Bring out your pens and sharpen your pencils: here’s an awesome list of writing and illustrating competitions kids can enter for the rest of this year

Storyathon for Kids

Write a microstory that is exactly 100 words. This writing competition is open to children in years 3–8 during each school term. You can submit up to three stories for one competition, and you can enter all or just a few of the competitions run each year.

Closing date: the end of each school term

For more information, visit the Storyathon website.

Collide! Book Trailer Competition

Produce a book trailer that features a book from the 2020 Children’s Book Council of Australia Notables list or an Australian title on the 2020 New South Wales Premier’s Reading Challenge list. A book trailer is similar to a movie trailer, but for a book. This competition is open to students in years 3­­–9 living in NSW.

Closing date: New closing date! Monday 31 August 2020

For more information, visit the CBCA website.

Toolangi C.J. Dennis Poetry Competition

Write an original work of poetry that celebrates the work of C.J. Dennis and relates to Australia’s people, events or environment. This competition is open to writers in Australia and New Zealand with special categories for primary school students from pre-primary to Year 6, and secondary school students, years 7–12. Students can enter for free.

Closing date: Tuesday 1 September 2020

For more information, visit the C.J. Dennis Poetry Festival website.

Just Kidding’s National Writing Challenge

Write a short story about anything you like, up to 500 words. This competition is open to Australian children aged seven to 12. The entries will be judged in three different age categories.

Closing date: Friday 11 September 2020

For more information, visit the Just Kidding website.

KSP Short Fiction Competition

Write a short story of up to 1,000 words. You can submit up to three entries. Entry is free for the youth category, which is open to people aged 17 and under.

Closing date: Friday 25 September 2020

For more information, visit the KSP Writers’ Centre website.

KSP Poetry Awards

Write an original work of poetry with a maximum count of 50 lines. This competition has a youth category open to ages 10 to 17.

Closing date: Friday 9 October 2020

For more information, visit the KSP Writers’ Centre website.

Wombat Books Illustration Challenge

Illustrate a book based on the sleep adventure story supplied by the Wombat Books team. This competition is open to Australian students aged five to 18 and winning entries will be published in a new book in 2021.

Closing date: Monday 30 November 2020

For more information, visit the Wombat Books website.