Genre: Creative Nonfiction

O‘ahu Writers Mini-Retreat

November/December 2025

The O‘ahu Writers Mini-Retreat was held on November 29 and November 30 at a historic vacation property in the town of Waialua, on the North Shore of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. The retreat featured generative writing workshops, critiques, and arts and crafts breaks for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. The faculty included poet Tamara Leiokanoe Moan, fiction writer Tom Gammarino, and creative nonfiction writer Constance Hale. Tuition was $120 for one day and $200 for both days; lodging was not included, but lunch was.

Type: 
CONFERENCE
Ignore Event Date Field?: 
yes
Event Date: 
May 14, 2026
Rolling Admissions: 
ignore
Application Deadline: 
May 14, 2026
Financial Aid?: 
no
Financial Aid Application Deadline: 
May 14, 2026
Free Admission: 
no
Contact Information: 

O‘ahu Writers Mini-Retreat, 1040 56th Street, Oakland, CA 94608. (617) 909-1439. Constance Hale, Director.

Constance Hale
Director
Contact City: 
Waialua
Contact State: 
HI
Country: 
US
Genre: 
Poetry
Fiction
Creative Nonfiction

Literary Awards

Black Caucus of the American Library Association
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
December 31, 2025

Four prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a debut novel, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) by African American writers published in the United States in the current year. The awards honor books that depict the “cultural, historical, or sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.” Publishers may nominate books published in 2025 by December 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for a list of jurors to whom books should be sent and complete guidelines.

Tags: 
novel | African American | book awards | first book awards

Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing

San José State University
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
January 4, 2026

Six yearlong residencies at San José State University in San José, California, which include stipends of $15,000 each, are given annually to fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers. The fellows are required to give one public reading and reside in one of the counties within the San Francisco Bay Area or an adjacent county in the California central coast or central valley during most of the fellowship period. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 25 pages of prose, a project proposal, a résumé, and three letters of recommendation (uploaded by references) by January 4, 2026. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Firecracker Awards

Community of Literary Magazines & Presses
Entry Fee: 
$65
Deadline: 
November 14, 2025

Three prizes of $2,000 each are given annually for a book of poetry, a book of fiction, and a book of creative nonfiction published by an independent press in the current year ($1,000 for each author and $1,000 for their respective publisher). Works in translation and graphic novels are accepted. Using only the online submission system, publishers may submit books of poetry or prose published in 2025 with a $65 entry fee ($55 for CLMP members) for the first book and a $45 fee ($35 for CLMP members) for each additional entry by November 14. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Jeanne Leiby Memorial Chapbook Award

Florida Review
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
January 7, 2026

A prize of $1,000, publication by the Florida Review, and 50 author copies is given annually for a chapbook of short fiction, short nonfiction, or graphic narrative. Submit a manuscript of up to 45 pages with a $25 entry fee by January 7, 2026. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Desert Writers Award

Ellen Meloy Fund
Entry Fee: 
$15
Deadline: 
January 15, 2026

A prize of $5,000 is given annually to enable a creative nonfiction writer “whose work reflects the spirit and passions for the desert embodied in Ellen Meloy’s writing” to spend creative time in a desert environment. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 10 pages of creative nonfiction, a project proposal, and a biographical statement of up to one page with a $15 entry fee by January 15, 2026. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Memoir Prize

Narratively
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
December 7, 2025
A prize of $3,000 and publication on Narratively’s storytelling platform is given annually for a short work of memoir written in the first person. Two runners-up prizes of $1,000 each and publication will also be awarded. The winner and two runners-up will also be included in a special digital collection. Using only the online submission system, submit an essay of 2,000 to 5,000 words with a $20 entry fee by December 7. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Translation Prize

French-American Foundation
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
January 12, 2026

Two prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for translations from French into English of a book of fiction and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published in the United States during the current year. A jury of translators and literary professionals will judge. Authors, translators, agents, and publishers may submit six excerpts (three from the original French and three matching selections from the English translation) of approximately six pages each from a book published in 2025 by January 12, 2026. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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