The Banjo Paterson Writing Awards have opened for 2025 and this year there will be no entry fees.
The Banjo Paterson Writing Awards have opened for 2025.
This year there is no entry fee, to encourage more entries especially in the children's category
Entries close on Friday 2 May.
The awards, established in 1991, honour Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson, acknowledged as a great writer and favourite son of Orange.
The competition encourages Australian content, however, entries do not have to be written in Banjo's style of bush writing.
Orange City Council Services Policy Committee Chair Cr Marea Ruddy encouraged writers to take advantage of the free entry and submit their work.
"The awards attract writers from all over the country and I encourage people of all ages from across the region to enter their work," Cr Ruddy said.
"Whether you're a prolific writer or want to try something new, these awards are a great opportunity to get creative."
There are three categories with generous prizes to be won:
- Short Story with a maximum word limit of 3,000 words.
- Contemporary Poetry not exceeding 200 lines.
- ABC Radio Children's award for writers 16 years or younger. Short Story no longer than 1,000 words or a poem no longer than 30 lines.
The winner of the Short Story and Contemporary Poetry sections take home an incredible prize of $2000 each while the winner of the Children's award receives $200.
Each year entries are received from across Australia and in 2024 the Short Story winner was Kim Ulrick, from the NSW South Coast, with a beautiful love story Shame the Stars.
The Contemporary Poetry Award was won by David Judge, from Bendigo, VIC for his poem Extracted or Polluted or Extinct.
The ABC Radio Children's Award was won by Sophie, from WA, for the story All or Nothing, about devastating heartbreak in your teenage years.
Second prize was presented to Lucinda from Panuara, NSW for Artistic Imitations, an intriguing short story blending art and murder, and third prize was presented to Mikayla from the Riverina, NSW for the thoughtful and emotive poem Anxiety.
Writing competition entrants can email their entries, as well as post, by the due date, Friday 2 May 2025.
Winners are announced at the annual Orange Readers and Writers Festival to held on Saturday 2 August.
There is no entry fee for this year's awards.
For Entry Forms with all the details go to the Central West Libraries website or visit your local library at Blayney, Canowindra, Cowra, Forbes, Manildra, Molong or Orange to pick up an entry form.
Previous winning entries can be found on the Central West Libraries' digital space to share history Recollect Central West to provide you with inspiration.
The awards are supported by Orange City Council, the Central Western Daily and ABC Radio.
