Mayor's Writing Competition

The annual Mayor’s Writing Competition aims to encourage young people who live or go to school in Eurobodalla to get writing.

Each year, young authors between the ages of five and 18 are invited to submit an original work. Entrants can submit a short story, essay, poem, or any style of creative writing as long as the writing adheres to word limits set out in the terms and conditions.

Each year we receive a flood of entries in the form of short stories, poems and essays. To select the prize-winning entries from hundreds of submissions, the judges award the most imaginative and unique plots.

Entries extended

Entries for the 2021 Mayor's Writing Competition have been extended and now close on Friday 7 May 2021 at 5pm.

Winners will be announced by Eurobodalla Mayor Liz Innes on Thursday 24 June 2021. Entries can be submitted online or in person and must be accompanied by a signed parent/guardian consent form.

Online:

1. Download and fill out the parent/guardian consent form
   Parent/guardian consent form (629KB)
2. Fill out the online entry form and upload a signed parent/guardian consent form along with a copy of your work

In person:

1. Download and fill out the PDF entry form
   Mayor's Writing Competition entry form (446KB)
2. Download and fill out the parent/guardian consent form
   Parent/guardian consent form (629KB)
3. Return your completed entry form, signed parent/guardian consent form and a copy of your work into Batemans Bay, Moruya or Narooma Library

Prizes

• Overall winner will receive the Syd Hayes Award.
• Winners in each age category will receive a $50 book voucher.
• Runners-up in each age category will receive a $30 book voucher.
• Judge’s certificates of encouragement will be presented by the Eurobodalla Branch Fellowship of Australian Writers.
• Judge’s decision is final and only finalists will be contacted.

Terms and conditions

• One entry per person.
• All work must be original and not previously published.
• All hardcopy entries including cover and optional illustrations are to be submitted on A4 white paper in a plastic sleeve or A4 envelope with the completed entry form. Please, no paperclips or staples.
• All pages are to have a 20mm left-hand margin.
• Work must include a title page (Title and Author).
• Word limit for primary school: 500 words (Max 4 x A4 pages, including title page)
• Word limit for secondary school: 1000 words (Max 6 x A4 pages, including title page)

2020 finalists

An anthology of the 2020 finalists' work is available for sale at the libraries or can be viewed in our catalogue.

Watch Zahlia Kelly, the winner of the Syd Hayes Award, read her winning story The Wave.

More information

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