Back again this year is our Writing and Poetry Competition for youth and adults.
Entries open October 9 for residents of South Australia, but you can start preparing now!
Submit one story or piece of poetry per eligible category up to 500 words within the theme: Community, place and belonging relating to people or places within Onkaparinga. All entries must be your own work.
Terms and conditions apply. Contact 8384 0050 for more information.
The competition is run through Writers SA.
Entires via https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/wordfestonkaparinga2024
Terms and Conditions
Categories and Age Requirements
- Flash Fiction: Open to ages 18 and above.
- Poetry: Open to ages 18 and above.
- Youth: Open to ages 12-17.
Entries
- Participants may submit one entry per person per eligible category.
- Entries must be submitted through the online form. Hardcopies will not be accepted.
- Submitted entries are final and cannot be edited.
Word Limit
- Submissions for any category must not exceed 500 words. Entries exceeding this word limit will be disqualified from the competition.
Judging
- The competition will be managed, judged, and winners selected by Writers SA. The decisions of
Writers SA are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
Eligibility
- Must be a South Australian resident.
- Employees of the City of Onkaparinga and their household members are ineligible to win.
Parental Consent
- Participants under the age of 18 must have consent from a parent or guardian to enter the competition. Additionally, a parent or guardian must be available to accompany the minor when collecting any prizes.
Prizes
- One winner will be selected from each competition category. Each category winner will receive a prize of $100 AUD.
- Prizes must be accepted as offered and cannot be varied.
Liability
- The City of Onkaparinga is not liable for any loss, damage, or injury arising out of or in connection with this promotion and/or the prize.
- The City of Onkaparinga will not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, or death suffered or sustained in connection with this prize draw or the acceptance or use of any prize.
Competition Period
- The competition opens at 9am on Thursday 9 October 2025 and closes at 5pm on Tuesday
9 December 2025.
Announcement of Winners
- Winners will be announced and contacted by Onkaparinga Libraries during the week beginning Monday 12 January 2026.
Promotional Consent
- By entering the competition, participants consent to the City of Onkaparinga using their first name, suburb, age, and photograph for promotional purposes indefinitely, including on Onkaparinga Libraries' website, Facebook and Instagram pages.
AI and Copyright Policy
- All entries for the Onkaparinga Libraires’ writing and poetry competition must be the author’s own original work that the author must hold the copyright and/or IP rights for.
- We do not accept entries created using generative AI and if a suitable AI detector flags suspicious content, your entry will be disqualified at the discretion of the judging panel.
- Similarly, if a piece of work contains clear copyright infringements (example, using song lyrics, unattributed work of another writer that exceeds fair use, or trademarked content), it may also be disqualified.
Updated September 2025