Not a contest or a grant; just your chance to shine! Kentucky Writers’ Day honors Kentucky poets laureate, but it’s for all Kentucky writers. The Kentucky Arts Council invites you to participate in this year’s celebration by submitting a short, simple video of yourself reading from your own work. The deadline’s April 5, so choose a piece to read, get out your phone, and get cracking!
Early-career writers can earn a nine-month residency of research, creativity, teaching, and travel through the Southern Studies Fellowship. Fellows will travel across the American South, co-creating a project that expands understanding of the region. Housing and monthly stipend included. No entry fee; deadline April 29.
Lexington’s Carnegie Center invites writers to enter its Next Great Writers Contest. Fiction or nonfiction manuscripts of up to 2,000 words will be accepted, as will up to five poems. First place winners will receive $150; second place winners will receive $100. A virtual public reading (date TBA) will also honor the winners. $10 entry fee; deadline April 30.
The Shenandoah literary magazine invites editors who identify as people of color, including Black and Indigenous people, to apply for their Shenandoah Fellowship for BIPOC Editors. The winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and curate a selection of published work in a genre of their choosing for a single issue of Shenandoah. All experience levels are welcome, and no previous editorial experience is necessary, just a good knowledge of and enthusiasm for the current literary scene.
Information about contests, markets, and grants is provided as a service to writers, and is not an endorsement of any particular contest or sponsoring organization. Always check contest websites for complete rules.