- ; submissions open August 16 - September 21 (deadline has been extended)
What is the SBS Emerging Writers' Competition?
The SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition is a chance for aspiring writers to share their unique stories and be in the running to win a prize pool of up to $10,000.
The competition writing theme is ‘Emergence', and invites non-fiction memoir entries based on this idea.
Why are we doing it?
An initiative from , an online platform which champions the voices of diverse emerging writers, the competition has been created to support the discovery and development of talent and contribute to greater diversity in Australian storytelling.
When does it start?
Entries will be accepted from 09:00 AEST on August 16, 2022, and the competition will close at 17:00 AEST on September 21, 2022.
Who is eligible?
Entrants must be aged 18 years or older, who are not published authors of a book.
The submission must be original and not have been published previously.
The competition is open to Australian citizens, permanent residents or those currently living in Australia.
What if I've self-published a book?
Authors of self-published books are eligible.
Authors of academic papers and authors whose works were published in an anthology are also eligible to enter.
All other published authors, (including authors of children's books, novels, poetry, text books, guide books or other non-fiction) are not eligible, including books published overseas. The intent of the competition is to raise the profile of aspiring writers who have had no previous exposure to the book publishing industry.
Can teenagers enter?
Entrants need to be at least 18 years old, so anyone aged 17 and under is not eligible to enter. If you are under the age of 18 and you have been inspired by this competition we have put together a list of some writing competitions and resources around the country that you might be interested in. You can find that list here: .
What is the word length?
Entries are strictly between 1000-2000 words. The entries platform will not accept submissions over 2000 words.
Is the competition only open to culturally diverse writers?
No, the competition is open to everyone as long as they are 18-plus, residents of Australia and have not previously published a book.
However being SBS we are particularly encouraging writers from diverse backgrounds to apply, including writers from Indigenous and culturally diverse backgrounds as well as people with a disability, LGBTIQ writers, writers from regional and remote areas as well as those from socio-economically diverse backgrounds.
The provides examples of the broad spectrum of diverse content we publish as well as examples of the memoir genre.
How to enter?
Submissions will be accepted from 9am AEST, August 16, 2022 to 5pm AEST, September 21, 2022. Entries are to be submitted via the AwardForce platform. Go to and sign up to enter.
You are able to write your story in AwardForce and save your draft as you go. When you are happy with your story, follow the prompts to submit it into the competition. Once you have submitted you will not be able to make changes to your story. You will be able to download a copy of your entry to keep as a record.
Can I post or email in my entry?
No, entries will only be accepted if they are submitted through the online portal, as mentioned above. We cannot accept handwritten entries, nor entries arriving by email or post.
What are the prizes?
The winning submission will be awarded a $5000 prize to further their storytelling future, as well as having their story published on SBS Voices.
There will also be a $3000 prize awarded for second place, and two honourable mentions will each receive $1000.
Helpful hints
What is the theme?
The theme this year is 'Emergence'.
This is an uplifting and inspiring theme open to wide interpretation. It speaks to people emerging: from their backgrounds, a situation in their life, from any restraints…and fully into their true selves. It is a theme that could inspire a range of stories about personal journeys.
What does 'Emergence' mean to you? We'd like to hear your unique story and interpretation of the theme in the form of a non-fiction memoir piece.
Can I write it in third person?
No. The genre is first-person memoir. It's a story told through your own personal lens and understanding.
Can I fictionalise aspects of my story to protect privacy?
Yes you can. You can change names, dates and places to protect privacy if you wish. You are also free to apply literary fiction techniques to your storytelling such as dialogue and description.
How is it judged?
Entries will be judged by acclaimed authors Alice Pung and Christos Tsiolkas based on criteria covering originality, writing technique, storytelling and expression of the theme.
Can I enter in another language?
No, all entries must be submitted in English.
What is the genre?
The genre is first person memoir writing. Memoir writing is telling a story through your own eyes and understanding.
Can I enter under a pseudonym?
As long as you register for the competition under your real name, you can choose to publish your story under a pseudonym.
When you enter your story, you would need to add a note letting us know of your preferred pseudonym.
If your story is chosen as one of the four winners then we would be in touch with you before we published it.
Of course the point of the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition is to raise the profile of emerging writers which is hard to do if they are unable to publicly identify with their work, so please take that into consideration.
Is there a fee for entry?
No, this competition is free to enter.
When will winners be announced?
Winners will be notified by phone on November 16, 2022. SBS will publicly announce the winners of the competition on November 22, 2022.
Key contacts
The SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition is open for entries on August 16. Write a non-fiction memoir story on the theme of ‘Emergence’ for your chance to be awarded the $5000 first place prize, $3000 second place or two runners up prizes of $1000. The top entries will also be published in an anthology by Hardie Grant. Go to to register and find out more.
Listen to the SBS Emerging Writers' Competition podcast, The New Writer’s Room, in the , , , , or wherever you listen to podcasts.
