Contest

OPEN > ANNUAL PROSE & POETRY CONTEST 2025

December 1, 2024 – April 30, 2025

Over $2000.00 in Prizes
1st Prize (Poetry and Fiction) $500.00 Sponsored by Frontenac House and AWCS
2nd Prize (Poetry and Fiction) $250.00 Sponsored by Freehand Books
3rd Prize (Poetry and Fiction) $125.00 Sponsored by FreeFall Literary Society
Honourable Mention (Poetry and Fiction) $75.00 Sponsored by Freehand Books

All contest entries are also automatically entered into the Lynn Fraser Memorial contest for a chance to win $100.

Short Story Dispenser: Short story and poetry submissions may also be considered for distribution in Calgary Public Library’s Short Story Dispenser. Pieces that meet the Library’s guidelines will be published in the Short Story Dispenser at least 3 months after appearing in FreeFall magazine. Stories will be considered if they are less than 1200 words, contain suitable content for all ages, and are written by authors with ties to Alberta. Authors will not receive further compensation for having their work published in the Short Story Dispenser.

2024-2025 CONTEST JUDGE

CONTEST RULES 2024-2025

Entry fee: $25.00 (includes one-year subscription for your first entry only)

Maximum 3000 words prose, or 3 poems per entry.
Electronic entries entries must be received on or before April 30, 2025. Mailed in entries must be postmarked on or before April 30, 2025.
Only previously unpublished work may be entered. No simultaneous entries.
Prose entries must be:
Double spaced with a title
Page number at the top of each page
NO authors name on manuscript

Poetry entries must be:

NO author’s name on manuscript
Poems that run more than one page require a title and page number at the top of each page.

Mailed Submissions General Formatting page size: 8.5” X 11” , all margins: 1.5”, 12 pt Times New Roman font. Please save as pdf, doc or docx.

The shortlist will be announced in early June on our website and social media pages, and the winners announced in mid-September, shortly before the issue is released.