Four free contests: for poetry, MG stories, Jane Austen essays, and crime novellas, plus 2 contests from the New Quarterly

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. ~ Brian

Free short story and poetry competition: The Crucible Poetry and Fiction Competition. Fiction to 8,000 words. Poetry must be limited to five poems. Prizes: $150, $100; Sam Ragan Poetry Prize $150

Deadline: May 1. Submission guidelines here.

Free middle grade story contest: We need Diverse Books with $1,000 prize and anthology publication; 2 runners-up receive $250. For an anthology to be published in January 2017. Seeking unpublished short stories (or illustrated stories) up to 5,000 words, appropriate to a middle-grade audience (ages 8-12). Story must relate to the prompt, "Once I began to read, I began to exist."

Open to "diverse" writers who have not been published in a traditional print fiction book format, including self-pubbed, independents, small and medium publishing houses, in all genres whether for the children’s or adult market. "We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities." Applicants must provide information in their bio as to what qualifies them as "diverse."
Deadline: May 8. Guidelines here.

Free contest for sturdents: the Jane Austen Essay Contest with prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 scholarships, plus conference registration and lodging. Students interested in the life and works of Jane Austen are encouraged to enter. Open to students world-wide at the high school, college/university, and post-graduate levels of study. 
The judges value original insights and clear, correct writing. Essays should be directed to a well-informed general audience rather than to a strictly academic audience. 6-8 pages. This year's theme is "Living in the Jane Austen World."
Deadline: May 15. Guidelines here.

Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell,
winner of the 2014 Black Orchid 

Free contest: The Black Orchid Novella Award with $1,000 prize and publication in Alfred Hitchcock Magazine. Mystery novellas from 15,000-20,000 words that conform to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series. No overt sex or violence; stories may not include characters from original series.

Deadline: May 31. Guidelines here. For information aboutseven magazines accepting mystery stories (including Alfred Hitchcock Magazine), see here.

Hi, Brian.

Several people have mentioned that they've found our contests through your blog in the past, so I was wondering if you'd mind posting about them again this year!

Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest: Deadline April 13th. We are interested in essays of any length, on any topic, in which the writer's personal engagement with the topic provides the frame or through-line. There is no restriction on essay length or subject matter, but the author must be a Canadian citizen or resident.

We offer a $1,000 prize for the winning essay; all submissions will be considered for paid publication ($250) in the magazine.

Entry fee: $40 per submission. Each submission includes a one-year Canadian subscription (or subscription extension) to The New Quarterly.

Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Contest: Deadline May 28th. This contest, is named in honour of Peter Hinchcliffe, who was instrumental in the founding of the magazine and has made an impact in the lives of many students in his longstanding role as lecturer at St. Jerome’s University. 

The $1,000 top prize will be awarded for a work of short fiction by a Canadian (citizen or resident) writer who has not yet published a first novel or short story collection.  Though there is only one top prize, all submissions will be considered for paid publication ($250) in the magazine. All submissions will be judged blind.

Entry fee: $40 per submission. Each submission includes a one-year Canadian subscription (or subscription extension) to The New Quarterly.

Submissions are accepted here.

Thanks so much!

Tatiana Morand

The New Quarterly

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.