A collection of writing competitions, prizes, awards and opportunities open for submissions throughout the year for adult writers residing in NSW, Australia.
MARCH
17 March: International Lamplight Online Fellowship – Ireland
Connecting Australian and Irish writers, this two-week online fellowship is an opportunity for published fiction writers to enjoy the combined mentorship and support of Varuna and the Irish Writers Centre. Find inspiration, enjoy professional development opportunities, and build international connections.
20 March: Levitate: Artist Call-Out
LEVITATE is a new mentorship program from Outloud for emerging artists from Western Sydney aged 16-27 living with disability, chronic illness or mental ill-health. They will be mentored by professional artists also from these communities over 7 weeks to develop a piece of work. The mentorship will culminate in a work-in-progress showing.
20 March: KINGS x un Emerging Writers Program
KINGS Artist-Run Emerging Writers’ Program has partnered with un Projects to develop short-form critical reviews to be published on un Extended. Participants will have the opportunity to develop a exhibition review to be published on un Extended. Emerging writers will receive feedback and editorial assistance from KINGS and un Projects personnel. Writers selected for the 2025 program will also benefit from writing workshops.
20 March: Sitcom (II) NSW Youth Week
PYT Fairfield is looking for writers to create a 5-minute sitcom script for this year’s SITCOM Event! The story can be about anything, as long as the scene stays within the dining room setting and remains suitable for a youth-focused audience. PYT Fairfield is prioritising submissions from young and emerging Western Sydney writers (aged 30 and under). This is a paid opportunity – the writers of the two selected scripts will each receive $400, and have their scenes performed and workshopped as part of their sitcom event in front of a live studio audience filmed by Curiously West Film Club.
23 March: The Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund
In partnership with the Myer Foundation, the Travel Fund supports emerging, midcareer, and established Australian writers and literary sector workers in pursuing professional development opportunities. This includes writers, editors, agents, publishers, librarians, booksellers, employees and associates of literary organisations and journals, and other literary professionals currently living in Australia. Applicants can apply for grants between $2,000 and $10,000. These grants support professional development through travel.
23 March: Kill Your Darlings Flash Fiction Prize
Kill Your Darlings welcomes submissions of previously unpublished stories, between 750–1000 words. Judged by KYD editor Suzy Garcia and publishing director and CEO Rebecca Starford, the winner will receive $1000, and three runners-up will receive $500. All winning pieces will be published online at Kill Your Darlings.
24 March: Cultivate Mentorship Program for Emerging Writers from Diverse Backgrounds
As part of the 2025 Cultivate program, up to five emerging writers from Indigenous or culturally diverse backgrounds will be given the opportunity to work on a short piece of fiction or non-fiction (2000-5000 words) under the guidance of author and editor, with additional support from Writing NSW.
24 March: Jim Sharman Future Award
Are you ready to lead the arts into a new era? The Jim Sharman Future Award offers AUD$50,000 in funding and tailored NIDA support to turn your radical idea or project into reality. The Award is open to visionaries aged 16-30 from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
31 March: The Calanthe Collective Prize for Unpublished Poetry 2025
Designed to encourage aspiring and current poets, the competition has an open category for poets of any age who have not been previously published and an under 18 category restricted to school aged poets. The open category winner will receive $1000 and two highly commended winners will receive $250 each. The under 18 winner will receive $400 and two highly commended winners will receive $100 each.
31 March: Frank Broeze Memorial Maritime History Book Prize
To be awarded for a non-fiction book treating any aspect of maritime history relating to or affecting Australia, written or co-authored by an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and published between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2024. The book should be published in Australia, although titles written by Australian authors but published overseas may be considered at the discretion of the judges. The winner will receive $8,000.
31 March: Australian Community Maritime History Prize
To be awarded to a regional or local museum or historical society for a publication (book, booklet, educational resource kit, DVD, film or other print or digital media, including websites, databases and oral histories) relating to an aspect of maritime history of that region or community, and published between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2024. The winner will receive $2,000 and a year’s subscription to the Australian Association for Maritime History and a year’s subscription to the Australian National Maritime Museum’s quarterly magazine Signals.
31 March: NSW Poetry Prize
NSW Poetry Prize is an inaugural initiative of community members to reward and recognise creative and diverse voices in our poetic landscape. The award is open to writers from any country aged 16 years and over. The theme for the competition is ‘discovery’. First place will receive $200 AUD, second place will receive $100 AUD, and third place will receive $50 AUD.
31 March: Tom Grass Prize
The Tom Grass Prize is looking for a short piece of stand-alone fiction, non-fiction or journalistic writing of 1,500 – 3,000 words embodying the ‘spirit of adventure’. The prize is open to emerging writers over 25 from around the world. First prize will receive £1000 and two runners up will each receive £500.
31 March: The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction, Poetry, Books and Non-Fiction
The Letter Review welcomes entries of short fiction, poetry, books and non-fiction. 2-4 winners will be announced from each category. They will be published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Up to 20 writers will be shortlisted. All entries considered for publication.
APRIL
4 April: The 2025 Book Links Short Story Competition
Writers aged 18+ are invited to enter the 2025 Book Links Short Story competition. Entries should be a short story, maximum of 1500 words, suitable for children of any age up to 15 years old. The winner will receive $250.00, and they will be invited to have their story published on Book Links website.
7 April: Griffith Review Emerging Voices Competition
Griffith Review’s Emerging Voices competitions calls for original submissions of fiction and creative non-fiction from 3500 to 5000 words. Entrants can write to any theme, but they’re looking for work that commands our attention. The winners will share a prize pool of $20,000 and their work will be published in Griffith Review.
7 April: Copyright Agency First Nations Fellowships
Twelve fellowships will be awarded to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers from anywhere in Australia, for a one-week residency at Varuna, either 24 November – 1 December 2025 or 1 – 8 December 2025. Writers will be allocated a fellowship week based on how their work might align for collaboration, or their availability. This fellowship program is open to writers of all genres, including fiction, narrative non-fiction, poetry, children’s books, graphic novels, dramatic/screenwriting, writing for radio, translation, young adult, essays or short fiction.
11 April: Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award Judging Panel EOIs
Waverley Council invites authors, academics, literary critics, and book industry professionals to submit an Expression Of Interest (EOI) to join the Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award Judging Panel for a three-year tenure covering the 2025, 2026 and 2027 Award programs. The annual judging cycle typically spans from late April until October. A new judge is appointed to the panel of 3 each year, replacing the longest serving member.
13 April: Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction
The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction is awarded for fiction under 2000 words. The winner will receive €2000, a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, a consultation with a literary agent and a manuscript assessment. Two runner-ups will receive €1000 and all shortlisted writers will be published in a limited edition book.
14 April: Penguin Random House’s Write It Fellowship
Write It seeks to nurture and develop unpublished voices across all genres, focusing on First Nations and CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) writers, writers from socio-economically marginalised backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ and writers with a disability. The successful applicants will be mentored by Penguin Random House Australia editors across twelve months, with the hope of publication. Additionally, as part of the fellowship, each of the successful applicants will receive a $2000 writing grant and the opportunity to participate in a PRHA Open House Session.
16 April: The Daisy Utemorrah Award
The Daisy Utemorrah Award is looking for an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction by a First Nations author. It is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people currently living in Australia. The winner of the award recieves $15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books.
22 April: 2025 Shalom Collective Australian Jewish Writer Awards
Four prizes celebrating contemporary Jewish writers and new works published during the 2024 calendar year, including two new awards. Submissions are now open and close on 22 April 2025 and winners will be announced in August.
27 April: Romanian/Australian Anthology
DIALOGUES is the tenth volume in Mihaela Cristescu’s series of Romanian and Australian Anthologies of Contemporary Poetry and Prose. Entries for DIALOGUES are open until 27 April 2025. The 2025/26 theme is ‘dialogues’ and Mihaela welcomes diverse responses. You might not read Romanian, but most Romanian writers know some English. The collection will be published in Romania this year and launched in Sydney at the State Library of NSW in March 2026.
27 April: 2025 Poetry Prize – ‘Flight’
The Liquid Amber 2025 Poetry Prize invites you to explore the idea of ‘flight’ – and to take it in whatever direction you wish. First prize will receive $1,250 and second prize is $650. The best poem by an emerging poet will receive a mentorship pack with Rose Lucas.
30 April: 2025 Furphy Literary Award
The 2025 Furphy Literary Award is open for writers to submit a short story of up to 5,000 words. Entry is free and three winners, along with an additional 13 shortlisted stories will be published in The Furphy Anthology 2025. Prizes include $15,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, and $2,000 for third place.
30 April: Creative NSW Project Funding Applications for Creative Steps and Next Steps
Do you have a project or professional development opportunity that requires funding? You can apply for Creative NSW Creative Steps funding for new work, or Next Steps funding for professional development to advance your career. (Website will be updated to reflect round two dates and guidelines in March 2025).
MAY
1 May: Questions Writing Prize
The 2025 Questions Writing Prize aims to recognise and reward young Australian writers (18 to 30 years). The writing can be fiction or non-fiction on any topic as long as the piece remains between 1,500 and 2,000 words. The prize for the best writing submitted is $3,000 (where there is more than one winner the prize money will be shared). The winner of the Questions Writing Prize will have their work published in a forthcoming issue of Questions.
5 May: Varuna Residential Fellowships
Varuna Residential Fellowships offer uninterrupted time to write in your own private studio and a one-hour mentorship conversation with a Varuna consultant. All food is provided, with an evening meal prepared by our chefs Jane, Sheila and Dionne, to be enjoyed with the companionship of your fellow writers – at any time, there are six writers-in-residence at Varuna.
30 May: The Australian Fiction Prize
The Australian Fiction Prize is an annual prize for a book-length work of fiction. Open to all Australian writers, the winner will receive prize money of $20,000, plus an advance of $15,000, and publication by Australia’s leading publisher, HarperCollins Australia.
31 May: AWMA Writing Competition
Albury Wodonga Martial Arts (AWMA) is celebrating their 10th year! Amongst their special events they are including a writing competition on the theme of Martial Arts with Martial Artists Magazine Australia publishing the winning entries. Entries can be fiction or non-fiction and prizes of up to $200 are available.
31 May: The Spiers Prize
The Spiers Prize is awarded annually to an unpublished manuscript, between 25,000 to 80,000 words, written for a readership of 8+ and suitable for the formats of middle grade fiction or young adult fiction. The winner will be offered a publishing contract with UWA Publishing and a cash prize of $5,000. Submissions for the Prize will open at 10am AWST 1 May 2025 and will close at 11.59pm AWST 31 May 2025.
JUNE
27 June: 2025 Unpublished Novel Award
The Unpublished Novel Award celebrates stellar unpublished manuscripts in seven genres: Children’s & Young Adult, Crime & Mystery, Horror, Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense. A panel of esteemed, shortlist judges with backgrounds in book publishing, film, and television will select one exceptional manuscript in each genre to receive a $10,000 grant to support it on the journey to publication.
30 June: Bundyi Writing Prize
The Bundyi Writing prize winner will receive a cash prize of AUD$10,000 sponsored by Simon & Schuster Australia and includes manuscript development with a First Nations editor. The winner will also have the opportunity to receive a standard book publishing contract with the Bundyi Imprint in relation to their Manuscript. Entries open only to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writers.
JULY
31 July: The Children’s Peace Literature Award
The Children’s Peace Literature Award recognises books in which the main character(s) encourage the peaceful resolution of conflict and/or promote peace at the global, local or interpersonal level. Authors who have published a book for children (up to 18 years) in the period commencing two years prior to July 2025 are eligible for consideration for the prize. Successful candidates for the Children’s Peace Literature Award will receive an equal share of the award of $4000.
GENERAL JOURNAL & MAGAZINE SUBMISSIONS
Babyteeth Journal
Accepting submissions across many artforms, including poetry, prose and scripts.
Cordite Poetry Review
A quarterly Australian and international journal of poetry, criticism and research. Regularly open for submission of unpublished poems from Australian and overseas-based writers.
Frankie Magazine
A bi-monthly magazine welcoming submissions from writers that have their own individual voices, speaking their minds.
Griffith Review
Open four times each year, accepting submissions of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and occasional special projects.
HEAT Literary Magazine
Welcoming submissions of fiction, essays, hybrid forms and translated works, HEAT is published six times a year in a slim, intimate format, that throws sharp focus on the work of the featured authors.
Island Magazine
A not-for-profit premium Australian literary magazine of fiction, poetry, nonfiction and arts features. Looking to provide opportunities for new, emerging and established writers from Australia, New Zealand and Australians living abroad.
Mascara Literary Review
Currently accepting fiction and non-fiction up to 3000 words and reviews 1200-1500 words.
Meanjin
Meanjin publishes quarterly in print and daily online. Submissions are open periodically and when open, they welcome pieces written in any language by Australian writers and artists. Pitches or pieces from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culturally and racially marginalised people, and people with disability are strongly encouraged.
Meniscus
An online, free access literary journal publishing high quality, innovative poetry, short fiction, and creative essays in English, or in other languages with a good parallel translation. Meniscus publishes two issues a year: in April, and in October.
Overland Magazine
Accepting submissions of completed fiction and non-fiction articles and poems, 3000 words or less.
Quadrant
Accepts unsolicited, previously unpublished articles that fit within its general profile of a journal of ideas, essays, literature, poetry and historical and political debate.
Southerly
One of Australia’s oldest literary journals, Southerly accepts short fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and academic essays from Australian and New Zealand citizens, or residents of Australia.
Westerly
Publishes short stories, micro-fiction, poetry, memoir and creative non-fiction, artwork, comics, essays and literary criticism.
Writing NSW publishes these free listings in good faith but does not endorse or warrant the accuracy of any information.
Find out more about getting published and submitting your writing to journals with our information sheets.