Call for submissions: 2025 Fogarty Literary Award

On your marks, get set, submit! Western Australian writers aged 18–35 are invited to submit their unpublished work of fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult fiction or verse novel to be in the running to win $20,000, a publishing contract with Fremantle Press and a fellowship with the Centre for Stories. Entries close Friday 18 April 2025 at midnight.

The Fogarty Literary Award is a biennial prize, now in its fourth iteration. Annie Fogarty AM said the award’s success showed that the future of the Western Australian literary scene was as bright as ever. She said, ‘One of the highlights of my year is getting to read the books by the winning and shortlisted writers. There are now eleven Fogarty Award books on my shelves to cherish and the Foundation is proud to play its part in supporting a vibrant literary arts community in Western Australia.’

The Fogarty Foundation has committed to supporting the prize for a further six years in what continues to be the only award exclusively for young Western Australian writers.

CEO Alex Allan said Fremantle Press are looking for young literary ambassadors, and that previously published authors who fit the age criteria are also welcome to enter. Allan said, ‘This partnership invests not only in the winning writer but also supports that writer to provide literary leadership through participation in educational and literacy events aimed at encouraging more young people to read and write.’

The 2025 Fogarty Literary Award winner is to be announced at a free community event in May 2025. The winning manuscript will be scheduled for publication in 2026 with a tour planned to coincide with the book’s release.

Entries for the 2025 Fogarty Literary Award open on Saturday 15 March 2025 and will close at midnight on Friday 18 April 2025. More information and submission guidelines can be found on the Fremantle Press website.

The Fogarty Foundation was established by Brett and Annie Fogarty in 2000 to support and provide educational and leadership opportunities for young people across the spectrum of the Western Australian community. As well as partnering with a range of organisations, the Foundation has initiated its own programs that include the UWA Fogarty Scholarship Program, CoderDojo WA and Fogarty EDvance.

Founded in 2015 by John and Caroline Wood, the Centre for Stories is a vibrant, inclusive literary arts and cultural organisation that uses storytelling to grow skills and confidence, inspire understanding and promote community cohesion.

Fremantle Press is an independent not-for-profit book publisher, based in Western Australia, and embedded in the Australian cultural landscape. Charged with giving voice to Western Australian writers and bringing stories about this place to the world, the Press has published more than a thousand titles and has launched the careers of an extraordinary number of diverse, award-winning and bestselling storytellers, including Indigenous writers and artists.