Mayor's Writing Competition

Entries are now open for the 18th Mayor's Writing Competition.

Eurobodalla Libraries take great pride in organising and managing the esteemed annual Mayor’s Writing Competition. This initiative is designed to inspire and motivate the young minds of Eurobodalla to express themselves through the power of writing.

Every year, we extend an invitation to budding authors aged between 5 and 18 years to submit their original literary works. Entrants must reside or attend school in Eurobodalla.

Participants are encouraged to let their creativity flow freely, whether in the form of a short story, essay, poem, or any other form of creative writing. The only requirement is that the submissions adhere to the word limits stipulated in the terms and conditions.

Year after year, we receive a flood of entries. From this vast pool of submissions, our judges have the challenging task of selecting the prize-winning entries. Prizes are awarded to the most imaginative and unique narratives.

This initiative is a testament to Eurobodalla Libraries’ commitment to promoting literacy and fostering the literary talents of our future generation of writers.

2026 theme: Lost and found

This year's theme, 'Lost and found', was selected by Mayor Mathew Hatcher.

Key dates

• Entries open on Monday, 9 March 2026.
• Entries close at midnight on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
• Winners will be announced in August 2026.
• Award presentation will be held on Wednesday, 9 September 2026.

Prizes include:

Syd Hayes Creative Writing Award

• Handcrafted pen generously donated by local artisan Richard Turley.
• Perpetual shield displayed at the recipient’s school

Category Winners

• $100 pre-paid debit card

Category Runner‑Ups

• $50 pre-paid debit card

All Finalists

• Winning entries published in the 2026 Anthology.
• Complimentary copy of the 2026 Anthology.
• Official finalist certificate.
• Plus, additional prizes.

Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools or resources

• All work must be the sole creation of the named entrant, not that of parents or others.
• Submissions must not be created or enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
• The artwork must be the sole creation of the named entrant. No images from the internet or artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to create the artworks. They must be the original and unpublished work of the named entrant.
• Submissions found to be plagiarised or created by AI will be rejected.
• Council and judges may use plagiarism and AI detection software in their decision-making process.
• The judges’ decision is final.

To enter

• Read the terms and conditions (301.4 KB)
• Complete your entry and consent form (339.8 KB)
• Mayors' Writing Competition 2026 entry title page (149.0 KB)
• Mayor's Writing Competition 2026 writing tips (704.5 KB)
• Must be a Eurobodalla Shire resident
• Submit your entry:
  • by email
  • in person at your local library
  • by post to: Mayor's Writing Competition, ESC Libraries, PO Box 99, Moruya NSW 2537

A special mention to our sponsor, Community Bank Batemans Bay Bendigo Bank, for their continued support of this fantastic competition.

Sponsored by:

More information

To find out more about this competition contact your local library: