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: Environmental Journalism: What’s going on in your corner of the world?
- April: Poetry and Spoken World — Seeds of change
- May: Play Writing — From page to stage
- June: Creative Non-Fiction — Food Writing — Source of sustenance
- July: Sports Writing — Journalism — The balls in your court
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. The Golden Pen Writing Award
The brief: In 3000 words or less, submit your fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, comic, or graphic novel about Planet Earth.
Open to: Western Australians aged 10 to 17.
Categories: Junior (Primary School students aged 10-12), Middle (High School students aged 12-14) and Senior (High School Students aged 15-17).
Entry fee: free.
Prizes: shortlisted entrants from the Senior and Middle categories will be invited to attend a writing masterclass with one of the Scribblers Festival 2020 authors and will receive a $100 Festival bookshop voucher, and the overall winners from these two categories will win a cash prize of $500 each. Shortlisted entrants from the Junior Primary School category will receive a $50 Festival bookshop voucher and the overall winner will win a cash prize of $200.
Closing date: Tuesday 31 March 2020. This has been extended until Sunday 10 May 2020.
More information: Visit the Scribblers Festival website to find submission guidelines and to download an entry form.
3. Everything is a Genre Competition
The brief: Write a story, submitting the first 5000 words maximum, with a one page, single-spaced synopsis.
Open to: all writers between the ages of 8 and 18, worldwide.
Entry fee: $14.50
Information about judging: In the first round of judging, the first 1,000 words and the synopsis is read by the judges. With final judging, the judge will read your synopsis and the full 5,000 words.
Prizes: First prize ($100); Second prize ($60); Third prize ($40).
Closing date: Saturday 4 April 2020.
More information: Head to the CYA Conference website, where you will find a stack of advice and information, including guidelines to help you prepare your entry, and formatting checklists.
4. Hatchlings Writers and Illustrators Competition
The brief: You may submit a picture book, graphic novel, illustrated picture book, middle grade illustrated novel, or a published illustration.
- Picture Books: Text only for preschool or primary aged children up to 500 words in English. Open theme.
- Chapter Book: Text only for older primary aged children/young adult. First 1000 words in English. Open theme.
- a) Text only for younger primary aged children. First 1000 words in English. Open theme.
- b) Text only for older aged children (Middle Grade). First 1000 words in English. Open theme
- c) Fiction writing for Young Adults. First 2000 words max and a page single spaced synopsis. Only the first 1000 words in English will be judged. Open theme.
- Graphic Novel/Illustrated picture book/Middle Grade Illustrated Novel: Fiction or non-fiction – any age group within CYA. Three pages of graphic novel or 3 pages of illustrated picture book, up to 500 words. Three illustrations of the middle-grade novel, with the words present on the pages. Words in English. (Complete story to accompany – not judged.) Open theme.
- Illustrations: Option 1: Fearless – The Monkeys’ breakfast or Option 2: Samantha’s Ordinary Day.
NB: Read the guidelines carefully, as they are quite specific.
Open to: Hatchlings (8-18 years old). There are other categories for both aspiring and published authors as well.
Categories: see ‘the brief’ above.
Entry fee: $14.50
Prizes: 1st prize ($100); 2nd prize ($60) and 3rd prize ($40) per category. Short listed entries will be read by at least one children’s publisher.
Closing date: Saturday 4 April 2020. This competition deadline has been extended until Saturday 18 April 2020.
More information: Head to the CYA Conference website, where you will find a stack of advice and information, including guidelines to help you prepare your entry, and formatting checklists.
5. Laura Literary Awards
The brief: Write a short story or poem. Word limit depends on the category you enter.
Open to: Ages 5 to 18 (although it also includes a category for adults).
Categories and prizes:
The Flinders News Prose Awards:
- Section 1 – OPEN Prize $200 A short story up to 1500 words
- Section 2 – YOUNG ADULT (13-18 yrs) Prize $50 A short story up to 1200 words
- Section 3 – JUNIOR (9-12 yrs) Prize $25 A short story up to 800 words
- Section 4 – JUNIOR PRIMARY (5-8 yrs) Prize $15 A short story up to 500 words
The CJ Dennis Poetry Awards (Poem up to 60 lines for all sections):
- Section 5 – OPEN Prize $200
- Section 6 – OPEN BUSH POETRY Prize $200
- Section 7 – YOUNG ADULT (13-18 yrs) Prize $50
- Section 8 – JUNIOR (9-12 yrs) Prize $25
- Section 9 – JUNIOR PRIMARY (5-8 yrs) Prize $15
Entry fee: No fee is required for student entry (but $10 per entry for adults).
Closing date: Thursday 9 April 2020.
More information: can be found on the Rocky River Writers Blog, where you can download the entry form as a PDF.
11. 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.
Entry fee: free.
Categories: The competition is judged in five age categories by a panel of professional writers.
Prizes: Prizes totalling over $2,000. All winners will also be offered the opportunity to attend a special writers masterclass.
Closing date: Friday 1 May 2020.
More information: entry conditions and online entry form can be found on the North Sydney Council website.
6. What Matters?
What Matters? is an annual competition run by the Whitlam Institute. Entrants are invited to respond to the question ‘What Matters?’ by expressing their views on any subject or issue they care about.
The brief: Write a 400-600 word piece in prose or poetry, either fiction or non-fiction, on an issue of significance to you.
Open to: students in NSW, VIC, WA, the ACT and Tasmania.
Categories: years 5-6; years 7-8; years 9-10; years 11-12.
Entry fee: Free.
Prizes: All entrants will receive a certificate of participation. Prizes include $350 for each category winner and $200 for each category runner-up. Winners and runnersup will receive their prize at an awards ceremony, following their participation in a Young Writers Forum run by The Writing Workshop, at the Whitlam Institute.
Closing date: Friday 8 May 2020.
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.
7. SAETA Young Writers Award
The brief: Write poetry or prose, on any theme, up to 1000 words.
Open to: all South Australian students.
Categories: There are six categories, which include students from Reception to Year 12.
Entry fee: Free.
Prizes: Shortlisted finalists will be contacted and invited to the Young Writers Award 2019 Presentation Night.
Closing date: Friday 22 May 2019.
More information: and an entry form can be found via the South Australian English Teachers Association (SAETA) website.
8. World Poetry Day Competition
The brief: write a poem up to 20 lines about an object of your choice.
Open to: all Australian students in primary or secondary school; young people not in mainstream schools aged 18 and under; and Australian primary and high school teachers.
Entry fee: free.
Prizes: first prize in each category ($500, book pack, mentoring session with judge Eleanor Jackson, certificate); Rex prize in primary and secondary categories (Rex flights and merchandise, poem published in Rex in-flight magazine,certificate); Highly commended in each category (book voucher, judging commendations)
Closing date: Friday 22 May 2020.
More information: visit the Copyright Agency Reading Australia website and/or Red Room Poetry.
9. Make Your Own Story Book Competition 2020
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.
Entry fee: 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 5 June 2020.
More information: Keep an eye on the CBCA WA’s website or download an entry form.
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!
