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Vintage Comic Books

Writing Competitions

Writing competitions are a great way to test a writer's creative skills, create a motivation to write and a concrete goal, and achieve - with any luck! - publication. 

Why not check out the competitions below!

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Please note, the writing competitions listed on this page are not endorsed by the CWEP.

We recommend checking the entry requirements and opening/closing dates.

Students should check with their carers or teachers before entering a competition.

Please beware that some of the competitions have a small entry fee.

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Australian Competitions

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Heywire

(creative non-fiction for young regional writers)

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State Library Queensland Young Writers Award

(for Qld youth 18-25yrs)

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QATSIF Creative Arts Competition

(open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Qld Grades 7-12)

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Art Design Awards & Literary Competition

(open to Qld students Grades 5 -12)

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The Lane Cove Literary Awards

(for 16 years and over)

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The Dickinson Memorial Literary Competition

(for children and young adults who are blind or low visioned)

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The Roly Sussex Short Story Competition

(includes a category for secondary students)

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The KSP Spooky Story Competition

(free for youth)

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KSP Short Fiction Competition

(age range: up to 17 years)

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Whitlam Institute’s ‘What Matters?’

(for students Grades 5-12)

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Peter Cowan Short Story Competition/Julian Cowan Youth Award

(for writers12-18 years; includes an entry fee)

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Scribblers Festival: The Golden Pen’ Award

(age range: 3 categories across Year 4-Year 12)

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Little Stories, Big Ideas

(age range: Year 7-9; Year 10-12)

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Norman McVicker Youth Literary Award

(age range: up to 18 years; includes entry fee)

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The Storyfest National Novella Writing Competition

(age range: up to 19 years)

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Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Writing Competition

(age range: up to 18 years)

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Terror Australis Children’s Short Story Competition

(age range: K to 16 years)

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Poem Forest

(Age range: up to 18 years)

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International Competitions

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The Author of Tomorrow

(age range: 11-21years; free entry)

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The Laura Literary Awards

(free entry; prose and poetry)

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Bennington Young Writers Awards

(age range: Year 9-Year 12)

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One Teen

(age range: 13-19 years)

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