Calling all writers! Williamstown Literary Festival Writing Competitions for 2025 are now open for entries via the festival website. With a total of $1750 in prizes.
There are four competitions underway:
The Young Adas Short Story Prize, for writers aged 14–18 from the western suburbs.
The Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize, open to Victorian writers aged 18+.
The Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize, open to Victorian poets aged 18+.
The Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award, for writing that involves the theme of disability in an Australian setting. It is open to entrants from anywhere in Australia. Stories can be fiction or non-fiction.
Further details:
- The entry fee is $15, except for the Young Adas, which is free.
- Burbidge and Biographical Prose stories must be no more than 3,000 words; Young Adas 1,000 words.
- Up to two poems up to 30 lines each can be submitted for the $15 fee in the Poetry Prize.
- Each of the adult winners will receive $500, the Young Adas winner $250.
- All shortlisted writers will have their work published in our magnificent awards anthology.
- The closing dates for entries to the Biographical Prose, Poetry and Burbidge prizes is March 7, 2025. The Young Adas competition closes on March 21, 2025.
The Young Adas is open to students in schools in the following local government areas: Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley, Wyndham. A full list of postcodes can be found on our online entry details.
For submission guidelines and full terms and conditions please visit the Williamstown Literary Festival website.