Young Writers Award - now open!
Are you a budding writer?
Are you aged 18 to 25 and live in Queensland? Enter your short story of 2,500 words or less in the State Library of Queensland Young Writers Award 2012 and you could win $2,000 and career launching opportunities.
Submissions close 13 July.
Please note: links on this page to non-State Library websites will open in a new window.
The competition
The judging panel will select the winner of the Young Writers Award 2012, the first runner up and four highly commended entries.
The judging panel consists of The Courier Mail Arts Editor Nathaneal Cooper, Brisbane Writers Festival Director Jane O’Hara, author Sue Gough, and novelist and former Young Writers Award winner Alasdair Duncan.
Prizes
The Young Writers Award winner, first runner-up and four highly commended entries each receive prize packs.
Prizes include:
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$2,000 to the Young Writers Award winner
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$500 to the first runner-up recipient
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12 month youth membership to Queensland Writers Centre [new window]
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12 month membership to Australian Writers Marketplace online [new window]
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Admission to a Queensland Writers Centre workshop/Industry seminar
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Admission to a Brisbane Writers Festival [new window] workshop
How to enter
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Write your own original short story of less than 2,500 words.
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Download the conditions of entry [new window
474MB] and make sure your submission complies with all of the requirements. -
Fill in the electronic entry form [new window 474MB] and save it to your computer.
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Email the entry form and your story submission to learningparticipation@slq.qld.gov.au with “Young Writers Award submission” in the email header.
Hints on writing a short story
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Be confident in your writing.
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Relax and don’t try too hard. Use language that comes naturally to you and when you’re writing, try to let it flow.
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Judges are looking for stories with distinctive and interesting characters and plots – get to know who your characters are and where your plot’s going first, and the language will follow.
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They’re all good ideas, but don’t try to cram them all into one piece. Think about your core themes and characters and stick by them - your loyalty will pay off in the end.
For more writing tips, visit Queensland Writers Centre or read up on some of the past winning stories.
Read past winning stories
2011 finalists
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2011 winning story: Freedom Mangoes by Daniel Foskey
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2011 Encouragement Award winner: Rips by Deanna Antoniolli
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2011 Highly Commended: The Anatomist by Jacqueline Allen Rodgers
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2011 Highly Commended: Of Orange Trees and Peach Cake by Megan Gartside
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2011 Highly Commended: Sleeping Patterns by Jarryd Luke
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2011 Highly Commended: Black and white by Stephanie Gall
More information
- Phone: +61 7 3840 7768
- Email: learningparticipation@slq.qld.gov.au
