Australian Book Review is reviving the Short Story Competition, with a first prize valued at $2000. There are two other prizes. All three place-getters will be published in the magazine. Stories in English of between 1000 and 3000 words are eligible, as long as they have not been published previously or are not on offer elsewhere. Multiple entries are acceptable. The closing date is May 10. For an entry form go to: http://www.australianbookreview.com.au/competitions/short-story-competition

or call (03) 9429 6700. ABR now publishes short fiction. They welcome submissions from authors.

Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson was born on February 17, 1864 and to celebrate his birthday Orange City Council, Central West Libraries, Central West Writers' Centre supported by The Central Western Daily and ABC Central West Radio announce the call for entries to the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards. It is important to note that entries into the Prose (Short Story), Open Poetry and Children's Writing Awards categories of the competition do not have to be in the style of Banjo's writing. Entry forms are available from Central West Libraries branches, by phoning 6393 8120, email: writing@orange.nsw.gov.au or [download here]. Entry is $10 for adults and $5 for children per entry. The competition closes on Friday 16 April 2010 and winners will be contacted by phone on Monday 21 June 2010. There are cash prizes to be won and the winning Prose (Short Story) entry will be published in the Central Western Daily.

The Dungog Film Festival is one of the most vibrant and unique film festivals in the country. Set in the tiny historic NSW town of Dungog, the four-day non-competitive annual event is now the biggest festival of Australian film content in the world. The Dungog Film Festival In The Raw live script read program is a key festival event, which has attracted an impressive list of writers including Fiona Seres (Love My Way) Dave Warner (Garage Days) and Julia Leigh (The Hunter). Leigh's 2008 In The Raw script Sleeping Beauty was recently financed by Screen Australia and is set for production in 2010. In the Raw is more than just reading the scripts aloud, it is an intimate workshop environment for writer-producer teams to put their projects to the test in front of leading industry professionals and public. This is an opportunity to see what's working, and what's not and have a real audience provide valuable feedback. The 4th Dungog Film Festival In The Raw program is calling for submissions of unproduced feature, miniseries and TV series scripts by Australian nationals. Selected scripts will receive $9,000 (approx.) in script development support to perform the script live for audiences at the 2010 Festival. To enter, simply visit http://www.dungogfilmfestival.org/film-entry/ and download an In The Raw entry form. Dungog Film Festival is on the NSW Master Events Calendar and is proudly supported by Events NSW and Screen NSW.

For more information and entry guidelines visit: www.dungogfilmfestival.org or email: info@dungogfilmfestival.org. DEADLINE: Monday 1 March 2010

Entry to the sixth annual Australian Book Review Poetry Prize is now open. First place prize money is $4000, and shortlisted poems receive $250 each. Poets must reside in Australia or be Australian citizens living overseas. Each entry must be a single poem of no more than 100 lines. Multiple entries are permitted, and all poems will be judged anonymously. A shortlist comprising a maximum of six poems will be announced and those poems published in the March 2010 issue of ABR. The winner will be announced in the April 2010 issue. Entry forms available from the ABR website. Entries close on 1 December 2009.

Okay there is no time to rest as competitions are coming in thick and fast: 2009 Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets, sponsored by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. The major prize is $3000, with two minor prizes of $500. Closing date is Monday 7 December 2009. It's an award specifically designed to encourage new poets and new poems. You can find out more information about how to enter on the Overland website and here is the link - http://web.overland.org.au/?page_id=1549

The Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit, educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering specialist expertise in depression and bipolar disorder. Black Dog has launched its annual Writing Competition with the focus on Late Onset Depression: Finding Answers for Older People and their Carers. The 2009/10 competition invites entries from the Australasian region. Prizes will be awarded for the three best essay entries. Essays are to be no more than 1500 words. First Place: $2000; Second Place $1000 and Third Place $500. The closing date is 31 December, 2009. Participants are required to complete an application form and forward, where possible, an electronic copy of their essay to blackdog@blackdog.org.au plus an original copy of the essay on A4 paper (paper clip/not stapled) by post, addressed to: Black Dog Institute Writing Competition, Black Dog Institute, Hospital Road Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, 2031. To obtain an application form: Download from the Institute's website www.blackdoginstitute.org.au or call (02) 9382 4523. In view of the nature of the competition, the Institute will also accept hand-written entries.

Overland and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation have joined forces to create the Overland Magazine Judith Wright Prize for New and Emerging Poets. In 2009 the prize money is $3000, with two minor prizes of $500 each. Poets are eligible if they have not yet had a collection of their work commercially published. A maximum of three unpublished poems is allowed per entry. Two copies of each poem must be submitted. The poet's name must not appear on the manuscript, as all poems will be considered anonymously. The entry is to be accompanied by a $9.90 ($5.50 for Overland subscribers) administration fee. The poems will be judged by Overland's poetry editor Keri Glastonbury, and the winning poems will be published in the magazine. All submissions will be considered for publication in Overland. The entry form and guidelines are available at: www.overland.org.au Judith Wright, one of Australia's greatest poets, had a long and fruitful connection with Overland, and her last published poem (which appeared in Overland in 1999), was entitled 'To Younger Poets'. Entries should be sent to: 'Overland Judith Wright Poetry Competition' VU–Footscray Park Campus PO Box 14428 MELBOURNE VIC 8001 by 7 December 2009. Winners will be announced at the 2010 Melbourne Emerging Writers' Festival.

SciFiNow has teamed up with Tor UK (part of Macmillan worldwide) and brought Play.com on board to bring an unparalleled competition to the world of science fiction and fantasy literature – War Of The Words – the opportunity to get your debut SF novel released by a known and respected publisher, and due to intense popular demand it's now open to anyone, anywhere in the world... http://www.scifinow.co.uk/news/war-of-the-words-goes-global/

Looking for a good read? Good Reading is Australia's favourite print and electronic magazine for book lovers and it's available at your library. This month you have the opportunity to win book prizes. Access Good Reading online via the www.cwl.nsw.gov.au Reading and Writing page using your library card and answer this question: Which American author does gr profile in the article "Let there be light" on page 12 of the August 2009 issue? Email your answer, along with your name and contact details to writing@orange.nsw.gov.au or fill out an entry form at any CWL branch by 31 August. Good Luck!

Scribe has announced the CAL Scribe Fiction Prize. The prize is open for an unpublished manuscript by any Australian writer over 35, who may or may not have been published before. The winner will be awarded a book contract from Scribe and a prize of $12,000. Scribe's fiction editor, Aviva Tuffield said for a number of years it has concerned us that the Vogel Prize is only for writers under 35 because it seems that many novelists, especially women, only find the time and have acquired the life experience to write novels later in life. Late bloomers include Annie Proulx who didn't start writing until she was in her 50s, Elizabeth Jolley who published her first novel at 53, Penelope Fitzgerald started in her 60s and Mary Wesley had her first adult novel published when she was 70. And it's not just women: Raymond Chandler published his first story at 45 and first novel at 51 and Norman Lebrecht won the Whitbread Award at the age of 54. Scribe hope the prize will raise the profile of Australian fiction and find a wonderful new voice or novel. Scribe appreciates the assistance of Copyright Agency Limited in helping to establish the prize.. The winner will be announced in March 2010. Entries close 15 October. For entry forms visit www.scribepublications.com.au/prize.