• 2025 Australasian Shadows Awards OPEN

    Posted on 3 December 2025

    The 2025 Australasian Shadows Awards are now OPEN! The Awards will close at midnight AEST on Jan 31. GUIDELINES Full Awards entry rules can be found HERE. Up to three works of horror/dark fiction may be entered per author in each of the following categories: Short Fiction: works up to 7,500 words. Paul Haines Award for […]

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  • NZSA Mentor Programme 2026 – open for applications

    Posted on 1 December 2025

    For Writers! Apply now to be mentored by an experienced writer / industry expert and grow your writing practice. The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) Mentor programme 2026 seeks applications from beginning or emerging writers, with commitment and potential, who are looking for professional development, a safe space to discuss their work, intellectual […]

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  • WriteTime Competitions

    Posted on 27 November 2025

    WriteTime competitions are only open to older writers. Everyone is welcome, wherever in the world you live. If you want to join in, you need to be over 60 years old. There’s no upper age limit. Share your stories with us – entering a competition is a great way to keep up your writing. WriteTime […]

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  • Entries Open For 2026 NZCYA Awards

    Posted on 27 November 2025

    The 2026 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults – which celebrate the best books for young readers published in Aotearoa – are now open for entries. Titles with release dates between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 will be considered in six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation […]

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  • 2026 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize Open

    Posted on 27 November 2025

    The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize opened on 13 October for entries, welcoming unpublished women and non-binary writers to submit their work. Generously sponsored by WME, the Prize continues its mission to amplify new voices in fiction. WME took on six authors from 2025’s shortlist and longlist, including Ciara Borderick, whose debut Catfish has just sold […]

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  • Call for applications for Māori and Pacific Publishing Scholarship

    Posted on 25 November 2025

    Applications are open for the 2026 Penguin Random House Māori and Pacific Publishing Scholarship. This scholarship was created in 2020, in collaboration with Whitireia and Weltec, with the aim of reducing barriers to equitable representation and encouraging diversity and inclusivity in publishing in Aotearoa. The scholarship offers funding for one Māori or Pacific student to […]

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  • 2026 Next Generation Short Story Awards: Call For Entries

    Posted on 19 November 2025

    Enter by February 26, 2026 to be a part of the 2026 awards program If you would like to receive greater recognition, monetary prizes, awards and exposure for your short stories, here is an opportunity not to miss. Enter the 2026 Next Generation Short Story Awards. Calling all short story writers, even first time authors, in […]

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  • EOI for FutureTense: Writing Workshop

    Posted on 13 November 2025

    Exploring Astrology, Afrofuturism, and Creative Imagination Are you a mid-career BIPOC writer ready to imagine new creative futures? Future Tense is a two-day writing workshop guided by Sonya Renee Taylor and Junauda Petrus, with creative direction by Dione Joseph. Explore astrology, Afrofuturism, and intuitive storytelling as tools for reflection, world-building, and artistic renewal. When: 7 […]

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  • 2026 Landfall Tauraka Young Writers’ Essay Prize

    Posted on 13 November 2025

    Thinking about exploring an important topic in your life through prose? We want to read it! We welcome original essays that reflect life in Aotearoa today and capture the concerns and creativity of our emerging writers. Open to Aotearoa New Zealand citizens or permanent residents aged between 16 and 25. Essays must not exceed 2000 […]

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  • 2026 Springboard Nominations Are Open!

    Posted on 12 November 2025

    Our Springboard Awards are back – and bigger than ever! Don’t miss your chance to nominate an early-career artist before Friday 5 December. Thanks to the incredible success of our Supernova campaign, we’ve supersized Springboard for 2026. Instead of the usual six awards, we’re offering 16 awards for rising artists to kickstart their practice and step boldly into the next […]

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  • 2026 Calibre Essay Prize Now Open!

    Posted on 12 November 2025

    Prize money: $10,000 Closing: 3 February 2026 Judges: André Dao, Kate Fullagar, and Diane Stubbings Australian Book Review welcomes entries to the 2026 Calibre Essay Prize, one of the world’s leading prizes for an original non-fiction essay. The prize – now worth a total of AU$10,000 – is open to all essayists writing in English. The winner will receive […]

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  • Whitireia publishing course secured: Applications open now

    Posted on 6 November 2025

    Last week PANZ officially announced that it will assume responsibility for the Whitireia Publishing Course – New Zealand’s only full-time, industry-led publishing qualification – from 2026 and will welcome a capped intake of 20 students for next year. You can read the full press release here. PANZ is now reaching out to all members and […]

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