View Competitions

Upcoming Competitions/Events

• Aspiring Writers' Mentoring Program
  The Aspiring Writers' Mentorship program is open to residents and students living in NSW.
• Voices on the Coast - Youth Literature Festival
  The Youth Literature Festival brings some of the finest writers and performers for young people to Queensland's Sunshine Coast each year. It features writers' panels, book-talks, storytelling, workshops and performance and aims to provide a diverse c
• 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 Stories must be original, unpublished and must not have won a monetary prize in any other competition.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
• Arts Queensland Val Vallis Poetry Award, The
  The prize is offered to an unpublished poem of 100 lines or less written by an Australian poet. Entrants must be Australian citizens or residents and must not have previously published more than one book of poems. Contact organisers to confirm closin
• 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  The prize is offered to an unpublished poetry manuscript by an emerging Queensland poet.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
• State Library of Queensland Young Writers Award
  The Young Writers Award runs from May to July. Open to Queensland residents aged 18 to 25, it encourages and supports promising Queensland writers. Check www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/awards/ywa for more details.
• Children's Peace Literature Award
  The Children's Peace Literature Award is a biennial award to one or more Australian authors and/or illustrators of books for children that encourage the peaceful resolution of conflict or promote peace at the global, local or inter-personal level. No
• 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  The award honours Bruce Dawe and is for an original unpublished poem of not more than 50 lines.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.
• Byron Bay Writers Festival
  Byron Bay Writers Festival is a time of celebration, exchange and reflection. This Festival presents some of the finest writers from Australia and overseas in a program designed to amuse and stimulate in the best venue in the country, the beaches of
• Central Coast FAW Mona Brand Short Story Award
  Entry maximum of 2,500 words. No entry form required. Cover sheet essential with title, author's name, address, word count, phone number and section entered. Work must be original, unpublished for payment and not have won a cash prize in any competit
• 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
• GC O'Donnell Copyright Essay Prize
  The biennial GC O'Donnell Copyright Essay Prize honours Gus O'Donnell, author, founder of the Australian Copyright Council, and a father of copyright in Australia. A prize is awarded for an essay displaying original thinking on the author's choice of
• SA Festival Awards for Literature
  The Festival Awards for Literature are given biennially to outstanding Australian writers. Prizes include the South Australian Premier's Award for Literature, the Jill Blewett Playwright's Award, the John Bray Poetry Award, and the Barbara Hanrahan a
• Magarey Medal for Biography
  Awarded to a female author for the best biographical writing on an Australian subject. Nominations may be made either by the author, by the publisher (with the nominee's permission) or by any member of the Australian Historical Association or the Ass
• WK Hancock Prize
  The WK Hancock Prize gives recognition and encouragement to an Australian scholar who has recently published a first book in any field of history. Awarded for a first book published in the two years preceding the year of the award. Author must be nor
• Miles Franklin Literary Award
  Awarded for a published novel that presents Australian life. Biographies, short story collections, and books for children are not eligible. Winner is announced in June. The novel must be published in the year preceding the Award. If no novel is consi
• New Zealand Festival Writers Week
  Part of the New Zealand International Arts Festival. Aims to present a selection of top writers from New Zealand and around the world. Closely resembles literary events such as the Melbourne Writers' Festival, and focuses on fiction, poetry and serio
• 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.
• Adelaide Writers Week
  Part of the Adelaide Bank Festival of the Arts. The week's aim is to introduce the richness and variety of Australian writing to writers from around the world, and the talent and skills of overseas writers to the Australian community. Held in even ye