Madeleine Taplin

What better way to keep busy this lockdown than trying your hand at something new? Luckily for you, there are plenty of local competitions up and running to get you motivated. Not only are they fun initiatives to get involved in, but the added bonus of receiving a prize definitely makes this an activity all the more exciting!

Lane Cove Literary Awards:

Fancy yourself a bit of writing? Look no further than the Lane Cove Literary Awards, one of the most prestigious national writing competitions. Organised by Lane Cove Council, the awards recognise writing excellence and aims to foster Australian writing talent. Writers over the age of 16 are encouraged and invited to submit any published works to be assessed in a variety of different categories and prizes:

  • Short Story Prize ($2000)
  • Memoir Prize ($1500)
  • Poetry Prize ($1500)
  • Burns Bay Bookery Resident Prize ($500)
  • Wise Sage Prize ($500, writer must be age 65+ to be eligible).

With an entry fee of only $15, this is the perfect competition to enter if you are interested in the literary world. Entries close at 5pm Thursday 19th August and can be submitted here.

COVID Art Competition:

St Ives Shopping Village has recently relaunched their St.Art and Photography Competition, so it’s time to get all that creative energy flowing. Since we are fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world, this competition places emphasis on getting out into our local natural landscape and taking inspiration from it for a piece of art. Whether it be a piece created on your favourite bushwalk, or something you noticed in your backyard, the possibilities are endless! With a $200 gift voucher on the line, this is the perfect competition to enter as a beginner in the art and photography scene. Photos can be submitted via email to concierge1@stivesvillage.com.au, and artworks can be delivered to concierge to be hung in The Gallery. They must be ready to hang on a canvas or in a frame in a minimum of A4 size. Winners will be appointed for each age group (6-10yrs, 11-15yrs, 16+), and entries close Friday 27th August.

Nature Conservancy 2021 Photo Contest:

Photographs can show the beauty of biodiversity, the value or ecosystems and the resilience of people. The Nature Conservancy 2021 Photo Contest aims to highlight these aspects of our planet through a variety of categories such as People and Nature, Landscape, Water and Wildlife. With special categories for Australians, this global competition is the perfect event to get invested in if you are looking for something a little more professional. Join the community of photographers and get judged by some of the best in the industry. Entries will be accepted here until Tuesday August 31st.