Acknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge that Byron Writers Festival takes place on the traditional lands of the Arakwal Bumberbin Peoples of the Bundjalung Nation. We pay respects to Elders past and present, and acknowledge them as the original storytellers of the lands and waterways of this Country.

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Education

Inspiring children to share their story

We foster literacy and a love of literature in our region's young people to develop future generations of readers and writers.

Join us on an adventure into the heart of creative expression. Our diverse and inspiring programs are delivered to schools across the region, with both in-school and after-school workshops led by exceptional authors and illustrators.

We’ve reached tens of thousands of students from Kyogle to Tweed Heads, sparking their imaginations through storytelling. Browse our workshops and discover the wildly imaginative stories written by our talented young writers.

Bring your school to our Primary and Secondary Schools Days as part of the annual Byron Writers Festival, enter a Student Writing Competition or find out more about our school visits and after-school Masterclasses.

Student Writing Prizes

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School Visits

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StoryBoard Masterclasses

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Byron Writers Festival '26

Future Writers Festival

Byron Writers Festival’s Future Writers Festival is a key component of our year-round youth programming. Future Writers provides employment to regional professional writers and develops the next generation of readers and writers to discover their own creativity and future careers in literature. Through a series of school incursions, annual children’s writers festivals, and touring Byron Writers Festival author visits, the festival embeds professional writers in school environments to teach creative writing skills and literary career pathways for school students in the Northern Rivers region.
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The next Future Writers Festival will take place in June 2026. Contact us to learn about how you can sponsor this great schools program.

Student Writing Prizes

Our student writing awards celebrate young creative voices of the Northern Rivers with cash prizes, Byron Writers Festival passes and publishing opportunities up for grabs.

Southern Cross University Student Writing Prize

The Southern Cross University Student Writing Prize, proudly supported by Southern Cross University, aims to stimulate and showcase youth thinking and writing.

Entry open to students in Years 9—12

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Susie Warrick Young Writers Award

In memory of Susie Warrick, this award celebrates the art of the short story and supports emerging young writers in furthering their career.

Entry open to students in Years 7—8

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Jesse Blackadder Student Writing Prize

Celebrating creativity and imagination in young writers, the Jesse Blackadder Prize was created in 2020 in memory of Jesse Blackadder, much loved Board member, author and founder of Byron Writers Festival's StoryBoard program.

Entry open to students in Years 4—6

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School Visits

Our school workshops are engaging and exciting, encouraging young people to open their imaginations and be bold in their creative writing.

Educational school visits improve communication and creativity skills, building self-confidence whilst developing learning and literacy.

Led by professional authors, illustrators and storytellers, the workshops aim to remove barriers to participation and are largely free of charge, or subsidised by Byron Writers Festival and generous supporters of our StoryBoard schools program.

Enquire now