Competitions Listing

January Competitions

Jan 18: Short Story Competition
Parenting Express and My Child are offering over $2,000 in prizes, plus publication. The winner’s prize includes an online Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers course from the Sydney Writers’ Centre. Unpublished, creative nonfiction (no poetry) with a theme relating to pregnancy, birth or the first five years of raising a child. Must be 900 words. Details at www.parentingexpress.com.

Jan 21:  The CWA Debut Dagger 2012
The 2012 Debut Dagger Competition closes at midnight. Send us the first 3,000 words of your crime-themed novel with a 500-1,000 word synopsis, and you could become a published crime writer. For details and entry forms go to www.thecwa.co.uk

Jan 27:  Adelaide Plains Poets Inc Poetry Prize
The theme is ‘Crossroads’, max 60 lines. 1st, 2nd and 3rd cash prizes and commendation certificates. Open Class for poets 18 years and older, Junior Classes for Primary and Secondary School students. Entry fee $5 per poem for Open Class, free for Juniors. Details: email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or go to carolyn-poeticpause.blogspot.com/

February Competitions

Feb 14: Eaglehawk Dahlia and Arts Literary Competition
Three categories: 1. Short story, max. 3,000 words, 1st prize $200, 2nd $50. 2. Poetry, limit 30 lines, 1st prize $200, 2nd $50. 3. Bush Verse, limit 52 lines, 1st prize $100. For entry forms send SSAE to Ruth Claridge, 99 Victoria St, Eaglehawk 3556 or phone 03 5446 8240 or go to http://dahlia.bendigo.net.au 

Feb 15: [untitled] Short Story Competition
Stories of any genre with a 5,000 word limit. Winner $300, 2nd $150, 3rd $75, with two highly commendeds and everybody to be published in [untitled] issue 05 early in 2012. Entry form can be downloaded from www.untitledonline.com.au/competition.html 

Feb 28: FreeXpression Literary Competition
Five sections: short story, traditional ryhming poetry, free verse, article/essay and haiku. $5 per entry ($25 for 6 entries), accompanied by entry form. First prizes range from $100 to $250. More information from PO Box 4, West Hoxton, NSW, 2171.

Feb 29: Writers of the Coral Coast Short Story Competition
1st prize $500 plus certificate and a year's membership; 2nd prize $100 plus certificate; 3rd prize $50 plus certificate. Winners will be published in a book. Entry fee $10 plus $5 each additional entry; young writers 8-15 years, $5 per entry. For an entry form and to send stories, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with subject line 'competition'.

March Competitions 

Mar 17: Bundaberg Writers' Club Short Story Competition
Open theme. Entry Fee $5 (5 entries for $20). Stories must not exceed 2,500 words. 1st prize $300; 2nd $100. For conditions of entry and entry form visit bundywriters.com

Mar 30: Ethel Webb Bundell 2012 National Literary Awards
Open theme: short story 4,000 words, poetry 100 lines. 1st prize $500, 2nd prize $300, 3rd prize $150. Entry fee $8 for one entry, $15 for two, $21 for three. Details at: www.swwofwa.com 

Mar 31: Charlotte Duncan Award
For a short story for readers aged 9-12 years. 1st prize $75, 2nd prize $50, 3rd prize $25. Entry fee $9.90 per story. Winning and commended entries will be published on the Celapene Press website. For entry form and guidelines see www.celapenepress.com.au.

April Competitions

Apr 6: Disposable Fiction Prize for Contributory Literature
Short story competition, max 5,000 words. Opens 21 February. Cash prize of $500. Details at www.disposablefiction.com.au/submissions.

June Competitions

June 30: Elyne Mitchell Rural Women's Writing Award
The 2012 Elyne Mitchell Rural Women's Writing Award is now open. Prize money of $1500 available across 2 categories of short stories, either fiction or nonfiction (Max 2,500 words). Entries must have a specific reference to a rural experience and the theme for this year is 'Leaping into the futures'. Details at www.elynemitchell.com.

Long-term Competitions 

Nov 11 2013: ANZAC Centenary Poetry Prize
New poems written between 11 November 2011 and 11 November 2013, may be entered. Entry fee $20. Topic: What does ANZAC Day mean to you, to today's families, communities or nations? Winners are published and share a prize pool of $5,000. Competition entry is not compulsory for a new poem to be considered for the project's publication. Details at: www.ozzywriters.com