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Please note: Entries must be original and unpublished elsewhere.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.
The 2026 Riddle Fence Poetry contest opens March 15, 2026
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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.