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. 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.
2. 2025 Storyfest National Novella Writing Competition
The brief: submit a novella of no less than 8,000 words and no more than 20,000 words.
Open to: to all current secondary students attending school in Australia. Students receiving home schooling are eligible to enter. Entrants must be under 19 years of age as at date of close of entries.
Entry fee: $20.
Prizes: There will be monetary prizes awarded to finalists ($100) and a prize of $500 to the national winner.
Closing date: Friday 6 December 2024.
More information: visit Storyfest’s website.
3. 2025 Storyfest National Poetry Prize
The brief: submit poems up to 50 lines excluding the title, on any subject.
Open to: to all current secondary students attending school in Australia. Students receiving home schooling are eligible to enter.
Categories: junior secondary (years 7 to 9); senior secondary (Years 10 to 12).
Entry fee: $15.
Prizes: the winner of each category will receive $300. Category winners will have the opportunity to attend Somerset Storyfest Writers’ Festival, be billeted by students of the Somerset Wordsmiths’ Club, and attend the events at Storyfest over the three days, where the national winners will be announced and awarded prizes at the Literary Long Table Dinner. This decision will be at the discretion of the competition organisers.
Closing date: Friday 6 December 2024.
More information: visit Storyfest’s website.
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!
