Competitions, Awards & Opportunities
Short Story competition open to entries in three categories: Adult, Youth, Children, with a limit of two stories per entry. Entrant’s name and address must appear on entry form only. Story title to appear on entries, and on the entry form for identification purposes. Please supply contact phone number. Entries restricted to South Australia. Entries not returned.
This contest is for haibun of 7-35 lines, with at least haiku included. Three entries are allowed. Please note: postal country is Japan. The award for the Grand Prix remains the same – a fine, full-size replica of a Hokusai ukiyo-e print – and smaller gifts will be sent to the An (Cottage) Prize-winners. The writers of all the decorated works will receive a certificate of merit.
The Gold Coast Writers’ Association (GCWA) encourages and supports writers from all genres, age groups and levels of writing to grow and excel in their craft. Guest speakers are invited from all genres of writing. Speakers are encouraged to share information about their writing life, discuss their techniques, and launch and sell their books. We encourage guest speakers to include a mini-workshop for members during their presentation. Vistors are invited to attend meetings (entry fee: members $5, non-members $10). Membership offers the additional advantag…
The Grace Marion Wilson Emerging Writers Competition has helped identify a new generation of Victoria’s writers. The annual fiction and creative non-fiction prizes are open to writers with no more than three stories or articles published in a recognised book, magazine or journal. Open to residents of Victoria only.
Awards for Short Story or Poetry (not necessarily in the style of Henry Lawson), 1,000 words maximum, open theme. Two sections: Primary School students, Years 3-6 (NSW) or other state equivalent; Secondary School students, Years 7-10 (NSW) or other state equivalent.
Presented in honour of Henry Lawson, who grew up in the Gulgong area. Open Written Poetry, for a ballad with good rhyme, rhythm and metre, no word or line limit.
The Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize is open to anyone. Entries must be previously unpublished poems only. Poem or linked series, 100 lines maximum. Visit website to enter.
Manuscripts must be original works in English, not previously accepted for publication in Australia. Entries must not exceed 2,500 words. No email entries accepted. Only the story title, not the author’s name, is to appear on the manuscript. Include SSAE with entry for results. Check website to confirm competition dates and details or email competition organiser.
Founded by the world-renowned BBC Aeronautics Correspondent Reg Turnill and his wife, Margaret, to celebrate the life and works of HG Wells and encourage creative writing, especially among the young, the prestigious HG Wells Short Story Competition offers generous Senior and Junior prizes and free publication of all shortlisted entries in a quality, professionally published paperback anthology. 2019 dates to be confirmed.
The Hill End Artists-in-Residence program has grown into one of Australia’s most sought after residencies. The Residency Program allows contemporary Australian and international artists the chance to experience and respond to the historically charged landscape of Hill End. Applicants should provide a current CV, and writers should provide a copy of up to two manuscripts/publications/extracts.
The Horne Prize will be given for an essay of exceptional quality, of no more than 3000 words. The essay must address the theme ‘Australian Life’, be that a profile or a reported feature centred on a particular issue, or a series of vignettes or something else that explains who we are and how we live. Entrants need not be published or professional writers, but craft skills of professional calibre are essential. First prize is $15 000.
Accepting entries of stories and poems in three age groups: 10 years and under, 11-14 years and 15-18 years. Prizes awarded at an Awards Presentation and winning and short-listed entries published when funds are available.
The prize was created to discover and publish new writing talent. The winner of the prize is offered a publishing contract with Impress books with the aim of publishing the book in the year following the award. The Impress team also looks at all entries, whether on the shortlist or not, with a view to publication by Impress Books. 2019 dates to be confirmed
Accepts poems between 20 and 60 lines on the theme of Homeland/Motherland. 10% of fees and anthology proceeds will be donated to the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (wwo.org). Please include the paypal reference number for your entry fee when emailing entries.
Any form of humour will be accepted, in any style, but the content must be original and it has to make us smile. Anything from a limerick to a poem of 32 lines in length is accepted. The competition will be run quarterly; 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December.
International Poetry writing competition for children and adults. School age categories (5-7 years, 8-10 years, 11-13 years, 14-15 years, 16-17 years)and open age categories (Open Bush, Open Other, Open Local). No word limit. Organisers reserve the right to publish/broadcast winning entries without fee to the author. Copyright remains with author thereafter. See website for conditions and further information.
Open to all ages. No theme or word limit. Opens: 6 April 2014. School age categories: Ages 5-17. Open age categories – Open Bush, Open Other and Open Local. We reserve the right to publish/broadcast winning entries without fee to the author. Copyright remains with the author thereafter. www.ipswichpoetryfeast.com.au
Since its early days, science fiction has played a unique role in human civilization. It removes the limits of what “is” and shows us a boundless vista of what “might be.” Its fearless heroes, spectacular technologies and wondrous futures have inspired many people to make science, technology and space flight a real part of their lives and in doing so, have often transformed these fictions into reality. The National Space Society and Baen Books applaud the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science and have teamed up to sponsor this short f…
Facilitated by Griffith University on behalf of the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Foundation for the Arts. Prize for 1000-3000 words of short prose. Please see website for more details.
Facilitated by Griffith University on behalf of the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Foundation for the Arts. Prize for poem or suite of poems up to 100 lines. Please see website for more details.
For an unpublished short stories to 1,000 words suitable to be read by children aged 7-10 years.
The Nita B Kibble Awards (The Kibble Awards) recognise the works of Australian women writers of fiction or non-fiction prose. The work must be about or in connection with life in Australia and must be capable of being classified as ‘life writing’ which includes novels, autobiography, biography, travel and other writing with a strong personal element. Please refer to the Kibble website for more information on the next awards.
This competition is open to short fiction pieces from authors Australia-wide. Words: 1000 minimum – 3000 maximum. Visit the website for further information and all Terms and Conditions.
Named in honour of an avid Henry Lawson follower and the Society’s former patron. Award is for a recorded reading of an Australian poem by a poet of entrant’s choice. Submit a tape or CD of the performance poem. Up to 10 finalists are chosen and must perform at annual Literary Dinner (Saturday of June long weekend) in Gulgong to be eligible for award. Proudly supported by Essential Energy.
Internationally respected short story competition, now in its 33rd year. No genre or theme restrictions. Stories must be original unpublished fiction, typed and double-spaced, and may not exceed 3,500 words in length.Open to all U.S. and international writers whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed publication with a circulation of 5,000 or more.