Young Writers: Competitions
If you’re a young writer in Australia, and have been wondering about opportunities to submit your work, then look no further. This post contains a list of writing competitions for young writers in Australia, together with useful information such as word limits, closing dates and links to entry forms.
Be sure to check back regularly, though, because I’ll update the post whenever info about other competitions (or publishing opportunities) are released. You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter, in which I always include a list of opportunities for the coming month.
The competitions listed are in order of closing date, apart from the first one listed, as it has a different competition each month.
1. Write the World (ongoing monthly competitions)
Write the World describes itself as a ‘community of young writers (ages 13-18), hailing from over 80 countries’. Write the World holds monthly competitions, developed around a particular idea or genre of writing. The competitions encourage you to try out new genres and share your work with other readers, as well as offering the opportunity to receive peer and expert feedback, before submitting your final piece.
Upcoming topics include:
- February 2024—op-ed: say what matters (draft for expert review due Monday 12 February; submissions due Monday 26 February)
- March 2024—fairy tales and myths: story leap forward (draft for expert review due Monday 13 March; Monday 27 March)
Entry fee: Free.
Prizes: Winning entrant receives $100. Runner-up and best peer reviewer are awarded $50. All three winners will be featured on their blog.
More info: For a more detailed information about each topic, including deadlines (for draft and final submissions) and prizes, head to the Write the World website.
2. Night Parrot Press Flash Lab
The brief: submit a flash fiction story under 500 words.
Open to: Western Australian writers aged between 12 and 17 years.
Entry fee: free to submit.
Prizes: one story will be selected each week to be published on Night Parrot Press’s website. (You can read the current Story of the Week on the website now.)
Closing date: rolling.
More information: visit Night Parrot Press’s website.
3. IndigoTeen Magazine
The brief: submit short stories, essays and novellas, memes, and comics, fan fiction and poetry, graphic design and artwork.
Open to: young people from 13 to 19 years old.
Entry fee: free to submit.
Closing date: rolling.
More information: visit IndigoHub’s website.
4. Little Black Dress Spooky Story Competition 2024
The brief: Submit stories on the theme of ‘don’t look up’.
Word limits and categories:
- Youth (up to 17 years): maximum 500 words, one entry only (Australian residents)
- Adult (18 years and over): maximum 1,200 words, unlimited entries (WA residents only)
Entry fee: $10 for adult category, free for youth.
Prizes: see the competition page on the KSP Writers’ Centre website.
Closing date: Wednesday 13 March 2024.
More information: visit the KSP Writers’ Centre website.
5. Little Stories. Big Ideas
The brief: submit a piece of flash fiction that is 100 words or less and incorporates the current theme, ‘addicted’. Any literary style is welcome – short-story form, poem, haiku, limerick, song – but entries must be in English.
Open to: Australian Secondary School Students.
Categories: Years 7 to 9; Years 10 to 12.
Entry fee: free.
Prizes: visit the competition’s website to see the prizes.
Closing date: Friday 29 March 2024.
More information: visit the Little Stories. Big Ideas website. (There will be a new competition for term one; check back here later in January.)
6. Pulch Issue Three
The brief: submit fiction, nonfiction, poetry, personal essays, written interviews with local creatives, as well as illustration, graphic design and photography. Word limits: 20 and 500 words for poetry and 500 to 1500 words for prose.
Open to: Western Australian writers aged between 16 and 26 years.
Closing date: Sunday 31 March.
More information: head to Pulch‘s website.
7. Nan Manefield Young Writers Award
The Brief: Submit either a poem or short story of up to 750 words.
Open to: Sydney based young people, aged between 11 and 18 years of age.
Cost: free.
Prizes: Prizes totalling over $2,000. All winners will also be offered the opportunity to attend a special writers masterclass.
Closing date: Sunday 14 April 2024.
More information: visit North Sydney Council’s website.
8. John Gavin Writing Competition
The brief: Drawing on the trial of John Gavin and the historical resources provided, create a story that explores John Gavin’s story while touching on the theme Lost Worlds. Use any form or genre.
Open to: WA students, including home-school students, in years 5 to 10.
Entry fee: $7.50.
Prizes: $150 for first place and $100 for second place.
Closing date: Sunday 12 May 2024.
More information: visit Fremantle Roundhouse’s website.
9. What Matters?
The brief: submit fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose of up to 600 words on an issue of significance to you.
Open to: students from Year 5 to Year 12 undertaking Primary or Secondary education in Australia.
Cost: Free.
Prizes: includes virtual author visits, writing workshops, the opportunity to shadow political speechwriters and journalists, books and opportunities for your school, and a major cash prize of $1500.
Closing date: Friday 17 May 2024.
More information: Check out the What Matters Writing Competition page for more details and to download an entry form for the state in which you live. You might also like to check out their competition guidelines, which include some great advice on how to write a winning entry.
10. 2024 Slinkies Under 30s
The brief: submit prose in any form under 10,000 words.
Open to: writers younger than 30.
Closing date: Friday 31 May.
Further information: head to the Spineless Wonders website.
11. Make Your Own Storybook Competition
The brief: create a picture book or story book that tells an original story, using original text and illustrations.
Open to: Western Australian students from pre-primary to year 8.
Cost: free.
Categories: years PP-2 picture book; years 3-4 picture book; years 3-4 story book; years 5-6 picture book; years 5-6 story book; year 7-8 picture book; year 7-8 story book.
Prizes: 3 prizes are awarded for each age group, in each category.
Closing date: Friday 7 June 2024.
More information: Check out further info for the Make Your Own Story Book Competition and download an entry form, which spells out instructions and guidelines in detail, including the difference between a picture book and a story book.
12. FAW Tasmania 2024 Beatrice Clarke Award for Young Poets 14 and under
The brief: submit poems up to 40 lines.
Open to: young writers 14 and under.
Entry fee: $5 per poem
Prizes: First Prize $100, Second Prize $50, Two Encouragement Prizes of $25 each
Closing date: Saturday 31 August 2024.
More information: visit the Fellowship of Australian Writers Tasmania website (scroll down the competitions page until you reach the relevant competition).
Over to You
Just a quick note: if you do enter a competition, take time to read the guidelines carefully to ensure you’re entry meets the requirements, so that it’s accepted. This can include seemingly minor details such as size, font and spacing of your text.
If you’d like some guidance on what to look out for, then take a look at an earlier post of mine, Writing Competitions: What You Need to Know Before Entering.
What are you waiting for? Start writing, keep writing – and let me know how you go!