Listed below are upcoming Short Story and other writing competitions that you might like to enter. They are listed by submission closing date, not when the competition is open.
Please read any instructions and entry requirements on the competition’s own website. Please note: We take no responsibility nor assume liability for any of the competitions listed, it is up to the entrant to undertake due diligence before entering any competition.
If you would like your Writing Competition to be listed, please email: competitions@writerstudio.com.au
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MARCH 2025
Romance Writers of Australia: Opal Contest
The Opal is a contest for aspiring and emerging romance writers to win the opportunity for short mentorships with established RWAus authors.
All entrants must submit the first 10,000 words (maximum) of an unpublished novel-length (40,000 words or more) romance or romantic elements manuscript along with a 1,000 word synopsis that depicts the main plot points of your romance story or story with romantic elements, complete with the ending/resolution.
Entry fee: $50 (RWAus members), $70 (Non-members)
Closing Date: Monday, 31 March 2025
Website: https://romanceaustralia.com/products/opal-award
Tom Grass Prize
The Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize is a writing prize dedicated to celebrating the spirit of our friend Tom Grass, a multi-talented writer, avid reader, and fearless traveller.
The prize is for a short piece of stand-alone prose in either Fiction or Non-Fiction (1,500 – 3,000 words). It can be adapted from a longer work but must be satisfying to read by itself. The prize invites writers from all walks of life, whether writing a short story, essay, memoir, piece of reportage, historical investigation, or other hybrid form, as long as the writer reflects the sensibility of the prize.
Entry fee: Free
Closing Date: Monday, 31 March 2025
Website: https://www.tomgrassprize.com/
AAALS and Antipodes: Creative Writing Competition
Antipodes, the official journal of the American Association of Australasian Literary Studies (AAALS) together with the American Australian Association, welcomes submissions to their fifth annual Creative Writing Competition.
The AAALS Creative Prose Prize as well as the Poetry Prize is open to Australian and New Zealand residents. Fiction and Non-Fiction submissions may be no more than 3,500 words. Poetry submissions cannot be more than 100 lines in length. All submissions must be unpublished (including online and self-published). For submissions to AAALS Indigenous Writers Prizes, see separate call for additional specifics.
Entry fee: Submissions are free for AAALS members or US$20 per submission for non-members. All entrants receive a subscription to the journal Antipodes.
Closing Date: Monday, 31 March 2025
Website: https://aaals.org/antipodes/
APRIL 2025
The Letter Review Prize
The Letter Review is a literary journal dedicated to publishing new work, and assisting writers with help to get published, performed, and produced.
The Letter Review welcomes entries of short fiction, poetry, books and non-fiction. 2-4 winners will be announced from each category and will be published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Up to 20 writers will be shortlisted.
Entry fee: $15-$25 USD depending on category
Closing Date: Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Website: https://letterreview.com/information/
Book Links: Short Story Competition
Book Links is a volunteer run, not for profit organisation aimed at establishing and growing vibrant spaces to nurture communities where children and young adults are exposed to literature; stimulated to be imaginative and artistic; and where stories and their creators are valued.
Writers aged 18+ are invited to enter a short story, maximum of 1500 words, suitable for children of any age up to 15 years old.
Entry fee: Free
Closing Date: Friday, 4 April 2025
Website: https://booklinks.org.au/competitions-adults/
Varuna: First Nations Fellowships
First Nations writers are invited to apply for one of twelve week-long residencies at Varuna in 2025, sharing the residency with other First Nations writers, and benefiting from one-on-one mentorship and the sharing of skills and knowledge.
Entrants will need to submit between 5000-10,000 words from the beginning of their manuscript, as well as answer questions about their experience and practice. For poetry, submissions should be a selection of up to 10 poems; for plays and screenplays entrants may send a sample of 10 pages, or more if it doesn’t exceed 10,000 words; for graphic novels a sample of 10 pages; for children’s picture books, the full manuscript.
Entry fee: Free
Closing Date: Monday, 7 April 2025, 5pm (AEST)
Website: https://www.varuna.com.au/for-writers/firstnations
Griffith Review: Emerging Voices Competition
Griffith Review has a distinguished track record of nurturing new voices, publishing creative thinkers and supporting our writers to establish enduring industry connections.
Their annual Emerging Voices Competition calls for original submissions of fiction and creative non-fiction from 3,500 to 5,000 words. Entrants can write to any theme – but looking for new ideas, fresh voices and bold perspectives.
Entry fee: $15 (current Griffith Review subscriber), $25 (non-subscriber)
Closing Date: Monday, 7 April 2025, 11:59pm (AEST)
Website: https://www.griffithreview.com/griffith-review-emerging-voices-competition/
Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction
Not Quite Write podcast explores the intricacies of fiction writing, media and current events from a writer’s perspective. Four times a year, the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction challenges writers from around the world to break a specific “rule” of writing while still telling a great story.
Participants have 60 hours to submit a 500-word story for a chance to win a share of AU$4,000 in cash prizes. The competition is open to writers of all levels of experience worldwide.
Entry fee: AU$35
Prompts drop: Friday, 25 April 2025, 12pm (AEST)
Closing Date: Sunday, 27 April 2025, 11:59pm (AEST)
Furphy Story: Open Short Story Competition
In the spirit of Archibald and honouring the author of Such is Life, the Furphy Literary Award has been established to promote and extend the tradition of storytelling, both factual and fictional, that is so much part of Australian life.
The Furphy Literary Award invites entries of previously unpublished short stories of up to 5000 words for a first prize of $15,000, 2nd prize of $3,000 and 3rd prize of $2,000 in the open category.
Entry fee: Free
Closing Date: Wednesday, 30 April 2025, 11:59pm (AEST)
Website: https://www.furphystory.com.au/furphy-literary-award/open-short-story-competition/
MAY 2025
ABR: Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
Australian Book Review (ABR) welcomes entries in the 2025 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize.
The Jolley Prize is worth a total of $12,500 and is for an original work of short fiction of between 2,000 and 5,000 words, written in English.
Entry fee: $20 (current ABR subscriber), $30 (non-subscriber)
Closing Date: Monday, 5 May 2025, 11:59pm (AEST)
Website: https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/prizes-programs/elizabeth-jolley-story-prize/current-prize
Varuna Residential Fellowships
Varuna Residential Fellowships offer two to three weeks of full board and accommodation at Varuna, in the beautiful surrounds of the Blue Mountains. Originally the home of writers Eleanor Dark and Dr Eric Dark, the house and gardens were gifted to the Australian public in 1989 by their son, Mick Dark, to be used as a retreat for writers.
All writers are invited to apply. There are Flagship fellowships specific to certain genres, identities, regional areas and career stage.
Entry fee: Application fees are $70 per application, unless you are a financially current alumni member using your annual fee waiver. If you have a Healthcare card, the application fee is $40. If you are experiencing financial hardship, you can have your application fee waived via the Varuna Equity Fund.
Closing Date: Monday, 5 May 2025, 5pm (AEST)
Website: https://www.varuna.com.au/for-writers/varuna-residential-fellowships
The Australian Fiction Prize
The Australian Fiction Prize is an annual prize for a book-length work of fiction.
Entries must be an original work of adult fiction, not previously published in a commercial publication of between 75,000 and 100,000 words in English. Please note: science fiction, young adult, poetry, plays, works for children and any kind of non-fiction are not eligible. Open to all Australian writers, the winner will receive prize money of $20,000, plus an advance of $15,000, and publication by Australia’s leading publisher, HarperCollins Australia.
Entry fee: Free
Closing Date: Friday, 30 May 2025, 5pm (AET)
Website: https://www.harpercollins.com.au/theaustralianfictionprize/
Minds Shine Bright: Places Writing Competition
Minds Shine Bright run an international creative writing competition every year and publish the winning and commended writers in a curated anthology. Their new competition is called Places.
Local and international writers are invited to submit stories and poems up to 5000 words about places that set your imagination free, that inspire and challenge you and that have stories to tell.
Entry fee: $15 (General entry), $5 (Pensioner/Student/Concession)
Closing Date: Saturday, 31 May 2025, 11:59pm (AEST)
Website: https://mindsshinebright.com/writing-competitions/
AWMA Writing Competition
Albury Wodonga Martial Arts (AWMA) is celebrating their 10th year with a writing competition on the theme of Martial Arts with Martial Artists Magazine Australia publishing the winning entries.
It can be either fiction or non-fiction up to 1000 words and you don’t have to be a martial artist to enter.
Entry fee: $10
Closing Date: Saturday, 31 May 2025
Website: https://www.austwriters.com/awmacomp-info
JUNE 2025
Unpublished Novel Award
The Unpublished Novel Award celebrates stellar unpublished manuscripts in seven genres: Children’s & Young Adult, Crime & Mystery, Horror, Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense.
A panel of esteemed, shortlist judges with backgrounds in book publishing, film, and television will select one exceptional manuscript in each genre to receive a $10,000 grant to support it on the journey to publication.
Entry fee: Free
Closing Date: Friday, 27 June 2025
Website: https://blcklst.com/programs/2025-unpublished-novel-award
Bundyi Writing Prize
The Bundyi Writing Prize aims to discover creative, compelling and original works of adult fiction that celebrate First Nations voices.
The prize will be awarded to an outstanding unpublished manuscript by an emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer (a writer who maybe have appeared in anthologies and literary journals but is yet to have a full-length manuscript published) and will receive a cash prize of AUD$10,000 sponsored by Simon & Schuster Australia, including manuscript development with a First Nations editor.
Entry fee: Free
Closing Date: Monday, 30 June 2025, 11:59pm (AET)
Website: https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/p/BundyiAUPrize
AAWP and UWRF Translators’ Prize
This prize is offered by the Australasian Association of Writing Programs in partnership with the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF), and is open to translators at any stage of their career.
The award is for entries unpublished in English, including online publication. Entries must be no more than 30 lines (poetry) or 3000 words (prose), and entrants can translate their own work into English. Entries must be accompanied by a ‘Translator’s Statement of Intention’ (up to 400 words) addressing the aims of the translation.
Entry fee: $20
Closing Date: Monday, 30 June 2025
AAWP and SW Novella Prize
The Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) and Spineless Wonders publishing (SW) is looking to discover a novella manuscript that may push the boundaries of traditional genre and literary form.
This competition is open to writers at all stages of their careers. Entries should not exceed 5,000 words (prose) or 50 lines (poetry).
Entry fee: $20
Closing Date: Monday, 30 June 2025
Heroine Women’s Writing Prize
Writing The Heroine publishes literary writing by women. The Heroines Anthology’s particular focus is on telling lost women’s history, untold stories, and myths, fairy tales, folklore or legends reimagined from the perspective of their women characters.
Submissions should be single poems of up to 3 pages or short fiction up to 2500 words. The theme of Heroines Anthology Volume 6 is ‘WITCHCRAFT’.
Entry fee: $15
Closing Date: Monday, 30 June 2025
Website: https://www.writingtheheroine.com/heroines-anthology-submissions
