Illinois

Illinois' literary contest scene centers heavily on Chicago, home to a thriving independent press and literary magazine culture. The city's strong spoken word and performance poetry tradition has also shaped a number of contests that reward work meant to be read aloud as much as on the page, alongside more conventional fiction and poetry competitions.

University creative writing programs across the state contribute their own contests for students and emerging writers, while Chicago's small press community, known for taking risks on experimental and hybrid forms, offers opportunities that differ meaningfully from the more traditional contests found elsewhere in the Midwest.