Members
Competitions and Opportunities
Writing NSW Access for Regional Writers Grants
Ongoing
Travel grants of $300 help writers in regional NSW access professional development. Regional writers in any genre can use a grant to participate in an approved professional development event, such as a workshop or seminar, designed to further their writing skills or career as a writer.
The Horne Prize
Closing date: 9 November
Aesop and The Saturday Paper have been cultural partners since 2014, promoting the written word through an annual calendar of events. Together, they nurture writers of longform non-fiction through The Horne Prize, an essay award valued at $15,000. The Horne Prize will be given for an essay of exceptional quality, of 3000 words or less.
Joyce Parkes Women’s Writers Prize
Closing date: 30 November
The Joyce Parkes prize is open to women writers in Australia. Both fiction and non-fiction entries are allowed, and must be between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length. Prize money on offer is $500, while there is an entry fee of $10 per piece.
Blackened Billy Verse Competition
Closing date: TBC
The Blackened Billy Verse Competition is open to works of bush verse that fit on one A4 piece of paper. Organised by the Tamworth Poetry Reading Group, the competition winner will be announced at Tamworth Country Music Festival. Entry fee is $10 per poem, or $20 for three.
Sudden Writing Prize
Closing date: 15 November
The Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) & Voiceworks (Express Media) invite submissions of Sudden Writing from emerging writers under 25. Accepting short-short fiction, “sudden” fiction, “sketchy” stories, creative nonfiction, poetry, as well as hybrid forms. The winning writer will receive $500 in prize money, publishing opportunities with Express Media, and a Voiceworks subscription.
Copyright Agency First Nations Fellowships
Closing date: mid December
Five fellowships, including accommodation, all meals, travel expenses and manuscript consultations, are awarded to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers from anywhere in Australia. This fellowship program is open to writers of all genres and submissions in language are welcomed.
With thanks to our wonderful office volunteers, Colleen O’Brien and Carolyn Anderson, who helped collate this list.