2021 NZ Writers College Short Story Competition

Now in its 12th year, the annual NZ Writers College Short Story Competition is open to any beginner writer residing in New Zealand.

Judged by a team of award-winning authors.

Prizes:

First Prize: $ 1 000.00 and publication in an anthology of winning stories
Second Prize: $ 500.00 and publication in an anthology of winning stories
Third Prize: $ 250.00

The top three winners receive editorial comments on their submitted works.

Theme: Time After Time

Deadline: 30 September 2021

Email enquiries and submissions to nichola@nzwriterscollege.co.nz

Competition Rules:

We aim to support beginner writers. We only accept stories from writers who have never been published, or who have been published fewer than four times in any genre. This includes fiction and non-fiction, in any publication (for payment or otherwise). Journalists, copywriters or web writers must please not enter. People who made a living from writing at any point in their life (e.g. decades earlier) are also not eligible for entry. We make an exception for unpaid articles for community or work newsletters or blogs where the circulation is under 1000.

All submissions and enquiries can be sent to Nichola Meyer: Nichola@nzwriterscollege.co.nz

The competition is open to anyone living in New Zealand aged 16 and over.

Entrants must submit a story of a maximum word count: 2000 words. Any entries exceeding the word count by 50 words will not be considered.

The 2021 theme is ‘Time after time’. Writers can interpret and represent the theme in any way they choose. Each story must include the phrase ‘Time after time’ somewhere in the story. Writers must produce their own title.

Only one story per entrant is allowed.

We only accept entries written in English.

The competition closes at midnight on 30 September 2021. The longlist will be published by 26 October, and the winners announced and displayed on our website on Friday 19 November 2021.

Prizewinners will be notified via email as well as on our website; please ensure you supply a valid email address with your entry.

Prize money will be paid via electronic transfer.

Stories must not have been previously published. Entrants must own the copyright to the story submitted.

Writers retain copyright, but give permission for their work to be published on our website and in an anthology.

The judges’ decision is final; no disputes will be entered into.

If your entry has not been acknowledged within three working days, please contact us as your email may have got lost in transit.

NZ Writers College reserves the right to extend the competition deadline or cancel the competition should the entries not be of publishable quality or up to the required standard.