$8000 and Writing Competitions for Emerging Writers in Australia

Before I moved to Australia, I spent 98% of my life in Zimbabwe only allowed to wear white because of my Mama’s church. In this video, I share a little anecdote about fighting to be seen as a person of colour when I was a teenager and then what happened when my parents sent me, alone, to Australia.😏

If you’re an emerging or early career writer or someone with a story that’s burning to come out, I definitely encourage you to apply for these two comps. Thinking about their themes sparked my anecdote.

1. The Deborah Cass Prize via Writers Victoria — Writing sample up to 3000 words. Prize: $3000 + 3-month mentorship with an established author. Deadline: 28 Aug 2020 https://writersvictoria.org.au/calendars/opportunities-competitions/2020-deborah-cass-prize
2. SBS Australia’s Emerging Writers Competition — First-person memoir piece, 1000-2000 words. Prize: $5000 to support development of your storytelling. Deadline: 15 Sept 2020 https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/voices/emergingwriterscompetition

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Before I moved to Australia, I spent 98% of my life in Zimbabwe only allowed to wear white because of my Mama’s church. In this video, I share a little anecdote about fighting to be seen as a person of colour when I was a teenager and then what happened when my parents sent me, alone, to Australia.😏 If you’re an emerging or early career writer or someone with a story that’s burning to come out, I definitely encourage you to apply for these two comps. Thinking about their themes sparked my anecdote. 1. The Deborah Cass Prize via @WritersVictoria — Writing sample up to 3000 words. Prize: $3000 + 3-month mentorship with an established author. Deadline: 28 Aug 2020 2. @SBS_Australia’s Emerging Writers Competition — First-person memoir piece, 1000-2000 words. Prize: $5000 to support development of your storytelling. Deadline: 15 Sept 2020 More info and Ts & Cs on their websites. In this video, I also explain how entering writing competitions in 2016 and 2018 scored me my first book publishing contract. I’m at 48,183 words and still counting! Special thanks to my publisher Jodie W at @allenandunwin and my mentors @marisa.wikramanayake and @lililiwilkinson for holding my hand! ✍🏾 Please tag or share with any other writers or storytellers you know. The doors are opening and the opportunities are starting to flow, please don’t be afraid to have faith and tell your stories. We’re in this together!📚 #writingcommunity #melbournewriters #writingtips #writinginspiration #writinglife #authorlife #creativewriting #australianstories #itbeganinafrica

A post shared by Taku Mbudzi (@takumbudzi) on Aug 19, 2020 at 6:27pm PDT