Prize



Announcing the Buzz Words Short Story Prize for 2020

Exciting News: The Short list is now on-line here 

The Buzz Words Short Story Prize
 is an annual prize awarded to recognise excellence in short story writing for children. The story must be suitable for readers 8 to 11 years. There is a first prize of $1,000 and second $500. The next top three entries will be assessed and edited by the competition sponsor, Dianne Bates.

The two short-listing judges are author Bill Condon, winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for Youth Literature and three times winner of the CBCA Honour Book of the Year, and author Dianne Bates, recipient of the Lady Cutler Award for distinguished services for children’s literature and founder of Buzz Words Magazine.

The finalist judge for the competition is Susanne Gervay OAM an international children’s and young adult author, Regional Advisor heading Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Australia East & New Zealand, Writer Ambassador for Room to Read, Books in Homes and Premier’s Reading Challenge NSW, she is also Patron of Patron Monkey Baa Theatre, awarded the Lifetime Social Justice Literature Award by International Literacy Association for her body of work and nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2020.

The word limit is 1,500 words. Entries open on 1 August 2020 and close on 31 October 2020. The fee is $10 per entry payable through PayPal or cheque payable to Di Bates. A long list of twenty will be announced in Buzz Words on 15 November and the winning entries on 1 December 2020

The sponsor is Dianne Bates.

I decided to sponsor the Buzz Words Short Story Prize because as far as I know, there is no such national competition in Australia to showcase what Australian children’s writers are capable of. - Dianne (Di) Bates

Please read the Terms and Conditions on the Entry Form carefully before entering.

Download Entry Form: here



If you would prefer to pay by EFT, please contact Buzz Words

Terms and Conditions
1.      The manuscript must be an original short story of up to 1,500 words for children aged 8 to 11 years and must be written in English by an Australian adult.
2.      Your submitted work must not have been published or under option to any publisher. It is a condition of entry that Buzz Words has the right to publish the winning entries on its website www.buzzwordsmagazine.com
3.      The competition is open to living writers who are permanent residents of Australia as of 1 August 2020.
4.      In entering the competition, you warrant that:
(i)               That the entry is an original work
(ii)              That it is in no way whatever an infringement of any existing copyright or licence or any other right of any person
(iii)            You accept the conditions of entry as prescribed
5.      Each entry must be received by email and must contain the following:
(I)               A completed entry form, available from the Buzz Words website
(II)             The complete manuscript in Times Roman 12 point, double-spacing with a title page showing the story title only
(III)           Entry fee of $10 or evidence of payment by PayPal (PayPal receipt).
6.     Entries must be emailed to buzzwordsprize@gmail.com. The Buzz Words Prize is open to submissions from Saturday 1 August 2020. All entries must be received by Buzz Words no later than noon Saturday 31 October 2020
7.      An author may submit up to three entries, but each entry must be accompanied by an entry form and fee (or evidence of fee having been paid).
8.      The shortlist will be announced on 15 November 2020. The winners will be notified by email. The winners will be announced on the Buzz Words website and in the Buzz Words magazine on 1 December 2020
9.      Chance plays no part in determining the winner. The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into either during or after the judging period.
10.   The first prize winner receives $1,000 cash; the second prize winner receives $500 cash.
11.   Entries will not be returned. Keep a copy of your entry for your own reference.
12.   Buzz Words takes no responsibility for lost or misdirected entries.
13.   The winning entries will be published on the Buzz Words website.
14.   Copyright in each work remains with the writer.
15.   The sponsor of this competition is Buzz Words founder and compiler, Dianne (Di) Bates, ABN 36 053 912 442. PO Box 106 Woonona 2517.

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