The Wow! Literary Award invites writers and poets to submit original, unpublished works in literature, speculative fiction, experimental poetry, and philosophy. Submissions should reflect on the SETI Institute’s research area of “Intelligence and Consciousness,” addressing themes such as interspecies communication, the nature of consciousness, and the evolution of intelligence.
Read More
Writers are encouraged to engage with the SETI Institute’s research, as the jury will prioritize works that demonstrate a strong connection to this scientific study along with innovative creative expression.
The award includes a $1,000 prize and publication on the SETI Institute’s website. Additionally, the SETI AIR team will recognize three honorable mentions with $100 each and a profile in the SETI AIR Newsletter.
Contest rules state that participants of any age can enter, provided they have not published a full-length book; chapbooks are acceptable. All entrants may need to provide proof of their publication history if requested. The contest is open to US, Canadian, and international writers, and submissions must be in English.
Each participant may submit one entry without an entry fee. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 11:59 pm PDT. Poetry submissions must not exceed 80 lines, prose submissions are limited to 2000 words, and visual poetry must not exceed 8 pages. Entries exceeding these limits will be disqualified.
Submissions should not include identifying information within the document but should have a cover page with the author's name and address. The document header must include the title(s) of the work(s) and the respective word, line, or page count. Formatting should be 8 1/2” x 11” in a neutral 12-point font, with poetry single-spaced and prose double-spaced. Entries need to be submitted in .doc or .docx format via email to [email protected], not as PDFs.
Winners will be notified by email, and results will be published in the SETI newsletter. Each submission must be original, unpublished, and not submitted elsewhere for consideration in another contest or publication.
Residency Advisors for the award include Gregory Betts, Cosmic Consciousness Residency Advisor, and Bettina Forget, Director of the SETI AIR Program. For more information about the SETI AIR program, visit the SETI Institute's website.