Ghazal Contest 2026, Online Ghazal Competition
Quick answer: Enter Writory's monthly ghazal contest 2026. Ghazals in Urdu, Hindi, English or any language, judged on five criteria, cash prizes, results monthly on the 30th.
The ghazal has crossed a thousand years and a dozen languages without losing its ache, and Writory's monthly contest gives yours a stage. Submit ghazals in Urdu, Hindi, English, or any language, in native script or Roman transliteration. Entries open on the 1st of every month and close on the 25th, results arrive on the 30th, winners take cash prizes, and every poet receives a participation certificate.
Every ghazal you submit earns a five-criteria score breakdown in your profile: creativity, emotion, structure, language, and impact and resonance. Classical with strict radeef and qafiya, or a free contemporary ghazal, both are honored, and you compete alongside poets from 40 countries.
Writory's monthly international poetry contest welcomes ghazals in any language, classical or contemporary, with cash prizes and a five-criteria score for every entry.
Why enter
- Judges know the form: matla and maqta, radeef and qafiya, and the way each sher must stand alone yet belong.
- Classical and contemporary ghazals are equally welcome, including English-language ghazals in the tradition of Agha Shahid Ali.
- Write in Urdu, Hindi, Persian, English, or any language, in native script or Roman transliteration.
- A fresh contest every month, twelve chances a year for your strongest maqta to land.
- An international stage with poets from 40 countries, where the ghazal's themes of love and longing need no translation.
What winners and entrants receive
- Cash prizes for the monthly winners.
- Winners receive free entry into next month's contest.
- A participation certificate for every single entrant.
- The top 10 entries feature on the monthly leaderboard.
Classical ghazals with radeef and qafiya, free ghazals, and English-language ghazals are all welcome, in any script.
Key facts
- Entries open the 1st, close the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, results on the 30th.
- One poem costs $5, two $8 and five $15. In India: Rs 150, Rs 220 and Rs 450. Optional add-ons are shown separately before payment.
- Every poem scored by human judges on five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance.
- A participation certificate for every entrant, not only winners, and the score is visible in your profile.
- Cash prizes for winners, free entry the following month for winners, open worldwide from age 13, any language.
Questions
Can I submit a ghazal in English or Roman script?
Yes. Ghazals are welcome in any language, and Urdu or Hindi ghazals may be submitted in Roman transliteration if that is how you write. The couplets are judged as you wrote them.
Does my ghazal need strict radeef and qafiya?
The classical scheme is loved and rewarded, but contemporary free ghazals are also welcome. Judges score the poem on five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language, and impact and resonance, and you see the full breakdown in your profile.
What does it cost to enter the ghazal contest?
The entry fee is small and is shown in your local currency on the submit page. Every entrant receives a participation certificate, and three consecutive months of participation earns a free entry.
When are the results announced?
Entries open on the 1st of each month and close on the 25th. Results are announced on the 30th, and winners receive free entry into the next month's contest.
By the Writory editorial team. Updated September 2026.
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