Creative Writing NZ

The Elsie Locke Writing Prize 2026 is open for entries. 📖

Young writers aged 5-13 are invited to create an original piece inspired by New Zealand history and Elsie Locke’s legacy of peace, the environment and community. 🌟

Submissions can include stories, poems, essays, speeches or plays in English or te reo Māori.

The deadline is Friday, 3 July 2026

Full details on their website below. 🔗

https://www.toitoi.nz/elsie-locke

The Anthology Poetry Competition is open for entries. 📖

Submit an original poem (max 40 lines) for a chance to win €1,000 and publication. 🌟 Open to all ages, with no restrictions on theme.

Full details on their website below. 🔗

https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/poetry-competition/

The Writer's College Short Story Competition is open for entries. 📖

Submit a short story on the theme ‘End of the Line’ (max 2,000 words) for a chance to win up to NZ$1,000 and publication. 🌟 Open to emerging writers worldwide.

Deadline: 30 September 2026

Full details on their website below. 🔗

https://www.thewriterscollege.com/the-writers-college-annual-short-story-competition/

Happy Easter from Creative Writing NZ 🐣🌸

We hope the Easter period brings you rest, relaxation, and maybe a little autumn writing inspiration too ✍️🌼

We’ll be back on Tuesday as usual. See you then!

The Kathleen Grattan Poetry Award is open for entries. ✍️

Submissions must be complete book-length collections. Open to New Zealand or South Pacific permanent residents or citizens.

Enter by 31 July 2027 for the chance to win NZ$10,000 and a year’s subscription to Landfall Tauraka.

Full details on the website. 🔗

https://oup.nz/competitions/

The National Flash Fiction Day NZ 2026 competition is open for entries. ✍️

Open to all NZ citizens. Tell your story in 300 words or fewer for the chance to win up to $1000. 📖

Deadline for entry is 30th April 2026.

Full details on their website:

Competition | National Flash Fiction Day | New Zealand National Flash Fiction Day 2025! This year's competition runs 15 February to 30 April. Send your stories up to 300 words and see what you can do in a small space!

The Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize is open for entries on 1st June 2026. 🌸

This year's theme is Nature’s Wisdom and Healing. Open to all, anywhere in the world; no age restrictions.

Top prize of £750. Deadline for entry is 14th September 2026.

https://gabrielablandy.org/nature-writing-prize

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is open for entries. ✍️

Enter today for the chance to win $1000 and a free 10-week course with Gotham Writers. 🏆

Deadline for entry is 6th March. Full details on their website.

https://www.symphonyspace.org/selected-shorts/the-stella-kupferberg-memorial-short-story-prize

The Anthology Personal Memoir Competition is open for entries from writers anywhere in the world. ✍️

Enter your story for the chance to win €500 and the chance to see your work published in a future issue of Anthology. ⭐️

Full details on their website. 🔗

https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/memoir-competition/

Tickets for the RAWA festival are now live! Get yours today. 🎟️

RAWA is a small regional festival (6th-8th March) with a programme for readers and writers alike. 📖

For full details, please visit their website.

https://www.rawafestival.com/

The Bristol Short Story Prize is open for entries from writers worldwide. ✍️

Enter an unpublished story for the chance to win up to £1000. The deadline for entry is Friday, 31 January, midnight (BST). 📖🌟

Full details on their website. 🔗

https://bssp.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2024/11/27/enter-the-bristol-short-story-prize/