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.
Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction 2025
- Opens: Midday 25 April 2025 AEST;
- Closes: Midnight 27 April 2025 AEST
The Not Quite Write Prize challenges writers to break the writing ‘rules’ while still telling a compelling 500-word story.
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The Alice Sinclair Memorial Writing Competition 2025
FAW Lake Macquarie branch
Closing date: 31 May 2025
Theme: ‘MILESTONES’
There are two categories for this year’s competition:
- Category A: Poetry to 50 lines
- Category B: Short Story to 2,500 words
Entry fee $15 per entry.
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ACU Poetry Prize calls for new works about Belonging
Closing date: 01 June 2025
Entries are open for Australia’s richest prize for a single poem, where Australia’s top and emerging poets compete for $18,750 in prize money, with the first prize winner receiving $10,000. The ACU Prize for Poetry is calling for new poems on the theme of Belonging,
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Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction
(Erotic fiction competition)
Closing date: 24 August 2025
Open for submissions until Midnight (end of day) 24 August 2025 AEST.
Prizes:
Total prize pool of AU$1,000 plus a trophy for first place and a range of “spicy”
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Seniors Stories Entries open 9.00am Sunday 20 April
Entries for the 2025 Seniors Stories Competition will be open from 9.00am Sunday 20 April 2025. Please try again after that date.
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Entry Form: 2025 Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award
ENTRIES CLOSE 6:00pm Sunday 31 August 2025
Failure to comply with these Conditions will mean disqualification.
* All fields are required.
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Conditions: 2025 Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award
Closing date: 31 August 2025
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
- The Award is for Short Stories up to 3000 words.
- Entrants must be permanent residents of Australia.
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Entry Form: 2025 Hilarie Lindsay Short Story Competition
For Australian School Students
ENTRIES CLOSE at 6:00pm Sunday 31 August 2025
SECTION 1: Years 10, 11 & 12up to 2500 words Prize $150SECTION 2: Years 7, 8 & 9up to 2500 wordsPrize $125SECTION 3: Years 5 & 6up to 1500 wordsPrize $100SECTION 4: Year 4 &…
Conditions: 2025 Hilarie Lindsay Short Story Competition
For Australian School Students
Closing date: 31 August 2025
Entries are sought in the following categories:
SECTION 1: Years 10, 11 & 12 up to 2500 words Prize $150SECTION 2: Years 7,…
Country Newspapers Short Story Competition
Closing date: 4 July 2025
The Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW has partnered with Country Press by assisting them to conduct a Short Story competition through our member, Greg McFarland (Isolated Writer) as their Representative.
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Workshops for Seniors Card Short Story Competition 2025
The NSW Dept of Communities and Justice and FAW are conducting a Short Story Competition for NSW Seniors Card and Senior Savers Card holders. The Top 100 stories will be published in Seniors Stories Volume 11.
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Conditions of Entry: Seniors Card Short Story Competition 2025
The 2025 Ernestine Hill Memorial Short Story Awards Luncheon
Immediately following the 2024 FAW NSW Annual General Meeting will be the second Ernestine Hill Memorial Short Story Awards Luncheon.
This event will include presentation of both the Ernestine Hill Memorial Short Story Award and the Rae Alison Cerhan Australiana Ballad competition.
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The Stringybark Open Themed Short Story Award 2025
Closing date: 23 February 2025
Stringybark Stories is proud to announce its 44th short story competition since 2010. Stringybark Publishing, and authors Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist are proud to sponsor the Stringybark Open Themed Short Story Award 2025.
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Next Generation Short Story Writing Opportunity
Closing date Thursday 27 February 2025
The Next Generation Short Story Awards, currently in its second year, is a not-for-profit international awards program for authors of short stories. The Short Story Awards is now accepting entries of short stories and poems in English (5000 words or less) for the 2025 awards program in 30+ categories.
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Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2025
Entries close February 14, 2025
The prize is for short stories up to 3,000 words having an island, or island-resonant, theme.
The winning entry receives a cash prize of $500 and all finalists’ stories will appear in the
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