The Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program is designed to encourage aspiring writers in their pursuit of creating fiction for children with a view to publication.The CBCA NSW Branch is delighted to again welcome Penguin as sponsor of the Charlotte Waring Barton Award for 2013.

Submissions are evaluated in one of three age categories: Junior (under fifteen years), Young Adult (fifteen to twenty years) and the Charlotte Waring Barton Award (over twenty years). The Entry Form has a category for indigenous people, who are encouraged to enter under this acknowledged classification.

Closing Date: Entries close on June 1st, each year.

The most promising script in each category is matched with an appropriate mentor. Suitable mentors are chosen according to the genre and subject matter of the winner's script. The winners are announced during Book Week by CBCA NSW.

For more details visit: nsw.cbca.org.au/pages/frustrated-writers

Submissions for the Kids Book Review Unpublished Picture Book Award close Monday 17 June The winner will receive $300, a manuscript appraisal and the chance to have their work viewed by Sue Whiting, Publishing Manager at Walker Books! Two runners-up will win $100 each, and a short manuscript appraisal. We also reserve the right to nominate highly commended authors (no prize). A feedback sheet is provided to every entrant, upon completion of the competition.

Manuscript submissions are for picture books of 500 words or less, no illustrations required. For submissions details and to get your entry in, head to http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2013/04/kbrs-2013-unpublished-picture-book.html Submissions must be sent by email by Monday 17 June 2013 at 11.59pm.

The sport of Reading: Congratulations to all the teams who took part in today's Kids Lit Quiz Orange Heat held at Kinross Wolaroi School. According to Quizmaster Wayne Mills it was one of THE MOST CLOSELY fought contests he has ever seen!! With "sudden death" rounds required to separate the final top four. The winners are: Macarthur Anglican School (Camden), Orange Public School, Catherine Macauley School Orange,and Eglinton School Bathurst.

The Kids' Lit Quiz is annual literature competition for children aged 10 to 13. It puts readers onto the stage and lets them compete for fantastic prizes. Topics at today's heat related to all things literary including felines, little people, dragons, books and films, food and characters. The Guest Stars team of local authors Charlotte Calder and Jeffery Doherty, Cowra Librarian Caroline Eisenhauer and former Librarian Jenny Medd were exteremely competitive and ousted the school children to win (they don't get to go to the final though to be held in Canberra on Friday 22 Feb). For more details about this great event go to www.kidslitquiz.com

The Henry Lawson Festival to be held 6-10 June 2013 is calling for entries in its Verse and Short Story Competitions with total prize money of $2850 plus statuettes. Medallions will also be awarded in primary sections.The competition closes on 28 March 2013. Entries must be post marked by this date.

There are 5 classes for verse, some with Australian themes and 3 classes in short story, all with any theme. Short stories are limited to 2000 words and verse to 48 lines. Entry forms and conditions may be down loaded from the website http://www.henrylawsonfestival.com.au/events-and-entertainment/entry-forms or by writing to:

The Verse and Short Story Coordinator, PO Box 77 Grenfell NSW 2810. For further information contact Mary Moffitt on (02) 6343 1575.

The Bristol Short Story Prize was founded by the editors of the quarterly cultural magazine Bristol Review of Books in 2007 with the aim of publishing great short stories and raising funds for the magazine, enabling it to remain a free publication.

The 2012 Bristol Short Story Prize was won by Australian writer, John Arnold and the 2013 Bristol Short Story Prize has recently been launched, it is open to all writers, UK and non-UK based, over 16 years of age. Stories can be on any theme or subject and entry can be made online via the website or by post. Entries must be previously unpublished with a maximum length of 4,000 words. The entry fee is £8 per story. The closing date for entries is April 30th 2013.

Prizes: 1st £1000 plus £150 Waterstone's gift card 2nd £700 plus £100 Waterstone's gift card 3rd £400 plus £100 Waterstone's gift card 17 further prizes of £100 will be presented to the writers whose stories appear on the shortlist.

For full details on entry and rules click on the link below.

A short story about learning to read as an adult could win you a share of $30,000, in a National Year of Reading competition for Adult Learners' Week. The competition closes on 6 August.

True stories as well as fiction pieces are eligible, with a special category for those who are new to writing. Entries are welcomed from published writers, emerging writers, as well as from people who have their own learning-to-read story to tell.

A panel of judges will select one winner in each state and territory. Each will win $3000.

A further six prizes of $1000 each will be awarded to entries from new writers or people who are writing about their own learning experience.

Chris Gallagher, Director of the Tasmanian Writers' Centre (the National Year of Reading partner for the competition), said the "It's never too late... to learn to read" short story competition was now in its second year, and had attracted 280 entries last year from across the nation.

"If you learned to read or improved your reading as an adult, or learned English as an adult, your story can inspire others.

"The expert judges will be looking for quality of writing, an inspiring storyline and a strong fit with the theme.

"For some, this will be the chance to tell their own stories; for others, it will be the opportunity to imagine and creatively document the experiences of an adult learning to read."

Winners' names will be announced on 25 August at a special event for The Reading Hour (www.thereadinghour.org.au).

Ms Gallagher said recordings of the winning entries would be available as free downloads so that people could listen to them online, with a People's Choice winner being chosen through online voting during September.

The stories from last year's competition have been welcomed by agencies working in the literacy field, and winners have spoken about their stories to community groups.

The prize is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), through Adult Learners' Week National Grant Funding.

Stories must be 3000 words or less, and must be entered by 5pm on Monday 6 August online at http://www.love2read.org.au/never-too-late.cfm

Congratulations to all the entrants of the 2012 Banjo Paterson Writing Awards. We are pleased to announce the winners:

Short Story: 1st Place: Jim Kent, of Port Fairy VIC, for Midwife

2nd Place: Fiona Skepper, of Elwood VIC, for La Primevera

3rd Place: Jessica Hancock, of Maylands WA, for The Hayshed

Bush Poetry

1st Prize: Tom Mc Ilveen Port Macquarie, NSW for – Rainbow Serpent's Progeny

2nd Prize: Debra Dunn, of Orange, for – Monuments of Time

3rd Prize:

Peter Rondel WA for – The Great Flood

Open Poetry

1st Prize: Helen Thurloe, Avalon NSW for Host

2nd Prize: Margaret Bradstock, of Coogee, for Mawson: the Heroic Era

Third Prize:Jo Mills, WA, for Crown of Stars

ABC Local Radio Childrens Award:

1st Prize: Parris Hammond, of Marrickville NSW, for Letter to the Moon

2nd Prize: Charlie Campbell, of Orange, for the poem Just One Day

3rd Prize: Annie Nash, of Coonabarabran, for story Me and a Horse Called Manny.

Yvonne Zola encouragement award to Bella Stoyles, of Orange, for The Sling Shot Sargeant.

The winning entries can be viewed on the Home page - check it out www.wordsoutwest.com.au

[caption id="attachment_2134" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="Poetry Slam host Miles Merrill will be at Grenfell"][/caption]

The 2012 Grenfell heat of the Australian Poetry Slam on June 9th is run in conjunction with the Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival of Arts as a feature event on the program. The festival is thrilled at the prospect of continuing to develop its connection with Word Travels front man and Performance Poet Miles Merrill. This will be the third consecutive year the Henry Lawson Festival has proudly hosted a heat in the Poetry Slam. Miles will co host the Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival Australian Poetry Slam heat with Sydney based Writer, Story Teller and Performance Artist Candy Royalle.

To be part of this word phenomenon we invite you to join us to compete in the Grenfell heat of the Australian Poetry Slam. Imagine two minutes in the spotlight. No props. No Music. Judged by the audience. Just you and your story. We can see you there!

Alternatively you can come along and take your possible place as a randomly chosen audience member to partake in judging the unparalleled competition on the day. The Poetry Slam has been held at the Railway Station in the past but this year it moves to a new larger venue to provide more shelter from the elements and to expand on it's increasing audience. This event promises to be a show stopper.

Date: Saturday, June 9th, 2012 Time: 3pm - 5pm Location: Uniting Church Hall, Camp Street, Grenfell Cost: Entry By gold Coin Donation

www.australianpoetryslam.com

Coordinator Information Carly Brown p. 02 6343 1248 e. poetry@henrylawsonfestival.com.au For more details about the Henry Lawson Festival at Grenfell to: http://www.henrylawsonfestival.com.au/events-and-entertainment/events-and-activities/poetry-slam

[caption id="attachment_2135" align="aligncenter" width="160" caption="Storyteller Candy Royalle performs"][/caption]

Pictured Candy Royalle Photograph Courtesy: Nicola Bailey Photography.

Eugowra: Sesquicentenary of the Gold Escort hold up Poetry and Short Story Competition closes tomorrow Thursday 31 May. There is a short story category with sections for all age groups and poetry category for 18 years and under and for locals within a 15km radius of Eugowra. Phone Tony Harvey on 6859 2288 for details. The 150th Gold Escort Hold Up Celebrations will be held at the Eugowra Showground on Saturday 16th June.

Oberon: Burraga Ag Bureau, Friends of Oberon Libray, Oberon Council and Oberon Writers' Workshop present 4th Oberon Writers' Competition. Narrative and poetry sections have the theme "tell me a story", fee $5. Contact Anne Russell via email: annieonthehill@gmail.com for details. Good luck!

The State Library of NSW, in association with Arts NSW, will manage of The Premier's Literary Awards and The Premier's History Awards.Nominations for these awards are now open. Applications will close at 5pm on Friday 1 June 2012.

For more information and to nominate for these awards please visit the State Library of NSW website (http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/). Select About the Library and from the drop down menu, select Awards and Fellowships. Both The Premier's Literary Award and The Premier's History Award are listed here. Click on the title to open further information, and nomination forms.