Spring is on the way and with it over 160 poetry competitions, writing submissions and opportunities open or with deadlines in March 2023!
Looking forward to April — National Poetry Writing Month — I’ll be bringing the drama with a brand new 30-day writing challenge, drawing inspiration from the heroes, villains, beasts and beauties of the Ancient Greek myths and legends.
These tales of power, passion, destiny and betrayal have captivated the human imagination for millennia, and been endlessly re-told and re-imagined for new eras and new audiences — most recently by poet Fiona Benson and novelists Pat Barker, Madeline Miller and Nathalie Haynes.
And now you have the opportunity to put your own spin on the Classics. If you’re planning to finally nail NaPoWriMo this year or simply looking to bring new focus to your writing, Gods & Monsters | 30 Days of Writing the Greek Myths kicks off on 31 March and is open for bookings. I do hope you can join us!
In addition to the usual prompts, creative exercises, images, music and writing tips, we’ll also be welcoming award-winning Irish poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin (The Poison Glen, Gallery Press, 2021) for a special guest reading and a chat!
There are a number of free places available for low income and under-represented writers — click on the button below and go to the FAQs for more details. Scholarship applications are welcome until 24 March.
Whatever you’re up to with your writing this month — drafting, honing, editing or submitting — I wish you every luck and success. If you appreciate the monthly list and would like to support it, please consider making a small donation via the Paypal donation button (right) and/or share this post on your own blog or social media pages. Thank you!
MARCH 2023
The Forward Prizes – Poetry – closes 5 Mar (submit online)
Passengers Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Visual Art – closes 4 Mar (submit online)
Forge Zine – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Visual Art – closes 6 Mar (submit online)
Listowel Writers Week Writing Awards – Poetry, Fiction, Drama – closes 6 Mar (submit online)
Mslexia Showcase – Poetry, Fiction, theme: Ghosts – closes 6 Mar (submit online)
Winter Papers – Fiction, Nonfiction, Photography, Art – closes 6 Mar (submit online)
Millay Arts Residencies – All Disciplines – closes 8 Mar (submit online)
Parentheses Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Photography, Art & more – closes 10 Mar (submit online
Polemical Zine – Poetry, Essay, Photography, Art & more, theme: Blue – closes 10 Mar (submit online)
Bright Ideas for Poetry Day Ireland 2023 – Poetry, Essay, Photography, Art & more, theme: Blue – closes 10 Mar (submit online)
The Manila Magnolia – Poetry, Flash, Essay, Photography, Art – closes 14 Mar (submit online)
Barely South Review – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Art, theme: On Friendship & Loss – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
David Whyte Poet-in-Residence Award – Poetry – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
Iron Horse Chapbook Competition – Poetry (28-36 pages) – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
Iron Horse – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
Phoebe Spring Contests– Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
Poets and Players Competition – Poetry – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
Slipstream Open Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
Splonk – Prose poetry, Flash, Micro-fiction – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
The Adroit Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Art – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
Visual Verse – Poetry, Flash, Nonfiction – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
York Literary Review – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Nonfiction – closes 15 Mar (submit online)
Little Island Books Children’s Poetry Anthology – Poetry for Children – closes 17 Mar (submit online)
The Desmond O’Grady International Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 18 Mar (submit online)
Tiny Seed Literary Journal: Poetry of the Wildflower Anthology – Poetry – closes 18 Mar (submit online)
Free Verse Revolution – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Photography, Art, theme: Anchor – closes 19 Mar (submit online)
Edda Journal – Poetry – closes 21 Mar (submit online)
Tin House Fall Residency – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Translation – closes 21 Mar (submit online)
Bealtaine Festival: Creative Ageing Writing Bursary – Writers, Artists, Arts Facilitators – closes 24 Mar (submit online)
Bealtaine Festival: Emerging Artist Award – Older Writers, Artists, Arts Facilitators – closes 24 Mar (submit online)
Bealtaine Festival: Professional Development Artist Award – Older Writers, Artists – closes 24 Mar (submit online)
Gutter Mag – Poetry, Fiction – closes 24 Mar (submit online)
Ireland Chair of Poetry Student Award – Students pursuing Masters in Poetry / Creative Writing in IRE/NI – closes 24 Mar (submit online)
Ireland Chair of Poetry Travel Award – Poetry – closes 24 Mar (submit online)
Ginkgo Prize – Poetry, theme: Ecology, Environment, The Natural World – closes 25 Mar (submit online)
Babyteeth Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Photography, Art & more – closes 27 Mar (submit online)
Create Artist in the Community Scheme – Various disciplines – closes 27 Mar (submit online)
Fingal County Council, Tyrone Guthrie Centre and Bealtaine Festival Residency Award 2023 – Older writer & visual artist at any stage of their career – closes 27 March (submit online)
The White Review Poet’s Prize – Poetry manuscript (5-10 poems, unpublished poets only) – closes 29 Mar (submit online)
Echtrai Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Hybrid, Photography – closes 30 Mar (submit online)
Banshee – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Nonfiction – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Award – Poetry manuscript (15-25 poems) – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Climate in a Bottle Poetry Project – Poetry – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Defunkt Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Photography, Art – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Driftwood Press – Poetry manuscript (40-100 pages) – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Four Ways Books Levis Prize in Poetry – Poetry manuscript (48-80 pages) – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Magma – Poetry, theme: Islands – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Okay Donkey – Poetry, Flash – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Propel Magazine – Poetry (unpublished poets) – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Split Lip Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Memoir, Visual Art – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
The Caterpillar Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 31 Mar (submit online)#
The Charles Causley International Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
The EHP Barnard Poetry Prize – Poetry, theme: Change – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
The Fish Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
The Lescaux Prize in Poetry – Poetry – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
The Plaza Prizes Prose Poetry Competition – Prose poetry – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
The Plough Prize International Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
The Red Shed Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 31 Mar (submit online)
Crab Apple Literary – Poetry, Flash, Fiction, Art – closes 1 Apr (submit online)
Gordon Square Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction – closes 1 Apr (submit online)
Mono Anthology – Poetry, theme: Dreams – closes 1 Apr (submit online)
Nimrod Literary Awards: The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry – Poetry – closes 1 Apr (submit online)
Tupelo Press Snowbound Chapbook Award – Poetry manuscript (20-36 pages) – closes 1 Apr (submit online)
OPPORTUNITIES WITH RECURRING DEADLINES
Ó Bhéal Five Words – Poetry – deadline each week, annual prize (submit online)
OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS IN MARCH 2023
South Downs Poetry Festival Competition – Poetry – closes 14 Apr (submit online)
Mairtín Crawford Awards – Poetry, Fiction – closes 30 Apr (submit online)
Verve Poetry Press – Poetry manuscript (40-50 pages) – closes 30 Apr (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)
Antipoetry Magazine – Poetry – open (submit online)
Apartment Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)
Atrium – Poetry – open (submit online)
Bear Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Artwork – open (submit online)
Bending Genres – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction – 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)
Confingo Publishing – Poetry, Fiction, Art, Photogrpahy – open (submit online)
Crow & Cross Keys – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, theme: Gothic – open (submit online)
Crowstep Journal – Poetry – open (submit online)
Damnation – Poetry, Prose, Flash – open (submit online)
Disabled Tales – Poetry, Fiction, Essay – 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 House Press – Poetry, Prose Poetry, Flash, Hybrid – 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)
Irish Literary Review – Poetry – open (submit online)
Jaden Magazine – Poetry, Non-fiction, Flash, Art & Photography (writers of colour/underrepresented writers) – 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)
Mono – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – open (submit online)
Narrative Mag – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction. Plays – open (submit online)
New Contrast – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)
Neon Magazine – Poetry, Flash, Art and more – 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)
Prelude – Poetry – open (submit online)
Prole – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction – open (submit online)
Riggwelter – Poetry, Short Fiction, Visual Art – (submit online)
River Styx – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Drama, Visual Art – open (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)
Sunday Mornings at the River – Poetry – open (submit online)
Tab Journal – Poetry, Poetics – open (submit online)
Tears in the Fence – 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 Curly Mind – Poetry, theme: experimental – open (submit online)
The Dalloway – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – 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 Lincoln Review – Poetry, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Essays and more (actively encourages writers, artists, and photographers who come from marginalised and underprivileged backgrounds) – open (submit online)
The London Magazine – Poetry, Non-Fiction, Art – open (submit online)
The Missouri Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
The New Yorker – 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 Oxonian – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Translation – open (submit online)
The Poetry Village – Poetry – open (submit online)
The Poetry Review – Poetry – open (submit online)
The Pomegranate – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Nonfiction, theme: Writing about Artists – open (submit online)
The Sea Letter – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – 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 (submit online)
Tinderbox Poetry Journal – Poetry – open (submit online)
Trasna – Poetry, Fiction, Essays (open to writers across the world who consider Ireland a home in some regard) – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Wishbone Words – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Visual Art & more (disabled and chronically ill writers/artists) – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in MARCH 2023, 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)
a dreaming skin 