Programs and Events

The competition opens on 1 July 2025 and closes on 31 July 2025.

Categories

• Ages 8–12
• Ages 13–18

Prizes

• One winner per category will receive a prize valued at $150.

Judging

• Entries will be judged by a panel of three library staff members.

Entry Requirements

• Open to any form of writing, including poetry, short stories and factual accounts.
• Must be based on the 2025 Book Week theme, "Book an Adventure."
• Participants must be South Australian residents aged 8–18.

Ineligible Participants

• A person who is an Elected Member or employee (including household members of employees) of the City of Holdfast Bay.
• A person who refuses to comply with or breaches any terms of the Holdfast Bay Libraries Young Writer’s Competition Rules.

By entering the Holdfast Bay Libraries Young Writers’ Competition, the participant agrees to the following terms and conditions:

1. The writing competition is open to all forms of writing, including poetry, short stories, and factual accounts.
2. To enter, the participant does not have to live in the City of Holdfast Bay or hold a library card, but they must be a South Australian resident.
3. The participant must be between the ages of 8 and 18 years and submit their entry to one of the categories (ages 8–12 and ages 13–18).
4. The story must relate to the 2025 Book Week theme of “Book an adventure.”
5. The story must be the participant’s own original work and be in English. Artificial Intelligence and generative AI tools must not be used.
6. The entry must be no more than 2000 words.
7. If under 18, the participant must have their legal guardian’s permission to enter.
8. The participant must only submit one entry, and once submitted, the entry is final.
9. All submissions must be sent to library@holdfast.sa.gov.au with the subject “Holdfast Bay Young Writers Competition” and the entered category. The email must also include the participant’s name and contact phone number.
10. Entries will not be accepted before the 1st of July, 2025, or after 11:59 pm on the 31st of July.
11. The judging panel’s decision is final.
12. Results of this competition will be announced 10 business days after the competition closes, and the winners will be contacted via the mobile phone number provided upon entry.
13. The prizes consist of one prize for each category valued at $150.
14. If a prize winner chooses not to accept the prize awarded by the City of Holdfast Bay, the prize will not be substituted with another prize.
15. By entering your work, entrants grant the City of Holdfast Bay a non-exclusive, personal, perpetual, royalty-free license to publish (including electronically), broadcast, edit, and adapt the awarded entry.
16. Copyright is retained by the author.