Northern Territory Literary Awards
The annual Northern Territory Literary Awards celebrate the long tradition of writing and storytelling in the Northern Territory.
The annual Northern Territory Literary Awards have celebrated the unpublished work of Northern Territory writers for more than 35 years. It is part of a special program of annual events at Library & Archives NT that celebrate the achievements of established and emerging writers, storytellers and prominent Territorians.
Whether established or emerging, all writers from across the Northern Territory are encouraged to enter unpublished work for a chance to win cash prizes, free memberships and masterclasses.
Key dates for 2023
- Entries open Monday 13 March 2023
- Entries close Monday 15 May 2023
- Shortlisted entries announced by end of July 2023
- Winners announced at the Awards Ceremony in September 2023.
Terms and Conditions and Submission
Submission Forms are available through our online entry system. Click through to view the Terms and Conditions.
Please note that the Northern Territory Literary Awards have concluded for 2023, information for the 2024 program will be made available early in 2024.
Click Here to view the winners announcement for 2023.
Click Here to access the online version of the Winners & Finalists booklet for 2023.
Categories
| Category | Prize | |
|---|---|---|
| Brown's Mart Theatre Award | Theatre script with a performance time of more than 30 minutes | $1,000 prize and an NT Writers’ Centre membership and masterclass, and a double pass to the 2024 Brown's Mart season. |
| Charles Darwin University Creative Non-Fiction Award | A factually-accurate work written with attention to literary style and technique up to 3,000 words | $500 prize and an NT Writers’ Centre membership and masterclass, and a double pass to the 2024 Brown's Mart season. |
| Charles Darwin University Essay Award | A referenced academic essay on a topic relating to the Northern Territory with a word limit of 3,000 words | $1,000 prize and an NT Writers’ Centre membership and masterclass, and a double pass to the 2024 Brown's Mart season. |
| Flash Fiction Award | A blog post, fan fiction, short story, fictional diary entry or fictional letter up to 500 words, limited to three entries per person | $600 prize and an NT Writers’ Centre membership and masterclass, and a double pass to the 2024 Brown's Mart season. |
| Kath Manzie Youth Award | An original work of short fiction or a single poem by a person aged 12 to 18 years on first of January for year of entry. Up to three poetry entries per person with a 300-line limit or a short story up to 3,000 words | $600 prize and an NT Writers’ Centre membership and masterclass, and a double pass to the 2024 Brown's Mart season. |
| NT Writers’ Centre Poetry Award | A single poem up to 300 lines, limited to three entries per person | $1,000 prize and an NT Writers’ Centre membership and masterclass, and a double pass to the 2024 Brown's Mart season. |
| Zip Print Short Story Award | An original work of short fiction up to 3,000 words | $1,000 prize and an NT Writers’ Centre membership and masterclass, and a double pass to the 2024 Brown's Mart season. |
Past winners
The annual Northern Territory Literary Awards have celebrated the unpublished work of Northern Territory writers for more than 35 years.