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Tag: writing

  • Submissions diary

    Here is a digest of active publishing opportunities, prizes, and open calls across creative writing and visual arts for the week of Saturday, 10 October 2026:

    Literary Prizes & Competitions

    • Australian Book Review – 2027 Peter Porter Poetry Prize
      • Closing Date: 14 October 2026, 11:59 PM AEDT
      • Category: Poetry (single poem, maximum 60 lines, open theme)
      • Eligibility & Rules: Open to all poets writing in English worldwide. Poems must be original and previously unpublished.
      • Prizes & Entry Fee: AU$6,000 first prize; AU$1,000 for each of four shortlisted poets (AU$10,000 total pool). All shortlisted poems are published in *ABR*. Entry fee is AU$30 (AU$20 for current ABR subscribers). Details and listing also available via Writing NSW’s October Calendar.
    • The 2026 Hope Prize
      • Closing Date: 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM AEDT
      • Category: Short fiction or creative non-fiction/memoir
      • Eligibility & Rules: Open to writers aged 18+ internationally. Submissions must explore themes of hope, courage, or resilience; maximum 5,000 words (no minimum); double-spaced. Submit via The Hope Prize Submission Portal.
      • Prizes: AU$13,000 total prize pool (AU$10,000 first prize supported by Simon & Schuster Australia and Readings Books; AU$2,000 second; AU$1,000 third). Winning and highly commended stories will be published in a Simon & Schuster anthology.
    • SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award
      • Closing Date: 30 October 2026
      • Category: Crime fiction / Mystery short story
      • Eligibility & Rules: Stories between 2,000 and 5,000 words incorporating classic elements of suspense, mystery, investigation, or crime. Presented in association with the Australian Crime Writers Association.
      • Prizes & Entry Fee: $1,000 first prize; entry fee $35.
    • Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2026
      • Closing Date: 31 October 2026
      • Category: Poetry (open theme, maximum 40 lines)
      • Eligibility & Rules: Administered by Ballarat Writers; judged by Australian author and poet Melissa Ashley.
      • Prizes & Entry Fee: $1,000 first prize, with additional regional writer awards. Entry fee applies via TryBooking.
    • Geelong Writers Ekphrastic Challenge #10
      • Closing Date: 25 October 2026
      • Category: Flash fiction, short prose, or poetry (maximum 300 words)
      • Eligibility & Rules: Open to members and non-members responding to the designated October artwork prompt.

    Poetry & Prose Submissions (Journals, Agencies & Presses)

    • Curtis Brown Australia – Open Manuscript Submissions
      • Reading Window: 1 October – 31 October 2026
      • Category: Commercial & literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and YA/children’s manuscripts
      • Eligibility & Rules: Open to unagented writers who are residents of Australia and New Zealand. Requires a one-page synopsis, author bio, and sample chapters (first 50 pages) submitted via their online agency portal.
    • Overland Literary Journal – Submissions
      • Status: Open for general submissions
      • Category: Short fiction (up to 3,000 words), poetry (up to 3 poems per submission), and creative essays
      • Guidelines & Payment: Actively seeking progressive and experimental writing. Accepted print and online contributors receive standard industry rates (AUD $150–$500+ depending on genre and format).
    • The Freelance Writing Network Lit Mag Roster – October Open Windows
      • Status: Windows closing late October / early November 2026
      • Featured Publications:
        • The Iowa Review: General submission window open through October for fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.
        • The Massachusetts Review: General reading period open for essays, stories, and poetry.
        • Foglifter Journal: Submissions open for upcoming print issues focusing on hybrid forms, non-fiction, and poetry.
    • Phosphorescent Lit – Issue 3: “Fever”
      • Closing Date: 16 November 2026 (04:59 UTC)
      • Category: Poetry (up to 3 poems) and short prose (fiction/creative non-fiction up to 2,500 words)
      • Theme: “Fever” — exploring heat, delirium, obsession, intensity, and illness. Fee-free general submission route.

    Visual Art & Photography Calls

    Here is your weekly digest of active publishing opportunities, literary prizes, and visual art open calls, cross-referenced against your tracked bookmarks and regional directory listings:

    1. Literary Prizes & Competitions

    • Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2027 (Australian Book Review)
      • Closing Date: Wednesday, 14 October 2026 (Midnight AEDT)
      • Form & Scope: Single poems in English, maximum 70 lines. Open internationally to poets of any citizenship.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$10,000 total prize pool (AU$6,000 first prize; four shortlisted poets receive AU$1,000 each and publication in ABR).
      • Entry Fee: AU$30 (or AU$20 for current ABR subscribers). (Source)
    • The Hope Prize 2026
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Prose short stories between 2,000 and 5,000 words exploring the experience of people facing hardship, poverty, or marginalisation with resilience, dignity, and hope. Open globally (18+).
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$13,000 prize pool (AU$10,000 first prize; AU$2,000 second prize; AU$1,000 third prize).
      • Entry Fee: Free to enter. (Source)
    • SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award 2026 (Australian Writers’ Centre)
      • Closing Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Original, unpublished crime fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words. Open to writers residing in Australia.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 first prize. Judged on narrative tension, plotting, and characterisation.
      • Entry Fee: AU$35. (Source)
    • Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2026 (Ballarat Writers Inc.)
      • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Form & Scope: Poems up to 40 lines. Theme: “Night”.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 first prize, AU$400 second prize, AU$100 third prize.
      • Entry Fee: AU$35 per poem (AU$25 for BWI members; AU$15 for subsequent poems). (Source)
    • Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize 2026 (Overland)
      • Closing Date: Friday, 4 December 2026 (Midnight AEDT)
      • Form & Scope: Short fiction up to 3,000 words loosely themed around the concept of “travel”.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$5,000 first prize and publication in *Overland*; two runner-up prizes of AU$750 each.
      • Entry Fee: AU$20 general entry / AU$12 subscribers. (Source)
    • Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets 2026 (Overland)
      • Closing Date: Friday, 4 December 2026
      • Form & Scope: Original poetry up to 80 lines by writers who have not yet published a full-length commercial poetry collection.
      • Prizes & Terms: AU$9,000 prize pool (AU$6,000 first prize; AU$2,000 second; AU$1,000 third) plus publication.
      • Entry Fee: AU$20 non-subscribers / AU$12 subscribers. (Source)
    • Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize 2027
      • Closing Date: Friday, 12 December 2026 (6:00 PM AEST)
      • Form & Scope: Full unpublished fiction or narrative non-fiction manuscripts up to 80,000 words.
      • Prizes & Terms: Traditional trade publishing contract with Hawkeye Books plus an author coaching and structural/line editing package valued at AU$3,500. Two categories awarded: Open and Own Voices.
      • Entry Fee: AU$45 standard / AU$99 with comprehensive written assessment. (Source)

    2. Poetry & Prose Submissions

    • Meanjin (Edition 86.1 – Autumn 2027)
      • Submission Window: Opens Friday, 23 October 2026 (Midday AEST) — Closes Friday, 27 November 2026 (6:00 PM AEST)
      • Categories: Poetry (up to 3 poems), Short Fiction (up to 5,000 words), and Non-Fiction/Essays (up to 5,000 words).
      • Theme & Guidelines: Broad overarching theme of “Storytelling”. All accepted contributions are paid upon publication. Portals open on Submittable. (Source)
    • Curtis Brown Australia — Open Submissions Month
      • Window Closes: Saturday, 31 October 2026
      • Scope: Literary agency accepting unsolicited queries and manuscript proposals across literary fiction, commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, and young adult writing without prior referral. (Source)
    • Australian Poetry Collaboration Issue 41 (Meuse Press)
      • Closing Date: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
      • Scope: Seeking collaborative poetic works written jointly by two or more poets.
      • Submission: Electronic submission via editorial guidelines. (Source)
    • Overland (General Submissions)
      • Status: Open / Ongoing on Submittable
      • Scope: Essays, critical reviews, fiction, cultural commentary, and political writing.
      • Contributor Rates: Standard industry rates apply (AU$150–AU$500 depending on length and print vs. online placement). (Source)
    • One Sentence Poems & Eunoia Review
      • Status: Open / Year-round rolling submissions
      • Scope: Single-sentence poetry (One Sentence Poems) and short fiction/poetry/creative non-fiction with rapid turnaround (Eunoia Review). Both accessible directly via your Raindrop writing collection.

    3. Visual Art, Photography & Illustration Calls

    • Aesthetica Art Prize 2026/2027
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 11 October 2026 (Late entries accepted through 18 October 2026)
      • Mediums: Photography, digital media, drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture, and video art.
      • Prizes & Terms: £10,000 Main Art Prize, £1,000 Emerging Art Prize, group exhibition in York, and publication in the Future Now: 100 Contemporary Artists anthology.
      • Entry Fee: Registration via site checkout. (Source)
    • Small Works Art Prize 2027 (Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy)
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 15 November 2026 (Midnight)
      • Mediums & Specs: Open to all 2D and 3D media (including photography, drawings, printmaking, painting, and small sculpture). Artwork must not exceed 35 × 35 × 35 cm.
      • Prizes & Exhibition: Over AU$15,000 in prizes, including two AU$2,000 solo exhibition packages and category awards. All eligible entries will be hung in the exhibition from 9–23 January 2027.
      • Entry Details: Detailed entry and hanging requirements available on the BSG Information Page. (Source)
    • Red Art Prize 2027 (Red Gallery, Fitzroy North)
      • Closing Date: Sunday, 20 December 2026 (or until gallery exhibition capacity is reached)
      • Mediums: Open-call exhibition launching the 2027 season for 2D and 3D contemporary visual art, drawing, print, and photography.
      • Entry Fee: From AU$60. (Source)
    • Collect Art — Open Call for Photography & Fine Art
      • Closing Date: Thursday, 15 October 2026
      • Scope: Curated international feature issue for street photography, documentary photography, and contemporary drawings/paintings.
      • Format: Up to 12 high-resolution images, brief artist statement, and bio. (Source)
  • Alex Skovron’s Switchpoints

    Alex Skovron’s Switchpoints

    Alex Skovron’s new book, Switchpoints, is a collection of 100 narratives in prose and
    verse. It was published in March 2026. A link to the publishers, Puncher & Wattmann,
    can be found at the foot of this page.

    A philosopher sets about compiling an encyclopaedia of embraces; an artist accuses
    her mirror of a lifetime of dishonesty; a flâneur collects melodies from the faces of
    passing strangers; an author envisions the ultimate map charting every single move
    of his existence; a girl dreams of a magic box that would tell her everything …

    Switchpoints, Alex Skovron’s twelfth book, is a collection of 100 short narrative pieces, some in prose, others in verse. It is inhabited by a broad assortment of individuals of all ages, from children to the elderly, visited at particular and possibly significant moments in their daily life—moments of doubt or discovery, inertia or inspiration, of personal reflection, reminiscence or philosophical musing. There are skewed apprehensions and tender recognitions, lingering regrets and poignant realizations—‘switchpoint’ moments that trigger a jolt in thought or demeanour, or signal a shift in viewpoint or sense of self; or may not. The prod might be a line from a novel or poem, a painting or a piece of music, a landmark, a famous disaster, or perhaps no more than a sudden idea, a fading dream or an elusive recollection. Underpinning it all is a fascination with the workings of mind, the riddles of memory, the mystique of time.

    Switchpoints can be purchased directly from the publisher.

  • Calendar of publishers and events

    UNFURL Writing+art publishers list
    • Westwords
    • Wakefield Press
      Wakefield Press is an independent book publishing company based in Adelaide, South Australia.
    • Vagabond Press
      Independent literary press based in Sydney.
    • Subbed In
    • Simon & Schuster AU
      Find new book releases, best sellers lists and see when your favorite author is making their next appearance.Simon & Schuster AU is your one stop online book store for book and author news.
    • Revolutionaries
    • Rabbit Poetry
    • Puncher & Wattmann
      Puncher & Wattmann is an award-winning book publisher supporting quality Australian writing. Contact Puncher & Wattmann for more details.
    • Pink Shorts Press
      Publishing socially conscious and slightly offbeat books. Running workshops in brand voice, writing and editing for anyone who works with words. Creating custom books and publications for businesses and organisations with a story to tell. Loudly independent and proudly South Australian, based on Kau
    • Odyssey Books
    • no more poetry
      cargo.site
    • Lacuna Publishing
      Welcome to Publishing, the home of bold, original writing that excites, entertains and informs new ways of thinking.
    • Incision Press
      Words for the Queer Revolution
    • icoe.com.au
    • Hunter Publishers Australia
      A singular blend of Australian and international fiction, poetry, graphic novels, and non-fiction. Independent , original, engaged.
    • Giramondo Publishing
      Giramondo Publishing is an independent Australian literary publisher of award-winning poetry, fiction and non-fiction, renowned for the quality of its writing, editing and book design.
    • Ginninderra Press
      Since its establishment in 1996, Ginninderra Press has been a proud, independent Australian publisher. As a small press with a big heart, we are dedicated to publishing great books that showcase both emerging and experienced authors.
    • Gazebo Books
      pLife Before Man is Gazebo Books’ poetry imprint, curated by artist and writer Phil Day./p
    • Fremantle Press
      Fremantle Press is a proudly not-for-profit team of publishers, authors and artists who bring uniquely Western Australian stories to the world.
    • Elephant Page

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