Submissions now open to young writers for the 2026 Furphy Literary Awards

Posted on Monday 2nd of March, 2026,

Council, in partnership with the Furphy Foundation, La Trobe University and Goulburn Valley Libraries, invites young writers from across the Goulburn Valley to share their stories as part of the 2026 Furphy Junior & Youth Literary Awards.

In Summary

  • Submissions are now open for the 2026 Furphy Junior & Youth Literary Awards, inviting young writers from across the Goulburn Valley to enter short story and poetry categories.
  • The competition includes Junior categories (12 years and under) and Youth categories (13–17 years), celebrating storytelling and creative writing.
  • Each category offers prizes of $300 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place.
  • Entries close at 11.59pm on Sunday 31 May 2026, with further information and entry details available via the Furphy Literary Award website here.

The awards celebrate storytelling and its important place in Australian culture, with a long history of encouraging young people to express ideas, imagination and creativity through writing.

The 2026 competition is now open to young writers across junior and youth categories.

Categories include Junior Short Story and Junior Poetry for writers aged 12 years and under, and Youth Short Story and Youth Poetry for writers aged 13 to 17 years.

Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, said the awards continue to provide a valuable opportunity for young people to build confidence and develop their writing skills.

“The Furphy Junior & Youth Literary Awards give young writers a chance to share their voice and creativity with the wider community,” he said.

“Every story matters, and we encourage young people to put pen to paper and be part of a proud local storytelling tradition.”

Each category offers a first-place prize of $300, second place $100 and third place $50.

Entries close at 11.59pm on Sunday 31 May 2026. For more information and to enter, visit the Furphy Literary Award website here.

For further information, please call the Furphy Literary Awards Coordinator on 0408 553 087 or email fla@furphystory.com.au.

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