NSW Literary Awards 2027 entries close on 26 November

Ten categories are open for entry from a $360,000 prize pool across 14 awards. Early-bird entries close at 5pm on 12 November and all entries at 5pm on 26 November (AEST).

Entries for the 2027 NSW Literary Awards close at 5pm AEST on Thursday 26 November, the State Library of NSW says. A discounted early-bird entry fee is available until 5pm on Thursday 12 November.

The awards carry $360,000 in total across 14 categories, ten of them open to entry. The Christina Stead Prize for Fiction and the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction are worth $40,000 each. Prizes of $30,000 each go to the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature, the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature, the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, the Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting, the Indigenous Writers' Prize, the Multicultural NSW Award and the biennial Translation Prize.

Four further awards of $10,000 each cannot be entered directly: the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing, chosen from debut entries across all categories; the University of Sydney People's Choice Award, decided by public vote from the fiction, non-fiction and poetry shortlists; Book of the Year, chosen from the category winners; and a Special Award.

Entrants should read the 2027 guidelines on the library's website before submitting through its online entry platform. James Bradley OAM is senior judge, and questions can go to awards@sl.nsw.gov.au.