Competitions, Awards & Opportunities
Horror stories, tales that frighten, yarns that unsettle us in our comfortable homes. All themes in this genre will be accepted, from the well-used (zombies, vampires, ghosts etc) to the highly original, so long as the story is professional and well written. No previously published entries will be accepted – all tales must be an original work by the author. Stories can be as violent or as bloody as the storyline dictates, but those containing gratuitous sex or violence will not be considered.
Annual medal for the most outstanding index to a book or periodical compiled in Australia or New Zealand, if one of sufficient quality is submitted. The index should be substantial in size, have complex subject matter, and language, form and index structure should demonstrate the indexer’s expertise. Index should serve the needs of both text and reader. Confirm closing date with competition organisers.
The Family Therapist’s Award Committee presents two awards for outstanding Australian children’s literature: one for Children’s/Youth Literature and one for Young Readers/Picture Book Award. Contact organisers for full information. Alternative email: [email protected].
Since 1984, the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards has given school children ages K-12 the opportunity to express their poetic voices. Entries for the historic competition open every year, so get those keyboards and imaginations ready! See website for competition details, terms and conditions and entry information.
The ASA Medal is awarded biennially to an Australian author or illustrator who has made an outstanding contribution to Australian culture as both a creator and an advocate. The recipient will have a significant body of work, and, in addition, will have strived to encourage and support their peers, having mentored and fostered emerging writers and/or illustrators.
Awards consist of two sections: the Australia-wide Open Short Story section, for stories of any subject up to a maximum of 1,500 words; and the Tom Black Memorial Poetry Prize for non-rhyming poetry (limit of 50 lines).
The Ned Kelly Awards are Australia’s oldest and most prestigious recognition honouring published crime fiction and true crime writing. All nominations are made by publishers. The Ned Kelly Awards are presented in three categories: Best Fiction, Best First Fiction and Best True Crime Book. Authors and Publishers must be members of ACWA.
Established in 2007 and supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, the Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets seeks outstanding poetry by writers who have published no more than one collection of poems under their own name. It remains one of the richest prizes for emerging poets, and is open to poets anywhere in the world.
The Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism celebrates the unique contribution of critics to our cultural landscape, and the specialist, detailed knowledge they draw on to contextualise works of art.
This fellowship, worth up to $15,000, is awarded annually to writers in the non-fiction fields of biography, autobiography and life writing to further a work in progress. The winner will be supported in their work by the prize and access to facilities from the Faculty of Arts.
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.
This award is made in a five year category cycle: Creative Prose, Drama, Visual Arts, Script Writing, Poetry. The Award is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creative artists. In 2021, the $20,000 award celebrates the best book of fiction by an Indigenous author published in the preceding five years.
This prize celebrates the life of poet Martha Richardson. Prize for original unpublished poem of open theme to 40 lines. Offered biennially. Guidelines and entry forms online.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established in 1957 through the will of writer Stella Miles Franklin. The bequest came as a surprise to the literary world as Franklin had told nobody – save her trustees – of her plans. Her will stipulates that ‘[the] prize shall be awarded for the Novel for the year which is of the highest literary merit and which must present Australian Life in any of its phases …’.
The annual Northern Territory Literary Awards have celebrated the unpublished work of Northern Territory writers for more than 35 years. It is part of a special program of annual events at Library & Archives NT that celebrate the achievements of established and emerging writers, storytellers and prominent Territorians.
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.
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 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.
A poetry competition for all Australians. It is run by Hunter Writers Centre and sponsored by the University of Newcastle.