Poetry Competitions, Submissions & Opportunities – November 2019

November 1, 2019November 10, 2019 | angelatcarr

The clocks are turned back and we’re heading into the end of the year and those deep, dark winter evenings by the fire. All the better for reviewing our poems and checking out a bumper crop of over 140 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in November 2019!

In October, I hosted a discussion on How to Get Ahead in Poetry featuring Irish poetry publishers Salmon Press, Doire Press and Gallery Press, as part of Poetry Night at the Red Line Book Festival. We had a fantastic discussion on all aspects of the poetry scene in Ireland and the do’s and don’ts of sending work out to publishers – I’ll be posting a summary of that conversation on the blog shortly.

November and December will be a much quieter time for me as I’ve been dealing with some very difficult health and personal issues over the past six months and am sorely in need of rest and recuperation. I really appreciate all the support for the poetry list in Ireland, the UK and around the world and very much hope to develop it further in 2020, when current challenges are behind me.

Looking ahead, if you’re organising a literary event in Ireland in 2020, or are part of a poetry group and would like to arrange a reading or a workshop session, please do drop me a line!

Whatever you’re up to in November, keep writing and best of luck with your poetry submissions. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to help it continue, 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!

November 2019

Bat City Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – closes 1 Nov (submit online)

Foglifter – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Cross-genre (LGBTQ+) – closes 1 Nov (submit online)

Poets in Pyjamas – Poetry – closes 1 Nov (submit online)

Puddock Haiku Journal – Haiku – closes 1 Nov (submit online)

The Adroit Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Art – closes 1 Nov (submit online)

The Blue Nib – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews – closes 1 Nov (submit online)

Ninth Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, theme: Borderlessness – closes 3 Nov (submit online)

Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Award – Poetry, Fiction – closes 4 Nov (submit online)

Ache Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Essay, Art, theme: Abrasion (work by women, trans and non-binary people that explores illness, health, bodies and pain) – closes 4 Nov (submit online)

Black Horse Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 5 Nov (submit online)

Speckled Trout Review – Poetry – closes 6 Nov (submit online)

Sunken Garden Chapbook Prize – Poetry manuscript (20-36 pages) – closes 7 Nov (submit online)

The White Review Poet’s Prize – Poetry (5-10 pages) – closes 7 Nov (submit online)

Cordite Review 94: Earth – Poetry, Flash – closes 10 Nov (submit online)

The Charles Causley International Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 11 Nov (submit online)

Barnet Arts Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 14 Nov (submit online)

Carve Prose & Poetry Contests – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 15 Nov (submit online)

Crab Creek Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 15 Nov (submit online)

Frontier Open Poetry Award – Poetry – closes 15 Nov (submit online)

Kanstellations – Poetry, theme: Technology – closes 15 Nov (submit online)

Kissing Dynamite – Poetry – opens 5 Nov, closes 15 Nov (submit online)

Nightboat Poetry Prize – Poetry manuscript (48-90 pages) – closes 15 Nov (submit online)

Slant – Poetry – closes 15 Nov (submit online)

The McNeese Review – Poetry, Fiction – closes 15 Nov (submit online)

The Rush – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art & Photography – closes 15 Nov (submit online)

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

Sonder – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction, Art – closes 16 Nov (submit online)

The Penn Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – closes 16 Nov (submit online)

Tinderbox – Poetry – closes 16 Nov (submit online)

The Writers’ Cafe Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, theme: Fairy Tale – closes 18 Nov (submit online)

ZYZZYVA – Poetry, Fiction, Essay, Art – closes 18 Nov (submit by post)

The Lonely Crowd – Poetry – closes 21 Nov (submit by post)

The A3 Review – Poetry, Flash, Art, theme: Tablets – closes 23 Nov (submit online)

Filling the Void – Letters Project – Letters – closes 25 Nov (submit online)

The Tangerine – Poetry, Fiction, Photography, Illustration – closes 25 Nov (submit online)

Harvard Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation – closes 27 Nov (submit online)

Banff Centre Spring Writers’ Retreat – All genres – closes 27 Nov (submit online)

The Stinging Fly – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, theme: Galway 2020 – closes 28 Nov (submit online)

Wales Poetry Award – Poetry – closes 28 Nov (submit online)

Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award – Poetry manuscript (48-96 pages) – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Brunel International African Poetry Prize – Poetry manuscript (10 poems, unpublished writers only) – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Crannog Magazine – Poetry, Fiction – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Children’s Poetry Anthology Submission Call – Poetry, theme: The Performing Arts – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Copper Canyon Press – Poetry manuscript (45-200 pages) – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Dedalus Press – Poetry manuscript (10-20 pages) – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

East Riding Festival of Words Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: My Mind, My Thoughts – closes 30 Nov (submit online or by post)

Flock Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

GlitterMOB Magazine – Poetry – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Lammergeier – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Hybrid – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Littoral Press Nature Poetry Competition – Poetry manuscript, theme: Nature, Spirit, Environment (42-96 pages) – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Nimrod – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Split Lip Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Memoir & more – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

The Baltimore Review – Poetry – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

The C.P. Cavafy Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

The Fiddlehead – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Under the Radar Magazine – Poetry, theme: Changes – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Waxwing – Poetry – closes 30 Nov (submit online)

Doolin Writers’ Competition – Poetry, Fiction, Video Poem – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Michigan Quarterly Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essay, Translation, theme: Water – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Poetry Book Society Spring Pamphlet Choice – Poetry pamphlets (pub. Oct-Dec 2019, 47 pages max.) – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Poetry Jukebox: Once Barefoot… – Poetry – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Slice Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Essay, theme: Persistance – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

The Cafe Writers Open Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

The Iowa Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Popshot – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – closes 2 Dec (9am) (submit online)

JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH RECURRING DEADLINES

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

Rattle: Poets Respond – Poetry, theme: current events – deadline each week (submit online)

JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS IN NOVEMBER:

The Strokestown International Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 6 Dec (submit online)

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

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

ROPES Literary Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Essays & more – closes 20 Dec (submit online)

The Moth Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

2 Elizabeths – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – open (submit online)

400 & Falling – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Artwork (emerging writers) – (submit online)

Acumen – Poetry – open (submit online)

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

Amaryllis – Poetry – open (submit online)

Apple Picking Press – Poetry – open (submit online)

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

Antiphon – 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)

By and By Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)

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

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

Disclaimer Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Journalism, themes: Politics, Economics, Art – open (submit online)

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

Fields Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Artwork – 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)

GFT Press – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction – open (submit online)

Gravel – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-Fiction, Artwork – open (submit by post)

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

HCE Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Photo Essays – open (submit online)

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

I Am Not A Silent Poet – Poetry, theme: protesting abuse – open (submit online)

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

Inside the Bell Jar – Poetry, Fiction, theme: mental illness – 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)

Memorius – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)

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

Noepe Center Residency Program – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Plays – open (submit online)

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

PANK – Poetry – open (submit online)

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

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

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

Rattle – Poetry – open (submit by post and online)

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

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

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

The Curlew – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, theme: the natural world – open (submit online)

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

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

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

The Great American Literary Magazine – 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 MacGuffin – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)

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

The Next Review – Poetry, Fiction, Reviews – open (submit online)

The Nottingham Review – Poetry & Fiction – open (submit online)

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

The Poetry Village – Poetry – open (submit online)

The Quill Magazine – Poetry, Prose, All Genres (new writers only) – 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 Southeast Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Reviews, Artwork – open (submit online)

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

Three Drops From a Cauldron – Poetry, Flash, theme: Myth, Folklore, Fables, Fairytales – open (submit online)

Tinderbox Poetry Journal – Poetry – open (submit online)

Vending Machine Press – Poetry, Flash, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Essay – open (submit online)

Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online) Best of luck!

If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in November 2019, and it is not included above, feel free to add the details with a link in the comments section below!

(Illustration by Nicole Ray via Etsy)

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

February 22, 2019March 2, 2019 | angelatcarr

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 prepare 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. Continue reading →

Poetry Competitions, Submissions & Opportunities – October 2019

October 1, 2019November 1, 2019 | angelatcarr

Autumn is officially here, and in Ireland we’re battening down the hatches against the arrival of Hurricane Lorenzo. What better way to spend the blustery evenings than checking out over 120 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in October 2019?! Continue reading →

JOIN THE 30 DAYS OF SUMMER WRITING CHALLENGE

July 4, 2019August 2, 2019 | angelatcarr

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

March 30, 2019May 26, 2019 | angelatcarr

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.

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.
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.’
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.

join the #napowrimo 30-day challenge!

Featured image by Anna Sullivan for Unsplash.

Are you ready to Crush #NaPoWriMo in 2019?

March 23, 2019May 26, 2019 | angelatcarr

Welcome to the April Write Off – A #napowrimo 30 day Challenge!

National Poetry Writing Month is almost upon us – the time of year when writers around the world take on the challenge of penning a poem every single day for a month.

Are you ready to make 2019 the year you conquer #NaPoWriMo???

Following the success of the January Write Off, I’m launching a brand spanking new 30 day challenge to spark your imagination and get those creative juices flowing in April.

It’s the perfect way to hold yourself accountable to your writing goals during #NaPoWriMo.

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

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 #napowrimo 30 day challenge

Last-minute Christmas Gift: Poetry Mentoring Gift Voucher

December 17, 2018December 17, 2018 | angelatcarr

If you’re stuck for a perfect gift for the poet in your life – or want to drop a hint to Santa for yourself – gift vouchers are available for my one-to-one poetry mentoring sessions.

Each session includes a preliminary report on up to 6 poems (or 150 lines), a one-hour mentoring session via Skype/phone and a follow up email with reading recommendations.

The voucher can be personalised and delivered by email, ready to be printed and popped into an envelope, ready for Christmas morning.

And if you’d like to know more about what to expect, here’s what one writer had to say about a recent poetry mentoring session:

‘I didn’t have any set expectations, but I did have hopes and these were more than matched by the turn of events. The initial written feedback immediately latched on to the problems that I was experiencing and the mentoring session advanced tidily from there into a detailed critical examination of my poems… It was pretty focused – sometimes very focused – on the details of how I could advance my skills and understanding of form and content. This focus was facilitated by the relaxed and discursive mode of joint examination of my poems. I got so involved that for a while I forgot the time and everything else really, becoming pretty well immersed in the liminal moment of it…which (speaking as a teacher myself) I think is pretty much exactly how teaching / learning events should be. I found it powerfully effective as a tool for opening up blockages in my own thinking process and revealing potential ways that I can advance my skill and understanding as a poetic writer.’

– C. Sparks, Co. Sligo

To book, go to the poetry mentoring page on my website OR just drop me a line!

Poetry Competitions, Submissions & Opportunities – December 2018

December 2, 2018January 1, 2019 | angelatcarr

December, again – where did the year go? If you’ve been promising yourself this would be the year to finally send out your work, there’s still time!! Here are over 120 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in December – so get cracking and end the year in style.

2018 has been a bumper year here on the blog, with almost double the number of readers as last year! I’ve been thinking for a while that I’d like to expand the site to provide even more advice, information and resources to help poets with writing and publication and I’ll post more about that anon.

In the meantime, I’d like to thank you all for your support and hope these lists have helped you find homes for your work. If you’re in a position to give back (see below) it would be very much appreciated.

And as you’re ticking off your Christmas shopping list, don’t forget to support writers and small presses. Poetry makes the perfect stocking filler:

https://www.bustle.com/p/8-reasons-to-give-the-gift-of-poetry-this-season-13046340

Wishing you all a happy holiday season and the very best of luck. See you in 2019!

Creating this list is a labour of love, taking the best part of 20 hours to source, organise and write each month. If you find it useful and would like to show your appreciation, click the button below and make a small contribution toward a writer’s necessities of life, like:

€1.00 (a cheeky wee bar of chocolate or a new pen)
€3.00 (a piping hot creamy latte or a new notebook)
€5.00 (a lovely cold pint of Guinness or a competition entry)
€10.00 (a scrumptious pizza or a new book)

You’re a star, thank you. May all your poems be award-winning instant classics!

(Click on links below for info)

December 2018

Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize – Poetry manuscript (48-88 pages) – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Doolin Writer’s Competition – Poetry, Fiction – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Foglifter – Poetry, Prose, Cross-genre (especially queer, cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work) – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Heron Tree – Poetry – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Hot Metal Bridge – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Artwork – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Porter Gulch Literary and Arts Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Plays, Artwork – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Tammy – Poetry, Prose, Artwork – closes 1 Dec (submit online)

Peter Porter Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 3 Dec (submit online)

Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 3 Dec (submit online)

Three Drops from the Cauldron – Poetry, Flash, Artwork, theme: Midwinter – closes 3 Dec (submit online)

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

Strokestown International Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 7 Dec (submit online)

Brunel International African Poetry Prize – Poetry (emerging – not yet published a full-length collection) – closes 12 Dec (submit online)

Poetry Jukebox: A Deeper Country – Poetry recording (max. 2 mins) – closes 14 Dec (submit online)

AWP Ireland Call for Papers – Topics relating to creative writing – closes 14 Dec (submit online)

Modern Poetry in Translation: UK Focus – Poetry (languages and language communities of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) – closes 14 Dec (submit online)

Not Your Mother’s Breast Milk – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Artwork, theme: Mental Health – closes 14 Dec (submit online)

Tara Building Creative Scholarship – All disciplines – closes 14 Dec (submit online)

Baltic Writing Residency in Sweden – Poetry (10 Pages) – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

BLYNKT – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, theme: New Beginnings – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Constellate – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Artwork – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Copper Nickel – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Duende – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Artwork – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

F(r)iction’s Winter 2018 Literary Contests – Poetry, Flash, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Mikrokosmos Fiction & Poetry Contest – Poetry, Fiction – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

New Ohio Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Porter House Review Editor’s Prizes – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Artwork – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Pretty Owl Poetry – Poetry, Flash, Art – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Sequestrum – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Art – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

So To Speak – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Swimming with Elephants Chapbooks – Poetry (25-75 pages) – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

The Blue Nib Chapbook Contest – Poetry manuscript (8 poems) – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

The Hunger – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Artwork – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

Third Coast – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Drama – closes 15 Dec (submit online)

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

Dodging the Rain – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction and more, theme: Christmas & New Year – closes 18 Dec (submit online)

Programming Proposals for Poetry Day Ireland 2019 – Poetry events, theme: Truth or Dare – closes 19 Dec (submit online)

Overton Poetry Prize – Poetry sequence (up to 300 lines) – closes 20 Dec (submit online)

The Deva Literary Prize – Poetry manuscript (48-120 pages) – closes 20 Dec (submit online)

ROPES Literary Journal – Poetry, Flash, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction and more – closes 24 Dec (submit online)

Quercus Review Press Poetry Book Award – Poetry manuscript (up to 125 pages) – closes 28 Dec (submit online)

1919 Limerick Soviet Anthology – Poetry, Prose, Artwork – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Brexit in Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Brighthill Press Poetry Book Competition – Poetry manuscript (48-64 pages) – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Calyx Journal – Poetry, Flash, Fiction, Artwork – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Carte Blanche – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction and more – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Dorset Prize – Poetry manuscript (48-88 pages) – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Five Aspects Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: Spirit of Childhood – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

River Styx – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Tampa Review Prize for Poetry – Poetry manuscript (48-100 pages) – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

The Moth Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Winter Tangerine Workshops: Feathered We Remember – Femme-identified writers, any genre – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

WoLF Poetry Competition – theme: Wanderer – closes 31 Dec (submit online)

Boyne Berries – Poetry, Fiction – closes 2 Jan 2019 (submit online)

JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH RECURRING DEADLINES

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

Rattle: Poets Respond – Poetry, theme: current events – deadline each week (submit online)

JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS IN DECEMBER:

SAND – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Artwork – closes 5 Jan 2019 (submit online)

Arvon Mentoring Programme – Poetry, Fiction, Playwriting – closes 7 Jan 2019 (submit online)

The Stinging Fly – Poetry, Fiction – opens 3 Dec – closes 9 Jan 2019 (submit online)

2 Elizabeths – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – open (submit online)

400 & Falling – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Artwork (emerging writers) – (submit online)

Acumen – Poetry – open (submit online)

Algebra of Owls – Poetry – open (submit online)