A collection of writing competitions, prizes, awards and opportunities open for submissions throughout the year for adult writers residing in NSW, Australia.
SEPTEMBER
25 September: Poem Forest 2026: The Sounds of Country
Poem Forest is a free nature writing program and prize that breathes life back into the natural world that sustains us. Created by Red Room Poetry, in partnership with Wollongong City Council, Poem Forest invites students and teachers to use their words to make positive climate action. For every nature poem received, a tree is planted to help heal habitats and create a Poem Forest for future generations.
28 September: Submissions open for the Newcastle Poetry Prize
For more than forty years, the Newcastle Poetry Prize has celebrated poetry from across Australia. Open to poems of any length up to 200 lines, the winning and shortlisted poems are published in the annual anthology, which captures the diversity of Australian poetry as it evolves.
30 September: Woorilla Poetry Prize
The Judith Rodriguez Open Section is open to all, for poems up to 80 lines. Entry is $20, with a first prize of $3,000 and $500 for the runner-up.
30 September: Rhiza Edge Short Story Competition
Rhiza Books, in partnership with Wombat Books, are looking for short stories with the theme of “Hidden Creatures”. They are open to 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. Stories can be of length 1000 to 5000 words.
30 September: Tom Collins Poetry Prize
Open to all, for poems up to 60 lines on any theme. Entry is $27 ($22 for members), with a first prize of $1,000.
30 September: The Larrikin House Prize
Open to Australian authors writing on the theme of Own Voices, across picture books, middle grade, YA and adult fiction. The winner receives a 12-month mentorship and consideration for publication.
30 September: The Moth Nature Writing Prize
The prize is awarded to three unpublished pieces of prose or poetry that best combine exceptional literary merit with an exploration of the writer’s relationship with the natural world. It is open to anyone aged over sixteen from anywhere in the world, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. Entries can be up to 4,000 words and the entry fee is €16. First prize is €1,000 plus a week at The Moth Retreat in Ireland, with €500 for second and €250 for third, and the winning pieces published online in the Irish Times.
OCTOBER
1–31 October: Literary agency Curtis Brown is open for submissions
Curtis Brown will be accepting submissions from ANZ residents from the 1st to the 31st of October. Please visit the submissions page on their website for more details.
2 October: Australian Society of Author’s Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship
The Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship is offered annually to an Australian author to provide them with valuable time to work on a current manuscript. It is offered by the Blake-Beckett Trust, thanks to the generosity of one of ASA’s long-term members and supporters, Wendy Beckett. The winner of the Scholarship will receive AU$35,000 and the runner-up will receive AU$15,000.
2 October: Regional Scribes: Screen Edition
Regional Scribes: Screen Edition is open to young people at any stage of their screenwriting and storytelling journey. Over five monthly online meet-ups, participants connect with like-minded peers across the country, hear from guest speakers active in their own screen careers, and receive $500 towards their professional development.
9 October: Elisabeth Maynard Writer-in-Residence Program
The Elisabeth Maynard Writer-in-Residence program supports emerging or established writers to develop their work in the beautiful natural surroundings of Frensham. In turn, students and staff benefit from workshops, mentorship and insight into the creative process, gaining inspiration and a deeper connection to the literary landscape.
14 October: Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2027
The prize will be judged by Mindy Gill, Nam Le, and Felicity Plunkett. The shortlisted poems will appear in the January-February 2027 issue. Now in its twenty-third year, the Porter Prize is one of Australia’s most lucrative and respected poetry awards.
15 October: MiNDFOOD Poetry Competition
Open to Australian and New Zealand residents, for poems of 100 to 400 words. Entry is free, with a $1,000 prize for the Australian winner and NZ$1,000 for the New Zealand winner.
17 October: MiNDFOOD Short Story Competition
Open to Australian and New Zealand residents, for stories of approximately 2,000 words, with about 100 words either side acceptable. Entry is free, with a $1,000 prize for the Australian winner.
30 October: 2026 Writers’ Studio Short Story Competition
Open to writers aged 18 and over, seeking short stories of up to 2500 words. The top three prize winning entries will be published on the Writers’ Studio website with the first-place prize being $1200.
30 October: SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award
Open to Australian residents, for crime fiction or non-fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words. Entry is $35. Presented as part of the Ned Kelly Awards.
30 October: The Varnish Prize for Fiction
The Varnish Prize for Fiction returns for 2026! They are seeking submissions of the most compelling, formally-inventive and vital unpublished short fiction. Submissions are open to everyone, but judges will select in accordance with Varnish Online’s mission to highlight emerging writers.
31 October: The 2026 Hope Prize
The Hope Prize is a short story competition looking for thoughtful engagement with the themes of hope, courage, or resilience. They passionately welcome all writers globally, at all stages of their writing journeys. The total prize pool for The Hope Prize is $13,000 AUD and the winning entries, along with selected highly commended stories, will be published in an anthology by Simon & Schuster Australia.
31 October: The Best of Times Short Story Competition #42 (Spring 2026)
The Best of Times short story competition is for humorous short stories up to 2,500 words. There are prizes for first, second and third place & certificates for highly commended and commended stories. Entry fee is $12 per story.
31 October: Ernestine Hill Memorial Award
Presented by FAW NSW and open to permanent residents of Australia, for short stories up to 4,000 words on the theme of Australian Country. Entry is $20, with a prize of $1,000.
31 October: Rae Cerhan Australiana Ballad Competition
Presented by FAW NSW and open to permanent residents of Australia, for ballads up to 100 lines on an Australiana theme. Entry is $18, with a first prize of $600, $200 for second and $100 for third.
31 October: Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize
Presented by Ballarat Writers and open to all, for poems up to 40 lines on the theme “Night”. Entry is $35, or $25 for Ballarat Writers members, with $15 for each additional poem. First prize is $1,000.
31 October: Noosa Arts Theatre National One-Act Playwriting Competition
For one-act plays running 30 to 45 minutes. Entry is $60, with the Eleanor Nimmo Prize for Best Play worth $10,000, plus $3,000 for second, $1,000 for third and a $500 audience choice award.
31 October: The Aluminium Crown
Open to writers over 18, for speculative short fiction of 500 to 4,000 words responding to a prompt imagining Melbourne’s CBD enclosed within a protective structure by 2055. Entry is free, and prize funds are drawn entirely from the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme.
31 October: Short Stories Unlimited Short Story Competition
For short stories up to 5,000 words on the theme “Future”. Entry is $10, with a first prize of $200, $100 for second and $50 for third, each with a copy of the ebook.
31 October: Short Stories Unlimited Poetry Competition
Poetry on the theme “Future” with no set length limit. Entry is $5, with a first prize of $100, $50 for second and $25 for third, each with a copy of the ebook.
31 October: The National Poetry Competition
A UK competition run by the Poetry Society, open to writers 18 and over worldwide for poems up to 40 lines. Entry is £9, with £6 for each subsequent poem in the same submission. First prize is £5,000, with £3,000 for second and £2,000 for third.
31 October: The Bedford Competition
A UK competition open to writers 17 and over, with separate short story (3,000 words) and poetry (40 lines) sections. Entry is £8.50 or three for £17, with reduced rates for full-time students. First prize in each section is £2,000, and there is a £300 Cygnature Prize for entrants aged 25 and under.
31 October: Anthology Poetry Award
An Irish competition open to all, for poems up to 40 lines. The regular deadline entry fee is €18, with a first prize of €1,000, €250 for second and €150 for third.
NOVEMBER
1 November: The Ethics Centre 2026 Young Writers’ Competition
The Ethics Centre is committed to amplifying young people’s perspectives on what an ethical society looks like to them. Their annual writing competition is an exciting chance for young writers to share their ideas with a wide, engaged audience. The winner of each age category will receive a prize pack valued at $500, comprising a $250 cash prize and a $250 Rhodia voucher. They will also have their essay published digitally by The Ethics Centre. Two runners-up in each age category will also have their essays published digitally by The Ethics Centre.
14 November: F(r)iction Fall Contest
A US competition open to writers over 13, with categories for short story (1,001 to 7,500 words), flash fiction (1,000 words) and poetry (three pages per poem). First prizes are USD $1,000 for short story and USD $300 for flash and poetry, each with publication, and five finalists in each category receive a professional edit.
15 November: Lesley Derksen Visiting Fellowship in Children’s Literature
The Lesley Derksen Visiting Fellowship in Children’s Literature provides an opportunity for an established author or scholar from outside Western Australia to spend time at Edith Cowan University, sharing their expertise through activities such as lectures, workshops, seminars and community engagement.
24 November: Ninth Heaven Issue III: Creation & Festivity
Ninth Heaven Issue III: Creation & Festivity is open for poetry, fiction, essays, art and sound. They welcome work from both new and established writers and artists. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis, with a target response time of 4-6 weeks.
30 November: The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition
An Irish competition open to all, for poems up to 40 lines. Entry is €7 or five for €30. First prize is €2,000 plus a featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival with four nights’ accommodation and full board, with €500 for second and €250 for third.
30 November: The Bath Children’s Novel Award
A UK award open to international writers yet to be traditionally published, across YA novels, novels for teens, children’s novels, early readers, chapter books and picture book texts. Entrants submit the first 5,000 words plus a one-page synopsis. Entry is £33, with some sponsored places available for writers on low incomes, and a first prize of £5,000.
30 November: Anthology Travel Writing Competition
An Irish competition open to all, for articles up to 1,000 words on the theme of an authentic travel experience. The standard entry fee is €15, with a prize of €300.
30 November: The 2027 Perentie Prize
The Perentie Prize is for graphic novel manuscripts (text only) is now open. The winner will receive an offer of publication with Perentie Press, as well as a $2000 advance towards royalties.
DECEMBER
1 December: 2027 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize
The Hawkeye Manuscript Development Prize has proven fertile ground for uncovering new and emerging talent, with many authors coming to our attention during the competition. This year, two winners will be selected — one winner from the Hawkeye Prize Open Category and one winner from the Hawkeye Prize – Own Voices category. Both winners receive a trade publishing contract with Hawkeye plus an editing package valued at $3,500. Additionally, all manuscripts longlisted and shortlisted are announced on our website and in our newsletter.
JANUARY 2027
28 January: Next Generation Short Story Awards
Calling all short story writers, even first time authors, internationally who have original, unpublished short stories (5,000 words or less per story) written in English to enter this awards program. Take advantage of this exciting opportunity and have your short story considered for a cash prize, gold medal, complimentary invitation to the annual Next Generation Indie Book Awards (NGIBA) gala, literary exposure, and inclusion in a complimentary digital Anthology.
GENERAL JOURNAL & MAGAZINE SUBMISSIONS
Archer Magazine
An award-winning print publication about sexuality, gender and identity, published twice yearly with a focus on lesser-heard voices and the uniqueness of our experiences.
Aurealis
Australia’s long-running speculative fiction magazine, considering science fiction, fantasy and horror short stories. Submissions open for set periods across the year.
Australian Book Review
One of Australia’s major cultural magazines, presenting high-quality journalism and new writing. ABR welcomes pitches for commentary essays on topics of political and cultural moment.
Australian Poetry Journal
Published six-monthly and guest-edited each issue by different voices to ensure excellence and inclusivity. Also publishes articles.
Babyteeth Journal
Accepting submissions across many artforms, including poetry, prose and scripts.
Backslash Lit
Invites work that uses digital and electronic mediums as a vessel for creativity, including source code poetry, hypertext poetry, interactive fiction, ASCII art and generative art.
Bramble
A journal based in the Illawarra that is edited by, and solely publishes creative work by, disabled writers and artists.
Buzz Words
Buzz Words is the premier twice-monthly e-magazine for those in the Australian children’s book industry with information about Australian and overseas markets, events, opportunities, and industry news, as well as interviews and feature articles. There are opportunities for subscribers to get published in the magazine or book review website.
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
Non-fiction and fiction callouts open four times a year against a loose edition theme, while poetry callouts are also four times a year but open to any subject.
HEAT Literary Magazine
Welcoming submissions of fiction, essays, hybrid forms and translated works, HEAT is published five 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, the Pacific and Australians living abroad.
Kill Your Darlings
KYD now accepts short fiction submissions from members year-round, with a minimum payment of $1000. (Writers who aren’t yet members are welcome to join and submit.)
Liminal
An online space for the exploration, interrogation and celebration of the Asian-Australian experience.
Mascara Literary Review
Currently accepting fiction and non-fiction up to 3000 words and reviews 1200-1500 words.
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.
Peril Magazine
An online magazine focused on Asian Australian arts and culture, showcasing poetry, drama, translations, creative writing, memoir, essays, interviews and critical writing across the arts.
Plumwood Mountain
An Australian and international journal of ecopoetry and ecopoetics.
Portside Review
Publishes poetry and prose, including essays, reviews, interviews and short stories. Submissions are free, open all year, and there is no limit on how many times you can submit.
Puentes Review
Published twice a year, welcoming previously unpublished fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translations and artwork from Latinx artists and writers in Australia. All successful contributions are paid.
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.
Rabbit
A pioneer in the field, Rabbit celebrates the potential for poetry to explore and interrogate the boundaries of nonfiction writing.
Right Now
Accepts pitches on human rights issues in Australia. Unpaid.
Stereo Stories
Publishes evocative, concise stories and short memoir built around a song.
Southerly
One of Australia’s oldest literary journals, Southerly opens periodically for submissions of short fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and academic essays from Australian and New Zealand citizens, or residents of Australia.
Stylus Lit
An Australian bi-annual online literary journal publishing poetry, short fiction, novel excerpts, creative non-fiction, interviews and reviews.
The Big Issue
An independent magazine publishing informative and entertaining articles across arts and entertainment, street culture, lifestyle and personal profiles, as well as fiction.
The Borough
An online poetry journal with an annual print anthology, seeking both local and international poetry. See the website for specific callouts.
The Human Writers
The Human Writers began as an Australia-based webzine but is now seeking previously unpublished non-fiction contributions from writers aged 60+ from all around the world. Writers 60+ can send stories of 1000 words or fewer, including a photo with their piece, and where they live.
The School Magazine
Australia’s most-loved literary magazine for children. The School Magazine is open year-round to stories, articles, poetry, plays and persuasive writing for readers aged 7–12. They welcome submissions from both established and emerging writers, respond within 30 days and pay on publication.
The Suburban Review
Celebrates work that might otherwise fall through the cracks of mainstream publishing, providing a platform for under-represented and structurally excluded voices.
Varnish
Varnish discards traditional word limits and encourages longer works, allowing more thematically complex and timeless explorations, aiming to introduce readers to fresh mental frameworks and unexamined connections. Play with form, play with length, play with the reader.
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.
Do you have an opportunity you’d like to see listed?
Writing NSW lists opportunities for writers (such as competitions and fellowships) at our discretion. All opportunities are to have a maximum of 200 characters not including links, which we can hyperlink.
Due to the high level of demand and restricted time-frame, please be sure to submit your opportunities in the format shown in this example:
26 August: KSP Emerging Writers’ Residencies
Three positions for four weeks for talented writers able to show application to the craft of writing. Selected writers will have some published material in the print, visual or broadcast media. Salary $2250. Visit www.kspf.iinet.net.au.
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