Literary Contests

The Bakwin Award for Full-Length Prose is currently closed.

The latest winner is Tara Weinstein for her novel The Only Way Out Is Through, selected by Tiya Miles. For more previous winners, scroll to the bottom of this web page.

This award is for an unpublished full-length literary prose work of fiction or nonfiction, prioritizing manuscripts by authors that fit Blair's mission of publishing new and historically neglected voices.

Entries should be literary in nature. Novels, short story collections by a single author, memoirs, essay collections, and biographies are all acceptable (NO POETRY COLLECTIONS, PLEASE). Blair does NOT publish strict genre fiction (mystery, science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc.), but we acknowledge that some elements of genre fiction may be present in literary fiction.

This contest is free to enter. There is a suggested donation of $25.00. Donation information will not be known to our team of readers nor the final judge. Submissions will be accepted through Submittable; no mailed submissions will be accepted.

DO NOT INCLUDE CONTACT INFORMATION anywhere in your manuscript file. Any manuscripts submitted with identifying information will be automatically declined. Use the cover letter field in Submittable to provide a short bio. If portions of your manuscript are previously published in journals or other outlets, you may include those acknowledgments in the cover letter field of Submittable. The manuscript as a whole should be unpublished.

Though you may have multiple manuscripts that fit this call, you may only submit one manuscript to this award.

This award is for a book-length literary novel.

Submissions for the Lee Smith Novel Prize are currently closed.

This prize will open September 15, 2025, and close on November 15 or after we reach our cap of 350 submissions.

The Wren Poetry Prize is for a first, second, or third full-length poetry collection.

Winners selected by Blair poetry editor Sandra Beasley.

Submittable link to come.