1st Annual Grackle & Grackle Prizes for Houston Writers
About the Prizes
Grackle and Grackle is excited to announce it is now accepting entries for the Inaugural Green Anole Prize in Poetry and Nine-Banded Armadillo Prize in Fiction. Grackle and Grackle has run creative writing classes and writing events in Houston since 2014. Throughout all these years we have been so grateful for the words and community we built and in return wanted to create a literary award just for Houstonians.
This contest is for writers living within 100 miles of Houston, Texas and awards $250 for the winner of each category. Winners will also be invited to read their work at a celebration in October 2026.
Judged by Erin Belieu (Poetry) and Kevin Prufer (Fiction)
$250 Fiction | $250 Poetry
Guidelines & Eligibility
Writers must live within 100 miles of Houston, Texas.
Entries must be previously unpublished.
There is no theme for this year’s contest.
Submit one piece of fiction up to 5000 words, or any number of regularly spaced poems in 4-6 pages.
Winners will be invited to read at a celebration in October 2026, and have the option to have their work published on the Grackle & Grackle blog (though this is not a requirement).
Multiple submissions and simultaneous submissions are welcome, but you must pay a separate fee for each entry and withdraw the piece immediately if accepted elsewhere.
Entry fee: $5.
Submit By Email:
Entry deadline: June 30th
Email entries to Email entries to gracklesubmit.@gmail.comwith the subject line FICTION or POETRY (corresponding to the respective contest).
Use the body of the email as a cover letter.
Attach your entry as a .pdf Make sure your name, address, email, and phone number appear at the top of the first page of your entry.
Please pay your entry fee via the respective purchase page on grackleandgrackle.com or with the links below.
Submit by Mail:
Postmark deadline: June 15th.
Please enclose a cover letter. Make sure your name, address, email, and phone number appear at the top of the first page of your entry.
Include a check for $5 payable to Grackle and Grackle.
Mention in your cover letter if you want your manuscript returned, and remember to include self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage.
Mail entries to:
Grackle & Grackle Prizes [GENRE]
819 Highland Street
Houston, TX 77009
Winners
Will be notified in September 2026.
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Fall Contests:
Turkey Vulture Prize for Nonfiction
Luna Moth Prize for 10-Minute Plays
