2022 Fresh Ink Prize

Newcastle Writers Festival is inviting emerging writers living in regional NSW to submit to the 2022 Fresh Ink Emerging Writers Prize. The prize seeks to elevate marginalised voices and is an acknowledgement of the challenges faced by writers in remote and regional areas. The Fresh Ink Prize is sponsored by Newcastle business Fourth Wave Wine via their label Elephant in the Room, Create NSW and Varuna.

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, in Katoomba.

The judges of this year’s prize are: Magdalena Ball, Hunter region writer, reviewer, interviewer, and managing editor of Compulsive Reader; Winnie Dunn, writer, editor, and general manager of Sweatshop Literacy Movement; and Andrew Pippos, author of the award-winning novel Lucky’s and UTS creative writing teacher.

Submissions open at 9.00am on 27 July 2022 and close at 11.59pm AEST 31 August 2022. A shortlist will be announced on 30 September and the winner will be announced at a special event on 15 October 2022 in Newcastle. There is a $10 entry fee.

Entries will be assessed on the following criteria:

– Literary merit
– Viability and impact of development plan

Please read the SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS before applying. It is recommended you prepare your responses in a separate document and cut and paste information into the online form. All enquiries can be emailed to

ad***@ne**********************.au