Gransnet is looking for fiction by women writers over the age of forty who are residents of the UK or Ireland.

"Our recent survey revealed that almost half of you think there are not enough books featuring middle-aged or older female characters. In response to that, we're delighted to announce that, together with HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, we are launching a fiction writing competition for women writers over the age of 40. We will specifically be looking for stories featuring a leading character aged over 40."

Deadline is September 30, 2019.

Visit HarperCollins UK for more information.

The National Centre for Writing (NCW), in partnership with the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is offering a paid writing space for a woman writer. 

"The writing space is located in the Smith Room (named after one of our Patrons, Ali Smith) at the National Centre for Writing at Dragon Hall, 115-123 King Street, Norwich. The Smith Room is a small, self-contained studio space with on-street access, a lockable door, desk and chair, and wifi. It is accessible. Dragon Hall is 5 minutes’ walk from Norwich train station, and close to major cycle routes."

Deadline is July 1, 2019.

Visit the National Centre for Writing for more information.

Dear Damsels is looking for stories for their upcoming anthology Let Me Know When You're Home.

"Because female friendship and connection is central to what we do at DD, we wanted to find a way to explore it in full, giving it the space it needs and deserves. In February 2020, we will be publishing Let Me Know When You’re Home: a collection of original fiction, non-fiction and poetry on the subject, and we want your words." 

Deadline is August 11, 2019.

Visit Dear Damsels for more information.

ang(st) zine is filling its next issue. The theme is Fat.

"Currently, we are looking for short poetry and prose pieces, or anything text-based (diary entries, listicles etc). We primarily publish in English but we are open to publishing pieces in other languages (please include a translation in your email and we’ll try to figure something out)."

Deadline is July 15, 2019.

Go to ang(st) zine for more information.

Alaska Women Speak is currently filling its fall 2019 issue.

"We are currently gathering prose, poetry and visual art possibilities for the fall theme: Sound & Silence . . . AWS welcomes submissions in the following genres: non-fiction, poetry, fiction, memoir, creative non-fiction, and essay. We also publish work from visual artists for cover and in-text placement. AWS proposes a theme for each of its quarterly installments, but  interesting and well-written pieces outside the proposed theme are considered."

Deadline is August 1, 2019

Go to Alaska Women Speak for more imformation.

Not a submission, but an important call nonetheless. 

Hedgebrook, on beautiful Whidbey Island, Washington, is accepting applications for the 2020 Writers in Residence Program.

"Six writers are in residence at a time, each housed in a handcrafted cottage. They spend their days in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, they gather in the farmhouse kitchen to share a home-cooked gourmet meal, their work, their process and their stories. The Writers in Residence Program is Hedgebrook’s core program, supporting the fully-funded residencies of approximately 40 writers at the retreat each year."

The deadline is midnight July 23, 2019.

Visit Hedgebrook's page for more information.

Mslexia has opened up its Fiction Competitions. The award categories are short story, adult novel, and flash fiction.

"As well as cash prizes, we also offer publication, mentoring, writing retreats, manuscript feedback and personal introductions to editors and literary agents for winners and finalists. As a result, many have gone on to see their work broadcast and/or published beyond the pages of Mslexia, and to achieve agent representation and publishing deals."

Deadline is September 30, 2019

Go to their Competitions page for more information.

The Louise Meriwether First Book Prize is presented by The Feminist Press and Tayo Literary Magazine.

"The prize was founded in 2016 to honor author Louise Meriwether by publishing a debut work by a woman or nonbinary author of color. The prize is granted to a manuscript that follows in the tradition of Meriwether’s Daddy Was a Number Runner, one of the first contemporary American novels featuring a young Black girl as the protagonist. Meriwether’s groundbreaking text inspired the careers of writers like Jacqueline Woodson and Bridgett M. Davis, among many others. The prize continues this legacy of telling much-needed stories that shift culture and inspire new writers."

Deadline is June 28, 2019.

Visit Tayo Literary Magazine for more information.

"The Eludia Award is offered annually for a first book-length unpublished novel or collection of stories. The prize is open to women writers age 40 and older, who do not yet have a book-length publication of fiction. (Book length publications in other genres are fine. Self-publishing IS publishing, and will disqualify the fiction manuscript.) The winning manuscript will be published on our imprint, Sowilo Press, and will receive $1000 plus a standard publication contract."

The deadline is June 30, 2019.

Visit The Eludia Award page for more information.

"The Poetry Book Society (PBS) is delighted to be partnering with Mslexia on two prestigious women’s poetry prizes. The Women's Poetry Competition will be judged by the award winning poet Malika Booker. Entrants can win up to £2000, alongside publication in Mslexia and the PBS Bulletin poetry magazine, as well as the chance to be mentored by PBS Book Selector Sandeep Parmar and attend a writing retreat at Scotland's International Artist Residency Centre, Cove Park. The Women's Pamphlet Competition offers women poets the life-changing opportunity to publish a pamphlet with leading independent publisher, Seren."

The deadline is September 16, 2019.

Go to the Women's Poetry Prize page for more information and submission guidelines.