The National Water Week Junior Writing Prize
The National Water Week Junior Writing Prize offers young people in the MidCoast the opportunity to explore the vital relationship between water and our world through the medium of short story, poetry or creative non-fiction.
All primary school, high school and homeschool students who reside in the MidCoast local government area are invited to enter.
Students must use one of the following prompts as the starting point for their entry:
- This morning I went to turn on the shower and ...
- It hasn’t rained now for almost ...
- There was barely a drop left ...
- Life in the river isn’t what it used to be ...
Visa Gift Cards will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize in each of the following categories:
- Primary School (K-6): Maximum 500 words.
1st $150 | 2nd $100 | 3rd $50
- Junior High School (Year 7-9): Maximum 750 words.
1st $200 | 2nd $150 | 3rd $100
- Senior High School (Year 10-12): Maximum 1,000 words.
1st $250 | 2nd $200 | 3rd $150
A gift voucher to The Sitting Wombat book shop in Forster will also be awarded to one highly commended entry in each category.
- Only one entry per student may be submitted.
- Entries must be in Word document format only (.doc or .docx).
- Entries must be the original work of the student. No AI-generated submissions.
- Entries must not exceed the maximum word length in each category.
- Students must not include their name anywhere on their written work. All entries will be judged anonymously.
- Students under 18 years old must have parent/guardian consent to enter the competition.
See the Terms and Conditions for full eligibility criteria.
Entries open: 9am Monday 1 September 2025
Entries close: 5pm Friday 3 October 2025
Winners announced: Wednesday 22 October 2025 during National Water Week
