The President's Creative Writing Awards recognize excellence in the categories of short fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. They are open to all York undergraduate students.
Competition Rules
Eligibility
Candidates must be full-time or part-time York University undergraduates.
All submissions must be unpublished and original.
Submission Deadline
Submissions are accepted between mid-November and mid-January each year.
Deadline: January 9th, 2026
Prize
A prize of $1,300.00 will be awarded to the best entry in each category. In the event that the judges conclude no entry is of sufficient merit, no prize will be awarded.
Application Requirements
Submissions will be received in the following categories:
- Poetry
- Short Fiction
- Creative Nonfiction
Please note that creative nonfiction is a new category, as of 2025-26, which can include personal essays, memoir, autocriticism, travel writing, and literary journalism, as well as any other form of narrative prose nonfiction that is neither reportage nor academic work.
There is no minimum or maximum length requirement in each category, but submissions must fall within these categories (for example, the awards are not open to novels and opera librettos). Contestants may enter submissions in multiple categories but may submit no more than one entry in each category.
Please do not include the author’s name in the submission itself; include it only in your online submission form. Submissions that include the author’s name on the manuscript will be disqualified.
No late submissions will be accepted. No paper submissions will be accepted.