Pursuing a career in writing is hard, and getting published is even harder. If you are interested in such a career, or have recently graduated and are looking for work, a good strategy to bulk up your resume is to enter writing competitions. You do not necessarily have to win - even being longlisted is an impressive feat to employers! Writing competitions also allow you to hone your craft and develop your skills.
Here is a list of writing competitions open to writers in Australia in 2024, alongside key information to consider before entering.
January:
Griffin Award
Submissions close: 15 January 2024
Prize: $17,400 and dramaturgical support to develop play
The competition accepts plays of at least 60 minutes that “displays an authentic, inventive and contemporary Australian voice.”
Not Quite Write Prize
Submissions open from: 19 January 2024
Submissions close: 21 January 2024
Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
The competition accepts flash fiction pieces of 500 words.
Australian Book Review Calibre Essay Prize
Submissions open from: 23 October 2023
Submissions close: 22 January 2024
Prize: $10,000 prize fund
Entry Fee: $20 (ABR subscribers) / $30 (Non-subscribers)
The competition seeks essays of between 2,000 and 5,000 words on any subject.
black&write! Writing Fellowship
Submissions close: 22 January 2024
Prize: $15,000
The competition is open to First Nations writers. Adult fiction and short story collections of a minimum of 50,000 words are accepted. Young adult fiction of a minimum of 40,000 words is accepted. A minimum of 30 poems is accepted. A children’s book may also be submitted.
The Local World Writers’ Prize
Submissions open from: 26 August 2023
Submissions close: 27 January 2024
Prize: $2,000
The competition seeks entries of prose fiction or creative nonfiction of up to 3,000 words.
Story Unlikey’s Annual Short Story Contest
Submissions open from: 1 October 2023
Submissions close: 31 January 2024
Prize: $1,500
The competition welcomes short stories of every genre up to 4,500 words.
The ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize
Submissions open from: 29 November 2022
Submissions close: 31 January 2024
Prize: Publishing contract and $10,000 advance
Entry Fee: Nil (ASA Members) / $65 (Non-members)
The competition accepts a novel of commercial fiction between 70,000 and 140,000 words.
February:
St Gallen Symposium Global Essay Competition
Submissions close: 1 February 2024
Prize: CHF 20,000 (approximately $AUD 34,385)
The competition is open to students enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate program at a university. The topic question, answered in 2,100 words, is “Striving for more or thriving with less - what pressing scarcity do you see, and how do you suggest to tackle it?”
The Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2024
Submissions close: 14 February 2024
Prize: $500
The competition accepts short stories of up to 3,000 words on an island related theme.
Mulga Bill Awards
Submissions close: 23 February 2024
Short Story Prize: $500
Poetry Prize: $200
Entry Fee: $5
The competition accepts short stories of up to 2,000 words that respond to the theme “Mystical Waters”. Poetry of up to 25 lines is also accepted.
Stringybark Open Short Story Competition
Submissions close: 25 February 2024
Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $15
The competition accepts short stories of less than 1,500 words that have a link to Australia.
Victorian Bush Poetry Championships
Submissions close: 29 February 2024
Prize: $150
Entry Fee: $10
The competition accepts serious or humorous poetry of up to 120 lines.
The Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition
Submissions close: 29 February 2024
Prize: £500 (Approximately $AUD 933.77)
The competition accepts short stories of up to 3,500 words.
March:
The SCWC 2024 Poetry Award
Submissions open from: 16 December 2023
Submissions close: 5 March 2024
Prize: $1,300
Entry Fee: $10 (Members) / $15 (Non-members)
The competition accepts submissions of poems up to 50 lines that respond to the theme “Gentle”.
Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize
Submissions close: 8 March 2024
Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $15
The competition is open to Victorian residents who can submit a biographical story between 1,000 and 3,000 words.
Ada Cambridge Poetry Prose Prize
Submissions close: 8 March 2024
Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $15
The competition is open to Victorian residents. They can submit up to two poems with a maximum of 30 lines.
Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award
Submissions close: 8 March 2024
Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $15
The competition accepts fiction or nonfiction of up to 3,000 words that respond to the theme “Disability in an Australian Setting.”
Little Black Dress Spooky Story Competition
Submissions open from: 31 October 2023
Submissions close: 13 March 2024
Prize: $100
Entry Fee: $10
The competition accepts stories from Western Australian residents in line with the theme “Don’t Look Up” of up to 1,200 words.
Peter Carey Short Story Award
Submissions open from: 29 January 2024
Submissions close: 14 March 2024
Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $15
The competition accepts short stories of any topic between 2,000 and 3,000 words.
Calanthe Collective Prize for Unpublished Poetry
Submissions close: 31 March 2024
Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $10
The competition accepts poetry of up to 50 lines.
Ethel Webb Bundell Literary Award for Short Stories
Submissions close: 31 March 2024
Prize: $400
Entry Fee: $10
The competition accepts short stories of up to 4,000 words.
Minds Shine Bright Writing Competition
Submissions close: 31 March 2024
Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $5
The competition accepts poetry, short stories, scripts and flash fiction of up to 2,500 words in response to the theme “Light and Shadow”.
Northern Beaches Writers’ Competition: Art & Words Project
Submissions close: 31 March 2024
Prize: $250
Entry Fee: $15
The competition accepts fiction and non-fiction of up to 2,500 words that respond to the theme “Glass”.
April:
Wakefield Press Essay Prize
Submissions open from: December 2023
Submissions close: 5 April 2024
Prize: $500 voucher
The competition is open to anyone who in 2023 wrote or published an essay that dealt substantially with some aspect of South Australian history. Essays on a topic relating to the history of South Australia that are between 2,000 and 10,000 words are accepted.
May:
Boree Long Poetry Competition
Submissions close: 15 May 2024
Prize: $100
Entry Fee: $8
Thecompetition accepts bush poetry of up to 80 lines that responds to the theme “Australian Bush”.
Eastwood/Hills Fellowship of Australian Writers Literary Competition
Submissions close: 15 May 2024
Prize: $150
Entry Fee: $15
The competition accepts (1) Flash fiction of up to 500 words; (2) poetry of up to 80 lines; memoir pieces of up to 1,500 words; and short stories of up to 1,500 words.
Slinkies
Submissions close: 31 May 2024
Prize: Not mentioned
The competition accepts prose in any form of up to 10,000 words for Austraians under 30 years of age.
June:
Questions Writing Prize
Submissions close: 1 June 2024
Prize: $3,000
The competition is open to young Australian writers between 18-30 years for non-fiction or fiction between 1,500 and 2,000 words.
Canberra Youth Theatre’s Emerging Playwright Commission
Submissions close: 3 June 2024
Prize: $17,100
The competition accepts plays of a minimum of 1 hour and a minimum of 8 characters as an ensemble. Submissions are accepted from people aged between 1 and 35 years old. There is no theme, but the play must be suitable to be performed by actors aged between 7 and 25 years of age.
Henry Savery National Short Story Award
Submissions close: 30 June 2024
Prize: $400
Entry Fee: $5
The competition accepts short stories of up to 2,500 words on any topic.
August:
Fellowship of Australian Writers Tasmania Poetry Prize
Submissions close: 31 August 2024
Prize: $150
Entry Fee: $5
The competition accepts poetry of up to 60 lines.
Values listed above are in $AUD unless otherwise specified.
 | About The Author Aala is studying Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at the Australian National University. She is passionate about law, literature, and history, and has been published by ABC News. |