Enter the Boroondara Literary Awards

Applications for the 2022 awards open Monday 4 April at 9am and close Friday 29 July at 11:59pm.

Winners will be announced in November 2022.

Our Young Writers' Competition offers $5,000 in prize money across various sections. The Open Short Story Competition awards $1,500 to its first place winner.

View the competition terms and conditions.

2022 award categories and prizes

1. Young Writers’ Competition

This is a prose and poetry competition for young people who live, work or study in Boroondara.

All entrants should ensure that their document does not contain borders, colours, images, or any identifying details such as your name. There are no requirements for fonts, sizing, or spacing for your entry.

Enter the Young Writers’ Competition-external site

Criteria	Prize
Junior Category Open to young people in school Years 5 and 6 Prose length between 300 and 500 words Poetry length must be less than 100 lines	Prose First place: $300 Second place: $200 Third place: $100 Poetry First place: $300 Second place: $200 Third place: $100
Middle Category Open to young people in school Years 7, 8 and 9 Prose length between 500 and 900 words Poetry length must be less than 200 lines	Prose First place: $450 Second place: $300 Third place: $150 Poetry First place: $450 Second place: $300 Third place: $150
Senior Category Open to young people in school Years 10, 11 and 12. Also open to young people not in secondary school, aged 15 to 18 years old as of 1 January 2022. Prose length between 900 and 1,300 words. Poetry length must be less than 200 lines	Prose First place: $600 Second place: $400 Third place: $200 Poetry First place: $600 Second place: $400 Third place: $200

Criteria

Prize

Junior Category

Open to young people in school Years 5 and 6
Prose length between 300 and 500 words
Poetry length must be less than 100 lines

Prose

First place: $300
Second place: $200
Third place: $100

Poetry

First place: $300
Second place: $200
Third place: $100

Middle Category

Open to young people in school Years 7, 8 and 9
Prose length between 500 and 900 words
Poetry length must be less than 200 lines

Prose

First place: $450
Second place: $300
Third place: $150

Poetry

First place: $450
Second place: $300
Third place: $150

Senior Category

Open to young people in school Years 10, 11 and 12.
Also open to young people not in secondary school, aged 15 to 18 years old as of 1 January 2022.
Prose length between 900 and 1,300 words.
Poetry length must be less than 200 lines

Prose

First place: $600
Second place: $400
Third place: $200

Poetry

First place: $600
Second place: $400
Third place: $200

2. Open Short Story Competition

The Open Short Story Competition is open to all Australian residents.

Enter the Open Short Story Competition-external site

Criteria	Prize
Word length between 1,500 and 3,000 words	First place: $1500 Second place: $1000 Third place: $500 The Keith Carroll Award of $500 is given to the best entry from a Boroondara resident.

Enter the Boroondara Literary Awards

2022 award categories and prizes

1. Young Writers’ Competition

2. Open Short Story Competition

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