finding it hard to write). It’s a good way to check in with your writing self and reading the group’s responses to the challenge may shake something loose!
12. Read other poems: Whenever I feel stuck in my writing, I’ll pick up a collection, start to read and within minutes ideas are sparking! In order to draw from the well of inspiration, we first have to fill it. A great resource is the Poetry Foundation’s Poem a Day – sign up to their mailing list and you’ll receive a poem a day in your inbox.
13. Enjoy!

If that’s whetted your appetite, there are still a few places left in my NaPoWriMo April Write Off – a private Facebook group with prompts, daily advice, inspiration and lots of feedback and encouragement. Click the button below to sign up.

***April 2019 Challenge Now Closed***

 

Featured image by Anna Sullivan for Unsplash.