Writing Competitions
The Tom Collins Poetry Prize was inaugurated by the Fellowship of Australian Writers WA in 1975 to commemorate the contribution to Australian literature of Joseph Furphy (1843 - 1912), who wrote Such is Life under the pen name ‘Tom Collins’. Download the full Terms & Conditions and Entry Form below.
Terms and Conditions of Entry
Theme: Open
Prizes: First $1000, Second $300, Third $100
Opening Date: October 1st 2021
Closing Date: December 15th 2021
Winners Announced: February 2022
Maximum 60 lines per poem. Maximum of 5 poems
Entry Fee: $10 per poem (Members) $12 per poem (non-members)
Pay Online at www.fawwa.org/paying-online (Paypal or EFT), or send a cheque to the address below.
2021 Stuart Hadow Short Story Competition
1st place Julie Woodland (WA), ‘The Astrophysics of Love’
2nd place Michael Burrows (WA), ‘Green Thumbs’
3rd place Paulette Gittins (VIC), ‘Only Joking’
Highly Commended Jean Flynn (QLD), ‘Someone like you’
Karen Hollands (QLD), ‘Unravelling’
Kerry Greer (WA), ‘Espalier’
Read the Judge's Report 2021, by Susan Midalia.
First Prize won $1,000 and a two-week residency at Mattie Furphy House, Swanbourne. Second Prize won $300; Third Prize won $100.
Past Competitions
Tom Collins Poetry Prize 2020
1st Place Maddie Godfrey Unmade
2nd Place Caroline Reid DEVOUR
3rd Place Andrew Sutherland 'public health the silence of god'
Highly Commended Kevin Gillam 'bleakness'
Highly Commended Peter Ramm Barren grounds in late Autumn
Highly Commended Allan Padgett 'these pastures held my heart'
Highly Commended Elizabeth Lewis A Handful of Salt
Commended Shastra Deo The break
Commended Sharmin Paynter All your red flags, black
Commended Shey Marque Ruining the Light
Commended Anne Casey Prayer-fish
Thank you to Cailin Maling, who's insightful Judges Report can be read here.
Photo: Caitlin Maling, Maddie Godfrey and Karen Whittle-Herbert
Stuart Hadow Short Story Prize 2020
Winner...
Patrick Boxall, 'Blitzkrieg' (VIC)
Shortlised...
Ben Blitzer, 'Little Hero' (Merredin, WA)
Erwin Cabucos, 'Theresa' (QLD)
Kylie Shearer, 'Second Chance Elodie' (VIC)
Rita Tognini, 'When I Met Alice Munro' (WA)
Sean Wilson, 'Bully' (VIC)
Thank you Nigel Featherstone for your insightful Judges Report 2020.
Tom Collins Poetry Prize 2019
1st Prize: Michael Greenacre – Missing Pieces
2nd Prize: David Atkinson – The Straining Rowlocks
3rd Prize: Peter Burges – Of Shearing
HC. Andrew Lansdown – Cherry Blossom Contemplations
HC. Nathan Curnow – The Lifeguard
HC. Josephine Clarke – Boronia megastigma
HC. Damen O’Brien – Day of the Spiders
C. Rita Tognini – Step-By-Step
C. Laurie Smith – All Shook Up
C. Jan Napier – On the Hill
C. Daniel Foster – The Death of Who I’m Not
Read Shane McCauley's Judges Report
Tom Collins Poetry Prize 2019
Stuart Hadow Short Story Competition 2019
Stuart Hadow Judge's report
First - Nadia Lisa King for Mariko’s Mouse
Second - Carmel Lillis for How I’ll Know Her
Third - John Scholz for Boat People
Highly Commended - Michael Hunt for Between two Eternities
Highly Commended - Jim Brigginshaw for The White Horse
Highly Commended - David Vernon for
Commended - Susan Thompson for Letter from the Last Duchess
Commended - Lesley Neale for Amber the Dog
Commended - Ted Witham for The Odd Number
Huge congratulations to you all!
Tom Collins Poetry Prize 2018
Winner Busted Piano Man – Christopher Konrad
Second Prize Coming of Age – Kristen Lang
Third Prize Barney Embraces Technology - Peter Burke
Highly Commended
The Life of Caves – Glen Phillips
Homage Marguerite – Julie Watts
strands of us – Kevin Gillam
Elk Rapids, Lake Michigan – Kim Waters
Commended
Love-Locked – Gillian Telford
Dreamlands Hopscotch – Yvonne Patterson
In Somnolence – Scott-Patrick Mitchell
Lazarette on Peel Island – Damen O’Brien
Talking to my Father – Tony London
Stuart Hadow Short Story Prize 2018
Winners:
1st: Chair - Peter Court
2nd: One Time My Sister - Melanie Napthine
3rd: Kind - Melanie Napthine
Highly commended:
Salt of the Earth - Ryan Delaney
Behavioural Experiment - Tanya Vavilova
Commended:
Forget it, Jake - Paulette Gittens
Tropical Cyclone - Tanya Vavilova
Congratulations to all the winners and those who took part. For more information, please read the Judge's Report by Laurie Steed.
Tom Collins Poetry Prize 2017
Congratulations to the following:
Winners:
1st: Rock the Baby - Andy Kissane
2nd: Orbit - Vanessa Proctor
3rd: On Route to the Iroquois Museum - Laura Shore
Highly commended:
Tom's Story - Robert Lumsden
Mathinna - Vanessa Page
Tell Me You Are Here - Alex Ripper
Commended:
Carpet - Colin Montfort
The Lie - Laura Shore
Open House, Palm Springs Modernism Week - Helen Thurloe
The 2017 prize was judged by Judith Rodriguez, to read the full Judge's report click here.
Stuart Hadow Short Story Prize 2017
Congratulations to the following:
Winners:
1st: Doors Closing - Dorothea Pffaf
2nd: Dead Ringer - Julie Woodland
3rd: Godsend - Jodie Kewley
Highly commended:
The Good Earth - Roseanne Dingli
The A30 Woodsmen - Kit Peek
Commended:
The Care Taker - Jemma Tyley-Miller
Pig - Philip Silvester
The 2017 prize was judged by Elizabeth Tan, to read the full Judge's report click here.
Rees Prize for Young Writers
The Rees Prize for Young Writers has been created as a biannual competition by FAWWA to support young Australian writers, and honour WA writers Coralie and Leslie Rees. 2016 was the first year for this contest, open to writers up to 21 years of age at the time of the closing date.
In 2016, the theme was 'Mars and Beyond'.
The following list were the winners of the 2016 competition:
Winners
1st: The Seven Travellers of 1184 - Jennifer Worgan (NSW)
2nd: The Price of Immortality - Alexandria Walker (QLD)
Highly commended
18-21 age category
Salvation - Stephanie Liddlelow (WA)
We Were Once Immortals - Anne Feng (WA)
15-17 age category
Saving Tomorrow - Katha Villanueva (VIC)
Silence - Radheya Jegatheva (WA)
Under 15 age category
Escape from the Earthlings - Lydia Colla (NSW)
Those Stars of Mine - Sarah Petersen
The 2016 Prize was judged by Emily Paull, click here for the judge's report.