Enter your original work in the Hackney Literary Awards

This prestigious writing competition recognizes excellence in poetry and fiction with prizes at the national level and for the state of Alabama.

The Hackney Literary Awards, sponsored by the Cecil Hackney family of Birmingham, Alabama, was established in 1969.

The annual competition awards $2,500 in prizes for poetry and short fiction (1st place, $600; 2nd, $400; 3rd, $250).

A $5,000 prize is also sponsored by the Morris Hackney family for an unpublished novel. Submissions for the 2024 novel contest are due September 30, 2024.

Winning entries are posted here.

Submissions for the 2024 Short Story and Poetry contests are due November 30, 2024. Entries must include cover sheet with your contact information and you must complete payment for each submission. Your PayPal receipt is your confirmation of submission.

Submit your original work by uploading your PDF, DOC, DOCX file that includes your cover sheet with contact information to our website. PDF files are preferred. Cover sheet information should contain your name and email address, mailing address and phone number, and the name of the work you are submitting. Do not submit separate cover sheet files.

All submissions must be accompanied by the appropriate submission fee. Payment is easily processed through PayPal. Unpaid entries will be discarded before judging.

Complete our online form, upload your work including cover sheet with contact information, and pay your entry fee on our secure site. Your PayPal receipt is your confirmation of submission.