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Competitions Closing September 2026

Aug 1
8 min read

1 September: Heywire Competition

Open to Australian Residents aged 16-22 and not living in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth or Sydney. Theme: True story about an aspect of your life, where you live. Accepts audio, video, photos or text. Video & Audio: 2 - 4 minutes, Photos: 10 images, Text: around 400 words. Entry: FREE. Prize (awarded up to 33 people): Opportunity for story to be produced for ABC and a trip to the Heywire Regional Youth Summit in Canberra (details on website), invitation to the Heywire Gala Dinner. Includes flight and accommodation.


Open to students enrolled in years 7 - 12 in Australian Secondary Education. Optional theme: Ignite. Creative writing.


Additional awards: Iris Breuer Writing Award: $200, The Rising Star Award, The Change-Maker Award, The Staff Selection.


Open to WA residents living with mental health challengers or caring for those that are. Theme: Stronger together, Louder together. Poetry, 218 lines max. Entry: FREE. Prizes: First: $100, Second: $75, Third: $50, Lorikeet & MIFWA Participants: First: $100, Second: $75


1 September: AWC Furious Fiction

Open to writers over 17 years and older. Opens 5pm (Sydney/Melbourne time), closes: 55 hours later. Story prompt provided. 500 words max. Entry: FREE. Prize (?)


Open to all, open themed. Entry: $10. Prizes: $50, $30, $20 for each category. Best overall: $100 and trophy.

• Serious bush poetry, max 74 lines or 3-3:30 minutes.

• Humorous bush poetry, max 74 lines or 3-3:30 minutes.


Open to anyone who lives, works or studies in the Campbelltown local government area. Theme: “Years in the Making”. Narrative non-fiction and memoir up to 500 words, or poetry up to 25 lines. Entry: FREE. Prizes per category are Adult: $300, $100. Years 4-6, Years 7-9, years 10-12 each $100, $50.


Open nationally:

• Arts Queensland Val Vallis Award for an unpublished poem. Open theme poetry up to 80 lines, entry $20-$25, prizes $3,500 and publication.

• Oodgeroo Noonuccal Indigenous Poetry Prize for Indigenous writers. Open theme poetry up to 80 lines, entry $15 - $0, Prizes $3,500, $500 and publication.

• Arts Queensland XYZ Prize for Spoken Word. Open theme recorded poetry up to three minutes, entry $25-$20, prize $3,500 and publication.

Open to Queensland residents:

• Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript (Open theme, poetry, 48-100 pages, Entry fee $50, $40 Concession/Members, Prizes: First: $5,000 & a publishing contract and editorial development with UQP, Runner Up: $500


Writers with disability or who are D/deaf and at any career stage living anywhere in Australia are warmly invited to apply for a two-week fellowship at Varuna, with one-on-one mentorship and all travel costs covered.


11 September: Pens Against Poverty

Open to Australian students in grades 3-10 (needs a teacher or parent to submit/endorse the entry). Theme: Where I Belong. Short Story or Poem, max 500 words, Entry: FREE. Prizes not mentioned.


Open themed US competition. Short Fiction and creative nonfiction, max 1,000. Entry $20 USD. Prizes $1,000 and extras, 3 x editors’ choice $200, and publication.


Open to residents of Blacktown City. Theme: “All Out”. Entry: FREE.


UK based competition open to all. Theme: Nature’s wisdom and healing. Stories, poems and essays, max 2,000 words. Entry: £10.36. Prizes: £750, £300, £150.


Open to Australian residents.

• Adult short fiction up to 2,500 words. Entry: $12, prize $300 plus a week’s residency at the KSP Writers’ Centre, $150.

• Youth category short fiction, max 1,000 words, Entry FREE, Prizes $100, $50, and $25.


Open to all Australian residents.


Open to Australian citizens and residents. Open themed.

• Adult short story, max 3,000 words, entry fee $35. Prize $7,500, $1,500.

• Secondary school short story, max 3,000 words, entry $25, prizes $1,000, $500.


Fiction and nonfiction, approx. 1500 words (to be published from October – March). Poetry to be published December.


Braille writing competition. Australian Residents who are legally blind, or have low or no vision. People’s Choice is open to all Australian residents. Entry for all categories $10. Multiple categories.


Open to Tasmanian residents aged 8 to 25, open themed. Poetry, 50 lines, Entry FREE, Prizes TBD. Two categories: Ages 8-55, Ages 16-25.


Open to: Children in years 4 - 6 living in Australia. Open themed. Short story, 500-1,000 words. Entry FREE. Prize: $100.


Open to all, open themed.


Open competition, addressing social issues surrounding menstruation. Video, short film, artwork, major art installation, or written piece. Entry FREE. Prizes (to school or community group) $5,000, $2,000, $1,000, $1,000.


Open to South Australian writers, theme: “Connections,” must include reference to Campbelltown area. Fiction or non-fiction, max 2,500 words. Entry FREE. Categories:

• Junior writer (7 -14 years old), $125 gift card, Runner-up x 2: $75 gift card

• Junior writer (15 - 24 years old), $175 gift card, Runner-up x 2: $100 gift card

• Open writer (25 years old and over), 225 gift card, Runner-up x 2: $125 gift card


20 September: Eyeland Book Awards

Greek competition open to all. €1 from each submission donated to UN Refugee agency Greece. Entry fees: €30-€40, FREE for Short story under 18, Writers of countries suffering from the consequences of a war, Grand prize winners from prior EBA contests, Writers from first-time-submitting countries.



Prizes: Grand Prize (Published books): five-day holiday in Athens in November 2026 to attend the prize ceremony (Air tickets not included), tickets to Acropolis of Athens, 5-day public transport ticket, round-trip ticket for the ferry to the island of Aegina

Grand Prize (Unpublished books): Translation into Greek and publication from Strange Day Books,

Writers' choice: Five-day stay in Athens in November 2026 to attend the ceremony OR translation of the book into Greek,

Short Story U18: special distinction and a handmade ceramic

Short Play: Audio performance of the play

24 prize winners: Handmade ceramic designed for the EBA awards


US based competition open to over 18s. Open themed. Entry: by 22 Sept $65, by 15 Oct $70 (USD) Prizes (Per Category): $US 2,500, development & mentoring, industry circulation, consideration from producers, additional long-time review, exclusive invitations to Symposium events.



Open to Australian citizens or Permanent Residents, open themed, poetry max 50 lines. Entry $8. Prizes $3,000, 2 x $500.


Open To: Australian citizens or permanent residents, over age of 18. Theme ‘Writing of Place, Set in the Australian landscape’. Essay, 3,000-5000 words. Entry $30-25. Prize $8,000, $1,000.


A native tree will be planted on Dharawal and Wodi Wodi Country for every entry received

Open to: Australian student or young person (aged 18 and under) or an accredited teacher. Theme: The Sounds of Country. Poetry, 20 lines. Entry: FREE. Prizes per category: First: $100 Dymocks book voucher, native seeds pack, poetry journal, certificate; Highly Commended: book prize.

Categories:

• Lower primary ( F - Year 3)

• Upper primary ( Years 4 - 6)

• Primary First Nations ( F – Year 6)

• Primary CaLD ( F - Year 6)

• Lower secondary (Years 7 - 9)

• Upper secondary (Years 10 - 12

• Secondary First Nations ( Years 7 - 12)

• Secondary CaLD ( Years 7 - 12)

• Accredited Teacher (All ages)


India based competition open to all over 13-year-olds. Open themed. Poetry in any language, no size limit. Entry $5 (USD), prizes $100, $50, $20.


Ireland-base competition open to all, open themed.

• Flash fiction, max 250 words. Entry: €12Prize: €300

• Nature writing essays, max 1,500 words, Entry €15, Prize €300


Open to Western Australian writers, aged 18 years and over, open themed, short story 1,000-3,000 words. Entry: FREE. Prizes: $1,500, $1,000, $750, 7 x $50, local prize $500.


UK base competition, open to 16-year-old and over, open themed, memoir. Size: Initially: 5,000 - 8,000 words of total work plus 300 word overview, If Long-listed: 15,000 words. If Short-listed: 30,000 words. Entry £26. All prizes include the opportunity to discuss with University of Exeter’s Creative Writing Department. Prizes: First: £1,500, a year of mentoring, consultation with a literary agent, Advice from an editor, Runner-up: £750, feedback, Highly Commended x 3: £150, manuscript appraisal, invitation to an industry day.


Open, essays max 1,500 words. Entry: €15 (multiple permitted). Prize €300 and publication.


UK base competition open to all, open themed, short story max 3,000 words. Entry: £12. Prizes First: £1,000, a creative writing course of the winner's choice and publication, Runners-up x 2: £200.


UK based competition open to all, responding to the theme song. Entry: £10

• Lyrics or Performed Song, size unspecified, prizes: £100, £50, £25

• Short Story 1,000 - 5,000 words, prizes: £1,000, £100, £50

• Poetry max 40 lines, prizes: £1,000, £100, £50

• Script max 10 pages, prizes: £100, £50, £25


UK base competition open to all, open themed, flash fiction max 500 words. Entry £5 and up. Prizes: £200, £300, £100.


US based competition open to all, open themed, short story max 3,000 words. Entry FREE. Prize $150 (USD).


Open to Australian women over the age of 18 years, open themed, short story max 1,500 words. Entry: $15, prizes: $350, $150.


Open to Australian writers, Theme: Relevant to regional Australia and within the themes of Lifestyle, Agriculture, Regional Living, Seasonal, Sport and Fillers. Accepts: Content suitable for regional newspapers and magazines, 200-600 words. Entry: FREE. $200, $400 and $600

Note: articles remain in the library and any fees paid by publishers will be split 60/40 to writer/platform.


Open to Australian and New Zealand writers. Short stories 1000-5000 words. Theme: ‘Hidden Creatures’: stories of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action and crime. With a focus on cryptids / cryptozoology they invite exciting stories that embrace folklore, mystery, speculation… and all the shadowy places in between. Entry: $22, discounts available. Prizes: Copy of the book, 15 minute pitch, plus either a. 5 further copies or b. $100 discount on manuscript appraisal.


US based competition. Scripts 2-30 pages. Entry $49-$59. Prizes: $USD 15,000 production grant, $USD 4,000 Finishing Funds Grant, and others receive feedback/various forms of distribution (see website).


Ireland based competition open to all, open themed, three poems of unspecified size. Entry: €24, prize €1,000 .


UK based competition open to people 17 years and over, open themed flash fiction max 300 words. Entry £8.50, prize £500.


UK based competition open to people over 16 years of age, open themed, short story max 2,000 words. Entry £6, prizes £200, £100, £50.


Open to Australians, theme ‘Own Voices’. Picture books 500 words max, Middle Grade, YA and Adult fiction first 1,000 words. Entry $25. Prizes: 12 months mentorship, zoom chat about the industry, consideration for publication.


Ireland based competition open to over-16-year-olds, nature writing, prose and poetry max 4,000 words. Entry: €16 Prizes: First: €1,000 and a week at The Moth Retreat in Ireland, Second: €500, Third: €250.


30 September: The Pearl Prize

Open to 18-year-olds and over. Creative writing max 2,000 words. Theme: A queer perspective from GSD or allies, “The Mystery Out There” and contain three of the following words/objects: Purse, Walking Stick, Umbrella, Poirot Moustache, Monocle, Glove. Entry $25-$35. Prize $2000 & opportunity to pitch a novella to Osborne and Fawkner Publishing


Open competition, open themed, poetry max 60 lines. Entry $27, prizes $1,000, $300, $100.


Open competition, open themed, poetry max 80 lines.

• Judith Rodrigues Open Section: Entry $20, prizes $3,000, $500.

• Louise Rockne Youth Section (12-18 years old): Entry FREE for first 4 entries ($5 thereafter), prizes $300, 100.


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