Sunday

BBC International Short Story Award

To celebrate London's hosting of the 2012 Olympics, the UK Books Trust National Short Story competition will - for just one year - become an international competition sponsored by the BBC.
Entries must be in English, up to a maximum of 8000 words. Entries for the award may be unpublished or must not have been published prior to 1 March 2011. Please take care to read the comprehensive terms and conditions.
Entry fee: Free.

Prize:  GBP15,000 first prize, GBP2,500 runner up, GBP250 for 8 short-listed entries.  All ten prize winners will be read out on BBC's Radio 4 Front Row program in 2012.
Open to: Authors worldwide, ages 18 and over, who have had previous works of creative fiction published in the UK in the past.
Deadline 27 February 2012

Tuesday

British Australian Community Literary Prize


Here is the chance to flex your essay writing skills and wave the flag for 'the old country' (!).  Entries up to 800 words on the theme of the positive heritage of British culture in Australia, are invited by the Melbourne-based British Australian Community.

If you have a lot to say, you can submit up to two separate entries, but they must be previously unpublished and not offered up for publication elsewhere until the prize is decided.

Last year's winning entry is published on the website, along with a list of those receiving recommendations.

Entry fee: AUD$10

Prize:  AUD$1000 and publication in the Endeavour -  journal of the British Australian Community

Open to: Citizens or permanent residents of Australia
Deadline 30 April 2013

Saturday

Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards


The Australian Prime Minister's 2012 Literary Awards are one of Australia's richest and most prestigious prizes - about which we can all dream! There is a total prize pool of AUD$600,000!!! (Worth the exclamation marks!).  Authors who have had a book published between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011 in a range of categories can enter it for the Awards, though self-published books are not eligible.

Categories include: fiction, non-fiction, young adult fiction, children's fiction, Australian history, and for the first time, poetry!  It's important to read the varying eligibility criteria for each of the categories.

Entry fee: Free

Prize:  First prize in each category AUD$80,000 tax free; short listed entries in each category AUD$5,000

Open to: Citizens or permanent residents of Australia

Deadline 1 February 2012