Exile Quarterly Fiction and Poetry Competitions

Arts disciplines: 

Founded in 1972 by one of Canada’s most recognized man of letters, Barry Callaghan, Exile Editions and ELQ/Exile: The Literary Quarterly specialize in finding and developing Canadian writers of fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction, as well as visual artists engaged in painting, photography, illustration and other fine arts disciplines.

 

Nona Macdonald Heaslip $15,000 “Best Canadian Short Story” Competition and Award

$15000 to winner, $2000 to runner up

  • Literary and Speculative fiction / all styles considered. (Speculative fiction includes all forms of literature of the fantastic, such as fantasy, magic realism, science fiction, science fantasy, horror, climate fiction, alternative history, etc.).
  • Stories must not have been previously published, and must not have been submitted elsewhere for journal/magazine publication consideration (although a story may be from a collection by an author that is forthcoming – but please check with us for eligibility).
  • Note: the prize amounts have increased over the years, and over eight years $90,000 has been awarded to Canadian writers.
  • The prizes are sponsored by Gloria Vanderbilt, and the competition held in memory of her son, Carter, who died aged 23.

 

The Ruth and David Lampe $3,000 Poetry Competition and Award in memory of Gwendolyn MacEwen

$1,500 for Best Suite by an Emerging Writer
$1,500 for Best Suite by a Writer at Any Career Point
• The total page length of the suite submission is not to exceed 16 pages. It is urged that your suite be complete work, not simply a gathering of unrelated poems. All forms of poetic expression will be considered.
• Poetry must not have been previously published, and must not have been submitted elsewhere for journal/magazine publication consideration (although it may be from a collection by an author that is forthcoming – but please check with us for eligibility).