PLEASE NOTE:

This year’s competition is now closed for entry.

If you have paid for your entry through Eventbrite, you can rest assured, your payment has been received. Our judge will now begin reading all your wonderful entries, and the results of the competition will be available on our website when ready. All winners will be contacted via email.

Good luck to everyone who entered this year.

Peter Cowan Writers Centre 2024 600 Word short story competition.

Please read the following carefully before submitting your story to our competition.

About the Award: The Peter Cowan 600 Short Story Competition was launched by PCWC in 2010 in honour of our namesake Peter Cowan (1914–2002), one of Western Australia’s most esteemed writers and academics. It is fitting that the competition celebrates short story writing as Peter published several volumes of short fiction and is well known for writing in this genre. The recipient of several major writing awards, Peter was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1987. He was named a Western Australian State Living Treasure in 1999.

Entries open: 8.00AM. 14 March 2024. Closing Date: 30 April 2024 at 11:59PM AWST

Prizes: 1st prize $200. 2nd prize $100. 3rd prize $50

Senior Writer Award $100

Novice Writer Award $100

Secondary Education Support Centre Student Award $100

Julian Cowan Youth Award (12-17 years) $100 (donated by Diana Cowan)

Word Count: Up to 600 words maximum

Theme: Open

Eligibility: Entries must be unpublished stories (cannot have appeared in print, or online on a website or blog) and must not have won a prize or been recognised in any other competitions.

Simultaneous submissions: No. Entries must NOT be under consideration elsewhere in other competitions or under consideration for publication.

Entry Fees:

Adult and Senior: Per entry: $10 + Eventbrite fee*,

Youth and Secondary Education Support Student: Per entry : $5 + Eventbrite fee*

*Eventbrite retains their processing fee. Payments can be made with Credit/Debit cards or by Paypal. Payment is only available via the Eventbrite Platform.

Refund Policy: There are no refunds on PCWC competitions.

Closing date/time: Tuesday, 30 April 2024 at 11.59 PM (AWST)

Formatting of your story:

1. All files must be saved in a word document or PDF.

2. Times New Roman font size 12. Double spaced.

3. Indent the first line of each paragraph - But not for the first paragraph.

4. Please ensure your name does not appear on your word document as judging is blind.

5. Further instructions are on the entry form.

To enter:

1. Pay your entry fees on Eventbrite. Follow the Eventbrite link provided. Payment opens 14 March 2024 at 8.00am.

2. Complete the downloadable entry form.

3. E-mail your story/stories to PCWC together with your entry form indicating your Eventbrite payment order/receipt number. Each story must be saved as a separate Word document or PDF. Send to e: PeterCowanWritersCentre@outlook.com with the subject: PC600SS Competition

Please note: Failure to follow the above formatting and entry requirements will disqualify your submission.