Attention parents, teachers and young writers! Here are some great opportunities for young writers to flex their creative muscles and submit their poetry, non-fiction articles and short stories. They have a minimal entry fee (or none at all) and some excellent prizes. Competitions are running August-September 2020. Good luck!
Hilarie Lindsay Young Writers Poetry Competition
This competition is for Australian school children. It is broken into four sections depending on the age of the participant. Word length and prizes also varying across the sections, so read the submission guidelines carefully.
Section 1: Year 10-12. Max 60 lines. Prize $125
Section 2: Year 7-9 Max. 40 lines. Prize $90
Section 3: Year 5-6 Max 40 lines Prize $65
Section 4: Year 4 and under. Max 20 lines. Prize $50
Entry fee: $3
Closes 31 August.
Toolangi CJ Dennis Poetry Competition
Australian themed poetry by Australian and New Zealand authors.
For: Primary School Students and Secondary School Students.
Maximum of 40 lines.
Entry fee: $3 in unused stamps.
Closes 1 September.
Pens against Poverty
For: those in grade 3-10 living in ACT or Southern NSW (with a teacher endorsing their entry )
What: Short story or Poem.
Theme: Lost and Found.
Word count: max. 500 words.
Closes 4 September.
Entry fee: Free
Junior Journo
For Western Australian school students.
Age: Grade 3-6.
What: articles inspired by the options listed on their website.
Prize $100 book voucher from Fremantle Press.
Entry fee: Free.
Closes 11 September.
Heywire Competition
What: True stories about you and your community
Format: audio, video, photos or text
Who: 16-22 year
Entry fee: Free
Closes 16 September
KSP Short Fiction Competition
For: 10-18 year olds.
What: Short stories up to 1000 words.
Prize:$100
Entry fee: Free
Closes 25 September