No fee writing contests - 10.06

There are a lot of writing contests this month and, courtesy of Poets&Writers, here's the short list of ones that don't charge an entrance fee including the Griffin. Have at it. Good luck.



Commonwealth Club of California
California Book Awards
Three prizes of $2,000 each are given annually to California writers to honor books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Authors or publishers may submit five copies of books published in 2006 by January 7, 2007. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site the required application and complete guidelines.
Commonwealth Club of California, California Book Awards, 595 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. (415) 597-4846.
bookawards@commonwealthclub.org
www.commonwealthclub.org


Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry
Griffin Poetry Prize
Two prizes of $50,000 Canadian (approximately $44,750) each are given annually to honor collections of poetry by a Canadian and an international poet or translator. Publishers may submit four copies of a book published in 2006 by December 31. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for the required application and complete guidelines.
Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry, Griffin Poetry Prize, 6610 Edwards Boulevard, Mississauga, Ontario, L5T 2V6, Canada. (905) 565-5993. Ruth Smith, Manager.
info@griffinpoetryprize.com
www.griffinpoetryprize.com


Maine Community Foundation
Martin Dibner fellowships
Fellowships of up to $1,000 are given in alternating years to Maine poets and fiction writers to attend writing workshops or complete writing projects. For this year's fellowships, poets may submit a writing sample of five to seven pages and a resumé by January 15, 2007. There is no entry fee. Call or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.
Maine Community Foundation, Martin Dibner Fellowships, 245 Main Street, Ellsworth, ME 04605. (877) 700-6800. Carl Little, Director of Communications and Marketing.
clittle@mainecf.org
www.mainecf.org


Ellen Meloy Fund
Desert Writers Award
A prize of $1,000 will be given annually to provide support to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers to spend creative time in a desert environment. Submit up to 10 pages of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction, a project description, and a biography by December 31. There is no entry fee. Call or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.
Ellen Meloy Fund, Desert Writers Award, P.O. Box 484, Bluff, UT 84512. (435) 669-5326. Greer Chesher, Contact.
www.ellenmeloy.com


Merton Foundation
Thomas Merton Poetry of the Sacred Award
A prize of $500 and publication in Merton Seasonal is given annually for a single poem. Submit a poem of no more than 100 lines by December 31. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.
Merton Foundation, Thomas Merton Poetry of the Sacred Award, 2117 Payne Street, Louisville, KY 40206. (502) 899-1991. Helen Graffy, Assistant Director.
hgraffy@mertonfoundation.org
www.mertonfoundation.org


PEN American Center
PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
A prize of $3,000 is given annually to honor a book-length translation of poetry from any language into English published in the United States during the current year. Translators may be of any nationality. Translators, publishers, or agents may submit two copies of a book published in 2006 by December 15. There is no entry fee. E-mail or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.
PEN/Beyond Margins Awards
Up to five prizes of $1,000 each are given annually to honor emerging poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers of color for outstanding book-length works published in the current year. Publishers or agents may submit a letter of recommendation and five copies of a book published in 2006 by December 29. There is no entry fee. Visit the Web site for complete guidelines. (See Recent Winners.)
PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize
A prize of $3,000 is given annually to honor a book-length translation of poetry or literary prose from any language into English published in the United States during the current year. Translators may be of any nationality. Publishers, agents, or translators may submit three copies of a book published in 2006 by December 15. There is no entry fee. E-mail or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.
PEN American Center, 588 Broadway, Suite 303, New York, NY 10012.
awards@pen.org
www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/1351


Poets & Writers Inc.
Writers Exchange Contest
Two prizes of $500 each are awarded annually to a poet and a fiction writer from a select state. Each winner also receives an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to give a reading and meet with writers, editors, publishers, and agents. For the 2007 contest, which is open to Missouri residents, each winner will also receive a one-month residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming. Missouri poets and fiction writers who have published no more than one full-length book in the genre in which they are applying are eligible. Submit five copies of up to 10 pages of poetry or 25 pages of fiction by December 1. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, e-mail, or visit the Web site for the required application and complete guidelines.
Poets & Writers Inc., Writers Exchange Contest, 72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012. Bonnie Marcus, Director.
bmarcus@pw.org
www.pw.org


Pushcart Press
Pushcart Prizes
Publication in The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses is awarded annually for the best poetry, short fiction, and essays published by literary magazines or small presses in the current year. Submissions are accepted from editors only, who may nominate up to six works of up to 20,000 words. Submit tear sheets or photocopies by December 1; work to be published this year after the deadline may be submitted in manuscript form. There is no entry fee. Write or call for complete guidelines.
Pushcart Press, Pushcart Prizes, P.O. Box 380, Wainscott, NY 11975. (631) 324-9300. Bill Henderson, Contact.
www.pushcartprize.com


Complete list here.

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.
~ Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam