Members
Competitions and Opportunities
Write North Writers’ Group Residency
Closing date:14 May 2021
The residency is valued at almost $40,000, including in-kind and the cash value of the residency, plus $10,000 direct financial support. It will support a writers’ group of up to four members in a creative residency across seven days in Byron Bay.
The Stuart Hadow Prize
Closing date: 1 June 2021
Run by the Fellowship of Australian Writers Western Australia (FAWWA), this annual short story contest has a first prize of $1000 and a week of unpaid residency at Mattie Furphy House in Swanbourne. Second prize receives $300 and third prize $100. It is open themed with a maximum of 3,000 words per previously unpublished story. FAWWA may publish winning entries in its publications.
More details: https://www.fawwa.org/writing-competitions
The ARA Historical Novel Prize
Date closing: 14 June 2021
The ARA Historical Novel Prize is the richest genre-based literary award in Australasia. Historical fiction will be defined as a novel in which the majority of the narrative must have taken place at least 50 years before publication. A range of sub-genres are eligible, including historical mystery, historical romance, alternate history, historical fantasy, multi-time, time-slip, and parallel narrative novels. The ARA Historical Novel Prize is open to all authors who are citizens or residents of Australia or New Zealand, with prize monies totalling $100,000.
More details: https://hnsa.org.au/the-2021-ara-historical-novel-prize/
The Moth International Short Story Prize
Closing date: 30 June 2021
The Moth Short Story Prize is an international prize, open to anyone over 16 from anywhere in the world, as long as their story is original and previously unpublished. The winners are chosen by a single judge each year, who reads the stories anonymously. The 2021 judge is Ali Smith. The word limit is 5,000 and entry fee is €15 per story. There is an open theme, with first place taking out €3,000.
More details: themothmagazine.com
Byron Writers Festival Residential Mentorship
Closing date: 30 June 2021
The mentorship provides five days in a glorious Byron Shire location with accommodation and some meals provided, one-on-one mentoring with Marele Day and the company of three other committed writers. It’s an experience that many have described as life-changing, a time to forge lasting friendships and discover what lies at the heart of your work. Open to members of Byron Writers Festival.
More details: http://byronwritersfestival.com/members/residential-mentorship/
Susie Warrick Young Writers Award
Closing date: 30 June 2021
This short-story competition is open to students (from stages 3, 4 and 5) living in the Northern Rivers and has three age categories. Enter an original short story of up to 1000 words for a chance to win up to $500 and publishing opportunities with Byron Writers Festival.
More details: http://byronwritersfestival.com/swywa/
ACU Prize for Poetry
Closing date: 5 July 2021
The Australian Catholic University Prize for Poetry supports the emergence of new and dynamic Australian poets and poetry. The total prize money is $18,000, with the first prize $10,000. The 2021 theme is ‘Resilience’ and will be judged by M.T.C Cronin. Poems should not exceed 80 lines and there is an entry fee of $25 per poem.
More details: artsandculture.acu.edu.au/initiatives-and-prizes/acu-prize-for-poetry
Varuna Residential Fellowships
Closing date: 29 July 2021
Varuna Residential Fellowships offer two to three weeks of full board and accommodation at Varuna, uninterrupted time to write in a private studio, and one-on-one input from a Varuna consultant. Submissions are welcome from writers working in all creative forms, including fiction, drama, poetry, children’s books, and narrative non-fiction.
More details: https://www.varuna.com.au/fellowships/varuna