Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers
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.
In 2024, the Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers Ambassador is Jane Godwin!
“I’m thrilled to be this year’s ambassador for the Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers, administered by Express Media, Australia’s peak youth literary organisation. Entering competitions is a great opportunity to hone your skills as a writer, because it encourages you to really focus on a piece of writing and make it the best it can be. If you’re a keen writer looking to learn and discover more, this opportunity is for you!”
The prize winner in each category will receive:
$500 courtesy of Hachette Australia
Publication of their work on the Express Media website
Their names and an acknowledgement printed in Voiceworks, Australia’s premier youth literary journal.
All fifteen shortlisted writers will:
Be invited to participate in a writing masterclass
Attend an exclusive Q&A with Jane Godwin
Receive a book pack of YA titles courtesy of Hachette Australia.
Submissions are OPEN NOW until 11:59pm AEST Wednesday 31st July.
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
Jane Godwin is the highly acclaimed and internationally published author of many books for children and young people, across all styles and ages. Children's Publisher at Penguin Books Australia for many years, Jane was the co-creator with Davina Bell of the Our Australian Girl series of quality historical fiction for middle readers. Jane's books include her novels A Walk in the Dark (September 2022), Falling From Grace, As Happy as Here (a CBCA Notable Book) and When Rain Turns to Snow (shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers and for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards) and picture books Tilly, illustrated by Anna Walker (shortlisted for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award), Sing Me the Summer, illustrated by Alison Lester, and All the Words I Need to Know, illustrated by Andrew Joyner. Jane is dedicated to pursuing quality and enriching reading and writing experiences for young people, and spends as much time as she can working with them in schools and communities and running literature and writing programs. Jane will be awarded to 2024 Pixie O’Harris Award for her contribution to Australian Children’s literature.
