Writing Competitions

Are you interested in writing competitions? Here you will find a summary of excerpts from recently announced competitions. Click the competition title to read more details.

Although the competitions may be conducted by the FAW NSW state body or by its Branches, they are still open to the general public, unless stated to the contrary. You may also find some outstanding writing opportunities from other groups but FAW NSW takes no responsibility for competitions administered by other organisations. 

For Conditions of Entry relating to individual competitions, and to obtain an entry form (where required), contact the relevant competition organisers.

Alice Sinclair Memorial Writing Competition 2026

Closing date: 31st July 2026 The 2026 Alice Sinclair Memorial Writing Competition, administered by the Lake Macquarie Branch of the Fellowship of Australian Writers (LMFAW), is open for entries from Friday 29th May to Friday 31st July 2026. The competition …

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Lambing Flat Young FAW Writing Competitions 2026

44th National Cherry Festival  Entries open June 1, 2026 Entries close September 18, 2026 ENTRY FEE for Adult Sections $10 per entry or 4 entries for $30 Entry form is required – download from the Lambing Flat FAW website lambingflatwriters.wordpress.com/competition Email for fillable form to  OR …

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Results: FAW NSW 2025 Writing Competitions

The 2025 Hilarie Lindsay Short Story Competition for Australian School Students This year we awarded our first ever Certificate of Excellence. The student was Yunha Back from Kent Road public school. You can read Yunha’s story here. WINNERS:  Junior Primary A – …

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Winning Story: The 2025 Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award

Swinging Gates  Catherine McElroy From the clothesline, Megan watches a distant cloud of dust. A car approaches along the gravel road that borders the farm. Not many people have cause to pass along this road: a car seen out here …

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Winning Story: The 2025 Ernestine Hill Memorial Short Story Award

Let This Place Speak  Susan Temby This is Catherine, Cat for short, talking to her father Ferg, Fergus Fraser. A clever man, witty, generous, self-educated. He died not long after this conversation. Let him speak. Let this place speak. Let …

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Winning Poem: The 2025 Rae Cerhan Australiana Ballad Award

Song of The Depression Helen Harvey The wool demand has fallen and it’s much the same for wheat –      the country-side is ringing with the sound of tramping feet.In sombre solitude we wander as we wonder why    our land is so …

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Certificate of Excellence Winner: The 2025 Hilarie Lindsay Short Story Competition for Australian School Children

Where the sound of light exists  Yunha Back Nobody noticed the boy with the violin. Every afternoon, like clockwork, he settled at the very edge of the city square-just where the sunlight began to fade and shadows stretched like whispers …

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Seniors Card Short Story Competition Vol.12 is closed

Entries for the Seniors Card Short Story Competition Vol.12 closed at 6.00 pm Thursday 14 May 2026. Thank you to all those who submitted their stories. They are in the process of judging and, if your story is selected for …

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E M Fletcher Writing Competition 2026

Closing date 15 July 2026 The 2026 E.M. Fletcher Writing Competition, administered by Family History ACT (FHACT), is now open to receive entries, with a closing date of 15 July 2026. All information about how to enter, including Terms and …

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Eucalypt tanka journal issue 40 open for submissions

Closing date 31 March 2026 Call For Submissions  Eucalypt: a tanka journal Please submit up to six original, unpublished tanka in the body of your email to Paste your tanka into the body of the email, together with your …

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Conditions of Entry: Seniors Card Short Story Competition 2026

Opening date for entries: Thursday 2nd April 2026Entries close: 6pm Thursday 14th May 2026 Terms and Conditions Any queries please contact.Fellowship of Australian Writers New South Wales Inc. on 0413 285 431.

The Best of Times Short Story Competition #41

AUTUMN 2026 Entries close 30 April 2026 Genre: Humorous short stories up to 2,500 words. Prizes for first, second and third place. Certificates for highly commended and commended stories. Entry fee $10 per story. See the ‘Wild Thoughts’ website for …

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Teacher Anthology

Di Bates, editor and publisher of Buzz Words magazine for people connected with the Children’s Book industry, says:  “I am collecting stories from teachers all around Australia about their teaching lives for a proposed anthology titled Teacher, Teacher. I know many publishers (I’ve …

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Conditions of Entry: 2026 Jean Stone Poetry Award

TERMS & CONDITIONS (Failure to comply with the following conditions will result in disqualification without refund). THE AWARDPRIZE: $500 The Prize winner will be invited to attend the Awards Luncheon in May 2027. Cate Plink8/15-21 Gosford AvenueThe Entrance NSW 2261Or …

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Entry Form: 2026 Jean Stone Poetry Award

ENTRIES CLOSE at 6pm Monday 31st August 2026 Please read the Conditions of Entry before submitting your poem. Entry Fee $15.00 per entry. Entries are to be submitted and paid for online, using a secure credit card payment system via the …

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Conditions of Entry: 2026 Hilarie Lindsay Poetry Competition for Australian School Students

TERMS & CONDITIONS Entries are sought in the following categories: SECTION 1: Years 11 & 12  (max lines 60) Prize $125 SECTION 2: Years 9 & 10  (max lines 50) Prize $100 SECTION 3: Years 7 & 8 (max lines …

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