South Perth Young Writers Award now open

Do you love writing? The South Perth Young Writers Award (SPYWA) is now open, encouraging excellence in creative writing. This prestigious competition, now in its 38th year, is open to all students from Year one through to Year 12 who live in, or attend school within the City of South Perth.

There are five age categories for prose:

• Lower Primary Years 1-2
• Middle Primary Years 3-4
• Upper Primary Years 5-6
• Lower Secondary Years 7-9
• Upper Secondary Years 10-12

Five shortlisted entrants from each age category will be invited to attend a one-on-one workshop with award-winning local author, Shirley Marr. Entrants will work with Shirley to polish and refine their story prior to the second round of judging. Shirley will provide written and verbal feedback on each shortlisted entrant's story and help them to identify areas they could explore further before they re-submit their stories for selection of the finalists.

Three stories from each shortlist category are selected as finalists with placings announced at the award ceremony. In addition, the most outstanding entry across all age categories is awarded the Christobel Mattingly Bronze Medalion.

Each finalist is awarded a framed certificate, a copy of the finished anthology, and a gift voucher to Crow Books. All finalist stories are published in the SPYWA anthology volume for that year. A copy is presented to each finalist, to the finalists’ schools, and to the Mayor and local MPs. A copy is also kept in the City of South Perth Library collection.

More than 20,000 entries have been received since the competition began. Each year the entries are judged by a panel of librarians, writers and children’s literature enthusiasts.

Entries will close midnight, Sunday 2 June 2024.

Download your entry form.

To find out more visit the Libraries’ website.