Summer is on the wane and with the nights drawing in you’ll need something to keep you busy so here’s a new list with over 130 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in September 2020!
It’s also the strangest ‘Back to School’ season ever. Whether you’re a parent, a student or a teacher, I wish you all well this Autumn as we broach yet another social and health frontier.
We had a fantastic time during the month of August on The Grand Tour 2020 Summer Writing Challenge – a whistle-stop virtual jaunt around Europe in the manner of old-timey toffs visiting France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, writing up a storm along the way! I’m planning one more challenge before the end of the year – be sure to jump on the mailing list so you don’t miss out!
Otherwise, be careful, mind yourselves and each other this month – we’re all in this together. As always, stay creative, stay grounded, stay connected and stay safe.
Whatever you are writing or sending out in September, I wish you the very best of 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!
SEPTEMBER 2020
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)
Passengers Journal – Poetry, Non-fiction, Art, Photography – closes 4 Sept (submit online)
Dogwood Literary Prizes – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 6 Sept (submit online)
The Stirling Spoon Competitions – Poetry, Fiction, theme: Identity in America – closes 6 Sept (submit online)
Into the Void – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction – closes 7 Sept (submit online)
Tiny Seed Journal – Poetry, Flash, Photography, theme: Through the Eyes of Nature – closes 7 Sept (submit online)
Arts Council Literary Project Award – All genres – closes 10 Sept (submit online)
Black Warrior Review Contest – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Non-fiction – closes 10 Sept (submit online)
Ellipsis Zine – Prose Poetry, Flash – closes 10 Sept (submit online)
Parentheses Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Art, Photography – closes 10 Sept (submit online)
Aurora Poetry Summer Contest – Poetry – closes 12 Sept (submit online)
Westival Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 13 Sept (submit online)
Oxford Brookes International Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 14 Sept (submit online)
Jan Michalski Foundation Residencies – All disciplines – closes 15 Sept (submit online)
Cave Canem: Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize – Poetry manuscript (25-30 pages, Black poets only) – closes 15 Sept (submit online)
Robert Watson Literary Prize – Poetry, Fiction – closes 15 Sept (submit online)
The Moth Nature Writing Prize – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 15 Sept (submit online)
The Southampton Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – closes 15 Sept (submit online)
Visual Verse – Poetry, Flash, Non-Fiction – closes 15 Sept (submit online)
Gutter Mag – Poetry, Prose (welcomes those underrepresented in literary publications: writers of colour; with lived experience of multiple socio-economic deprivation; from marginalised ethnic and national groups, LGBTQ writers, and those writing in minority languages) – closes 18 Sept (submit online)
2020 Manchester Writing Competition – Poetry, Fiction – closes 18 Sept (submit online)
Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets – Poetry (one collection published max.) – closes 20 Sept (submit online)
Jonathan Swift Creative Writing Awards – Poetry, Fiction – closes 26 Sept (submit online)
The Puritan – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – closes 26 Sept (submit online)
La Napoule Arts Foundation Residency – All artists – closes 28 Sept (submit online)
The Allingham Festival Competitions – Poetry, Flash – closes 28 Sept (submit online)
Troubadour Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 28 Sept (submit online)
Anthropocene – Poetry – closes 30 Sept (or sooner, depending on numbers – submit online)
Creeping Expansion – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, theme: Community – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
Drawn to the Light – Poetry – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
LossLit – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction (welcomes submissions from women, ethnic minority groups, LGBTQ+ community, and other under-represented groups in publishing) – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
Lunch Ticket – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction – closes 30 Sept (numbers capped, may close sooner – submit online)
Nashville Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
Neon Magazine – Poetry, Prose, Comics & Photography – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
New Writing Scotland – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Drama, Screenplay, Graphic Artwork – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
Split Lip – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Memoir, Art & Photography – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
The A3 Press Chapbook – Poetry, Fiction, Art (max. 12-14 pages) – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
Tiny Seed Journal – Poetry, Flash, Photography, theme: Where is Your Wild? – closes 30 Sept (submit online)
Kenyon Review – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Essays & more – opens 15 Sept & closes 1 Oct (submit online)
Peter Porter Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 1 Oct (submit online)
The Adroit Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – closes 1 Oct (submit online)
The Aryamati Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 1 Oct (submit online)
The Honest Ulsterman – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Critical Writing – closes 2 Oct (submit online)
JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH RECURRING DEADLINES
Ó Bhéal Five Words – Poetry – deadline each week, annual prize (submit online)
JOURNALS / OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS IN SEPTEMBER:
Mslexia – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction (short pieces) – closes 5 Oct (submit online)
The London Magazine Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 12 Oct (submit online)
The Brush & Lyre Prize – Multimedia Poetry – closes 18 Oct (submit online)
404 Ink – Poetry, Short/Fiction, Non-fiction manuscripts (complete or project pitch) – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Ambit Magazine – Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Gingko Prize – Eco-Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The Bedford Writing Competitions – Poetry, Fiction – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Award – Poetry – closes 5 Nov (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)
Lunate – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – 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!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in September 2020, 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)
