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 13-19.5), 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:
- May 2024—poem: seeds of change (draft for optional expert review due Monday 13 May; submissions due Monday 27 May)
- June 2024—personal essay: open a window (draft for expert review due Monday 10 June; submissions due Monday 24 June)
- July 2024—journalism (article): global correspondents (draft for optional expert review due Monday 8 July; submissions due Monday 22 July).
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. 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.
3. 2024 Banjo Paterson Writing Awards
The brief: submit stories up to 1,000 word or poetry up to 30 lines (for writers 16 years and under). For writers over 16, word limits are 3,000 words for short stories and 200 lines for poetry.
Categories: short story, contemporary poetry and ABC Radio Central West Children’s Writing.
Entry fees: $15 for adults, $5 for writers 16 years and under.
Closing date: Friday 10 May 2024.
More information: visit the CentralWest Libraries website.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Little Stories. Big Ideas (term 2)
The brief: submit a piece of flash fiction that is 100 words or less and incorporates the current theme, “tomorrow”. 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 28 June 2024.
More information: visit the Little Stories. Big Ideas website.
9. Randolph Stow Young Writers Award
The brief: submit prose and/or poetry.
Open to: young Writers in years 3 to 12 from the Midwest and Gascoyne Region of Western Australia.
Categories and word limits:
- Lower Primary – Years 3 & 4: prose – maximum 1200 words, poetry – no minimum stipulation
- Upper Primary – Years 5 & 6: prose – maximum 1200 words, poetry – no minimum stipulation
- Lower Secondary – Years 7 & 8: prose – maximum 1500 words, poetry – no minimum stipulation
- Middle Secondary – Years 9 & 10: Prose – Maximum 1500 words, poetry – no minimum stipulation
- Upper Secondary – Years 11 & 12: Prose – Maximum 2000 words, Poetry – no minimum stipulation
Cost: free.
Closing date: Monday 1 July 2024.
More information: visit the City of Greater Geraldton Regional Library’s website.
10. The Golden Pen Storytelling Competition
The brief: submit fiction, poetry, memoir, comics, graphic novels, picture books or song lyrics on the theme of “Rebels & Dreamers”.
Open to: Western Australian writers in years 4 to 12.
Cost: free.
Categories: junior category (years 4 to 6), middle category (years 7 to 8) and senior category (years 9 to 12).
Prizes: include book vouchers, cash, workshops, and a VIP trip to the Family Festival.
Closing date: Monday 26 August 2024.
More information: head to the Scribbers Festival website.
11. 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!