Newcastle Writers Festival is inviting emerging writers living in regional NSW to submit to the 2026 Fresh Ink Emerging Writer Prize. The prize seeks to elevate marginalised voices and is an acknowledgement of the challenges faced by writers in remote and regional areas.

Thanks to the generous support of Newcastle business Fourth Wave Wine via its label Elephant in the Room, the winner will be awarded $5000 to support the development of their writing as well as a week-long residency at Varuna, The National Writers’ House. Up to four shortlisted writers will each receive $250.

The judges of this year’s prize are Sarah Armstrong and Raeden Richardson.

Submission Guidelines

To enter you must be an Australian citizen or Australian resident.

The prize is open to writers working across creative nonfiction and fiction for readers of all ages.

1. The prize is open to writers working across creative nonfiction and fiction for readers of all ages.
2. You must be 18 years of age or over to enter. There is no upper age limit.
3. An ‘emerging writer’ is defined as someone who has not previously published, or has a contract for, a full-length work with a publisher including an independent or academic publisher. This also includes self-published work.
4. For the purposes of this prize, regional NSW is defined as the areas outside Greater Sydney. Greater Sydney includes the local government areas of the Northern Beaches and Hornsby Shire to the North, Hawkesbury City to the North-West, Penrith City Council to the West, Wollondilly Shire to the South-West and Sutherland Shire to the South.
5. The sample of writing submitted for the prize must not have been previously published or due to be published prior to the announcement of the winner on 31 October 2026. The writing sample does not need to stand alone i.e. it can be an extract from a longer work.
6. Submissions close on 7 September at 11:59pm AEST. Entries submitted after the closing date will not be considered.
7. Submit by uploading to https://freshinkprize.submittable.com/submit
8. Submissions must comprise the following: a. A bio without identifying details. b. Publishing history without identifying details. c. Professional development plan with concrete details. d. Sample of writing of between 2000 and 3000 words as well as a precis, especially if the sample is part of a larger work.
9. Only one entry per person will be accepted.
10. All entries will be judged blind, so please do not include your name anywhere in the submitted manuscript file or the file name, or as a result your entry will be deemed ineligible.
11. The decision of the judges is final. The judges will not provide individual feedback to entrants.
12. By submitting your entry, you agree to the Prize Terms and Conditions.