Winning Writers

06/04/2026

Deadline June 30: 2026 HEART Poetry Award
Submit unpublished prose poems and modern free verse to win $500 and publication in HEART 21. Fee: $10 for 3 poems. Judge: David Melville.
https://nostalgiapress.com/heart-poetry-award-2026/
via Nostalgia Press

06/04/2026

"Ptolemy", a poem by Eileen Myles
https://poems.com/poem/ptolemy/
via Poetry Daily and Fonograf Editions

06/03/2026

WW Editor Jendi Reiter will be interviewed about their new book INTROVERT PERVERT on WHMP Radio "Talk the Talk" at 8:30 AM on Thursday, June 4, where they'll read a poem about censorship of LGBT literature in schools.
https://whmp.com/podcasts/shows/talk-the-talk/
Buy the book here:
https://thepoetryshop.com/products/introvert-pervert-poems-jendi-reiter-paperback?_pos=1&_sid=d3a3dd563&_ss=r

Poet Jendi Reiter brilliantly blends the sly, the sincere, and the sting of hard realities held close, working through pain to find wisdom, humor, and grace.

06/03/2026

Deadline: Jul 6: Giles St Aubyn Awards for Nonfiction. Submit a draft chapter of a nonfiction book by a UK or Republic of Ireland resident writing their first major commissioned work to win £10,000. More details on website. No fee | https://rsliterature.org/rsl-giles-st-aubyn-awards-for-non-fiction/

06/03/2026

Deadline June 15: June Challenge at Glossy Planet: Gender Trouble
Submit unpublished flash fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid work to win $1,000 and publication. Fee: $10.
"We’re seeking writing that pulls apart the categories: gender and s*x, heteronormativity and transgression, the body we were assigned and the one we actually inhabit."
https://www.glossyplanetmag.com/challenge/gender-trouble/
with Duotrope

06/02/2026

Happy pub day to WW subscriber J Brooke! Their debut poetry collection, "I Can Tell You the Version That Will Make You Take My Side," is out today from Driftwood Press:
https://www.driftwoodpress.com/product-page/i-can-tell-you-the-version-that-will-make-you-take-my-side
(Photo: WW editor Jendi Reiter and J Brooke reading at the BGSQD Bookstore in NYC in March 2026)

06/02/2026

41 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for June 2026, curated by Authors Publish
"Some of the call themes are: The Book of Demons; Gold; Side Hustle – Horror Stories for Late Capitalism; Gossip; Off the Broken Path – Dark Tales of Enchanted Forests; Folk Horror; Mertails; and Cthulhu Awakens."

Announcing The Short Story Intensive with Daisuke Shen. This is an intense, five day "virtual writing retreat" with daily live meetings. Plus, get two rounds of written feedback on your work and personal recommendations for publishers who may be a good fit for your writing. It starts on June 8th. Fo...

06/02/2026

The Hidden Power of Humor in Poetry
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-hidden-power-of-humor-in-poetry-on-humor
via Writer's Digest

Humor columnist Karim Shamsi-Basha elaborates on the hidden power of humor in poetry, including how it charges up poems.

06/01/2026

Deadline: Jun 30: Midnight & Indigo. Submit creative nonfiction (1,200 words maximum), speculative fiction (2,000-7,000 words), and literary fiction (1,500-7,000 words) by a Black women writer to receive $150 per essay or 7 cents per word for short stories. No fee |
https://www.midnightandindigo.com/write-for-us/