Writing competitions closing August 2026

1 August: Limnia

Limina, a graduate-level, peer-reviewed journal operating out of UWA, are calling for papers for their 2027 Special Edition on “Memory”. They accept non-fiction articles, prose, poetry and creative research. Please submit your article as an email attachment in MS Word format or Rich Text Format to liminajournal@gmail.com. Appears free to enter.

2 August: 2026 UQP Mentorship Prize for Under-represented Writers

Open to Australians and permanent residents over 18 years of age and currently living in Australia. Mentorship and residency prize for previously unpublished authors from communities under-represented in Australian writing and publishing. Submit the first 5,000 words of a fiction or non-fiction manuscript for adults or children (excluding picture books). The prize is designed to support emerging writers in developing a manuscript for possible future publication. Free to enter.

7 August: 2026 Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story CompetitionHawkeye are looking for stories with powerful beginnings, rising tension, and a climax that resonates, to the theme of I’m Glad You Called. Prize: $200 cash prize, anthology cover based on the winner’s story and other perks.

25 August: Book Pipeline Adaptation Contest

Open to published writers over the age of 18 (traditional and self-published), for published fiction and nonfiction, graphic novels and comics, and short stories for film and TV development, open genre. Entry $60. Prize: $5,000, film/TV industry circulation and project development

25 August: Book Pipeline Unpublished Competition

Open internationally to over 18s. Unpublished manuscripts of the genres below written in English. Submission requirements vary by category. Literary, mystery, horror/thriller, romance, sci-fi & fantasy, general fiction, young adult, middle grade, picture books, nonfiction & memoir, comics & graphic novels. Entry $60. Prizes: $2,500 for each category plus a range of benefits.

27 August: Shane and Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting 

Open to Full and Associate members of the Australian Writers’ Guild. Categories: Stage, and Theatre for Young Adults. Prize pool: $60,000. Entry seems free (aside from membership). See website for details.

31 August: Port Writers Inc.

Short stories max 2500 words, poems up to 32 lines. Entry $10, prizes $200, %50, %50. Submit to portwriterscomp@gmail.com