Competitions Listing

This page lists competitions, both large and small. For hints on how to make the most of entering a competition, please see our Competitions page. Awards and prizes are listed under Opportunities. The listings below are in calendar order by closing dates. You'll find our most recent postings show the closing date in red (so if you're a regular visitor, please scroll down the page), while the closing dates for our older postings will be in black.

Writing competitions have proliferated since the advent of the internet and not all of them are genuine:

• be wary of competitions asking for hefty entry fees but offering small prizes
• the Australian Society of Authors suggests that a $5 fee for prize money over $1,000 is acceptable
• the ASA provides a set of guidelines free on their website
• the results should be made public
• the judges should be listed on the entry form
• if publication is part of the deal make sure that you’re not signing away your copyright under the conditions of entry
• make sure that you have all of the organiser’s contact details and caution is advised if the address is a PO Box.

Dogged perseverance often pays off … as many of our members will attest. Good luck!

Positive Words Short Story & Poetry Competition and Mini-Competitions
Positive Words magazine runs a Short Story & Poetry Competition and a number of monthly Mini-Competitions themed around keywords. For details and entry forms, please go to the website link above or contact the editor, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Last Day of Each Month: Darker Times Fiction Short Story Competition
Entries up to 3000 words on the subject of 'darker times'. 1st prize is a percentage of money raised that month plus publication on the website and in a Darker Times Anthology. Runners up will also be published on the site and in the anthology. Please email your entry to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

June 17: Impress Prize for New Writers 2013 Competition
The prize is in its seventh year and its aim is to find exciting new, unpublished writing talent. The winner will receive a publishing contract from Impress Books and will be chosen from a shortlist by a panel of judges working in the book industry.

June 18: Prada Journal Short Story Competition, 2013
Open to all writers 18 years plus. €5000 prize money for selected winner or winners. Short story of no less than 2000 words to a maximum of 4000. Competition and full list of terms available via the above link. Prada is a global luxury company renowned for innovation and creativity.

June 20: ALR Short Story Competition
The theme for this month's ALR competition is mystery or detective. Send a short story of 1000-3000 words via email. The prize is a book pack and feedback.

June 30: ABB Playwriting Competition
US competition seeks plays, comedies, musicals and screenplays that present 'LGBT life in a positive manner' and are 'based on or directly inspired by a historical person, culture, work of art or event.'

June 30: Scribblers Literary Competition
 Prose and Poetry sections each First prize $350, Second Prize $150, Third Prize $100. Short stories to 2,000 words, poetry to 40 lines. Details and entry form via the link above.

June 30: Langhorne Creek Writers' Festival Adult Writing Competition
Three contests. Two prose categories up to 2,000 words each: Open Theme (on any topic), or Langhorne Creek Theme (on a topic related to Langhorne Creek, South Australia), and poetry up to 50 lines on any topic. For each contest: First Place $500, Second Place $200, Third Place $100. Winning entries will be announced at the Festival September 21st, and will be read at the Cellar Door Muster October 13th. Entry to the Writing Competitions is FREE. Entry form via link above or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

June 30: Adelaide Plains Chapter and Verse Fairy Tale Twisted Sideways competition.
Open Section only with prize pool of up to $1000. Take a fairy tale and give it a good twist! Maximum 2000 word limit. Entry form and guidelines Carolyn Cordon. 

June 30: Motorcycle Short Story Competition
A $1000 cash prize for best true or fictional story, from 500 to 3000 words, involving motorcycles and their riders. No entry fee. Details at www.motorbikelegends.com.au

July 5: Picture Book Writing and Illustration Competitions
500 word limit. Open theme. 1st prize $100, plus manuscript assessment, 2nd prize $75 and 3rd prize $50. Original picture book manuscripts only. Winners announced at the 5th Sutherland Shire Writers' Festival. Full details  at the above link.

10 July: National Open Short Story Competition
Run by The Society of Women Writers NSW; entries must be unpublished, max 2500 words, entry fee $10 per story. For details & entry form follow the link above.

July 12: All Poetry Competition
Prizes $200, $100, $60. Open theme. Original, unpublished poetry 14-40 lines. Entry fee $7 per poem. Organisers, Judges: Kitchen Table Poets, Shoalhaven.

July 22: Yarram Community Learning Centre
Open theme. Short stories (1,500-3,000 words) and poetry (8-48 lines) rhyming or free verse. Short story first prize $200, second prize $100. Poetry first prize $100, second prize $50. Entry fee $5 per story, $3 per poem. To request an entry form – PO Box 212, Yarram, Vic, 3971, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Phone (03) 51 826 294.

July 26: FAW Eastern Suburbs Branch [Bondi Writers] 2013 Short Story Competition.
Open theme. Maximum length 3,000 words. Unlimited entries, no entry form required, attach cover sheet with author details. White A4 paper, no names on manuscript, double line spaced, and pages numbered please. Entry must not have won a monetary prize nor have been published as at the close date. Include SSAE for results and judge's report. $5 per entry: cheque/money order payable to Bondi Writers Group. First Prize $200. Second prize $100. Entries to be sent to: Competition Convenor, Bondi Writers, P.O. Box 701, Bondi Junction, NSW, 1355.

July 30: QRRRWN and writers' web Stort Story Competition 2013
Celebrating QRRRWN 20th birthday, 'Looking forward, looking back' is open to all Australian women, 16 years and over, short story up to 2500 words. Fiction or non-fiction, ten from each will be chosen as a shortlist and included in a eBook produced by writers' web. The 'most inspirational' story will be selected. Details and entry form via the above link.

August 31: Gold Coast Writers' Workshops Short Story Competition
Open themed competition with a $100 1st prize plus printing voucher for 1st and 2nd places for stories up to 1500 words.

September 1: FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD Short Story Competition
Shadeofloud presents FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD Short Story Competition. Open to all. First prize £250. 1500 words max. £10 per entry. More details: www.shadeofloud.com/competition

September 7: The Toolangi C. J. Dennis Poetry Competition 2013
Three Adult categories ('Open', 'Adults Writing for Children, and 'Themed'), each with $250 1st prize. Junior categories (Primary and Secondary) also. Details and entry form here.

Sept 27: Clare Writers' Festival – The Write Week! Short Story/Poetry Competition
3 sections: Open theme – short story to 1500 words. Themed 'Mystery in the Clare Valley' – short story to 1500 words. Open Poetry up to 60 lines. $100 prize for 1st in each category, as well as written feedback provided to the winners and three runners up in each category. Unlimited entries. Entry form required. Entry form email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and find us on Facebook.

September 30: Scribes Writers Short Story and Memoir Award 2013
Open Section with a $200 1st prize and $100 2nd prize for Fictional Short Stories up to 1,000 words. $100 1st prize and $50.00 2nd prize for Memoir. Details from www.scribeswriters.com

November 29: Busybird Publishing's Great Novella Search Competition
Busybird Publishing is launching the Great Novella Search competition. Opens 1st August, closes 29th November. Winner receives $1,000 prize money, and digital and print publication. 20,000-40,000 words, no genre specifications. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or check the above link for details.

November 30: Bottle Tree Productions One Act Competition for Writers 2013
First Prize $1,000, Second prize $250, Third prize $100. Closing date November 30, 2013. For more info please go to http://www.bottletreeinc.com/script_contest.html