Competitions, Awards & Opportunities
The winner of this award receives a cash prize and publication of the winning manuscript by Wakefield Press. The award recognises the importance of new writing to a vibrant literary culture. Part of the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature.
The 2021 Blacktown Mayoral Creative Writing Prize is open to adults and children who live in Blacktown city. Entrants will write a short story or poem responding to the theme of The only way is… The total prize pool is $1,600.
A new award for middle grade fantasy and science fiction authors.
With prize money of $100,000, the ARA Historical Novel Prize gives Australian and New Zealand historical novelists the chance to be recognised in a class of their own, with the most significant prize purse for any genre-based prize in Australasia.
Open to all Australian writers of commercial fiction, offering the chance to win a publishing contract with HarperCollins, with an advance of $15,000. Two runners-up will each receive a written assessment of their manuscript from HarperCollins.
The annual Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards affirm the quality of some of Australia’s most creative people and provide a boost to their capacity to devote time to their craft.
Inspired by the Catholic Church’s long-standing tradition as a patron of the Arts, the ACU Prize for Poetry has established itself since its inception in 2013, as one of Australia’s most prized poetry awards. The Prize has as its aim the simple goal of supporting the emergence of new and dynamic Australian poets and poetry.
The black&write! Writing Fellowships are offered annually to two Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writers. The fellowships include a prize of $10,000, editorial development and publication opportunities.
The Blake Poetry Prize challenges Australian poets to explore the spiritual and religious in a new work of 100 lines or less. It runs alongside the Blake Art Prize and the major prize is $5000.
The Peter Porter Poetry Prize is one of Australia’s most prestigious prizes for a new poem. The Prize – open to all poets writing in English – is named after the great Australian poet Peter Porter (1929–2010).
The aim of the ACT Publishing Awards is to recognise, reward and promote writing by ACT region authors that has been published by small publishers or self-published. The Awards are administered by the ACT Writers Centre, in recognition of the excellent writing published locally.
The Anne Edgeworth Writer’s Fellowship is provided to an emerging writer in the Canberra Region. The Fellowship is worth up to $5,000 and is to be used to advance the recipients’ development in the craft of writing.
The Arts Queensland Poet in Residence Program is designed to develop Queensland’s poetry culture by providing a residency for a high-profile poet or spoken word artist to engage directly with Queensland poets and poetry community in a meaningful and collaborative way.
The ACT Government offers an ACT Book of the Year Award for excellence in literature, valued at $10,000 for the winner, $2,000 for any highly commended book and $1,000 for each shortlisted book. The Award aims to support the development of ACT-based writers, promotes writing in the ACT, and contributes to a positive writing culture for the ACT.
A poetry competition for all Australians. It is run by Hunter Writers Centre and sponsored by the University of Newcastle.
The Bristol Short Story Prize is an annual international writing competition in its 14th year in 2021. 20 stories will be shortlisted and published in Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 14 by Tangent Books. The winner and 2 runners up will be selected from the shortlist and announced at an awards ceremony. The 2021 judging panel is: literary agent, Irene Baldoni; manager of Foyles’ bookshop in Bristol, Tom Robinson; and award-winning writer, Mahsuda Snaith.
Welcomes entries from writers of all ages residents in Australia: short stories (2000-4000 words) in the theme of life in rural Australia.
Annual poetry award in association with Wollongong Art Gallery. Winners and highly commended to be published in the SCWC Anthology. Closes February. Submission information available at website. $1000 first prize, $100 second prize, $100 voucher Wollongong Art Gallery special award. Topic “ways to water”
The Colin Roderick Award, valued at $20,000, recognises the best Australian book of the year that deals with any aspect of Australian life.
Must be first published between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020.
Must be published by an Australian publisher, although they can be printed off-shore.
Cannot be self-published works or solely published as an e-book.
Entries must be original, unpublished and not have won any awards. Short Story (The Rolf Boldrewood): up to 3,000 words on any topic, Poetry (The Apollo): up to 30 lines, Bush verse (The Allan Llewellyn): up to 52 lines.
Manuscripts up to 80,000 words. 1st prize $2,500, editing and coaching package. Hawkeye Publishing may offer the winner a publishing contract. All entrants receive some judges’ feedback on their submission. $45 entry fee. See website for T&Cs. Sponsored by Brisbane Writers’ Workshop and Hawkeye Publishing.
1000 words. Long-list, short-list, and winners announcements published. All 40 long-listed are published in an anthology and receive a free copy of the book. The winner receives a $250 writer coaching package and the front cover of the anthology is designed based on their story. Annual competition. This year’s theme is Courage.
Since 1921 this unique literary competition has been providing a platform for authors and writers who are blind or have low vision to showcase their talents to the rest of Australia and we are proud to be celebrating 100 years in 2021.
Adult short story
Adult poem / song lyrics / limerick
Adult article / opinion, e.g. self-reflection, blog post
Senior student creative category, e.g. story, poem, song lyrics, limerick, blog post
Junior student creative category, e.g. story, poem, long lyrics, limerick, blog post
People’s Choice category – short story. All entries are published online for a public vote.
The 2021 Hilarie Lindsay Young Writers Competition is a short story competition for Australian school students. Students from years K-12 are invited to enter their best short stories of up to 2,500 words to be in the running to win a cash prize. SECTION 1: Years 10, 11 & 12 Up to 2500 words Prize $150 SECTION 2: Years 7, 8 & 9 Up to 2500 words Prize $125 SECTION 3: Years 5 & 6 Up to 1500 words Prize $100 SECTION 4: Year 4 & under Up to 1500 words. Prize $50
The prestigious Griffin Award recognises an outstanding play or performance text that displays an authentic, inventive and contemporary Australian voice. The award has a long history of recognising new talent and cementing the careers of Australian writers.