Please find below a list of awards given for published and unpublished fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction on Jewish themes. Please note that although my newsletter and Practicing Writing blog listings are limited to competitions that do not charge entry fees, I have included fee-charging contests here because the pool of specifically “Jewish” competitions is so much smaller than the broader landscape of more generalized contest opportunities.
As always, I’m providing this information as a service; please use good common sense and caution when approaching any literary contest, especially one that charges fees to participate. I can’t be responsible for any unfortunate contest experiences that you may encounter.
If you’re aware of other competitions that might belong on this page, please contact me (be sure to include a link to the award program/contest’s website with your message). I’m especially interested in awards for Jewish writing outside the United States, and I am less interested in awards that are not open to submissions/nominations. Thank you!
- Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award
- Brayndl Prize (for “an essay that analyzes the performance and/or transmission of the Yiddish folksong”)
- (Sophie) Brody Medal
- Bustan Residency Program at the National Library of Israel
- Cohon Award (welcomes creative-artist nominations)
- Genesis/Jewish Book Week Emerging Writers Programme (for those resident in the UK)
- Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Research Awards (includes grants for creative writers)
- Harbor Review Jewish American Woman’s Prize (for poems/prose poems)
- Hey Alma Short Fiction Contest
- Jewish Children’s Book Awards
- LABA House of Study Fellowships
- Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition
- (Miriam Felicia) Lindberg Memorial Peace Foundation Poetry Contest
- Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture Fellowships
- Moment Magazine-Karma Short Fiction Competition
- Moment Magazine Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative
- Natan Notable Books
- National Jewish Book Awards
- New Jewish Culture Fellowships
- New Voices Jewish Media Fellowships
- Porjes Prize (for Hebrew-to-English translations)
- (Simon) Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism (most awards open only to AJPA members)
- (Rabbi Lord) Sacks Book Prize
- (J.I.) Segal Literary Awards (of Montreal’s Jewish Public Library)
- (Sydney) Taylor Book Award
- (Sydney) Taylor Manuscript Award
- Vine Awards for Canadian Jewish Literature
- (Edward Lewis) Wallant Award
- Western Canada Jewish Book Awards
- Wingate Literary Prize