PRISM has four recurring contests: our annual Creative Non-fiction contest, The Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize, The Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction and The Grouse Grind Prize for V. Short Forms.
Each contest is open to all writers, international and Canadian. Scroll below to read descriptions for each prize and please check our Submittable page to see which contest is currently accepting entries.
Contest winners will be published at the discretion of PRISM’s editors. All other entries will be considered for publication as regular submissions (for the possibility of publication in other issues of PRISM).
Please contact Tayf Almoghazy at prism.promos@ubc.ca with any contest-related questions.
PRISM international offers free entries for self-identifying Black and Indigenous writers for all our contests.
We also have a limited number of free entries to offer to low-income writers, and we encourage writers for whom the contest entry fee is prohibitive to contact us at prism.promos@ubc.ca to arrange contest entry.
As always, we encourage submissions from writers of colour, writers with disabilities, LGBTQQIA+ writers, and writers from other intersectional and marginalized groups.
We are committed to lifting up voices that have been silenced systemically and individually.
Creative Non-fiction Contest
Past winners: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2017
Prizes: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 second runner-up
Grouse Grind Lit Prize for V. Short Forms
Judged by the PRISM editorial board, our short forms contest is open to writers around the world. Send us your flash fiction and nonfiction, your hybrid forms and experimental work.
Prizes: $500 Grand Prize, $150 runner-up, $50 2nd runner-up
The Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction
Jacob Zilber was a renowned writer, respected teacher and mentor. In 1965, Jacob helped Earle Birney form the Department of Creative Writing, one of the very first such departments in North America and the very first of its kind in Canada. He also co-founded PRISM international and was a longtime editor of the magazine. Jacob passed away on August 21st, 2012. Read more about Jacob Zilber here.
Past Winners: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
Prizes: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up
Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize
Past winners: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
Prizes: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up
Annual Earle Birney Prize for Poetry
An annual prize of $500 is awarded by the outgoing Poetry Editor to an outstanding poetry contributor published in PRISM international. Enter by regular submission only: no fee required.
We thank Wailan Low for her continued support.