Category: Writing competitions

Cash prize writing competition with a potential trip to France

The First Pages Prize is for emerging writers and winners will receive a cash prize, as well as some developmental editing to complete their projects. The top two winners could even win a trip to France! According to the media release:  Open worldwide, the competition is for writers who are... read more

12 opportunities for memoir writers

Whether you want to explore a difficult period in your life, remember a thrilling adventure, or share your personal journey, almost everybody has an interesting life story to tell. If you’re keen to try out memoir writing, or if you’ve been working on your life story for some... read more

Furious Fiction September 2019 winner and shortlist

This month, more than 1000 writers entered Furious Fiction – mixing alchemy with creativity in the hope of stumbling upon the magic story elixir. The September criteria were varied and many: Each story had to include the name of at least ONE element from the periodic table. Each story’s first... read more

Enter our 29-word story challenge!

Okay, end of winter – cobwebs and all that. Time to stretch your creative muscles. Keen to play? Today’s the 29th, so we challenge you to write a story that uses EXACTLY 29 words. But wait, there’s more. Your story has to begin and end with the SAME word... read more

Enter The Deakin University Non-fiction Prize 2019

Write non-fiction? The Deakin University Non-Fiction Prize is now open and there’s $3,000 AUD up for grabs! Entries for this competition close on 1 September 2019. It’s open to writers aged 30 and under, writing long-form non-fiction who are also Australian residents. From... read more

How high do your stakes have to be?

By Nat Newman  How high do your stakes have to be when writing a story? Is death, destruction and violence necessary to push your story forward? Short answer: No way. I started thinking about this after a discussion on the So you want to be a writer Facebook community. A... read more

2019 Andy Griffiths Kids’ Writing Competition now open

Do you have a young writer in your life? A budding storyteller? Or maybe just an avid young reader? If so, we’ve found the perfect competition for them! Dymocks and Pan Macmillan are inviting kids to get creative and enter a writing competition judged by the wonderful Andy Griffiths... read more

2019 ACU Prize for Poetry now open

Entries are now open for one of Australia's richest poetry competitions offering $18,000 in prizes. The 2019 ACU Prize for Poetry will be awarded for outstanding poetry with the theme Solace, reflecting on Anne Frank's supposition: "The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy... read more

“How I fell in love with writing” part 5

All throughout this month, we’ve been sharing the wonderful stories from our community about their relationship with writing. In particular, “How did you first meet?” Today, we present our fifth and final selection – thanks again for all those who shared stories with us. We love how diverse and inspired... read more

“How I fell in love with writing” part 4

If you’ve been playing along at home, you’ll know that recently we asked our community about their relationship with writing. In particular, “How did you first meet?” We received hundreds of replies, and in the spirit of creative curiosity, we’ve been publishing our favourites every Thursday this... read more

“How I fell in love with writing” part 3

Last month for Valentine’s Day, we asked our community about their relationship with writing. In particular, “How did you first meet?” We received hundreds of replies, and in the spirit of creative curiosity, we’ve been publishing a new heart-warming selection of them every Thursday. Thanks to those... read more

“How I fell in love with writing” part 2

Recently we asked our community about their relationship with writing. In particular, “How did you first meet?” We received hundreds of replies, and in the spirit of creative curiosity, we are publishing a new heart-warming selection of them every Thursday. We hope it inspires and reminds you of why... read more

2019 Grieve Writing Competition now open

In honour of Grieve Awareness Month in August, the Grieve Writing Competition is now open to all Australians. With over $7000 in prizes to be won and more than 100 works published in the Grieve anthology, this is a wonderful opportunity for writers 18 years and over. From the Hunter... read more

‘How I fell in love with writing’ part 1

Let’s face it – our relationship with writing can be just like one with another human being. Most of the time you’re madly in love with each other, but there are also other occasions where you and writing go weeks without saying a word. Ultimately, it’s worth it... read more

The 2019 Woollahra Digital Literary Award is now open

Now in its third year, The Woollahra Digital Literary Award is a national literary award supporting innovation in Australian literature and publishing, encouraging writers producing work in a digital medium. From the Woollahra Municipal Council website: The award seeks submissions of a literary nature that are digitally born – published online... read more

2019 Newcastle Short Story Award now open

Entries for the 2019 Newcastle Short Story Award are now open! This award boasts over $6000 in prizes with the winner taking away a sweet $3000. So, what do you have to do? Well, the award is open to people 18 years and over and all you have to do... read more

Two 2019 Australian Book Review competitions are now open!

The 2019 Peter Porter Poetry Prize and Calibre Essay Prize from the Australian Book Review are now open. With $16,000 worth of prizes up for grabs from these two competitions, it’s worth checking out the details below. Peter Porter Poetry Prize – $8500 The Porter Prize is one of... read more