Literary Competition
The Literary Competition is jointly sponsored by the Independent Education Union of Australia: Qld & Northern Territory Branch (IEUA-QNT), The English Teachers Association of Queensland, and Penguin Random House.
The 2025 Literary Competition is open to students from Years 5 to 12 and to teachers too!
If you can pen a poem, write a short story and/or write a piece of non-fiction prose (for a public audience), this is your chance to enter!
There is a maximum of ten (10) entries per category, per school (students). A maximum of five (5) entries for teachers' submissions.
There are cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place entries.
Categories include: Section A (Years 11 and 12) Poem, Short Story, Non-Fiction Prose
Section B (Years 9 and 10) Poem, Short Story
Section C (Year 7 and 8) Poem, Short Story
Section D (Years 5 & 6) Poem, Short Story
Section E (Teachers) Short Story.
Competition closes at 5pm on Friday 13 June 2025. Entries must be received by this time to be included in judging.
Winners will be advised by email during the week commencing 14 July 2025.
Sections are open to students and staff in all schools in Queensland and independent schools in the Northern Territory.
Limit of Entries:
- Students: one entry in each section eg. one poem and/or one short story
- Staff: one entry in the open section (short story only)
- Schools: maximum of ten entries in each student section and five entries in the open section. If more than the limit of entries per section from a school is received, entries will be returned to the school for re-submission.
Short Story word limits
Grade 5 - 6: 400 - 800 words
Grade 7 - 8: 500 - 1200 words
Grade 9 - 10: 500 - 1500 words
Grade 11 - 12: 600 - 1500 words
Grade 11 - 12 Non-fiction prose: 600 - 1500 words
Open (teachers): 800 - 2500 words
There is no word limit for the poem categories.
The competition closes at 5pm on Friday 13 June 2025 with the presentation of awards being held on Wednesday6 August 2025 at 6.30pm at the Queensland Multicultural Centre, 102 Main Street, Kangaroo Point. You can view the centre at www.qmc.org.au)
Download the poster Literary Poster to print and promote the competition in your school.
Entries must be submitted online by 5pm on Friday 13 June 2025 at www.ieuqnt.org.au/competitions.
