2023 Fresh Ink Prize

Newcastle Writers Festival has launched its third annual Fresh Ink Emerging Writer Prize for those living in regional New South Wales. The winner will receive $5000 prize money provided by Newcastle wine label Elephant in the Room and a week-long writing residency at Varuna in the Blue Mountains.

The prize money enables the winner to undertake a self-directed 12-month program of professional development, which could include a course, manuscript assessment, mentorship or editing service.

The Fresh Ink Prize seeks to elevate marginalised voices and acknowledges the challenges faced by writers in remote and regional areas. It is sponsored by Newcastle business Fourth Wave Wine via their label Elephant in the Room, Create NSW, and Varuna.

This year’s judges are Sydney writer, director and performer Amal Awad, author of eight books, which include both fiction and non-fiction titles; Melbourne writer Chris Flynn, the author of Mammoth, Here Be Leviathans and a series of picture books for children about Horridus, Melbourne Museum’s Triceratops; and Newcastle author Wendy James, author of 10 novels, including the bestselling The Mistake and The Golden Child, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Ned Kelly Award for crime.

Submissions open at 9.00am on 24 July 2023 and close at 11.59pm AEST 4 September 2023. A shortlist will be announced on 29 September and the winner will be announced at a special event on 15 October (the original date of 14 October is no longer possible because of the referendum).

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 

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