The Margaret Hazzard Short Story Competition 2024
Short stories of up to 2,000 words on an open theme. Closes: 30th April 2024
Judge: Dr Rachel Matthews
Prizes: 1st $300.00 2nd $150.00 3rd $75.00
Fees: For SWW Victoria members: 1 story $10.00 or 3 stories $20.00
For non-members: 1 story $15.00 or 3 stories $30.00
Winning stories will be published in the Society’s anthology, Sparx. Copyright remains with the author.
About our judge:
Dr Rachel Matthews is a Melbourne author, lecturer and teacher. Her debut novel Vinyl Inside received strong press reviews and was highly commended by the Australian Vogel Award judges. Siren, her 2017 novel was part of a PhD at Victoria University exploring sexual violence in Australian football. Never Look Desperate is her third novel, a tragi-comedy rated in the Guardian 'Best New Australian fiction' section. Her short fiction has been published in EQ magazine, educational and writing journals. She has over 20 years’ experience as an educator within a diverse range of learning environments, including lecturing in RMIT’s Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing, ACU’s Bachelor of Creative Arts, international settings, the RVIB and in student welfare at Virtual School Victoria (the largest gov school in the state). Rachel is also a contributor to news media.
https://www.rachelmatthewsauthor.com/
Background to the award:
In 1970, Margaret Hazzard gathered together fourteen women – journalists, authors, playwrights, illustrators, contributors of articles paid for by newspapers or magazines, and TV and radio writers – to form a Victorian branch of the Society of Women Writers.
In recognition of Margaret’s commitment to women writers and support of SWWV, the Margaret Hazzard Short Story Award was established.
The competition runs biennially and women writers residing in Australia (or members residing overseas) are invited to submit short stories of up to 2,000 words on any theme.
Terms and Conditions of Entry:
- The competition is open to all women writers within Australia and SWWV members worldwide.
- Entries must be unpublished, original work of the entrant. By entering, the author warrants that their story has not been published elsewhere including electronically and that they own the copyright to the story. The entrant warrants that the story was written without the assistance of AI, e.g. ChatGPT or similar.
- Entries must not be concurrently entered in another competition nor previously in receipt of an award.
- Each entrant may submit up to three stories of up to 2,000 words apiece.
- Fees: For SWW Victoria members: 1 story $10.00 or 3 stories $20.00. For non-members: 1 story $15.00 or 3 stories $30.00
- Payment must be made via the SWWV website and entries emailed to swwvcompetitions@gmail.com
- Use ‘MH Entry’ and the story title in the subject line of the email. For double or triple entries use one email and story title.
- List the title of each story in the body of the email along with your name and your entry order number. Please use the same name as on your payment but if you use an author name, please state this also. Each entry must be in a separate Word Document named with the story title.
- Entries must be received by 11.59pm April 30th 2024 to swwvcompetitions@gmail.com
- In order to gain the member discount, SWWV members must log in the members’ area on the website and place their order in the members’ area.
Presentation:
- Word Document (No PDFs)
- Include title on first page of manuscript
- Size 12 font Times New Roman or Arial
- Font colour must be black
- 1.5 line spaced
- No headers or footers
- Writers’ names are not to be on the manuscript
- Entries that do not comply with the conditions of entry will not be considered and no correspondence will be entered into.
- Once stories have been received and acknowledged, no changes may be submitted without a new order and fee. No entry refunds will be issued.
- Judging: No entrant may receive more than one prize. The judge’s decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into.
- The Society reserves the right to split the prize money if there are equally deserving winners.