(Ventura, CA—August 27, 2013)  The Ventura County Writers Club (VCWC) announced its 14th Annual Short Story Contest, which will open for submissions on September 1, 2013 and close October 15, 2013. For the second year, the Short Story contest will accept entries from students currently enrolled in high school. The student entries will be judged in a separate category.The contest draws entries from around the country as well as internationally....

The Raoul Wallenberg International Essay Competition TYPE OF CONTEST: Essay Contest BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The Raoul Wallenberg International Essay Competition, jointly organised by Student Competitions, The Swedish Institute and Raoul Wallenberg’s International Foundation, is inviting all students to take part in an international essay competition. The participants are encouraged to reflect upon Raoul Wallenbergs extraordinary life and come up...

DEADLINE: October 31, 2013 OPEN TO:  Writers aged 18 to 25 only. GENRE:   Nonfiction DETAILS: Theme for the essay is: “”Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” 1000 – 1500 words. PRIZES: £750, £500 and publication. URL: http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/news/literary_prize.html

 DEADLINE: September 30, 2013 GENRE: Nonfiction, short stories DETAILS: One story or essay 10,000 words maximum. PRIZE: $250, both categories compete together. URL: http://www.hofferaward.com/

Deadline: November 1, 2013 For an upcoming issue, Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays about mistakes—major or minor, tragic or serendipitous, funny or painful. We’re looking for stories about poor decisions, missteps, or miscalculations; we want to read about embarrassing boo-boos, dangerous misjudgments, or fortuitous faux pas in well-crafted stories that explore the nature and outcomes of human fallibility. Essays must be vivid and...

Wag’s Revue Summer Contest is open and will close at the end of August 2013. We’re offering a $1000 first prize (and guaranteed publication), $500 second prize, and $100 third, and all submissions will be considered for publication. The contest is open to all three genres–poetry, essays and fiction–and will be judged by the editors. There is a $20 reading fee per contest submission, plus Submittable’s fee. All...