2024 Young Writers' Competition

Celebrating 15 years of the Young Writers' Competition, the 2024 theme word is 'crystal'. 

Our 2024 finalists are:

• Addison Watson
• Amelia Way
• Ava Dembiany
• Caoimhe Bulcraig
• Carina Guo
• Claire Feng
• Eamon Cooper
• Eve Overend
• Francesca Mumby
• Holly Boulter
• Huxley Geersen
• Jeana Shen
• Jude Custodio
• Kate Coxon
• Katerina Bennedick
• Lexie McCoy
• Lillian Hamilton
• Lucas Toms
• Lucia Madden
• Maya Gaffney
• Oscar Youman
• Sadie Keep
• Skye Smale
• Zoelle Rayan

Important Dates

• Presentation event on Sunday 28 July 2024.
• Winners announcement published online Monday 29 July.

About the Competition

2024 marks the fifteenth year of this competition. 

The Young Writers' Competition is an annual competition open to students up to and including year 12 who live or go to school on the Northern Beaches and are members of the Northern Beaches Council Library Service. Students are invited to write an original work of creative writing using the featured theme word for a chance to be published as an author in an eBook.

Entries are judged according to characterisation, plot, originality, and use of language and arranged into six different age group categories.

Four finalists are chosen in each age category and invited to a presentation event with our author judges where a winner, runner-up and two highly commended prizes are awarded. Finalists from each category will have their stories published in an eBook that will be added to our collection.

All finalists receive a prize bag. Top prizes per category:

• Years K-2 - $70 voucher
• Years 3-4 - $85 voucher
• Years 5-6 - $100 voucher
• Years 7-8 - $125 voucher
• Years 9-10 - $150 voucher
• Years 11-12 - $175 voucher

Enquiries: writers.comp@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au

Past winning stories

Want some inspiration? Check out the winning entries from previous competitions below.

Read the twenty four stories in the 2023 eBook 'Promise'.