New Zealand Writing Competitions and Contests

Here is a comprehensive list of New Zealand writing competitions and writing contests which are calling for contributions in one or more of the following writing forms: poetry, haiku, short fiction and non fiction. Each NZ writing competition has a link to the submission details of the writing competition elsewhere on the website together with its closing date.

Clendon Award 2011 - Romance Novel Writing Competition
An annual romance writing competition for unpublished writers run by Romance Writers of New Zealand Inc. Entries must be complete romance novels between 40,000 and 110,000 words. Cash prizes and book tokens will be awarded to the top three finalists.
Closing Date: February 2011

The Long and Short of It - Short Story Competition 2010
Write a short story to inspire. Two categories: under 1000 words and over 10,000 words. First prize is $1,000.00 worth of books from Unity Books plus publication in Sport magazine. Top 6 finalists will be published in a special limited edition book.
Closing Date: 24 December 2010

Storylines Tessa Duder Award 2010
A new annual award for a work of fiction for young adults aged 13 and over. Prize of $1500 and the offer of publication from Harper Collins Publishers
Closing Date: 31 October 2010

Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for Children's Book 2010-2011
Annual award for a work of fiction for children between 7 and 13 years of age. Carries a prize of $1500 and an offer of publication by Scholastic New Zealand.
Closing Date: 31 October 2010

Storylines Joy Cowley Award for Picture Book 2010-2011
Annual picture book writing competition. Prize of $1500 and offer of publication by Scholastic New Zealand.
Closing Date: 31 October 2010

Romance Writers - Strictly Single Writing Contest 2010
Prizes $100, $75, $50 book vouchers to 1st, 2nd and 3rd finalists. Open to all RWNZ members unpublished in the past 5 years. Submit the first 7,500 words, plus synopsis of 1,250 words.
Closing Date: 1 October 2010

Takahe Cultural Studies Competition 2010
Non fiction essay or visual arts essay. First prize $250 plus a year's subscription to the Takahe magazine.
Closing Date: 30 September 2010

Takahe Poetry Competition 2010
First prize $250 plus a year's subscription to the Takahe magazine. Unpublished poems up to 50 lines. Judge: James Norcliffe
Closing Date: 30 September 2010

Re-Draft Writing Competition for Teenage Writers 2010
An annual writing competition for teenage writers. Competition to be judged by Tessa Duder and James Norcliffe. Around 40 winning entries will be published in the Re-Draft book.
Closing Date: 30 September 2010

Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing 2010
Fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners in each category receive a cash prize of $2500. Winning entries are printed in the New Zealand Listener.
Closing Date: 10 September 2010

Sunday Star Times Short Story Competition 2010
Annual short story competition in two divisions: open and secondary school. First prize $5000.00. People's choice prize $750 cash. Entries open 1 July each year.
Closing Date: 27 August 2010 at 5pm

Drabble Very Short Story Competition 2010
Write a science fiction or fantasy short story of exactly 100 words for Au Contraire, New Zealand's National Science Fiction Convention 2010.
Closing Date: 31 July 2010

Landfall Essay Competition 2010
Creative essay writing competition open to New Zealand writers. The winning entries will be published in the November 2010 issue of Landfall. The winner will receive $3000 and a year’s subscription to Landfall.
Closing Date: 31 July 2010

BNZ Literary Awards 2010 [Katherine Mansfield Short Story Competition]
An annual short story writing competition open to New Zealander writers. Three categories: main open section, novice writer open section and young writer category. Grand prize is NZ$10,000.
Closing Date: 23 July 2010

Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Literature Awards 2010
The $10,000 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Unpublished Manuscript Award is for a manuscript in the mind, body spirit (new age) genre.
Closing Date: 31 March 2010

A $10,000 Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Book Award for a book in the mind, body spirit (new age) genre, published between April 1 and March 31.
Closing Date: 31 May 2010

New Zealand Poetry Society Competition 2010
Closing Date: 31 May 2010

Te Papa Tupu Writing Competition 2010
Writing competition open to writers of Maori descent and living in New Zealand. Novels, short stories, non-fiction, children's picture books, children's books or chapter books accepted. Six winners will be selected to participate in a 6 month intensive writing programme with a payment of $385 per week.
Closing Date: 14 May 2010

NZ Post Children's Book Awards 2010 Writing Competition
Writing competition for children aged 8 to 14 years. Poetry, stories and any kind of creative writing accepted. The top 50 entrants will be published in a commemorative illustrated book and receive $50 in Booksellers Tokens.
Closing Date: 30 April 2010

Elsie Locke Writing Competition 2010
Closing Date: 16 April 2010

Waitakere Writers Short Story and Poetry Competition 2010
A first prize of $200 up to 2000 words in the adults section. Junior prize is $100 for up to 1200 words.
Closing Date: 31 March 2010

The NZSA Pindar Publishing Prize 2010
The opportunity for a previously unpublished manuscript from a New Zealand writer to be published and marketed in New Zealand. Fiction, non-fiction, short story and poetry is accepted. Value $35,000.00
Closing Date: 30 March 2010

Friends of Whangerei Libraries Short Story Competition 2010
Closing Date: 28 February 2010

New Zealand Romance Writing Competition 2010
Closing Date: 26 February 2010

Urban Care Poetry on Palmy Competition 2010
Closing Date: 20 February 2010

The Climber Creative Writing Short Story Competition
Closing Date: 1 February 2010

AUT New Zealand Creative Writing Competition 2010
Closing Date: 31 January 2010