Calling all writers and artists! Here is a list of competitions for writing and illustrating open to children under 12. The list will be updated as often as we can. (Note: most of these competitions will be open to Australian residents only.)
Some tips when it comes to entering competitions:
- Writing comps are a good way to hone your writing skills and to work to a deadline.
- If you don’t win, it doesn’t mean your work is bad—don’t lose heart, just keep at it!
- Many writing/art competitions have free entry for kids. If there IS an entry fee, check with your parent/guardian about whether it’s a reputable competition. (Some competitions ask you to pay large amounts of money to enter, or say it is free to enter but then want you to buy a book with all the ‘winners’ writing published. It’s usually a good idea to avoid those sorts of competitions.)
- Read all the entry conditions. And read them again! You don’t want to be disqualified for going over the word limit or missing the closing date.
- We list competitions here but we are not usually affiliated with those competitions and do not necessarily endorse them. You will need to check with a parent/guardian before entering.
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Tim Winton Award for Young Writers (Closes 31 May 2013)
All school students aged between five and eighteen years in Western Australia are invited to put pen to paper and be a part of the award, which this year turns twenty-one.
ENTRY: FREE!
PRIZES: Awarded in various age categories.
Check out the entry requirements
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Weereewa—A Festival of Lake George Short Story Competition (Closes 31 May 2013)
The themes for the Short Story competition revolve around the word AWEsome for
Student sections. AWE is an acronym for ARTS, WATER (WEEREEWA), ENVIRONMENT.
Entries are encouraged to give consideration to the Arts/Water/Environment theme within their stories. This may be a major or even a minor element, but it should bear some significance in the structure of the story.
Children’s entries should not exceed 1000 words.
ENTRY: $5.00 (paid by direct debit or by cheque)
PRIZES: 1st PRIZE—$50.00, publication in a collection of the best stories entered, and one copy of the book. 2nd & 3rd PRIZES—a book pack, publication in a collection of the best stories entered and one copy of the book.
Check out the entry requirements.
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Make Your Own Storybook competition (Closes 7 June 2013)
WA school students are invited to make their own picture book or storybook (fiction) and enter it in the 2013 Make Your Own Storybook Competition.
ENTRY: FREE!
PRIZES: Awarded in various categories.
Check out the entry requirements
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Sydney Youth Writing Comp (Closes 18 June 2013)
Open to students in years 3 to 6 worldwide. There are two age categories — years 3 and 4, and years 5 and 6.
Short story (750 word limit), Poem (25 lines maximum), Play/script (2 A4 pages maximum), Free choice (2 A4 pages maximum – free choice can be a piece of writing such as a newspaper article, comic piece, advertisement, letter, diary entry, journal etc).
There are 3 signature words for 2013 — FLY, LIGHT and CREEK. Your entries must contain one of these words.
ENTRY: FREE!
PRIZES: For each category — awards given for first, second, and third places, also highly commended, commended and encouragement.
Check out the entry requirements
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The West Australian Young Writers’ Contest (Closes 25 June 2013)
Entry open to WA students. Students can submit one poem and/or prose, to a maximum of 1500 words, on any topic(s) of their choice.
ENTRY: FREE
PRIZES: Cash prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners in each age group in the poetry and the prose sections.
Selected entries (or extracts of) will be published in a special ED! Young Writers’ edition of the West Australian newspaper in Term Three.
Check out the entry requirements
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City of Subiaco Photographic Awards (Closes 29 June 2013)
Open to amateur photographers aged six years and over who reside in the Perth metropolitan area. There is a category for primary school students. Enter in the SUBIACO or OPEN (non-Subiaco) categories.
ENTRY: FREE
PRIZES: Winner of the primary school category receives $125.
Check out the entry requirements
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Writing Classes for Kids Writing competition (Closes 30 June 2013)
Theme: “Real”.
Write a piece of fiction (no more than 500 words) that is set in the real world.
PLEASE NOTE: This competition doesn’t open until 1 March 2013. But you can start work on your story now and have it ready!
ENTRY: FREE for kids (there is an entry fee for the adults’ category)
PRIZES:
Winners in each category will receive
1. A detailed five-page manuscript assessment (professional feedback on your writing)
2. 2 x e-books on writing from the 10 Top Writing Tips series.
Check out the entry requirements
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Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards (Closes 30 June 2013)
Optional theme: “Wherever the wind blows.”
ENTRY: Check the competition’s terms and conditions. There is a small fee per school/homeschooler.
PRIZES: See the competition’s website. Trophies and cash prizes for the winners.
Check out the entry requirements
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ENTRY: $2 per poem and $1.80 in unused stamps (maximum entries: 2 poems per student)
PRIZES: 1st place — $30.00; 2nd place — $20.00; 3rd place — $10
Check out the entry requirements
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Writing Classes for Kids Writing competition (Closes 30 November 2013)
Theme: “Unreal”.
This theme includes a piece of fiction (no more than 500 words) that is not set in the modern world. (Can include fantasy, history, science fiction etc)
PLEASE NOTE: This competition doesn’t open until 1 August 2013. But you can start work on your story now and have it ready!
ENTRY: FREE for kids (there is an entry fee for the adults’ category)
PRIZES:
Winners in each category will receive
1. A detailed five-page manuscript assessment (professional feedback on your writing)
2. 2 x e-books on writing from the 10 Top Writing Tips series.
Check out the entry requirements
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