Competitions

Literary Competitions

We regularly run writing competitions and other events to inspire and uncover emerging talent.

We host ‘Write Up’ for High School Students in the Upper Hunter and the Farmers’ Short Story competition. We are quintessentially country and our Farmers’ Short Story Competition has revealed some authentic, gripping and emotive stories from our locals.

Every year the winner of the Farmers’ Short Story competition has the opportunity to read a section from their work at the Bush Poets’ Breakfast on Sunday morning. This is truly a highlight of our weekend.

The Farmers’ Short Story Competition not only serves to uncover and inspire new talent, it’s also a nod to our literary links of Patrick White, and Judith Wright, whose families were farmers in the Upper Hunter, alongside Scone born Barbar Baynton, widely known for her short stories.

Short Story Writing Competition 2025

Aligned with the festival's theme, 'Sustainability—Me, We, Us, The Planet,' this year's competition encourages narratives that explore sustainability on personal, communal, or global levels.

Our upcoming short story competition will be launched at the Scone Literary Festival in March 2025 and winners announced in July 2025. Join our Adult Writers Workshop for tips on writing your best short story.

Submissions may be uploaded as a .pdf document below, or you may copy and paste the entry into the paragraph space. Please accompany your submission with an image of either the subject matter or yourself, to be used in promoting your submission should you be a finalist.

By uploading this submission, you give Scone Literary Festival permission to share your story (crediting you). You also guarantee that this is your original work.

PREVIOUS WINNERSContact Us

Previous Winners

Shelley Piper won first prize for the Farmer's Short Story Competition in 2022 with her story inspired by the 2017 Sir Ivan bushfire
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Would you love to be a featured speaker, panellist, moderator, workshop host or performer?

We love uncovering emerging artists and facilitating events that are fun, interesting and purposeful. If you think that you have a valuable offering, please drop us a line.