Writing Prizes

Are you able to write a good short story or a poem? Maybe both? If so the competitions below may interest you.

H Neil Smith Prize

Founded in 1972 by Mr H Neil Smith with a donation of $700 and augmented by an annual donation from the Townsville Bulletin.

Open to entry from undergraduate students across JCU’s campuses, in any field study, the competition seeks to find the best short story of the year from JCU’s student cohort.

The prize value is $500

The rules relating to the prize specify that:

1. Undergraduate students shall be eligible to compete for the prize.
2. Stories should be not more than 2000 words and can be about any topic or theme.
3. Each candidate may only submit one short story in any one year.
4. The prize shall be awarded to the story judged to be the best submitted in the particular year by a panel of readers from JCU’s academic staff.
5. No person may be awarded the prize more than once.
6. If two or more short stories are deemed to be of equal merit by the judging committee, it is recommended that the prize be awarded to the youngest candidate.
7. Each story submitted may be published in conjunction with promotion of the H Neil Smith Prize. Copies of submissions may be held by the University library however, copyright of all works remains with the author.
8. The winning story may be published in the Townsville Bulletin and at the discretion of the Townsville Bulletin any other stories entered in the competition may be published.

Mabel Innes Prize for Lyric Verse

Founded in 1962 by the late Mr A H Innes; funded initially by annual donations and subsequently by a donation of land which was sold to establish the fund. Open to entry from undergraduate students across JCU’s campuses, in any field of study, the competition seeks to find the best poem of the year from JCU’s student cohort.

The prize value is $500

The rules relating to the prize specify that:

1. Undergraduate students shall be eligible to compete for the prize.
2. Poems can be of any length and style.
3. Each candidate may only submit one poem in any one year.
4. The prize shall be awarded to the poem judged to be the best submitted in the particular year by a panel of readers from JCU’s academic staff.
5. No person may be awarded the prize more than once.
6. If two or more poems are deemed to be of equal merit by the judging committee, it is recommended that the prize be awarded to the youngest candidate.
7. Each poem submitted may be published in conjunction with promotion of the Mabel Innes Prize. Copies of submissions may be held by the University library however, copyright of all works remains with the author.