View Competitions

Upcoming Competitions/Events

• Henry Kendall Poetry Competition
  Download entry forms/conditions from website. Open theme. Permanent residents of Australia eligible. No restriction on number of entries. Entries must not be previously published or currently entered in other competitions. Maximum length of poems is
• Bundaberg Writers Club Inc Unpublished Short Story Competition
  Short story to 2,500 words. Any theme. Please see website for entry form or post SSAE.
• Writing History Festival
  The History Festival at the NSW Writers’ Centre is an opportunity to celebrate writing stories about the past. There are panels on everything: creating drama from real stories, questions of authority in historical fiction, researching stories from re
• Prime Minister's Literary Awards
  Celebrating the contribution of Australian literature to the country's cultural and intellectual life. Prize is for a work of the highest literary merit in fiction and non-fiction categories, written by living Australian citizens and permanent reside
• AWGIE Awards
  The AWGIE Awards are for excellence in screen, television, stage and radio writing. Scripts must have been produced in the preceding year. The Awards are unique in being the only writers' awards judged solely by writers. Awards and nominations are ba
• Country Energy Leonard Teale Memorial Performance Poetry Award
  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 the entrant's choice. Entrants must submit a tape or CD of their performance poem. Up to 10 finalists
• Gulgong Henry Lawson Society of NSW Inc Written Poetry Awards
  Presented in honour of Henry Lawson, who grew up in the Gulgong area. Open Written Poetry, for a ballad with good rhyme and metre, no word or line limit, Australian theme.
• Valerie Parv Award
  Submit maximum 12,500 words of manuscript, plus maximum 1,000 word synopsis, of unpublished romance manuscript. For details, see website. Maximum of two entries per person.
• FAW (TAS) Nairda Lyne Award
  The Nairda Lyne Award is for a short story of no more than 1000 words suitable for children aged 8-12 years. Open to all writers resident in Australia. Stories must be original, unpublished and must not have won a monetary prize in any other competit
• Western Australian Premier's Book Award
  Prestigious State Awards in the following categories: Fiction Book, Non-Fiction Book, Children's Book, Young Adult Book, Poetry, Script and the State Library of Western Australia West Australian History Award, as well as the Premier's Prize for most
• Ned Kelly Awards
  All nominations are made by publishers. Works in the Book and Novel categories must have been published between the preceding April and the following March. The Awards are conducted annually every August as part of the Melbourne Writer's Festival. Th
• Tom Howard Short Story, Essay and Prose Contest
  Short stories, essays and prose of any type. Maximum length: 5,000 words. Must be neatly written, typed, or lodged online. Winning stories will be published on the Winning Writers web site. All other rights remain with the author.
• Australian Christian Book of the Year Awards
  The Awards are presented annually for original Christian books written by Australians, published by Australian publishing houses and intended for any age group. Publication date must be between 1 April of the previous year and 31 March of current yea
• Cancer Council Victoria Arts Awards, The
  Open to people of all ages, who have been touched by the experience of cancer. Theme changes each year; entries must reflect this theme. Please see website for further details.
• Gulgong Henry Lawson Society of NSW Inc National Student Literary Awards
  Awards for Short Story or Poetry (not necessarily in the style of Henry Lawson), 1,000 words maximum, Australian theme. Two sections: Primary School students, Years 3-6 (NSW) or other state equivalent; Secondary School sudents, Years 7-10 (NSW) or ot
• Griffin Award for New Australian Playwriting
  The Griffin Award is an annual prize offered for the most outstanding new work read by Griffin during the year. The prize will be awarded for an unproduced, unpublished play of a minimum length of 60 minutes in performance. The Griffin Award recognis
• John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award
  Prize for full-length, non-musical plays in any style. Previous judges include Israel Horovitz, Jean-Claude van Itallie, Eric Bentley and Connie Congdon. See guidelines on website.
• QUT Urban Country Music Festival Bush Poetry Competition
  Poetry by an Australian and/or about Australia, with good rhyme and metre, that is entertaining to an audience. Bush poetry is family-style entertainment and therefore entries cannot include obscenity or socially unacceptable language. Length is not
• Maj Monologues
  Please note that entry to the competition is open to all permanent residents of Western Australia only. Write a monologue with a performance duration of eight to 15 minutes and submit the original plus six copies to His Majesty's Theatre. Competition
• New South Wales History Awards
  The NSW History Awards were established to honour distinguished achievements in history by Australians. Awards include the General History Prize, the Young People's History Prize, the Multimedia History Prize, the Australian History Prize, and the Co
• Kingaroy Eisteddfod Inc Literary Competition
  Different age categories for children and adults. 24 sections including short story, poem, humorous sketch, crime story, short story for children, one-act play, and newspaper report.
• Raspberry & Vine Short Story Competition
  Unpublished fiction not exceeding 4,000 words. Any genre. For details of other competitions, and to confirm closing dates (last Friday in April and October), see website.
• Bronze Swagman Award
  The Bronze Swagman Award is Australia's most prestigious award for written bush verse, running annually since 1972. The event aims to encourage and preserve Australian Bush Verse. Entrants can enter between one and three poems for the $15 entry fee,
• Fifty Plus News Short Story Competition
  Entrants should be over 50 years. Contact organisers for confirmation of closing date and prize money.
• Victorian Premier's Literary Awards
  The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards honour Australian achievement in the field of writing. Awards include the Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction, the Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-Fiction, the CJ Dennis Prize for Poetry, the Louis Esson Prize for Drama
• Shoalhaven Literary Awards
  Open National Competition: in odd years, unpublished adult fictional short stories to 3,000 words; in even years, unpublished poetry, any genre, up to 50 lines. For further information contact via postal address or email.
• Wimmera Regional Library Short Story Competition
  Competition is open to all residents of the Corporation's six member shire councils ie Buloke, Hindmarsh, Horsham, Northern Grampians, West Wimmera, Yarriambiack. Must be a member of the Library.
• Bundaberg WriteFest
  Workshops by industry professionals and authors. Third Saturday in May. Additional readers' festival on Sunday: 'Booked Festival of Authors' on Sunday.
• Writers' Emeritus Awards
  The award acknowledges writers of 60 years old and over who have made outstanding and lifelong contributions to Australian literature. Writers must be nominated by other people. There must be documented proof that the maximum annual income for a nomi
• Arts Queensland Judith Wright Calanthe Award for Poetry
  The Arts Queensland Judith Wright Calanthe Award for Poetry is presented annually for the best collection of poetry by an Australian author, published in the previous calendar year.
• Queensland Premier's Literary Awards
  The Queensland Premier's Literary Awards recognise Australian achievements in writing. Awards include the Fiction Book Award, the Emerging Queensland Author Manuscript Award, the David Unaipon Award for an Unpublished Indigenous Writer, Non-fiction B
• Arts Queensland Steele Rudd Australian Short Story Award
  The Arts Queensland Steele Rudd Award is presented for the best collection of short stories by an Australian author. The Award commemorates the cultural legacy of Arthur Hoey Davis who, writing under the name 'Steele Rudd', helped fashion the short s
• Peter Cowan 600 Short Story Competition
  Short story competition on an open theme for previiously unpublished works. Maximum 600 words.
• Cottesloe Literature Prize
  Prize intended to provide an opportunity for people of any age to combine their creativity and local knowledge and contribute to the collective history of the Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove and Mosman Park areas. Entries may be set in the past or presen
• Bush Lantern Award
  Contest for Bush Verse. Entries must have an Australian content and good rhyme and rhythm. 100 lines max. Contact Bundaberg Poets Society for confirmation of closing dates.
• KSP Speculative Fiction Competition
  Please visit our website for further information and all Terms and Conditions.
• Frustrated Writers' Mentor Program
  Mentorship program open to unpublished writers living in NSW. The program is supported with funding from the NSW Ministry for the Arts. Winners in both sections receive payment given in instalments and the opportunity to work with a published author,
• Australian Vogel Literary Award, The
  One of Australia's richest and the most prestigious awards for an unpublished manuscript by a writer under the age of thirty-five. Entrants must be normally be residents of Australia. Entries must be either works of fiction, Australian history or bi
• Eastwood Hills FAW Annual Literary Competition
  Short Story (max 3000 words), Memoir (Max 1500 words) Free verse (Max 60 lines), short, Short Story (Max 800 words) Boree Log Bush Verse (max 80 lines) see www.hillsfaw.net.au
• AHWA Flash and Short Story Competition
  Competition for previously unpublished horror stories. There are two categories: Flash Fiction (up to 1,000 words) and Short Story (1,500-8,000 words).
• Whitley Medal and Awards
  The Whitley Awards of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales are presented for outstanding publications (in printed or electronic form) that contain a significant amount of information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. More t
• Read and Write Own Poem
  Poetry competition for school students. Age groups: 11 and under, 12 and over.
• FAW (WA) Hadow Stuart Short Story Award
  Open competition, attracts entries from all around Australia. Winning stories published in the Fellowship's monthly newsletter and publicised in leading media throughout Australia. Judges chosen from among Western Australia's leading short story writ
• Blake Poetry Award
  Companion to the Blake Prize for Religious Art, the Blake Poetry prize gives Australian poets the chance to explore spirituality in the 21st century. Please see website for further details.
• Glen Eira City Council Literary Awards
  The Glen Eira Literary Awards are open to contemporary Australian writers who live, work or study in the city of Glen Eira. Major cash prizes are awarded in junior, youth and adult categories. Open theme, style and subject. Please contact the organi
• Young Aussie Writers' Awards
  Annual writing award for children aged 5 to 14 years. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics, song lyrics, plays, etc. Categories are: Comet, Age 5-7 (300 words max), Explore, Age 8-10 (500 words max) and Challenge, Age 10-14 (800 words max). Entries o
• Sydney Morning Herald Young Writer of the Year
  A competition for secondary students in years 10 to 12 in NSW and ACT. Check the Sydney Morning Herald for announcements of closing date. Students submit an original short story of 1,000 words. All entries must be submitted online at www.youngwriter.
• CYA Conference Writing & Illustrating Competition
  Competition includes categories for preschool aged picture books, primary-school aged picture books, non- fiction picture books, young adult chapter books, graphic novels and illustrated picture books, and illustration. Published author section. Plea
• Dogwood Initiative: Australia's Richest Radio Play Writing Competition
  The Dogwood Playwrights Writing Competition encourages a rural voice that will keep the Australian spirit alive. Open to any genre, one-act play. Submitted plays must be in the radio play format and be 30 minutes long. Cannot have been previously per
• Port Macquarie-Hastings Regional FAW Annual Writing Competition
  Short Story 3000 words maximum. Poetry up to 40 lines. Memoir 1000 words maximum. All open themes.
• Boroondara Theatre Company Playwright Competition
  Playwright Competition which provides awards for open age and youth sections. One-act plays that meet the general conditions of the competition, including embracing all cultural diversity, will be judged as suitable for stage performance competition.
• Margaret Reid Poetry Prize for Traditional Verse
  A prize for traditional verse, where 'traditional' is defined as any style or genre of poetry that has been popular for at least 50 years, including free verse, metrical verse, rhyming verse, but not prose poems.
• Imagination Creation Writing Competition
  Annual writing competition for younger writers. Short story and poetry competitions for under 10 years, 11-14 years and 15-18 years. Short story word limits approximately 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 words, depending on age group. Contact organisers to con
• fourW Anthology
  FourW is an annual anthology that welcomes contributions of poetry, fiction and graphics. Unpublished submissions only.
• National Jazz Writing Competition
  Poetry competition in 2010, entries open 1 May. Maximum 60 lines on the inspired by or about jazz or improvised music. The poem should be of publication standard.
• FAW (TAS) Iris Milutinovic Short Story Competition
  Short story competition for writers living in Tasmania. Entries must be original, unpublished, 1,500-3,000 words and depict an event with realism and good characterisation. Contact organisers for confirmation of closing date.
• Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers Medal
  An 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, the subject matter should be complex, and the language, f
• Max Afford Playwrights' Award
  This award was established to promote interest in Australian drama, to encourage the writing of plays in Australia, and to support young writers of plays for stage, screen or TV.
• Arts Queensland Val Vallis Poetry Award, The
  The prize is offered to an unpublished poem of 100 lines or less written by an emerging Australian poet. Entrants must be Australian citizens or residents and must not have previously published more than one book of poems. Contact organisers to confi
• Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Award, The
  The prize is offered to an unpublished poetry manuscript by an emerging Queensland poet. Entrants must be Queensland residents and must not have previously published more than one book of poems. Confirm closing date with organisers. The winner is ann
• Newcastle Poetry Prize
  The Newcastle Poetry Prize is awarded annually to an unpublished poem or sequence of poems, in English, of up to 200 lines. All entries will be considered for publication in the prestigious Newcastle Poetry Prize anthology. The prize is judged anonym
• State Library of Queensland Young Writers Award
  The Young Writers Award runs from May to July. It is designed to encourage and support promising Queensland writers. Open to Queensland residents aged between 18 and 25. Check with organisers to confirm closing date.
• Bauhinia Literary Awards
  Story and poetry awards in Open, Regional CQ, Tertiary, Secondary and Primary sections. Stories up to 2,000 words; Poetry up to 50 lines.
• Kimberley Writers Festival
  Celebrates the written and creative word in the remote community of Kununurra in the East Kimberley, Western Australia.
• ASA Medal
  The ASA Medal recognises the achievements of authors and illustrators who have made a significant contribution to Australian public life. One medal is for all age groups, the other for authors and illustrators under 35 years of age. Entrants can be n
• Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize
  The award honours Bruce Dawe and is for an original unpublished poem of not more than 50 lines. No theme. Check with the organisers for confirmation.
• Text Young Adult Prize
  The Text Young Adult Prize aims to discover new writing for young adults, fiction and non-fiction, and is open to submissions from published and unpublished writers. Submissions must be 25,000 words or more, and hardcopy only. See website for competi
• Wesley Michel Wright Prize in Poetry
  Entries are invited from Australian citizens for this prize for original verse or poetry in the English language. Submissions should consist of a poem, suite of poems, or collection of poems to a minimum length of 50 lines.
• Landfall Essay Competition
  The Landfall Essay Competition encourages New Zealand writers to think aloud about culture, and to revive and sustain the tradition of vivid, contentious and creative essay writing in this country - as embodied in the non-fiction of early Landfall co
• Todhunter Literary Award
  An annual competition comprising the Leslie Marchant Prize for Prose and the John Joseph Jones Prize for Drama. Works should be written to theme and be between 3,000 and 5,000 words. Winners are announced in November, with the announcement of the nex
• St Martins National Playwrights' Competition, The
  Competition for young playwrights to give them the opportunity to be read by industry professionals, and have that work performed publicly. Script will be performed as part of the Season of New International Work in December. Competition open in two
• Boroondara Literary Awards
  Short Story Award (2-3,000 words) on an open theme. All entrants must reside in Australia. Young Writers Awards (YWA) for Prose and Poetry on open theme (Junior 600-800 words/200 lines; Senior 1,000-1,200 words/200 lines). All YWA entrants must resid
• Sydney Theatre Company Young Playwrights' Residency
  Held over the October long weekend, the STC Young Playwrights’ Residency gives students the opportunity to engage with theatre and writing for stage, learn about the art of playwriting and begin to develop a new play for the stage.
• John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers
  National competition for young writers under 25 years of age. Winners are selected by Express Media's patron and best-selling author, John Marsden. See website or contact organisers to confirm closing date. Entrants must be members of Express Media.
• Central Coast FAW Mona Brand Short Story Award
  Entries are to be up to a maximum of 2,500 words. No entry form required but a cover sheet essential with title, author's name, address, word count, phone number and section entered. Work must be original, unpublished for payment and must not have wo
• FAW (NSW) Marjorie Barnard Award
  The Marjorie Barnard Award is for a short story of no more than 3,000 words. Entrants are to be permanent residents of Australia and the work should be original, unpublished, not have won any previous competition at the time of entry, typed and doubl
• Scarlet Stiletto Awards
  The Scarlet Stiletto Women's Crime and Mystery Short Story Competition is open to women residents of Australia. The Young Writer's Award is open to women under 21. Short stories must contain an active woman protagonist and a crime or mystery theme. A
• Gawler Poetry Competition
  Poems are to be original and previously unpublished. There is a limit of two poems per poet. Names and addresses of poets must appear on cover sheet only, not on the poems. Title of poems to appear on entries, and on the cover sheet for identificatio
• Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize
  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 for further details and to confirm closing date.
• FAW (NSW) Hilarie Lindsay Young Writers Award
  Competitions alternate between poetry and short story, contact organisers for details. The poetry competition is divided into four sections. Years 4 and under: Poem to 20 lines. Years 5 and 6: Poem to 40 lines. Years 7-9: Poem to 40 lines. Years 10-1
• Iremonger Award for Writing on Public Issues, The
  Set up in honour of the late John Iremonger, this award is for a non-fiction book proposal on a contemporary Australian political, social or cultural issue. Entrants must be Australian citizens. There is no age limit. Full conditions of entry and ent
• Walkley Awards
  Australia's premier media accolades. There are 33 Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism across all media. Entries open annually in July and are open to stories published or broadcast in the 12 months before.
• Bundaberg Arts Festival Literary Competition
  Categories include: Traditional Rhyming Verse; Free Poetry; Short Story (3,000 words maximum). Contact the Committee Assistant by mail for details of the exact closing date.
• EJ Brady Short Story Writing Competition
  Annual short story competition with an open theme. Entry forms available from March. Two categories: Major Short story maximum 2,500 words or less, Very Short story 700 words or less. Entry form and guidelines on website.
• Michael Thwaites Poetry Award, The
  Formerly the ACT Writers Centre Poetry Award, this award is for an emerging writer (ie without a collection of poetry published at the closing date for submissions to the award). Prize awarded to an original, unpublished poem not exceeding 50 lines.
• Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award
  The award is for an emerging writer (ie without a novel or collection of short stories published or accepted for publication at the closing date for submissions to the award) who resides permanently within the ACT region. The award will be given to t
• Trudy Graham Literary Award
  Sections: Short Story (to 2,000 words) and Poetry (to 50 lines). Open theme. Awarded in even years. Age open.
• FAW (NSW) Walter Stone Award
  Awarded on the even biennial year for an original, unpublished manuscript which shows some aspect of Australian History or have some Australian Historical significance. Theme is ‘Life Writing’, defined as a work of biography, autobiography, memoir,
• Tom Howard Poetry Contest for Verse in All Styles & Genres
  Poems of any length, type or theme. Must be neatly written, typed, or lodged online. Winning poems will be published online every year. All other rights remain with the author.
• FAW (NSW) Jean Stone Poetry Award
  Entries for the Jean Stone Poetry Award are to be a maximum of 60 lines. All entries must be unpublished, in English and typed. Check with organisers to confirm competition details.
• New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
  The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards honour distinguished achievement by Australian writers. Prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-fiction, the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literat
• Aurealis Awards
  The Aurealis Awards recognise the achievements of Australian writers of science fiction, horror and fantasy. Prizes are awarded in the following categories; science fiction, horror, fantasy, young adult, children's, anthology or collection and illust
• Section Z Creative Writing Competition
  Open Age Short Story: for an original, unpublished story (1,000 words). Open Age Poetry: for an original, unpublished poem (no word limit). Open Age 55-word story: original, unpublished work. School age childrens competition also.
• ASA Mentorship Program
  The Australian Society of Authors' Mentorship Program offers practical and effective support for young and emerging writers. Successful applicants work closely with an experienced mentor of their choice over eight months. Please see website for more
• Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarships
  The Marten Bequest is intended to augment the scholar's own resources towards affording a cultural education by means of a travelling scholarship in one or more categories of the Arts. These scholarships shall be used for study, maintenance and trave
• Queen of Crime Awards
  Maximum 2,000 words. Details subject to change, please check with organiser.
• Positive Words Competition
  Categories for poetry and short stories. Closing dates: 23 April, 31 October. Also mini-challenge every month, entry fee $1.10 in unused postage stamps. Contact the Editor for details.
• Kibble Literary Awards, The
  The Awards began in 1994 and are awarded to women writers of a published book of fiction or non-fiction classifiable as life writing. Application forms and guidelines can be obtained by contacting Perpetual Philanthropic Services. Please also confirm
• Sydney Theatre Company Patrick White Playwright Award
  Award for a full length play that has not been professionally performed. Please contact organisers to confirm closing date.
• FAW (VIC) Angelo B Natoli Short Story Award
  An award for a short story on any theme to max 3,000 words. Entries will not be returned.
• Barbara Jefferis Award
  Awarded to the best novel written by an Australian author that depicts women and girls in a positive way or otherwise empowers the status of women and girls in society. Please see website and guidelines for further details.
• FAW (VIC) Christina Stead Award
  For an Australian work of fiction first published after November of the preceding year. Publishers or authors are welcome to submit entries. Entries will not be returned. Two copies of the book are required.
• FAW (VIC) John Morrison Short Story Award
  For a short story on any theme, max 300 words. One copy of each story required. For writers aged 17-20 years.
• Alexander Henderson Award
  Award in memory of the late Alexander Henderson, to commemorate his wonderful contribution to genealogy. Presented annually to the person or persons producing the best family history published in Australia, in the opinion of the Institute.
• FAW (VIC) Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award
  For a short story of up to 3,000 words, which deals with any aspect of the lives of those with mental disability, and/or its impact on their families. The story should be relevant to an Australian situation. Entries will not be returned. No age limit
• FAW (VIC) Barbara Ramsden Award
  An award for a published book of fiction or non-fiction that demonstrates high quality and professionalism, reflecting the combined efforts of author and editor. All entries must include two copies of the book and 100 words from author or publisher o
• FAW (VIC) Colin Thiele Poetry Award
  For a poem on any theme, open to young writers aged between 15 and 20 years. Entries will not be returned. No word limit.
• FAW (VIC) Jim Hamilton Award
  For unpublished novel on any theme or genre with a minimum length of 30,000 words. Entries must be aimed at adult or teenage readers. One copy required, will not be returned. No age limit.
• FAW (VIC) Young Poet of the Year Award
  A poem on any theme, no word limit, in two age categories: Part A, 8-12 years; Part B, 13-16 years.
• FAW (VIC) Michael Dugan Short Story Award
  Open to young writers in two age categories: Part A, 8-12 years; Part B, 13-16 years. Entries will not be returned.
• FAW (VIC) Di Cranston Award
  Award for a stage play, radio or television script on any topic by a writer of any age. Entries will not be returned. Max 120 pages in script format.
• FAW (VIC) Anne Elder Poetry Award
  For a first book of poetry published after November in the preceding year. The book must have at least 20 pages of text. Self-published works are eligible. Publishers or authors are welcome to submit entries. Three copies of the book are required. En
• FAW (VIC) John Shaw Neilson Poetry Award
  For a poem of 14-60 lines. A suite of poems linked thematically may be entered as one poem provided the line limit is adhered to. Entries will not be returned.
• FAW (VIC) Mary Grant Bruce Short Story Award For Children's Literature
  For a short story aimed at readers aged between 10 to 15 years. No longer than 5,000 words. Writers living in the Gippsland area are also eligible for a separate award. Entries will not be returned.
• FAW (VIC) Mavis Thorpe Clarke Award
  Group Entry: An anthology of writing by students attending the same Australian secondary school. All kinds of writing are eligible. Work must be original. Entries will not be returned. Maximum of fifteen pieces of writing. Individual Entry: As per ab
• FAW (VIC) White Light Short Film Script Award
  For entrants of any age in two categories: Part A, TV Drama Script Award; Part B, Short Film Script Award. One copy required, will not be returned.
• Blackened Billy Verse Competition
  Must be bush poetry (ie containing rhyme and rhythm). Must have an Australiana theme. No limit on length. Entry forms available 1 August.
• Advertiser Summer Short Story Competition, The
  Three sections: Primary (up to age 12), Secondary (13-17 years), and Adult (over 18 years). Word limit of 1,000 words for Adult and Secondary sections, and 500 words for Primary section. Stories must be unpublished and be accompanied by a photo and s
• IP Picks National Awards for Unpublished Manuscripts
  Prizes awarded for unpublished manuscripts in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, best junior prose, or best first book. Upper limit for prose is 80,000 words. Check our website for further competition details and information on past winners. Open
• ABR Poetry Prize
  Prize for a single poem of 100 lines or less. Previously published or prize-winning poems are not eligible. Please see website for further details.
• Miles Franklin Literary Award
  The Award is for a published novel that presents Australian life in any of its phases. Biographies, collections of short stories and books for children are not eligible. The winner is announced in May/June. The novel must be published in the year pre
• FAW (WA) Tom Collins Poetry Prize
  The Tom Collins Poetry Prize is an annual open competition, held since the 1970s, and attracts entries from all over Australia. Maximum three entries per person.
• Australian Shadows Award
  Awarded annually for the best piece of horror fiction written or edited by an Australian (poetry, short story, anthology etc). Anyone can submit by sending details to the Director.
• Children's Book Council of Australia Awards, The
  Categories include: Book of the Year for Older Readers; Book of the Year for Younger Readers; Book of the Year for Early Childhood; Picture Book of the Year. Awards judged on language, appropriate theme, quality of illustrations, interaction of text
• Vision Australia's Dickinson Literary Award
  Competition for blind or vision-impaired writers. Entries must be submitted in Braille or print type and must be in English. Taped entries cannot be accepted. Categories include: Fiction and Non-Fiction (Adult, Young Adult and Youth)and Autobiography
• Crichton Award For Children's Book Illustration
  The entry must be the artist's first illustrated book for children, published by a trade publisher, where the illustrations form a significant part of the book's narrative or information content.
• Allwrite! Australian Festival for Young People
  The Allwrite! Festival is a part of the Come Out Festival and incorporates a range of performances and activities for the 3-18 age range. The Festival's aim is to encourage participation by young people, and present and explore the highest quality li
• FAW (TAS) Henry Savery National Short Story Award
  A competition for writers resident in Australia. Open theme short story no longer than 2500 words. Stories must be original, unpublished and must not have won a monetary prize in any other competition. Contact competition organiser to confirm closing
• Tasmania Book Prize
  Suite of Prizes which recognize, promote and encourage the Tasmanian publishing industry. Please contact organisers or see website for details and to confirm closing date. Awarded in odd years.
• Julie Lewis Literary Award
  Competition has sections for short stories and poetry. Short stories should be up to 2,000 words. Poems should be up to 50 lines. Age and theme open. Multiple entries are allowed.
• GC O'Donnell Copyright Essay Prize
  The GC O'Donnell Copyright Essay Prize was established as a biennial competition in honour of Gus O'Donnell, author, founder of the Australian Copyright Council, and one of the fathers of copyright in Australia. A prize is awarded to the author of an