Submissions Now Open for AAWP X UWRF23 Emerging Writers Prize

Calling all emerging writers based in Australasia! Take this chance to travel to the 20th anniversary edition of the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) to take part in a literary experience like no other—and seize the opportunity to get your work published in Meniscus Magazine.

Enter your work of fiction or poetry in the ‘AAWP/UWRF Emerging Writers’ Prize’ for your chance to win.
If you win you will receive: a festival pass to Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) and accommodation for the duration of the festival (Terms and Conditions apply, see below).

In addition, you will receive a one-year annual membership to the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) and 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 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 or poem and make the most of this generous publication pathway and networking opportunity for emerging writers.

HOW TO ENTER

Submit your work for the chance to bring your literary text to a wider, English-based readership through this program:

The entry fee is AUD 20. Conditions of Entry and Terms and Conditions are below.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

1. This competition is open to emerging writers. Emerging writers will not have a full-length, single-authored, commercially published, print publication in poetry or prose, or a hybrid form crossing these boundaries. Emerging writers who have published in electronic format only, or who have published work in collections showcasing multiple authors, are eligible.
2. The Prize opens on March 27, 2023 and closes at midnight (local time) on June 30, 2023. Late submissions will not be accepted. The winner will be announced on the UWRF website and the AAWP website no later than September 30, 2023.
3. Entries must be in English.
4. Entries should not exceed 30 lines (poetry) or 3000 words (prose).
5. When submitting your work (via Submittable), please use the section marked ‘Cover Letter’ to add your full name and a 100-word author bio (as you would like it to appear on any prize announcements).
6. Suggested formatting for the entry is as follows—line spacing: 1.5, font size: 12-point, font: Times New Roman or Garamond.
7. You may enter as many times as you wish. Subsequent entries incur a separate fee.
8. The entry should be de-identified. The author’s name, or other identifying characteristics, should not appear on the submission. Judging is blind.
9. The UWRF/AAWP reserves the right to disqualify any entry that breaches the Conditions of Entry. The entrant will be provided with written notification of the disqualification. If an entry is disqualified no refund will be given.
10. Entries may not be altered after they have been submitted.
11. The judges’ verdict is final. The judges will not enter into correspondence or discussion about the outcome.
12. The award is for unpublished writing, including online publication.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Copyright in the submitted work remains with the entrant. The AAWP will not reproduce any entries without the express permission of the entrant. If needed, a copyright licence can be negotiated after the Prize has been awarded.
2. The overall winner will receive one festival pass to UWRF 2023. The festival pass allows access to UWRF main stage sessions but does not guarantee access to ticketed special events, including masterclasses and workshops. The winner may need to attend UWRF in 2024 (rather than 2023), depending upon where they are based.
3. Accommodation is provided for the winner for the duration of the UWRF (up to five nights). Accommodation is arranged by AAWP in consultation with the UWRF Head of Programming. Costs associated with alterations to bookings are the responsibility of the winner.
4. The winner is entitled to a one-year membership of the AAWP. Entrants are not required to hold an existing membership, but if they are successful then their current membership will be extended by one year.
5. AAWP conference fees (negotiated annually) are provided for the winner. This includes conference attendance (and all the benefits that entails). Extra fees (i.e. for the conference dinner, or for special activities such as workshops or tours) are the responsibility of the winner. Travel and accommodation are the responsibility of the winner.
6. Publication in Meniscus is not guaranteed.
7. The overall winner will always be credited on all copies of their entry/entries.
8. The winning entries will not be edited or altered by AAWP without the consent of the author.
9. If your work includes Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and you inform us of this, AAWP will acknowledge the language group or Indigenous community with an appropriate notice of custodial interest, to be negotiated with you.

For further information, please click here.