Read our general submission guidelines here:
https://riddlefence.com/submit/
The 2026 Riddle Fence Fiction Contest opens March 15, 2026
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FICTION
Special Guest Judge: Billy-Ray Belcourt, author of Griffin-prize winning This Wound is a World, bestsellers A Minor Chorus and Coexistence
$1000 GRAND PRIZE & PUBLICATION IN RF #59
DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2026
*All contests are open to Canadian residents only*
ENTRY FEE: $29. All fees are in Canadian dollars and include a one-year subscription to Riddle Fence.
Free entry! for BIPOC contest submissions. Just self-identify upon entry.
Judging for the contest is made anonymous. Do not identify yourself on your actual submission.
Parameters:
One short-fiction submission is one story, maximum 5000 words.
General contest rules: An entry consists of one submission in one genre. Multiple entries are allowed; however, each entry must be accompanied by its own entry fee.
Please note: Entries must be original and unpublished elsewhere. No simultaneous submissions and no previously published (or accepted for publication) submissions. Work that is written, co-written, created, or assisted by AI is not eligible.
Judging for the contest is made anonymous. Do not identify yourself on your actual submission. Please note that any submissions that include name identification will be disqualified, and fees will not be refunded.
Every paid entry fee gets a free subscription. Want to give your contest subscription as a gift to someone? No problem — please indicate the intended address on your form.
A note about timezones: Riddle Fence is based in St. John's, NL. Contests run on our time zone, and therefore close at midnight NT (UTC -3:30).
Contest winners and honourable mentions will be contacted directly by email. Other entrants are not directly contacted about the results.
Winners and honourable mentions will be published in Riddle Fence #59.
Riddle Fence is a Newfoundland and Labrador-based journal of arts and culture, published four times yearly.
For creative nonfiction we're seeking work with a taut narrative drive, emotional resonance, and thoughtful explorations that grapple with a theme. The grappling is key. Tension is non-negotiable, as is strong prose. For examples, please read Andreae Callanan's "All the ghosts a voice can summon" and Bushra Junaid's "On Hosting."
PRACTICAL GUIDELINES TO AVOID REJECTION:
Please submit your work as a .doc or .docx file. All other formats will be rejected.
Double-space.
Make sure your name, title, and word count appear on every page of your submission.
Shorter essays are more likely to be published.
Our suggested maximum word count is 3,000 words. Occasionally a complex and brilliant piece will demand more words but that is extremely rare.
A FEW OTHER GUIDELINES: The CNF Editor appreciates a brief cover letter, especially if it includes the word count. Riddle Fence accepts simultaneous submissions, but you MUST inform us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
Our free submissions window is open from February 1-March 31, 2025. (You can submit all year with a discounted subscription.)
Be patient. We receive many submissions and read them all with care. It may take up to 6 months for a response.
The 2026 Riddle Fence Poetry contest opens March 15, 2026
***
POETRY
$1000 GRAND PRIZE & PUBLICATION IN RF #59
Special Guest Judge: Karen Solie, winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize and Governor General's Award
DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2026
*All Contests are open to Canadian Residents only*
ENTRY FEE: $29. All fees are in Canadian dollars and include a one-year subscription to Riddle Fence.
Free entry! for BIPOC contest submissions. Just self-identify upon entry.
Judging for the contest is made anonymous. Do not identify yourself on your actual submission.
Parameters:
One poetry submission is up to 3 poems; no more than 100 lines per poem.
General contest rules: An entry consists of one submission in one genre. Multiple entries are allowed; however, each entry must be accompanied by its own entry fee.
Please note: Entries must be original and unpublished elsewhere. No simultaneous submissions and no previously published (or accepted for publication) submissions. Work that is written, co-written, created, or assisted by AI is not eligible.
Judging for the contest is made anonymous. Do not identify yourself on your actual submission. Please note that any submissions that include name identification will be disqualified, and fees will not be refunded.
Every paid entry fee gets a free subscription. Want to give your contest subscription as a gift to someone? No problem -- please indicate the intended address on your form.
A note about timezones: Riddle Fence is based in St. John's, NL. Contests run on our time zone, and therefore close at midnight NT (UTC -3:30).
Contest winners and honourable mentions will be contacted directly by email. Other entrants are not directly contacted about the results.
The winning entries and honourable mentions will be published in Riddle Fence #59.
Riddle Fence is a Newfoundland and Labrador-based journal of arts and culture, currently published three times yearly.
We publish fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and visual art. We publish reviews online. For more information about our reviews, please visit our website: www.riddlefence.com.
For fiction, please be sure to submit a .doc or .docx file. Submissions should be double-spaced. Our suggested maximum word count is 3,000 words -- but if it’s brilliant and a bit longer, send it over.
A FEW OTHER GUIDELINES:
Make sure your name and the title appear on every page of your submission. Riddle Fence accepts simultaneous submissions, but you MUST inform us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
Our free submissions windows are open for two windows every year, BUT you can submit here, year-round, with a paid subscription -- at a discounted rate!
Be patient. We receive many submissions and read them all with care. It may take up to 6 months for a response.
Riddle Fence is a Newfoundland and Labrador-based journal of arts and culture, currently published three times yearly.
We publish fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and visual art. We publish reviews online. For more information about our reviews, please visit our website: www.riddlefence.com.
For poetry, all poems in a single submission should be included in a single document. Poetry submissions may be single-spaced. Please submit no more than 10 pages per submission (3 to 5 poems is best). No more than one poem on a page.
A FEW OTHER GUIDELINES: Make sure your name and the title appear on every page of your submission. Riddle Fence accepts simultaneous submissions, but you MUST inform us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
Our free submissions windows are open twice a year, BUT you can submit here, year-round, with a paid subscription -- at a discounted rate!
Be patient. We receive many submissions and read them all with care. It may take up to 6 months for a response.
Riddle Fence is a Newfoundland and Labrador-based journal of arts and culture, currently published three times yearly.
We publish fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and visual art. We publish reviews online. For more information about our reviews, please visit our website: www.riddlefence.com.
For visual art: Please submit up to 10 images of minimum 300 dpi. A selection of your best work helps us in our decision making. When you are prompted during image uploading, please include the requested metadata for each image including the title, dimension, medium, year the work was produced. We publish in full colour but we also accept black and white.
A FEW OTHER GUIDELINES:
Riddle Fence accepts simultaneous submissions, but you MUST inform us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
Our free submissions windows are open twice a year, BUT you can submit here, year-round, with a paid subscription -- at a discounted rate!
Be patient. We receive many submissions and read them all with care. It may take up to 6 months for a response.