Barthelme Prize for Short Prose

The 2024 Barthelme Prize for Short Prose is now open to flash fiction, prose poems, and micro-essays of 500 words or fewer. Established in 2008, the contest awards its winner $1,000 and publication in the journal. Two honorable mentions will receive $250, and all entries will be considered for paid publication on our website as Online Exclusives.

This year's Barthelme Prize will be judged by Lucy Ives. For previous winners, honorable mentions, and judges, see the sidebar. 

All entrants to the Barthelme Prize receive a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast, beginning with the year in which the corresponding prize winner is published.

Deadline: August 31st.

Barthelme Prize Guidelines:

  • The Barthelme Prize is awarded annually to one piece of flash fiction, prose poem, or micro-essay of up to 500 words.
  • Prize entries are accepted only via Gulf Coast's online submissions manager. Please do not send mail submissions.
  • Each entry costs $20, which includes a yearlong subscription to Gulf Coast. Entries may include up to three pieces of flash fiction, prose poetry, and/or micro-essays of no more than 500 words each. 
  • Only previously unpublished work will be considered. We will consider simultaneous submissions; please let us know immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
  • The contest will be judged blindly, so please do not include your cover letter, your name, or any contact information in the uploaded document. This information may be pasted in the Submittable "Comments" field.

Donald Barthelme (April 7, 1931–July 23, 1989) was an American author known for his playful, postmodernist style of short fiction. Barthelme also worked as a newspaper reporter for the Houston Post, was managing editor of Location magazine, director of the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston (1961–1962), co-founder of Fiction (with Mark Mirsky and the assistance of Max and Marianne Frisch), and a professor at various universities. He also was one of the original founders of the University of Houston Creative Writing Program.

 

Lucy Ives

Lucy Ives

Lucy Ives is the author of three novels: Impossible Views of the World; Loudermilk: Or, The Real Poet; Or, The Origin of the World; and Life Is Everywhere. She is the 2023–25 Bonderman Assistant Professor of the Practice in Literary Arts at Brown University. In fall 2024, Graywolf will publish her first essay collection, An Image of My Name Enters America.