Contests

One of the central goals of Epic Threads is to encourage creative and scholarly engagement with the ancient world. Throughout the year, we host a variety of writing and review competitions that invite students, scholars, educators, creative writers, and enthusiasts alike to explore classical antiquity through original research, creative expression, and critical reflection.

Whether you are composing original historical fiction, poetry, dramatic works, or reviewing modern receptions of the ancient world, our competitions provide an opportunity to contribute to the growing conversation surrounding the Classics while becoming part of the Epic Threads community.

Below you will find information about our current competitions, as well as an archive of previous competitions, including official results and links to published winning submissions.

Current Competitions

Homer in the 21st Century: Review Competitions

Epic Threads invites reviews of two major contemporary engagements with Homeric epic:

  • Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
  • Jeff Wright's The Full Disclosure Iliad

Reviews are welcomed from scholars, advanced students, educators, creative writers, devoted fans of Homer, and all thoughtful readers and viewers interested in the continuing reception of classical literature.

View Current Competition →

Competition Archive

2026 — Homer in the 21st Century: Creative Writing Competition

Explore the inaugural Epic Threads creative writing competition, including the original competition announcement, prize winners, runners-up, and links to the published winning pieces.

View Competition Archive →

Looking Ahead

New competitions will be announced throughout the year as they become available. We encourage prospective contributors to check this page regularly for new calls for submissions, competition guidelines, judging criteria, and important deadlines.

Questions regarding any competition may be directed to the editorial team at epicthreadsjournal@gmail.com.

Sponsor a Competition

Epic Threads welcomes opportunities to collaborate with departments, research institutes, publishers, scholarly organizations, and private donors interested in supporting creative and scholarly engagement with the ancient world.

If you are interested in sponsoring a future writing competition, review competition, prize, or special themed issue, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Please contact the editorial team at epicthreadsjournal@gmail.com to discuss potential sponsorship opportunities.