Calling all writers and artists!
Here is a list of competitions for writing and illustrating/art open to children aged 12 and under. 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.
- DO NOT USE AI in any way unless a competition specifically states that you are allowed to use it. Most competitions won’t allow it and most will use plagiarism and AI checkers for entries.
- 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.
Whitsunday Voices Short Story Competition (Closes 4pm Queensland time, 30 April 2026)
Enter your short story on any topic of your choosing. Do not use AI.
Word limits:
Grades 3 – 4 300 – 400 words
Grades 5 – 6 300 – 500 words
Grades 7 – 8 400 – 600 words
Grades 9 – 10 600 – 800 words
Grades 11 – 12 800 – 1200 words
ENTRY: Free
PRIZES: Cash prizes for first, second and third place in each age category. See competition’s website for specific prize amounts.
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions
Laura Literary Awards:Prose (Entries Close 8 May 2026 and entries must be posted (not emailed))
The primary school categories are open to students aged 5 to 12.
UPPER PRIMARY (11-12 yrs) Enter a short story up to 800 words
JUNIOR (9-10 yrs) Enter a short story up to 800 words
JUNIOR PRIMARY (5-8 yrs) Enter a short story up to 500 words
ENTRY: Free in the primary school categories
PRIZES: Upper Primary winner $25; Junior winner $25; Junior Primary winner $15.
NB: Entries need to be posted to the competition organisers, not emailed. Allow enough time to meet the closing date.
Check out the competition’s website for entry form and entry conditions
Laura Literary Awards: CJ Dennis Poetry Awards (Entries close 8 May 2026 and entries must be posted (not emailed))
The primary school categories are open to students aged 5 to 12.
JUNIOR POETRY (9-12 yrs)
JUNIOR PRIMARY POETRY (5-8 yrs)
Enter your poem (maximum 60 lines. Shorter poems are acceptable)
ENTRY: Free in the primary school categories
PRIZES: Junior Poetry winner $25; Junior Primary Poetry winner $15
NB: Entries need to be posted to the competition organisers, not emailed. Allow enough time to meet the closing date.
Check out the competition’s website for entry form and entry conditions.
Whitlam Institute What Matters? Writing Competition (Entries close 15 May 2026, 11.59pm AEST)
Open to students in Years 5 to 12 in Australia (or an Australian International School).
Enter one piece of original written work of up to 600 words in prose or poetry, either fiction or non-fiction.
ENTRY: Free
PRIZES: The Year 5/6 Category winner will receive $350, a full-day face to face or online creative writing workshop donated by The Writing Workshop and a Book pack from Allen and Unwin.
The runner-up in this category will receive $200, a full-day face to face or online creative writing workshop donated by The Writing Workshop and a Book pack from Allen and Unwin
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions
South Perth Young Writers Award (Entries close 18 May 2026)
Open to students in years 1 to 10 who live in or go to school in the City of South Perth, Western Australia.
Enter your short story (maximum 1500 words).
ENTRY: Free
PRIZES: Shortlisted entrants are invited to attend a one-on-one workshop with a published local author, who will provide tailored feedback on their stories.
All finalists are awarded prizes up to the value of $150.
All finalist entries will be published in a SPYWA Anthology. A copy of the Anthology will be gifted to each finalist and to their school library, and another copy is held in the City of South Perth Libraries collection.
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions
Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists (Entries OPEN 24 April and close 18 May 2026)
Open to WA young artists in years one to twelve. All artworks must be an original, two-dimensional (2D) creation no bigger than 1 metre x 1.5 metre in size. Judged in five age categories, including primary school categories. AI influenced or produced artwork will not be accepted.
ENTRY: Free
PRIZES: Prizes are donated from the City of Subiaco and award sponsors and are presented to the top three entries in each category. A selection of the best artworks entered will feature in a month-long public exhibition at Subiaco Library from Monday 6 July to Sunday 2 August. All exhibited artists receive professional framing or mounting for their artworks.
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions
Furphy Story Junior and Youth Competition (Entries close 31 May 2026)
Junior & Youth entrants must be current Australian residents and live or attend a school within the GoulburnValley – specifically within Greater Shepparton City Council, Moira, Strathbogie, Mitchell, Murrindindi, Benalla or Campaspe Shires.Writing may be works of fiction or narrative non-fiction on any subject. The use of AI is not permitted.
Junior Short Story up to 12 years old: Word Limit 2000 words
Junior Poetry up to 12 years old: Line limit 20 lines.
ENTRY: appears to be free
PRIZES:Junior Short story winners 1st Prize $300 2nd Prize $100 3rd Prize $50; Junior poetry winners 1st Prize $300 2nd Prize $100 3rd Prize $50.
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions
CBCA WA’s Make Your Own Storybook Awards (Entries close Friday 5 June 2026)
Open to all Western Australian students from Pre Primary to Year 8. Create your own picture book or storybook, maximum word limit 5000 words. Your book must have original text and illustrations. Your book must be handbound (see competition’s website for tips). Your book can be created solo or with a maximum of two students collaborating. The use of AI is strictly prohibited.
Books must be entered by dropping off at Child Education Services in East Perth or may be mailed there, but be mindful of the closing date.
ENTRY: Free
PRIZES: awarded in various age categories but not specified at this time.
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions and tips.
NSW Govt WriteOn Competition (Entries close 19 June 2026)
Open to all NSW primary students in Years 1 to 6. Schools and home schools can use the stage-appropriate online entry form to submit one typed entry from each participating stage of learning.
Create an imaginative text of up to 500 words, using a provided stimulus. The 2026 stimulus is: ‘It was a small thing, but it made a difference.’
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions.
Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards (Entries close 30 June 2026)
Open to students enrolled in an Australian education facility (Kindergarten to Year 12). Poems must be no more than 80 lines. Poems may be on any subject, there is an optional theme: The Traveller. Poems can be written by an individual poet, a group of up to 5 students, or a whole class. See the competition’s website for details. The use of AI is not permitted.
PRIZES: Cash prizes (see competition’s website for details). The annual anthology includes all the winning, runners-up, shortlisted, highly commended and commended poems from all competition categories.
ENTRY: Fees apply
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions
Randolph Stow Young Writers Award (Entries Open 20 April, Entries close 3 July 2026, 5pm)
Open to students of the Midwest and Gascoyne in Western Australia. The competition has categories for poetry and prose. Students in Years 3-6 may enter a prose piece with a maximum of 1200 words, or a piece of poetry with no word count limits.
ENTRY: Free
PRIZES: cash prizes
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions
Better Read Kids Writing Competition (Entries close 1 August 2026)
Open to kids aged 6 to 17 years old. Write a short creative piece in the form of a short story, poem, or comic on the theme of “metamorphosis”. Maximum word count: 300 words.
ENTRY: Free
PRIZES: All entries will be published in an anthology, with prizes for the winning entry in each age category. The winning entry in each category (6-9, 10-12 and 13-17) will receive a $100 Better Read Than Dead voucher and two runners up in each category will receive a $50 voucher.
Check out the competition’s website for entry conditions
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