Internationally respected short story prize run since 2008. Up to 4,000 words. Open to writers worldwide. All shortlisted writers receive £50 and publication in the…
Celebrates the best fiction translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. The £50,000 prize is shared equally between author and translator. Short stor…
Annual awards from one of America's most prestigious literary journals — published since 1970 by the University of Iowa. Three categories: poetry, fiction, and creat…
Annual contest from one of America's most distinguished literary journals, founded at the University of Iowa in 1969. Open internationally. Submit up to 3 poems (8 p…
Australia's most prestigious literary award for a novel that presents Australian life in any of its phases. Publisher-submitted. Winners include Patrick White, Tim W…
Prize from one of America's most distinguished literary journals. Stories up to 12,000 words. Open internationally. Winner receives US$1,000 and publication. America…
Founded in 1998 by screenwriter Gordy Hoffman, BlueCat is particularly valued for the written feedback every entrant receives on their script — not just finalists. A…
An annual prize for emerging writers run by the prestigious Cúirt International Festival of Literature in Galway. Four categories: short fiction, poetry, essay, and…
Free-entry flash fiction prize. Max 300 words. Open internationally. Top poem earns €1,000. Winners published in the Fish Anthology. A prestigious platform for write…
Voted by Australia's independent booksellers, the Indie Book Awards are among the most commercially significant prizes in Australian publishing. The fiction winner —…
A timed, prompt-based screenwriting competition running three rounds. Writers receive a genre, subject, and character assignment and must write an original short scr…
International short story competition with multiple genre categories. Stories must be no longer than 5,000 words. No sexual, political or hate speech content accepte…
Australia's richest literary prize, with AU$80,000 for the winner and AU$5,000 for each shortlisted entry. Open to Australian citizens or permanent residents. First…
Australia's most valuable poetry prize, awarding AU$80,000 to the winning collection. One of six categories in Australia's most prestigious literary awards programme…
Australia's premier literary prize for women and non-binary writers. AU$60,000 for the winner of a book-length work of any genre — fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Pu…
Annual AWG award for unproduced scripts in two categories: Long Form (over 30 minutes) and Short Form (under 30 minutes), across all genres and formats. Winners anno…
One of the world's most reputable flash fiction prizes. Up to 300 words. Open internationally. Two rounds per year with £1,000 first prize each round. All shortliste…
Australia's largest open poetry prize, awarding AU$15,000 for the best single poem. Open internationally. Winning poem published in the annual anthology alongside sh…
Free-entry short story prize open to all Australian residents. Stories between 2,000 and 3,000 words. Winner and runner-up both published in Overland literary journa…
Prestigious international competition specifically for independently published authors and small presses. Recognises quality books outside traditional publishing. No…
An annual award for unagented, unpublished writers of children's, YA and adult fiction, run in partnership with Darley Anderson Agency. Now in its eighth year with a…
Australia's most important entry-level screen competition. Open to AWG Associate and Student members with an unproduced script across film, television, theatre, audi…
Recognises the best science-fiction writing for feature film, television, web series, audio, and interactive media. Funded by a bequest from the late Australian film…
An annual poetry contest from BOMB — one of New York's most respected arts and culture magazines, known for its artist-to-artist interviews and experimental literary…
One of America's most distinguished prizes for a short story collection manuscript, published by the University of Georgia Press since 1983. Open internationally for…
An annual competition for emerging Australian and New Zealand writers of fiction and creative non-fiction. Up to four winners share a $20,000 prize pool and are publ…
Awarded to the best unpublished manuscript by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander writer who has not yet had a book published. The winner receives $15,000 and a…
Part of one of Australia's most generous literary award suites, administered by the State Library of Queensland. Open to all Australian citizens and permanent reside…
A flagship poetry prize within the Queensland Literary Awards. Open to Australian citizens and permanent residents for a published poetry collection. One of Australi…
Known as the 'writer's festival', AFF runs one of the world's largest screenwriting conferences alongside its competition. Categories include feature, short, pilot,…
A significant cash prize for the best unpublished short story. Open to Australian and international writers. 2,000–5,000 words. Winning and shortlisted stories publi…
International contest for unagented novelists worldwide. Submit the first 5,000 words plus a one-page synopsis. Welcomes both unpublished and self-published authors.…
250 words max. Open to writers aged 16+ worldwide. One of the most competitive flash fiction prizes. Winners published in the annual Bridport anthology.
The Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award. Submit 5,000–8,000 words from opening chapters plus a 300-word synopsis. A win or shortlist is one of the most powerful…
One of the most coveted poetry prizes in the English-speaking world. Up to 42 lines. Open to all writers aged 16+ worldwide. Winners published in the Bridport anthol…
One of the world's most respected writing competitions. Open to writers worldwide aged 16+. Max 5,000 words. Winners published in the annual Bridport anthology. Stro…
Seeks bold, original writing that challenges norms and takes creative risks. Emotional stories with fresh perspectives. No AI-generated work accepted. International…
Established 1981 by the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, this prestigious competition has over 40 years of history. Focuses on emerging voices in short fiction. Op…
A biennial award from Canada's oldest literary magazine for emerging writers who have not yet published a full-length book. Alternates annually between poetry and fi…
An annual contest from Ploughshares — one of America's most respected and widely read literary magazines — for writers who have not yet published a full-length book.…
Presented by the makers of the industry-standard screenwriting software, Big Break accepts feature films, TV pilots (hour-long and half-hour), and short scripts. Ope…
Part of the annual HollyShorts Film Festival (Aug 13–23, 2026), this contest accepts short screenplays up to 30 pages and TV pilots up to 50 pages. Winners gain expo…
One of Hollywood's most respected screenplay contests, judged by working producers, agents, managers, and development executives. Ten genre categories including Acti…
Prestigious international prize from Ireland's celebrated literary magazine. Up to 3,000 words. Open to anyone over 16 worldwide. Winning story published in the Iris…
Open to women and non-binary writers worldwide writing in English. Submit the first 10,000 words of an unpublished novel plus a synopsis. Winner receives £5,000 plus…
Free-entry prize for unpublished emerging Australian writers of adult fiction or narrative non-fiction. Submit first three chapters plus synopsis. Winner receives AU…
One of the longest-running U.S. screenplay contests, focused on connecting writers with representation. Quarterfinalists and above receive personalised development s…
An annual competition for poetry chapbooks run by the Munster Literature Centre and Southword Editions, launched at the Cork International Poetry Festival. Two winne…
Part of Australia's richest state-based literary prize suite. Category winners receive $25,000 and compete for the Victorian Prize for Literature ($100,000). Adminis…
One of Australia's richest poetry prizes, part of the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards suite. The category winner receives $25,000 and competes for the overall Vi…
Open to Victorian residents for an unpublished fiction manuscript — novel or story collection. Winner receives $15,000 plus a two-week creative residency at McCraith…
The Irish Writers Centre's flagship annual initiative gives unpublished novelists the opportunity to pitch their novels to world-class publishers and literary agents…
Open to women and non-binary writers worldwide. Up to 2,200 words. Winner and finalists published in Mslexia and the Best Women's Short Fiction anthology. One of the…
One of the world's most prestigious literary awards, given annually for the best novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. Open to writers of any…
Known as the 'writer's festival', the Austin Film Festival hosts the world's largest screenwriters' conference alongside its film programme. Hundreds of panels, pitc…
Awarded to a debut full-length poetry collection published originally in English. Publishers submit four copies. One of the most valuable poetry prizes for debut col…
An annual prize from The Missouri Review — one of America's most influential literary journals — for the best unpublished fiction, poetry, and essay. Open internatio…
Australia's longest-running state literary award. The Christina Stead Prize, worth $40,000, is the flagship fiction prize of the NSW Premier's Literary Awards. Open…
One of Australia's most significant poetry prizes, awarded annually as part of the NSW Premier's Literary Awards for a published collection or long poem. Named for c…
A $10,000 prize within the NSW Premier's Literary Awards for debut fiction — the best first published novel or story collection by an Australian writer. Named for ac…
Run by The Poetry Society since 1978, one of the world's most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18+. Judged anonymou…
Sister award to the Bath Novel Award, open to unagented writers of children's fiction worldwide — both unpublished and self-published authors welcome. Submit the fir…
Respected international poetry prize. Open to all poets worldwide. Winners and shortlisted poems published in the annual Fish Anthology. Judged anonymously. Maximum…
Internationally respected short story prize. Max 5,000 words. Open to all writers worldwide. Winners and shortlisted stories published in the Fish Anthology, a respe…
A major annual international poetry prize run by the Munster Literature Centre (publishers of Southword journal) and named for Cork poet Gregory O'Donoghue. Open to…
One of the world's most valuable prizes for a single poetry collection, with CA$65,000 each for best Canadian and best International collection. Publisher-submitted.…
Created to address gender bias in literary awards. Celebrates excellence, originality, and accessibility in women's writing. Open to women of any nationality writing…
Supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation and named after novelist Neilma Gantner. Seeks powerful short fiction up to 3,000 words on an annual theme. Open intern…
Free-entry prize from Penguin Random House Australia for unpublished adult literary fiction. Open to Australian residents 18+. Complete manuscripts only (up to 100,0…
Named for acclaimed Australian-born British poet Peter Porter, this prize is awarded annually by Australian Book Review for the best unpublished poem. Open internati…
Monthly free-entry flash fiction contest run by the Australian Writers' Centre. Stories must be 500 words max and written within a weekend using set criteria. Open i…
Free-entry contest for poetry and short fiction. Winners published in Aesthetica Magazine and receive £1,000. Open internationally. Celebrates innovative and boundar…
Free-entry contest for the best philosophical-themed writing. Offers one of the largest free-entry prizes in creative writing. Open internationally.
International screenplay competition based in Australia, open to screenwriters worldwide. Accepts feature scripts, shorts, and TV pilots. Emphasises detailed reader…
International competition for crime novelists writing in English. All crime subgenres welcome. Entrants may not have self-published fiction over 20,000 words. Win ca…
No entry fee prize run by the independent publisher Galley Beggar Press. Seeks extraordinary storytelling. Open internationally. One of the few free-entry prizes fro…
A well-regarded annual prize for unpublished fiction run by Queensland University of Technology's Creative Writing program. Open to Australian and New Zealand writer…
Australia's richest poetry prize and one of its most prestigious, awarded annually to celebrate women poets. Worth $40,000. Past winners include Evelyn Araluen, Judi…
Free-entry competition awarding US$1,000 across multiple genres including short stories, poetry, and flash fiction. Open internationally. Rolling deadlines make it a…
A fellowship and prize from Meanjin — one of Australia's oldest and most prestigious literary journals — for emerging writers of fiction and essays. Publication in M…
An annual prize for an unpublished poem from Overland, one of Australia's most important literary and political journals. Named for poet Judith Wright. Winning and s…
National development program for emerging Australian screenwriters. Accepts unproduced scripts across feature film, television, web series, and short film. Successfu…
Awarded to the best work of literature in the English language, regardless of form or nationality. Nominated by Academy members. Celebrates literary merit across fic…
Weekly themed short story contest with rolling deadlines and free entry. Open internationally. Strong community of writers. A good entry point for emerging writers s…
Runs year-round genre-specific competitions including Drama, Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Animation, and TV Pilot, each judged by relevant industry professionals. Known f…
Awarded by the Sydney Morning Herald to the best literary novel published in Australia. Named for Patrick White's celebrated novel Voss. One of Australia's most pres…
A prestigious fellowship for Australian writers of underrepresented backgrounds to complete a work of literary fiction or narrative non-fiction. Provides $20,000 plu…
Open to anyone over 16. Five categories: Novel, Short Story, Poetry, Children's/YA Novel, and Writing Without Restrictions. Strong track record of supporting emergin…
Australian Writing Competitions in 2026
Australia has one of the most vibrant literary competition scenes in the world, with prizes run by state writers centres, universities, literary journals, and cultural organisations across every state and territory. From the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards to the Vogel Literary Award, there are opportunities for writers of all levels.
Many Australian competitions are free to enter and open to writers worldwide, while others are specifically for Australian citizens or residents. Filter by type to find short story competitions, poetry prizes, novel awards, flash fiction contests, and screenwriting opportunities.
The Resources & Festivals tab lists Australian writers centres, associations, training providers — and major literary festivals including the Melbourne Writers Festival, Sydney Writers' Festival, Adelaide Writers' Week (entirely free to attend), and the Emerging Writers' Festival.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Browse the full Scriptorium directory or submit a competition for review.
Browse the full directory
Search all competitions across Australia, NZ, UK, Ireland, USA and Canada in one place.
Open full directory →The national peak body for poetry in Australia. Publishes Australian Poetry Journal, administers the Australian Poetry Slam and represents poets' interests nationall…
The peak advocacy body for professional authors and illustrators in Australia. Provides contract advice, legal guidance, professional development and lobbies governm…
The peak body for Australian crime and mystery writers, running the Ned Kelly Awards — Australia's most prestigious crime writing prizes — and providing community an…
Australia's peak body for romance writers, offering workshops, critique groups, the annual conference and the Ruby Award for unpublished romance manuscripts.
A uniquely accessible literary festival — every single session is free to attend. Held in Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden as part of the Adelaide Festival each March…
Queensland's flagship literary event, held annually in Brisbane each September. Features local, national, and international authors across fiction, non-fiction, chil…
One of Australia's most beloved literary festivals, held in the hinterland of Byron Bay each August. Combines an accessible outdoor setting with a strong programme o…
Australia's premier festival for emerging writers, held annually in Melbourne. Dedicated to supporting writers at the beginning of their career with workshops, panel…
One of Australia's largest and most prestigious literary festivals, held annually in Melbourne. Features hundreds of events across fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scre…
An annual festival in Newcastle, NSW, celebrating writing, zines, comics, and creative expression by and for young and emerging writers. A beloved community-run even…
Part of the Perth Festival each February, the Writers Weekend brings major Australian and international literary figures to Western Australia. Held across multiple v…
A boutique Australian festival celebrating the intersection of visual art and writing — illustration, graphic novels, picture books, and literary comics. Ideal for w…
One of the world's great literary festivals, held annually in Sydney each May. Features hundreds of sessions with major Australian and international authors across f…
Australia's largest provider of practical writing courses — online and in-person. Covers commercial fiction, children's writing, screenwriting, blogging and more. Ru…
One of Australia's most prominent creative writing programs, with a strong emphasis on contemporary forms and professional publication. Hosts the renowned non/fictio…
One of Australia's most prestigious postgraduate creative writing programs. Strong tradition of producing published novelists and poets. Workshops with leading Austr…
UQ's creative writing program is nationally recognised. Alumni include many of Australia's most successful novelists. Strong mentoring culture and close links to the…
UTS is home to one of Australia's strongest creative writing schools, with an impressive track record of graduates publishing with major houses. Strong focus on fict…
Canberra's peak writing body, based at Gorman House Arts Centre. Offers workshops, manuscript assessments, critique groups and an active community for ACT writers.
The Northern Territory's peak writing body, based at Froghollow Centre for the Arts. Offers workshops, mentoring, literacy programs and advocacy for Territory writer…
Queensland's peak writing body, based at the State Library of Queensland. Delivers workshops, manuscript assessments, the QWC/Hachette Manuscript Development Program…
Tasmania's peak body for writers, offering workshops, mentoring, manuscript assessments, events and advocacy for Tasmanian writers of all genres.
Melbourne's hub for books, writing and ideas. Hosts major public talks and events with leading Australian and international authors. Administers the Next Chapter Fel…
Australia's first writers centre, established in 1985. Delivers workshops, professional development, public readings and mentoring programs for South Australian writ…
Victoria's peak body for writers, offering workshops, manuscript assessment, mentorships, grants and a rich program of events across metropolitan and regional Victor…
NSW's peak body for writers — formerly NSW Writers' Centre, founded 1991. Offers workshops, manuscript assessment, mentoring, events and extensive online resources f…
Western Australia's peak writing body, supporting WA writers through workshops, manuscript assessments, events, awards and advocacy.
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