Recognising excellence in secondary school aged writers

The Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers is a developmental award open to Australian secondary school-aged students across the nation.  

The prize recognises writing excellence in three categories: Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction and Poetry. Entries can include writing for readers of any age.  

The Prize is sponsored by Hachette Australia and administered by Express Media. Shortlisted writers get the opportunity to receive mentorship from an established author.

The Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers gives young writers the opportunity to hone their skills under the guidance of some of Australia’s favourite authors. The Prize aims to ignite passion for creative writing and poetry in the minds of Australia’s secondary school students, and to encourage them to pursue writing and publishing opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. The prize is judged by representatives from Hachette Australia and Express Media. 

2025 prize details TBC

Submissions to the prize are free for Express Media members. Have a question about the prize? Contact Mia Nie, Creative Producer, at creativeproducer@expressmedia.org.au