Writing & Poetry Competitions & Submissions – February 2026
It’s the beginning of a new month and a new season, bringing with it over 50 poetry competitions, writing submissions, literary residency and funding opportunities all with deadlines in February 2026.
For those wondering about the January submissions list, I’m afraid it’s been a slower start to the year for me as I recover from a fractured shoulder and the list was a casualty of that injury due to limited movement and capacity on one side.
And although the list is back (see below) there are changes afoot. I have been dealing with a lot of difficulty over the past year and one thing that has become clear is that I need to put a realistic value on my time and work.
What's changing?
Over the past few years, I’ve asked readers to make a nominal contribution toward keeping the submissions list as a free resource in the public domain. I am profoundly grateful to everyone who responded to those campaigns by making a one-off or regular donations; your generosity and support have helped keep the list going during tough times.
In recent months, between rising tech costs and multiple personal upheavals, it became increasingly clear that this approach was neither sustainable nor healthy in the long term and I would need to formalise the time and effort that goes into producing this resource.
Which means this is the last time the submissions list will appear in this format. Don’t despair, it’s not the end but a new beginning.
What's new?
From March 2026 onward, the free submissions list will continue with a limited number of opportunities whilst the full monthly submissions list will become a paid subscription service. The subscription fee will be €60/annually or €7.50/monthly.
In addition to the monthly list, subscribers will also have free access to additional features like:
interviews with editors and publishers,
quarterly publishing workshops,
free mini courses,
subscriber community readings and events,
plus, exclusive discounts on other Wordbox offerings.
I’m still looking into the pros and cons of Substack v. Kit / Squarespace (my current providers) and will share more details of the new structure shortly.
I realise this may be disappointing to many and I’ve decided to wait until March to implement the subscription service both to give myself space and time to make this shift but also to offer a reduced rate alternative to this community of writers, especially those experiencing financial hardship.
How will it work?
If you are signed up to my free mailing list or access the list via the blog/social media, from 1 March 2026 you will automatically receive the free version of the monthly list.
If you currently pay a monthly subscription, you will automatically be moved over to the new subscription service at your current rate for the full year as a thank you for your loyalty and support. If you currently pay more that the new monthly fee, you can choose to cancel and move over to the new rate.
If you have made a one-off donation to the list in December or January, you will also be automatically moved over to the new subscription service, regardless of the value of your donation, as a thank you for your prompt response to the Christmas campaign.
If you make a donation of €15 or more between now and the end of February, you will automatically be added to the new subscription service for the full year, with my thanks.
From 1 March 2026, the complete list will only be accessible to subscribers.
Donations can be made via Paypal or Stripe below. Please note that payments made via Stripe incur lower fees, meaning more of your money goes to supporting the list.
DONATE OR SUBSCRIBE VIA PAYPAL
DONATE VIA STRIPE (CREDIT CARD)
Although it was always my hope that the list would remain a free resource, I am genuinely excited for the possibilities of working directly with subscribers to help them realise their publishing goals, and creating targeted resources to meet these needs.
Best of luck with sending out your work this month and thanks again for being part of this community. I hope we can continue to grow, thrive and publish together in 2026.
All the best,
Angela x
New for February
LIVE ONLINE CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Wordbox Poetry Workshop Groups - 6-week online workshop groups for emerging writers, to read, discuss and receive feedback on their work, starting Feb 2026.
February 2026
Culture Ireland Grant Scheme – All Disciplines – closes 5 Feb (submit online)
Penumbra – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Hybrid, Art – closes 6 Feb (submit online)
The Strokestown International Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 6 Feb (submit online)
Jacar Press Julie Suk Award – Poetry collection published in 2025 – closes 7 Feb (submit online)
The Vanity Papers – Poetry, Fiction, Essay, Art & Photography, theme: Phenomenon – closes 7 Feb (submit online)
Digital Poetry Exhibition – Poetry, Fiction, Essay, Art & Photography, theme: Phenomenon – closes 8 Feb (submit online)
Sparks Literary Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – closes 9 Feb (submit online)
The Papers School Inaugural Poetry Manuscript Competition – Poetry manuscripts (up to 40 pages) – closes 10 Feb (submit online)
The Suburban Review – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Comics, Art, theme: Aftermath – closes 10 Feb (submit online)
MacDowell Fellowship – Any genre – closes 10 Feb (submit online)
Arts Council Ireland Bursary Awards – All genres – closes 12 Feb (submit online)
Aftershock Review – Poetry – closes 14 Feb (submit online)
Ink Sweat & Tears – Poetry, Flash, Visual & Film Poems – closes 15 Feb (submit online)
Oscail – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Nonfiction, Visual Art (work by queer, trans, neurodivergent, disabled, working‑class and other marginalised writers) – closes 15 Feb (submit online)
Prairie Schooner – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, theme: Awakening – closes 15 Feb (submit online)
The Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry – Poetry manuscript (min. 48 pages) – closes 15 Feb (submit online)
Wales Poetry Award – Poetry – closes 16 Feb (submit online)
Hedgerow Haiku – Short Poems – closes 18 Feb (submit online)
Winter Papers – Fiction, Nonfiction, Photography, Art – open 4 - 18 Feb (submit online)
The Tower Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: A Riddle (Students aged 16-18) – closes 19 Feb (submit online)
New Voices: North 2026 – Poetry, Fiction (N. Ireland writers) – closes 22 Feb (submit online)
Arundel Literary Festival Competitions – Poetry, Flash – closes 23 Feb (submit online)
HOWL New Irish Writing 26 – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – open 13 - 23 Feb (submit online)
The London Library Emerging Writers Programme – All genres – closes 23 Feb (submit online)
Fingal Artists’ Support Scheme – All disciplines – closes 27 Feb (submit online)
Never Such Innocence International Competition – Poetry, Art, Songwriting, theme: In Someone Else’s Shoes (ages 9-18) – closes 27 Feb (submit online)
The Emma Press – Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir manuscripts/proposals – open 20 - 27 Feb (submit online)
Verse & Voice Competition – Poetry, Spoken Word – closes 27 Feb (submit online)
Kildare County Council Arts Act Grant 2026 – Emerging & Established Artists – closes 27 Feb (submit online)
Maria Edgeworth Literary Festival Competitions – Poetry, Fiction – closes 27 Feb (submit online)
Broken Sleep Books – Wildcard manuscripts – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Hemingway-Pfeiffer Writer-in-Residence – All disciplines – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Metachrosis Literary Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Art & Hybrid – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Okay Donkey – Poetry – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Poetry Ireland – Poetry, theme: Home – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Poetry Wales – Poetry, theme: Teaching – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Sidekick Books – Poetry, theme: Spies/Espionage and Fairies/Magical People – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Southword – Fiction – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Split Lip Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Memoir, Art & more – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
The Alchemy Spoon – Poetry, theme: Elements – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition – Poetry, Fiction, theme: Happily Ever After? (for schools) – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
The Donald Hall Prize for Poetry - Poetry manuscript (min. 48 pages) - closes 28 Feb (submit online)
The North – Poetry, theme: The Library – closes 28 Feb (submit online)
Abridged 0-107: Elixir – Poetry – closes 1 Mar (submit online)
Mayo Books Press – Poetry, Fiction, theme: The Bog – closes 1 Mar (submit online)
Millay Arts Residencies – All Disciplines – closes 1 Mar (submit online)
The Lincoln Review – Poetry, Flash, Essays, Nonfiction, Art & Photography – closes 1 Mar (submit online)
The Poetry Book Society Summer 2026 Pamphlet Choice – Pamphlets due for publication Jan/Feb/Mar 2026 (Publishers only) – closes 1 Mar (submit online)
The Poetry Book Society Autumn 2026 Book & Translations Recommendations – Poetry collections and translations due for publication July/Aug/Sept 2026 (Publishers only) – closes 1 Mar (submit online)
The Shore – Poetry – closes 1 Mar (submit online)
Sunday Mornings at the River – Poetry, theme: For Those Who Despair – open (submit online)
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in FEBRUARY 2026, and it is not included above, feel free to send me the details.
