Writing & Poetry Competitions & Submissions – October 2025
Spooky season has arrived along with over 160 poetry competitions, writing submissions and literary opportunities open or with deadlines in October 2025.
Autumn Programme
With so much of my energy going toward my housing situation this month, the new writing challenge Ice & Fire | 30 Days of Writing Norse Mythology will now kick off on 31st October and run through November so plenty of time to grab your spot and spend the Autumn evenings taking inspiration from these legendary tales.
And next week sees the start of the new series of 8-Week Autumn Poetry Workshop Groups beginning 7-12 October. Ideal for emerging / intermediate writers looking to polish work for publication and are strictly limited to 5 people per group, there are still a few spots left if you’d like to join us.
I’m also offering a special 30% discount on all One-to-One Mentoring Sessions booked during October. Ideal for writers getting ready to publish or simply looking for direction and guidance in their work. All bookings are valid for 12 months - see link for details.
Crowdfunding Campaign Update
Since July I’ve been fundraising to avoid homelessness this year and free myself from the crushing consequences of the 2015 Tracker Mortgage Scandal in Ireland. One again, a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed and for all your support and encouragement. Your kindness and generosity has been life-saving at this time.
I’m right down to the wire now and still need help to meet my final goal of €16,000. The stress has been excruciating and anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated.
If you would like to show your appreciation for these monthly submission lists which I’ve been producing since 2014, or to simply help out a writer in need, please consider:
Booking a One-to-One Mentoring Session (valid for 1 year) - 30% off in October!
Making a Direct Donation via Paypal or Credit Card below.
Every penny counts.
DONATE OR SUBSCRIBE VIA PAYPAL
DONATE VIA STRIPE (CREDIT CARD)
If you are unable to donate please consider sharing a link to either the courses or the GoFundMe campaign with your own writing network and/or social media.
Keep Writing
Thank you for being part of this community. Creativity is essential to the world right now, with so much darkness surrounding us. If you’re struggling, take heart:
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work—not when everything is fine, but in times of dread. That’s our job!
There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.
I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge—even wisdom. Like art.”
Whatever you’re up to with your writing this month — drafting, honing, editing or submitting — I wish you every luck and success.
Thank you!
Writing Courses and Events
Writing Slant | Making a Poem - the Wordbox signature self-study 6-week poetry editing course.
DIY 30-DAY WRITING CHALLENGES:
La Dolce Vita | An Italian Odyssey
Songs of a Pagan Place | Writing the Irish Myths & Legends
Fool’s Gold | 30 Days of Writing the Tarot
The Winter Almanac | A Writing Journey in January
Gods & Monsters | Writing the Greek Myths & Legends
Miracle Machine | Writing the Body
All self-study courses are automated and can be started and carried out at your own pace.
Keep in Touch
For the latest poetry lists, writing prompts, events and news, find Wordbox online here:
Please save/follow these links and remember, if the list is not already on the blog, it’s not published.
Alternatively, have the list delivered direct to your inbox by joining the mailing list here.
October 2025
Consilience – Poetry, Artwork, theme: Tension – closes 5 Oct (submit online)
Swim Press – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Nonfiction, Artwork, theme: Gluttony – closes 5 Oct (submit online)
Mslexia – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – closes 6 Oct (submit online)
Sixth Finch – Poetry, Artwork – closes 6 Oct (submit online)
Arts & Disability Connect Scheme – All artistic disciplines – closes 7 Oct (submit online)
Only Poems – Poetry, theme: Haunted – closes 7 Oct (submit online)
Black Iris Poetry – Poetry, theme: Conflict – closes 8 Oct (submit online)
Berlin Lit – Poetry – closes 10 Oct (submit online)
Penumbra – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Art, theme: The Bestiary & Us – closes 10 Oct (submit online)
Gather Zine – Poetry, Fiction, Essay & more, theme: Abundance – closes 10 Oct (submit online)
Soul Rice – Poetry, theme: Displacement – closes 11 Oct (submit online)
Rebecca Swift Foundation / Fly on the Wall – Poetry, Essay, theme: Woman Mapped – closes 12 Oct (submit online)
Peter Porter Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 13 Oct (submit online)
The Madrid Review – Poetry – closes 14 Oct (submit online)
Banshee Press – Poetry, Fiction, Memoir manuscripts – closes 15 Oct (submit online)
Dora Maar House Artist Residency – All artistic disciplines – closes 15 Oct (submit online)
Etel Adnan Poetry Prize – Poetry manuscript (48-90 pages, writer of Arab heritage) – closes 15 Oct (submit online)
Ink Sweat & Tears – Poetry, Prose – closes 15 Oct (submit online)
Poetry Ireland Review – Poetry – closes 15 Oct (submit online)
Skylight 47 – Poetry, Art – closes 15 Oct (submit online)
The Manchester Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays – closes 15 Oct (submit online)
The Poetry Lighthouse – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction & more – closes 15 Oct (submit online)
iOTA Shot Pamphlet Awards – Poetry manuscript (16-25 pages) – closes 20 Oct (submit online)
Walk Listen Create – Poetry, Flash, theme: In the Dark – closes 20 Oct (submit online)
Waltham Forest Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: Weather – closes 20 Oct (submit online)
Poetry Ireland Poet in Residence – Poets with min. one published collection and experience in facilitation/community engagement – closes 22 Oct (submit online)
The Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence – Poetry, Fiction – closes 24 Oct (submit online)
The Poetry Society Members' Competition – Poetry, theme: ‘A nose loses its face’ – closes 24 Oct (submit online)
After Poetry – Ekphrastic Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Alchemy Spoon – Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Anthology Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Black Cat Poetry Press – Poetry manuscripts (40-60 pages) – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Frazzled Lit – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Nonfiction – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Frogmore Papers – Poetry, Fiction – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Frosted Fire Single-Poem Competition – Poetry, theme: Conflict or Collaboration – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
London Grip – Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
New Writing Scotland – Poetry, Fiction, Memoir, Visual Art & more – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Okay Donkey – Poetry, Flash – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Oxford Poetry – Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Red Hen Press Benajmin Saltman Poetry Award – Poetry manuscript – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Split Lip – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Memoir, Art – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The Bedford Competition – Poetry, Fiction – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The Broken Spine Anthology – Poetry, Flash, theme: Modern Gothic – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The National Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The Paris Review – Poetry, Prose – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The Sarabande Chapbook Prize – Poetry – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The Solstice Nature Prize for Young Writers – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, theme: Nature (Poets ages 7-25 years) – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
The Whispering Wisdom Poetry Prize – Poetry, theme: Love – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Tupelo Press: Helena Whitehill Book Award – Poetry & Nonfiction manuscripts – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Verve Poetry Festival Work In Poetry – Experimental Poetry/Performance – closes 31 Oct (submit online)
Cheltenham Poetry Festival International Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 1 Nov (submit online)
Humana Obscura – Poetry, Flash Artwork – closes 1 Nov (submit online)
Michigan Quarterly Review – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – closes 1 Nov (submit online)
The Adroit Journal – Poetry, Fiction Creative Nonfiction – closes 1 Nov (submit online)
The Foster Poetry Prize – Poetry – closes 1 Nov (submit online)
UP//ROAR: Poems of Queer Resistance – Poetry – closes 1 Nov (submit online)
The Poetry Business International Book & Pamphlet Competition – Poetry manuscript – closes 2 Nov (submit online)
The Poetry Business New Poets Prize – Poetry manuscript (12 pages) – closes 2 Nov (submit online)
Dublin City Council Bursary Awards – All artistic disciplines – closes 4 Nov (submit online)
Dublin City Council Neighbourhood / Voluntary Arts Grants – All artistic disciplines – closes 4 Nov (submit online)
Dublin City Council Project Arts Grants – All artistic disciplines – closes 4 Nov (submit online)
OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS IN NOVEMBER 2025
Sunday Mornings at the River – Poetry, theme: For Those Who Despair – not specified (submit online)
F(r)iction Contests – Poetry, Fiction. Flash – closes 7 Nov (submit online)
The Leonard Cohen Poetry Award – Poetry, theme: Love, Faith & Sex – closes 7 Nov (submit online)
The Straid Poetry Collection Awards – Poetry Manuscript – closes 11 Nov (submit online)
Manchester Cathedral Poetry Competition – Poetry, theme: Bells (max. 30 lines) – closes 14 Nov (submit online)
The Interpreter’s House – Poetry, Fiction – closes 14 Nov (submit online)
Fugue – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Nonfiction – closes 15 Nov (submit online)
The Stinging Fly – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – open 4-18 Nov (submit online)
The Fiddlehead – Poetry, theme: Disability – closes 20 Nov (submit online)
Cafe Writers Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 23 Nov (submit online)
Broken Sleep Books – Poetry pamphlets (max 40 pages) – closes 30 Nov (submit online)
Crannog – Poetry, Fiction – closes 30 Nov (submit online)
Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition – Poetry – closes 30 Nov (submit online)
Long Poem Magazine – Poetry – closes 30 Nov (submit online)
The London Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – closes 30 Nov (submit online)
The Marrow Poetry Journal – Poetry – closes 30 Nov (submit online)
OPPORTUNITIES WITH OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS
Acumen – Poetry – open (submit online)
A New Ulster – Poetry, Fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
Anthropocene – Poetry – open (submit online)
Antiphony – Poetry, Nonfiction – open (submit online)
Atrium – Poetry – open (submit online)
Bear Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Artwork – open (submit online)
Bending Genres – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction – open (submit online)
Blackbird – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Arts – open (submit online)
Carve Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Confingo Publishing – Poetry, Fiction, Art, Photography – open (submit online)
Crow & Cross Keys – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, theme: Gothic – open (submit online)
Crowstep Journal – Poetry – open (submit online)
Damnation – Poetry, Prose, Flash – open (submit online)
Disabled Tales – Poetry, Fiction, Essay – open (submit online)
Dithering Chaps – Poetry – open (submit online)
Dreich Mag – Poetry – open (submit online)
Driftwood Press – Poetry, Fiction, Literary Criticism – open (submit online)
Dust Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)
Empty House Press – Poetry, Prose Poetry, Flash, Hybrid – open (submit online)
Empty Mirror – Poetry, Non-fiction, Visual Art (committed to diversity & inclusion) – open (submit online)
Fecund Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Essay & more (POC only) – open (submit online)
Frontier Poetry – Poetry – open (submit online)
Fruit Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Hybrid (LGBTQI+, with emphasis on unheard voices – POC, trans, working class) – open (submit online)
Gather Lit Mag – Poetry – open (submit online)
Guernica – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Photo Essays – open (submit by post)
Hosking Houses Trust Residencies – Women writers over 40 (all genres – must have contract to publish / broadcast / perform) – open (submit online)
Narrative Mag – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction. Plays – open (submit online)
New Contrast – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)
Neon Magazine – Poetry, Flash, Art and more – open (submit online)
Obsessed with Pipework – Poetry – open (submit online)
Omelette Literary Magazine – Poetry, Visual Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction & more – open (submit online)
One – Poetry, a single poem – open (submit online)
Only Poems – Poetry – open (submit online)
Orbis – Poetry – open (submit by post (UK) or online (overseas only))
Palette Poetry – Poetry (under-represented and marginalized voices of all colors encouraged to submit) – open (submit online)
Peepal Tree Press – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction manuscripts from Black & Caribbean writers – open (submit online)
Pigeon Pages – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction – open (submit online)
POETRY Magazine – Poetry (submit online)
Poetry London – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)
Poetry Salzburg – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)
Poetry Wales – Poetry – open (submit by post or online)
Porridge Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art – open (submit online)
PN Review – Poetry, Essays, Reviews – open (submit by post)
Prelude – Poetry – open (submit online)
Prism International – Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Translation – open (submit online)
Prole – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction – open (submit online)
Psaltery & Lyre – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Hybrid – open (submit online)
Riggwelter – Poetry, Short Fiction, Visual Art – (submit online)
River Styx – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Drama, Visual Art – open (submit online)
Shakespeare & Co Tumbleweeds Residency – all writers – open (submit online)
Sine Theta Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Art (Sino diaspora only. People of Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, or Macau heritage, who live anywhere away from the original ‘homeland’ of that heritage – rolling deadlines, email to express interest (submit online)
Spry Literary Journal – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Artwork – open (submit online)
Squawk Back – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)
Stand Magazine – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)
Stepaway Magazine – Poetry, Flash Fiction, theme: walking in the city – open (submit online)
Sunday Mornings at the River – Poetry – open (submit online)
Tab Journal – Poetry, Poetics – open (submit online)
Tears in the Fence – Poetry – open (submit online)
The Brooklyn Quarterly – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Translation, Humour – open (submit online)
The Cardiff Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Flash (preference given to students and unpublished graduates of Creative Writing, English Literature & Journalism) – open (submit online)
The Curly Mind – Poetry, theme: experimental – open (submit online)
The Dalloway – Poetry, Fiction, Flash – open (submit online)
The Galway Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction, Reviews, Plays – open (submit online)
The Lake – Poetry – open (submit online)
The Lascaux Review – Poetry, Fiction, Essays – open (submit online)
The Lincoln Review – Poetry, Flash, Creative Non-fiction, Essays and more (actively encourages writers, artists, and photographers who come from marginalised and underprivileged backgrounds) – open (submit online)
The London Magazine – Poetry, Non-Fiction, Art – open (submit online)
The Missouri Review – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
The New Absurdist – Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction – open (submit online)
The New Yorker – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)
The Offing – Poetry, Translation, Art and more – open (submit online)
The Orphic Review – Poetry & Art – open (submit online)
The Oxonian – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Translation – open (submit online)
The Poetry Village – Poetry – open (submit online)
The Poetry Review – Poetry – open (submit online)
The Pomegranate – Poetry, Fiction, Flash, Nonfiction, theme: Writing about Artists – open (submit online)
The Seventh Quarry – Short Poetry – open (submit online)
The Southeast Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Reviews, Artwork – open (submit online)
The Sun Magazine – Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Interviews – open (submit online)
Tinderbox Poetry Journal – Poetry – open (submit online)
Trasna – Poetry, Fiction, Essays (open to writers across the world who consider Ireland a home in some regard) – open (submit online)
Wildness – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction – open (submit online)
Winged Penny Review – Poetry, Fiction – open (submit online)
Wishbone Words – Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Visual Art & more (disabled and chronically ill writers/artists) – open (submit online)
Best of luck!
If you have a competition or journal with a deadline in OCTOBER 2025, and it is not included above, feel free to send me the details.
