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Nonfiction Competitions

ABILENE WRITERS GUILD

July 1

August 2

$5-10 1st: $100 2nd: $65  3rd: $35
Abilene Writers Guild
P.O. Box 2562
Abilene  TX  79604-2562
Rhymed Poetry (up to 50 lines); Unrhymed Poetry (up to 50 lines); Children's Stories for Ages 3-10 (1,000 words maximum); Articles of General Interest (1,500 words maximum); Compositions of Inspiration (1,500 words maximum); Memoir/Composition of Nostalgia (1,500 words maximum); Fiction for Adults (1,500 words maximum); Adventure/Science Fiction/Mystery/Fantasy/Horror Novels (no more than 10 pages of 1st chapter and a 1-page synopsis of book); Mainstream/Romance/Western/Other Novel (no more than 10 pages of 1st chapter and a 1-page synopsis of book). All rights remain with the writer. Deadlines and entry fees vary based on type of material submitted. See website for details.
 
ATLAS SHRUGGED ESSAY CONTEST Sept. 16 None 1st $5000 2nd $1000 3rd $400 
Dept. W, The Ayn Rand Institute
2121 Alton Pkwy.
Suite 250
Irvine  CA  92606
1000 to 1200 word essays that reflect the philosophies of the late Ayn Rand. Open to students enrolled in full-time undergraduate or graduate studies.
 
AWP AWARD SERIES January 1 $20

$4000 poem

$2000 fiction

Association of Writers & Writing Programs
Carty House, Mail Stop 1E3
George Mason University
Fairfax  VA  22030
Categories: poetry (Donald Hall Poetry Prize), short fiction, novel, and creative nonfiction. Guidelines for SASE and on website. Open to any writer. In addition to cash prize, winning manuscript is published by one of the member publishing houses
 
BANCROFT PRIZE Dec. 1 None $4000
Columbia University-Office of the University Librarian
517 Butter Library, Mail Code 1101
535 W. 114th St.
New York  NY  10027
Annual award for a published work in the field of history, biography or diplomacy. Previous winners of the prize are not eligible for future contests.
 
BANTA AWARD March 1 None $500
Wisconsin Library Association, c/o Literary Awards Committee
5250 E. Terrace Dr.,       Suite A-1
Madison  WI  53718-8345
Offered annually for books published during the year preceding the award. The Literary Awards Committee reviews all works by Wisconsin authors that are not edited, revised editions, textbooks, or written in foreign languages. Review copies or notification of books, along with verification of the author's ties to Wisconsin, may be submitted to the Committee, by the publisher or author. Only open to writers born, raised, or currently living in Wisconsin.
 
RAY ALLEN BILLINGTON PRIZE October 1 None $1,000
Organization of American Historians
112 N. Bryan Ave.
Bloomington  IN  47408-4199
Offered in even years for the best book in American frontier history, defined broadly so as to include the pioneer periods of all geographical areas and comparison between American frontiers and others. Guidelines available on website.
 
The Boston Globe, Horn Book, Inc.
56 Roland St.
Suite 200
Boston  MA  02129
Annual award for literature for children and young adults (published June 1, 2003-May 31, 2004). Categories: picture book, fiction and poetry, nonfiction. Judges may also name several honor books in each category. Books must be published in the United States.
 
New Letters
5101 Rockhill Rd.
Kansas City  MO  64110
Offers new writers as well as veterans a place to try their hand at creative nonfiction.
 
CELTIC VOICE WRITING CONTEST Sept. 30 $10 Varies
Bardsong Press
P.O. Box 775396
Steamboat Springs  CO  80477-5396
Annual award for unpublished short stories, fiction, essays or creative nonfiction surrounding Celtic culture.
 
CLEVERKITTY CATERWAULING CONTEST Aug. 31 None $100.00
Cleverkitty.com
6764 Sugar Hill Dr.
Nashville  TN  37211
Short stories, creative nonfiction or articles about anything related to walking hairballs. Er, that is, cats.
 
CNW/FFWA ANNUAL FLORIDA STATE WRITING COMPETITION March 15 None 1st $100 2nd $75 3rd $50
Florida Freelance Writers Association
P.O. Box A
North Stratford  NH  03590-0167
Prizes will be awarded in each category as follows: Nonfiction, fiction, children's literature and poetry. All entries must be previously published work and can include chapters from books as well as short pieces.
 
CARR P. COLLINS AWARD Jan. 3 None $5,000
The Texas Institute of Letters
3700 Mockingbird
Dallas  TX  75205
Annual award for a work of nonfiction. To qualify, the author must be a resident of Texas, or the book must have subject matter related to Texas.
 
COLORADO BOOK AWARDS Ongoing $45 $250
Colorado Center for the Book
2123 Downing
Denver  CO  80205
Annual awards given each year in several categories, including, children's fiction, fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Open to authors who reside in Colorado.
 
Commonwealth Club           595 Market St.
San Francisco  CA  94105
Annual awards for books published by California writers. Must have been resident of California at the time of publication. Categories include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, first work of fiction, juvenile and works about California.
 
THE THOMAS COOK TRAVEL BOOK AWARD April 16 None £10,000
Jarden Press, Ltd.
Unit 27 Wyndham St.
Hull    HU3 1HD
United Kingdom
Annual award to best book about travel. Book must have been published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the previous year and be in the English language. Translations are acceptable.
 
AVERY O. CRAVEN AWARD Oct. 1 None $500
Organization of American Historians
112 N. Bryan Ave.
Bloomington  IN  47408-4199
Annual award for the best published book about the Civil War years. This includes the years approaching the war, the war itself and reconstruction.
 
VIOLET CROWN BOOK AWARDS May 31 $20 $1,000
Writers' League of Texas
1501 W. Fifth St., Suite E-2
Austin  TX  78703
Annual award give to books in three categories by Writers' League of Texas members. Categories are fiction, nonfiction and literary.
 
DAFOE BOOK PRIZE Dec. 6 None $10,000
J.W. Dafoe Foundation
359 University College
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg  MB  R3T 2M8
Canada
Awarded each year to the book by a Canadian author that best explores the Canadian culture and the country's relations abroad.
 
THE DONNER PRIZE Nov. 30 None $30,000
The Donner Canadian Foundation
394A King St. E.
Toronto  ON  M5A 1K9
Canada
Annual award for the best book published by a Canadian author that highlights the significance of public policy.
 
THE FREDERICK DOUGLASS BOOK PRIZE March 29 None $25,000
Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance & Abolition of Yale University
P.O. Box 208206
New Haven  CT  06520-8206
While I'm not sure why one of the literature departments at Yale would be advocating the abolition of Yale University, they do award this prize to the best book published about the Civil War era, as it relates to slavery, resistance and the abolition of slavery.
 
Event
P.O. Box 2503
New Westminster  BC  V3L 5B2
Canada
Three different awards are given each year. Open to any writer except for Douglas College employees.
 
THE TIMOTHY FINDLEY AWARD Ongoing None $15,000
The Writers' Trust of Canada
40 Wellington St. E.
Suite 300
Toronto  ON  M5E 1C7
Canada
Open to male Canadian writers only. Looking for a body of work that that highlights the richness of Canadian culture.
 
The Canadian Children's Book Centre
40 Orchard View Blvd.
Suite 101
Toronto  ON  M4R 1B9
Canada
Annual Award for nonfiction books targeted for children published in the calendar year May 1 to April 30. Open to Canadian citizens only.
 
Dept. of English
University of Central Florida
Orlando  FL  32816
Three annual awards given, one each in the areas of fiction, poetry and memoirs. Open to any writer.
 
ForeWord Magazine
129 1/2 E. Front St.
Traverse City  MI  49684
Award give to both a fiction and a non-fiction book published in the previous calendar year. Entry form and eligibility requirements can be found on their website.
 
DIXON RYAN FOX MANUSCRIPT PRIZE Jan. 20 None $3,000
New York State Historical Association
P.O. Box 800
Cooperstown  NY  13326
Annual award given to the best unpublished book dealing with some aspect of the history of New York State. Open to all writers.
 
GEORGE FREEDLEY MEMORIAL AWARD Feb. 15 None $500
Theatre Library Association, Benjamin Rosenthal Library, Queens College, C.U.N.Y.
65-30 Kissena Blvd.
Flushing  NY  11367
Award offered for any book published in the US that focuses on live theatrical performance. Subjects may include theory, history, biography, reference or other types of nonfiction.
 
THE CHRISTIAN GAUSS AWARD April 30 None $2,500
The Phi Beta Kappa Society
1606 New Hampshire Ave. NW
Washington  DC  20009
Annual award for books published the previous year in the field of literary scholarship or criticism. Only open to US authors, and books must be submitted by publisher.
 
GEILFUSS, HUNTER & SMITH FELLOWSHIPS Quarterly None $500 to $3,000
Wisconsin Historical Society
816 State St.
Madison  WI  53706-1482
Offered to authors with unpublished works dealing with the history of Wisconsin.
 
LIONEL GELBER PRIZE Oct. 31 None $15,000
Munk Center for International Studies
University of Toronto
1 Devonshire Place
Toronto  ON  M5S 3K7
Canada
Annual award for the most outstanding work in the field of International relations. Work must be submitted by publisher.
 
JOHN GUYON NONFICTION PRIZE March 15 $15 $1,500
Crab Orchard Review
English Department
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale  IL  62901-4503
Annual competition for creative nonfiction. All entries must be previously unpublished. Academic essays are not eligible.
 
HAWAII AWARD FOR LITERATURE November None Varies
State Foundation on Culture and the Arts
250 S. Hotel St.
2nd Floor
Honolulu  HI  96813
This is a lifetime achievement award given to the writer who best exemplifies Hawaiian literature.
 
O. HENRY AWARD Jan. 3 None $1,000
The Texas Institute of Letters
3700 Mockingbird
Dallas  TX  75205
A competition for about Texas. You must be a Texan, have lived in Texas for two consecutive years or be writing about Texas. But it's a very prestigious award.
 
HIGHSMITH LIBRARY LITERATURE AWARD Dec. 1 None %500
American Library Association
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago  IL  60611
Annual award given to a previously published book that makes an outstanding contribution to library literature.
 
THE JULIA WARD HOWE/BOSTON AUTHORS AWARD Jan. 1 None $500
The Boston Authors Club
79 Moore Rd.
Wayland  MA  01778
Annual award for a fiction book and a non-fiction book published by any author who lives within a 100-mile radius of Boston, or lived in that region in a previous life.
 
Jenkins Group/Independent Publisher Online
400 W. Front St.
#4A
Traverse City  MI  49684
Awards go to one book published by an independent publisher in each of the following categories: Most Original Concept, Best Corporate Branding Book, Business Breakthrough of the Year, Best Book Arts Craftsmanship, Most Inspirational to Youth, Best Health Book, Most Life-Changing, Most Likely to Save the Planet, Most Unique Design, Story Teller of the Year.
 
ROBERT F. KENNEDY BOOK AWARDS Jan. 31 $25 $2,500
1367 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200
Washington  DC  20036
Annual award for a published book that most accurately reflects the values of the late Robert Kennedy.