Tag Archives: opportunities

Deadline for abstracts extended: AAWP Conference

The 31st Annual Australasian Association of Writing Programs Conference: “Voicing Our Worlds”, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2–4 December 2026.

Deadline extended: Abstracts/proposals due 30th June 2026

The theme of this year’s conference is Voicing Our Worlds

In our contemporary world, the multifaceted terms, “voices”, “voicing” and their many conjugations and articulations are intertwined with key considerations in our discipline of Creative Writing. First Nations writers have been leading discussions about the real-life consequences of the amplification of some writerly voices and the silencing of others. We hear writers say that they are “giving voice to the voiceless” in their work, a formulation famously critiqued by the writer Arundhati Roy who said “There’s really no such thing as the “voiceless”. There are only the deliberately silenced or the preferably unheard.”^[1]

Such provocations about voicing, silencing, hearing and their links to power are in productive tension with our discipline of Creative Writing in so many ways. In the process of composition, writers expend labour searching for the right voice through craft-based choices including considerations of form, style, lyricism, prosody, metaphor, symbolism, imagery, character design, narrative design etc while agents, mentors, publishers, scholars, critics and judges of literary awards often frame discussions and make decisions around the uniqueness of the writer’s voice in literary texts. In a narratological sense, questions about the voice of the narrator or character, and the differences from and connections to questions of perspective have helped extend the boundaries of our discipline.

In the entanglements between Creative Writing and feminist, queer, postcolonial and disability studies, and ecocriticism, the interrogation of voice is often central to creative and scholarly knowledge-creation, from the advocacy for stronger literary representation of minoritised voices to our ongoing conversations related to the more-than-human. The challenges and possibilities offered by AI have complicated our understanding of voice, demanding new ways to address the key questions of our time as they relate to the work we do as writers and scholars.

We invite scholarly and creative contributions that address these ideas directly or in tangential yet fresh ways. Abstracts/Proposals may address, but need not be limited to, the following themes:

First Nations voices in our world
The voice of the writer in the public sphere
Voice, power, representation
Voice, disability and neurodivergence
Diverse voices in the writing workshop
Voices in translation
Voicing the past, the present, and the future
Voicing the popular
Intertextuality and the voices of others in literary work
Mentoring relationships and voice
Prize culture and voice
Creative Writing pedagogy and voice
Our disciplinary voice in the higher education sector
Formalist or craft-based conceptions of voice, tone, and/or perspective
Vocalising the relationship between the human and the more-than-human
Vocal Aesthetics in literary texts
Algorithmic composition, SLMs, LLMs, machine automatism and the human voice
Voice as reflected in form and style (including hybrid forms that disrupt literary conventions and challenge genre classifications)
Voice as it can emerge in various modes of poetry, and in lyric prose

We welcome abstracts/proposals for individual papers or panels of three to four speakers that speak to our theme as it relates to the discipline of Creative Writing, on creative and professional writing practices and processes, research in creative writing, the teaching of writing and related issues.

For individual papers: a 350-word abstract + a 100-word bio note
For panels: a 700-word abstract for the panel, including a brief description of the panel and a 100-word abstract of each paper + a 100-word bio note for each speaker.

^[1] Roy, Arundhati, ‘Roy’s full speech’, Sydney Morning Herald, November 4, 2004, https://www.smh.com.au/national/roys-full-speech-20041104-gdk1qn.html

For more details regarding submission guidelines, visit the conference website hosted by UNSW.

Closing soon: AAWP Annual Conference Call for Abstracts/Proposals

The 31st Annual Australasian Association of Writing Programs Conference: “Voicing Our Worlds”, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2–4 December 2026.

Abstracts/proposals for individual papers or panels close 31 May 2026.

We invite scholarly and creative contributions that address these ideas directly or in tangential yet fresh ways. Abstracts/Proposals may address, but need not be limited to, the following themes:

First Nations voices in our world
The voice of the writer in the public sphere
Voice, power, representation
Voice, disability and neurodivergence
Diverse voices in the writing workshop
Voices in translation
Voicing the past, the present, and the future
Voicing the popular
Intertextuality and the voices of others in literary work
Mentoring relationships and voice
Prize culture and voice
Creative Writing pedagogy and voice
Our disciplinary voice in the higher education sector
Formalist or craft-based conceptions of voice, tone, and/or perspective
Vocalising the relationship between the human and the more-than-human
Vocal Aesthetics in literary texts
Algorithmic composition, SLMs, LLMs, machine automatism and the human voice
Voice as reflected in form and style (including hybrid forms that disrupt literary conventions and challenge genre classifications)
Voice as it can emerge in various modes of poetry, and in lyric prose

For more details regarding submission guidelines, visit the conference website hosted by UNSW.

Call for Papers: TEXT Special Issues on “Disabled People’s Creative Writing”

This special issue of TEXT aims to highlight the myriad ways in which disability engenders creative writing. We invite papers that explore the influence of impairment and disablement on writing techniques or topics. We are particularly, but by no means exclusively, interested in how these are entangled with other personal characteristics such as race, gender, age, and class.

Potential topics may include (but are not limited to):

Analysis of a particular disabled author
How impairment shapes creative writing
How disabled authors influence each other’s writing
Learning and unlearning writing conventions
Translating individual experience for a diverse audience
Stories told and stories concealed
Crip style, genre, etc
Disability politics and poetics

Editors: Associate Professor Jessica White and Dr Amanda Tink

Abstracts are due by 1 June.

Read the full details and submission guidelines via the TEXT website.

Call for Short Stories: Social Alternatives

Social Alternatives is an independent, not-for-profit peer-reviewed journal publishing practical and theoretical articles on relevant topics, as well as reviews, short stories, poems, graphics, commentaries and critiques.

Authors are invited to submit short stories that have polished. No particular theme is required. The collective firmly recognises the ability for literature to comment on range of social issues and act as vehicle for social change. Fiction is by definition transformative, allowing us to reveal and re-imagine ourselves.

There is no specific deadline. Instead, writers are encouraged to submit their work when it’s ready for consideration.

Learn more about the submission guidelines via the Call for Short Stories flyer here.

Learn more about Social Alternatives via their website here.

Blue text reads: Social Alternatives. An illustration of Earth creates the O in 'Social'.

International Jay Yes Short Story Contest 2026

Theme: Seeking Refuge: Stories of Displacement

Genre: Short story

The Jay Yes International Short Story Contest 2026 is a global writing competition created for unpublished writers aspiring to share their stories with the world. Participants are invited to submit original short stories between 2500 and 4000 words.

Exceptional entries may also be considered for further publishing opportunities with the contest’s publishing partner, Zero Degree Publishing. There are other benefits including podcast opportunities for winners and contributors of anthology. With no entry fee and driven by an inclusive literary vision, the contest champions a shared commitment to storytelling. The jury eagerly looks forward to discovering bold, moving, and truly jaw-dropping narratives from across the globe.

Submissions close 8 May 2026.

Learn more via the competition website here.

AAALS Creative Writing Competition 2026

The American Association of Australasian Literary Studies (AAALS), together with the American Australian Association, welcomes submissions to our annual creative writing competition between 1-31 March 2026.

We invite entries in the following categories:

Poetry
Creative Prose
Indigenous Writers Poetry
Indigenous Writers Creative Prose

With the generous support of the American Australian Association, the winner of each prize will be awarded US$1000, plus publication in the journal Antipodes.

Further details about eligibility and submission requirements are available here: https://aaals.org/antipodes/, with submissions accepted through the Antipodes portal during March 2026: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/antipodes/submission_guidelines.html.

Call for Papers: TEXT Special Issue “Use Your Allusion – Intertextuality in Twenty-First Century Writing”

This special issue of TEXT seeks to publish scholarly papers and creative works concerned with and inspired by the theme of intertextuality. We are seeking creative works and scholarship that consciously respond to this tension, reflecting on or engaging in acts of allusion, rewriting and reimagining. In our contemporary moment of environmental, political and existential crisis, it is necessary to ask what purpose ‘writing back’ serves and how it might be done, especially in decolonising contexts.

Editors: Dr Aidan Coleman, (Southern Cross University), Associate Professor Melanie Duckworth (Østfold University College) and Associate Professor Adelle Sefton-Rowston (Charles Darwin University).

Abstracts for scholarly papers and creative work EOIs should be sent by 10 April 2026.

Read the full details and submission guidelines via the TEXT website.

AAWP’s 2026 Prizes Are Open

The Australasian Association of Writing Programs’ suite of writing prizes are back for 2026 and are open now. Keep reading for all the details.

AAWP & Recent Work Press Novella Prize

On a blurry green-grey background, text reads: AAWP and RWP Novella Prize 2026. Novella Prize —Publication Pathway and Cash Prize Have you written a novella in prose or verse or a hybrid novella that crosses genre boundaries? Enter the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) and Recent Work Press (RWP) Novella Prize for your chance to win. If you win you will receive: a written commendation from AAWP $500 cash prize fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual AAWP conference (November 2026) If your manuscript is as robust as the synopsis and opening extract of your novella, you may secure a publishing contract with RWP: recentworkpress.com For further information, please visit: meniscusliteraryjournal.submittable.com/submit.

Have you written a novella in prose or verse? Or a hybrid novella that crosses genre boundaries? Enter the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) and Recent Work Press (RWP) ‘Novella Prize’ for your chance to win.

If you win you will receive: a written commendation from AAWP. This ‘tick of approval’ will see your manuscript assessed without delay. You will, effectively, leap to the top of the submissions pile. You will also receive a $500.00 cash prize and fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP (November 2026) where you will be invited to read from your work.

If your full manuscript is as robust as the synopsis and opening extract, you may secure a publishing contract with RWP: https://recentworkpress.com

Take advantage of this stunning opportunity. Fast track your writing journey in a fiercely competitive market.

Read the full terms of entry here

Enter the AAWP & RWP Novella Prize here

**AAWP & Westerly Magazine Life Writing Prize**

Overlayed on a photograph of a navy blue brick wall, text reads: AAWP and Westerly Magazine Life Writing Prize 2026. The Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) and Westerly Magazine are proud to offer a prize for life writing. In 2026, The Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) and Westerly Magazine are offering a prize for writers at all stages of their journey; both emerging and established writers are welcome to enter. We welcome submissions of autobiography, biography, memoir, and essay. We celebrate Life Writing as a rumination upon memory and experience and encourage creative and hybrid approaches. Hybrid storytelling is broadly conceived as storytelling that crosses traditional boundaries of nonfiction and creative nonfiction and/or is experimental in form. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize, a written commendation from AAWP and the winner’s work will be considered for publication by Westerly. Entries Close: 30 June 2026. For further information, please visit: meniscusliteraryjournal.submittable.com/submit

In 2026, the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) and Westerly Magazine are offering a prize for Life Writing. We welcome submissions of autobiography, biography, memoir, and essays. We celebrate Life Writing as a rumination upon memory and experience and encourage creative and hybrid approaches.

The prize is open to writers at all stages of their journey; emerging and established writers are welcome to enter. The prize recognises excellence in nonfiction, creative nonfiction and hybrid modes of storytelling. Hybrid storytelling is broadly conceived as storytelling that crosses traditional boundaries of nonfiction and creative nonfiction and/or is experimental in form.

We invite you to send Life Writing submissions of up to 3500 words. The winner will receive a written commendation from AAWP, a $500 cash prize, a one-year subscription to Westerly, and conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP, where they will be invited to read from their work. Please see item 3 (Terms and conditions). The winner’s work will be considered for publication by Westerly.

We encourage you to take advantage of this stunning opportunity to celebrate diverse interpretations of nonfiction, creative nonfiction and hybrid modes of storytelling, and be welcomed into the thriving community of writers associated with the AAWP.

Read the full terms of entry here
Enter the AAWP & Westerly Magazine Life Writing Prize here

AAWP & Express Media Sudden Writing Prize

On a light blue abstract photograph, text reads: Sudden Writing Prize 2026. Emerging writers under 25. Open theme. Short-short fiction, sudden fiction, sketchy stories, creative nonfiction, poetry. Prose: 400 words. Poetry: 40 lines. Prose poetry: 200 words. Submissions close 30 June 2026. For further information, please visit: meniscusliteraryjournal.submittable.com/submit

We are deeply interested in capturing a composite “picture” of what people are writing about. Now. Please send creative work—short-short fiction, “sudden” fiction, “sketchy” stories, creative nonfiction, poetry, as well as hybrid forms.

We are accepting submissions on the following scale: up to 400 words prose, 40 lines for poetry, 200 words for prose poems, and the equivalent for hybrid forms. Submissions must be previously unpublished. Please send your most polished work, without delay.

If you win you will receive a written commendation from AAWP and a $500 cash prize. You will have your work published on the Express Media website and receive a Voiceworks subscription. You will also receive fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP, where you will be invited to read from your work.
Read the full terms of entry here

Enter the AAWP & Express Media Sudden Writing Prize here

AAWP & Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Translators’ Prize

Next to a close-up photograph of a woman clapping in that audience of an UWRF event, and on a brown background, text reads: AAWP and UWRF Translators' Prize. The AAWP X UWRF Translators’ Prize is offered by the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) in partnership with Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF). The prize is open translators at all stages of their career. The aim of the prize is to promote the work of emerging translators by facilitating networking opportunities and publication pathways. The winner will receive an invitation to attend and participate in Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026, including accommodation for the duration of the festival. In addition, the winner will receive fully subsidised fees to attend the AAWP annual conference and a written commendation from AAWP. Entries close: 30 June 2026. Visit: meniscusliteraryjournal.submittable.com/submit

This prize is offered in partnership with the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF), and is open to translators at any stage of their career.

The winner receives a written commendation from AAWP, a festival pass to UWRF and accomodation for the duration of the festival (*Terms and Conditions apply, see below). In addition, you will receive fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP, where you will be invited to read from your work. The editors at Meniscus Literary Journal will also consider your work for publication.

Entries must be no more than 30 lines (poetry) or 3000 words (prose), and entrants can translate their own work into English. Entries must be accompanied by a ‘Translator’s Statement of Intention’ (up to 400 words) addressing the aims of the translation.

Read the full terms of entry here

Enter the AAWP & UWRF Translators’ Prize here

AAWP & UWRF Emerging Writers‘ Prize for Prose

Next to a close-up photograph of a man in that audience of an UWRF event, and on a brown background, text reads: AAWP X UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize for Prose The AAWP X UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize for Prose is offered by the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) in partnership with Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF). The prize is open to emerging writers of prose only. The aim of the prize is to foster global writing communities: to promote the work of under-represented writers to a broader “English-reading” audience. The winner will receive an invitation to attend and participate in Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026, including accommodation for the duration of the festival. In addition, the winner will receive fully subsidised fees to attend the AAWP annual conference and a written commendation from AAWP. Entries close: 30 June 2026. Visit: meniscusliteraryjournal.submittable.com/submit

This prize is offered in partnership with the UBUD Writers and Readers Festival, and is aimed at emerging writers of short fiction.

If you win you will receive: a festival pass to UWRF and accommodation for the duration of the festival (*Terms and Conditions apply, see below). In addition, you will receive fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP. The editors at Meniscus will also consider your work for publication.

Take advantage of this stunning opportunity to celebrate the craft of writing at Southeast Asia’s largest and most exciting literary festival. Be welcomed into the thriving community of writers within the AAWP. Enter your short story and make the most of this generous publication pathway and networking opportunity for emerging writers. Entries should not exceed 3000 words.

Read the full terms of entry here

Enter the AAWP & UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize for Prose here

AAWP & UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize for Poetry

Next to a close-up photograph of a hand signing a book at an UWRF event, and on a white background, text reads: AAWP X UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize for Poetry The AAWP X UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize for poetry is offered by the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) in partnership with Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF). The prize is open to emerging writers of poetry only. The aim of the prize is to foster global writing communities: to promote the work of under-represented writers to a broader “English-reading” audience. The winner will receive an invitation to attend and participate in Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026, including accommodation for the duration of the festival. In addition, the winner will receive fully subsidised fees to attend the AAWP annual conference and a written commendation from AAWP. Entries close: 30 June 2026. Visit: meniscusliteraryjournal.submittable.com/submit

Enter your poem in the ‘AAWP/UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize for Poetry for your chance to win.

Take advantage of this stunning opportunity to celebrate the craft of writing at Southeast Asia’s largest and most exciting literary festival. Be welcomed into the thriving community of writers within the AAWP. Enter your poem and make the most of this generous publication pathway and networking opportunity for emerging writers.

Read the full terms of entry here
Enter the AAWP & UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize for Poetry here

Chapter One Prize

Overlayed on a photo of a pile of books, text reads: Chapter One. The AAWP’s Publication Pathway for Emerging Writers. Have you written a poetry collection, literary novel, short story collection, or a hybrid work that crosses genre boundaries? Enter the Australasian Association of Writing Programs’ (AAWP) ‘Chapter One’ competition for your chance to win. If you win, your work will be assessed by the University of Western Australia Publishing, as a matter of priority. You will effectively leap to the top of the submission pile. You will also receive a $500 cash prize, a written commendation from AAWP and fully subsidised conference feels to attend the annual conference of the AAWP (November 2026) where you will be invited to read from your work. If your full manuscript is as robust as ‘Chapter One’ you may secure a publishing contract with UWAP: http://uwap.uwa.edu.au. Take advantage of this stunning opportunity. Fast track your writing journey in a fiercely competitive market. Entries close 30 June 2026. For further information, please visit: meniscusliteraryjournal.submittable.com/submit

Have you written a poetry collection, literary novel, short story collection or a hybrid work that crosses genre boundaries? Enter the Australasian Association of Writing Programs’ (AAWP) ‘Chapter One’ competition for your chance to win.

If you win you will receive: a written commendation from AAWP and a letter of recommendation to the University of Western Australia Publishing (UWAP). This ‘tick of approval’ will see your manuscript assessed without delay. You will, effectively, leap to the top of the submissions pile. You will also receive a $500.00 cash prize and fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP (November 2026) where you will be invited to read from your work.

If your full manuscript is as robust as ‘Chapter One’ you may secure a publishing contract with UWAP: http://uwap.uwa.edu.au.

Take advantage of this stunning opportunity. Fast track your writing journey in a fiercely competitive market.

You must be an AAWP member, and you may enter as many times as you like.

Read the full terms of entry here

Enter the Chapter One Prize here

The Prizes and Partnerships Portfolio is managed by AAWP President | Chair, Associate Professor Julia Prendergast, contactable directly at jprendergast@swin.edu.au

Got a question? Want to be on our focused Prizes email list? Email us at prizes@aawp.org.au

AAWP prizes have been ratified by Arts Law: ‘Arts Law was very impressed with AAWP’s attitude, which clearly demonstrated AAWP’s respect for writers.’

You can read more here:Arts Law Advises AAWP on Best Practice

For more information about the AAWP Prizes—including past winners and publication updates—visit this page on our website.

Call for Applications: Inaugural Cinder Mentorship Program

Please note: The 2026 call for applications is now closed. Please check back in late 2026 for more details of the 2027 program. However, we are still looking for mentors and would welcome applications.

In 2026, the Australian scholarly journal Cinder is transforming to a mentorship program. The program aims to support Higher Degree Researchers and Early Career Researchers to develop and submit a journal article to TEXT: Journal of Writing and Writing Courses.

If you are a Higher Degree Researcher or an Early Career Researcher (including independent scholars) who is seeking support to develop a draft scholarly paper suitable for TEXT, you are invited to apply. Early Career Researchers must be within 5 years of PhD conferral. You can read more about TEXT: Journal of Writing and Writing Courses here.

Successful applicants will be placed with a mentor – a topic or industry expert – who will read your work, provide feedback during a 30-minute meeting and review changes made in response to feedback. With mentor support, developed papers will be invited for submission to TEXT. You may negotiate a timeline with your mentor; however, it is anticipated that mentorships will not extend beyond 12 months.

The Cinder Mentorship consists of 6 places per year. Two places will be reserved for HDRs and ECRs from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The mentorship will also seek to support writer-scholars who are yet to be published or who experience barriers to support to develop scholarship.

To apply:

Write an application of no more than 1 page outlining:

A title, abstract and keywords of a proposed paper with the potential to be published in TEXT,
A short bio including relevant education, industry experience and any previous publications,
A short statement outlining the value of the mentorship to the applicant, including any information about your background you feel is relevant to the application, and
Your contact details.

Send applications and queries to the Cinder Mentorship Program coordinator, Ariella van Luyn: avanluyn@une.edu.au

The 2026 call for applications is now closed. Please check back in late 2026 for more details of the 2027 program. However, we are still looking for mentors and would welcome applications.

Call for Expert Writing Mentors

We are inviting experienced academics, independent scholars and industry experts in writing, writing studies and adjacent disciplines to volunteer to act as Expert Writing Mentors as part of the Cinder Mentorship Program.

If you volunteer, your name and areas of expertise will be added to a list of mentors held by the mentorship coordinator. You may be contacted inquiring about your interest and capacity to read a draft paper, meet for 30 minutes with a mentee, and receive an account of their revisions in response to your feedback. If you agree, you will be put in touch with your mentee. You will be asked to provide a short progress update to the Cinder Mentorship Program coordinator. You may negotiate a timeline with your mentee; however, it is anticipated that mentorships will not extend beyond 12 months.

If you are interested in being an Expert Writing Mentor in the Cinder mentorship program, please submit:

Your name,

Position title and short CV,

Your best contact details, and

Areas of expertise

Expressions of interest and queries can be sent to Cinder Mentorship Program coordinator, Ariella van Luyn: avanluyn@une.edu.au

Closing Soon: AAWP 2025 Annual Conference Call for Abstracts

Movement & Stasis: 30th Annual Australasian Association of Writing Programs Conference

University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3 – 5 December 2025

This year’s conference is on the theme of Movement and Stasis. We invite abstracts for conference presentations of 15 or 20 minutes in duration and pre-formed collaborative discussion panels (three to four panellists only) that reflect consideration of movement and stasis. We encourage any or all modes of presentation.

We welcome the submission of abstracts relevant to the creative writing discipline, on creative and professional writing practices and processes, research in creative writing, the teaching of writing and related issues.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 30 May 2025.

For more information and submission guidelines visit the AAWP website here.