Griffith Review Emerging Voices Competition 2026

Griffith Review Emerging Voices Competition 2026

Griffith Review is looking for original submissions of fiction and creative non-fiction from 3,500 – 5,000 words.

You can write to any theme you like – but we're looking for new ideas, fresh voices and bold perspectives - work that commands our attention.

Up to four winning entries will be selected by our judges Melanie Ostell (Melanie Ostell Literary)¸ Margot Lloyd (Pink Shorts Press) and Sharlene Allsopp (author) as well as Griffith Review’s editorial staff. The winners will share a prize pool of $20,000 and have their work published in an edition of Griffith Review.

Entries close at 11.59pm AEST on Monday 13 April 2026. Winners will be announced in July 2026.

For the purposes of this competition, we’re defining ‘emerging’ as writers ranging from previously unpublished through to those with a maximum of one published book in any of the following genres:

• Novel
• Short story collection
• Essay collection
• Memoir
• Other work of non-fiction

You can have published more than one children's book or poetry collection, or have multiple essays, reviews, or short fiction publications in magazines, literary journals, or other collections/anthologies.

Entries must be submitted through Submittable https://griffithreview.submittable.com/submit and payment made through GriffithPAY.

Entry fees:

$25 (including GST)

$15 (including GST) for Griffith Review subscribers. 

The entry fee entitles you to a complimentary digital subscription to Griffith Review valid for six months. If you already have a subscription, we will extend your existing subscription by six months.

No refund for this competition. Refer to the Terms & Conditions: https://www.griffithreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/EMERGING-VOICES-2026-TCs.pdf