KSP Poetry Awards
The KSP Writers' Centre is proud to present this annual poetry competition for Australian writers, which is FREE for youth to enter thanks to sponsorship from the Shire of Mundaring. Entries must be original and unpublished. All poetry styles and themes are acceptable.
Results will be announced at an awards ceremony in December and published on social media and the KSP website thereafter. Shortlisted entrants will be contacted prior to the awards ceremony with an invitation to attend and read an extract of their entry.
You will need a Submittable account to enter this competition. Don't worry! It is free and easy to set up.
Deadline
2.00pm AWST Thursday 30 September 2021
NOTE: The competition will open on Friday 21 May 2021.
Eligibility
You must be an Australian resident to enter the youth and open categories of this competition.
You must be a Western Australian resident to enter the Annette Cameron Award category.
Entries must be unpublished, original, and not under consideration elsewhere.
Categories
Youth KSP Poetry Awards (10 to 17 years)
Open KSP Poetry Awards (18 years plus)
*Annette Cameron Encouragement Award
* The Annette Cameron Encouragement Award is for current West Australian residents over the age of 18 who have never published a full collection of poetry either in print or online. Definition of 'unpublished': The entrant has never published a full collection of poetry either in print or online. This award is sponsored by KSP-member Flora Smith in memory of her cousin Annette Cameron, life-long friend of Katharine Susannah Prichard.
Costs
YOUTH: Free, limit of one poem per entrant
ADULT & ANNETTE CAMERON: $10 per poem, no limit on entries
Line Counts
YOUTH: Max 50
ADULT: Max 50
ANNETTE CAMERON: Max 50
How to Enter
Set up a Submittable account
Click below on the 'Submit' button, and select the relevant KSP competition you wish to enter
Prepare your entry/ies according to the guidelines (refer to Submittable entry form)
Complete Submittable entry form and submit before the deadline.
Prizes
*subject to discretion of judge*
First place $300 prize for open plus weekend residency at the KSP Writers' Centre (non-transferable, $300 value) and $100 first place prize for youth
Annette Cameron Award for an Unpublished WA Poet: $150
Second place certificates with $150 prize for open and $50 for youth
Up to five commended certificates for both open and youth
Mundaring National Young Writers encouragement award for under 14s with $25 prize
Select entrants invited to read their story at KSP’s End of Year Awards Ceremony
Competition Judge:
Caitlin Maling
Caitlin Maling is a Western Australian poet who grew up in and around Fremantle. Her work has been published in Australian Poetry, Best Australian Poetry, Westerly, Island, Meanjin, Threepenny Review, Green Mountains Review, Australian Book Review, Prairie Schooner and The Australian among others. A previous recipient of the John Marsden Poetry Prize, in 2014 she was shortlisted for the Judith Wright Poetry Prize and won the Harri Jones Memorial Prize of the Newcastle Poetry Prize, and the Val Vallis Award. Her first collection Conversation's I've Never Had was published by Fremantle Press in early 2015 and was shortlisted for the Dame Mary Gilmore Award and WA Premier's Book Award. Her most recent collection, Fish Work, was released in 2021 after being highly commended in the 2020 Dorothy Hewett Awards with UWA Press. Caitlin is a previous holder of the Marten Bequest in Poetry and a Teaching Fellowship at the University of Sydney.
Queries
Office hours are 10am-2pm, Monday-Friday. office@kspwriterscentre.com / 08 9294 1872