Entries open for Sargeson Prize – New Zealand

Categories

• Open Division: The Open Division is open to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents aged 18 and over who are writing in English. New Zealanders living overseas are eligible to enter, as are published and unpublished writers. Entries must be single stories of no more than 5000 words. They must be original, unpublished pieces of work.
• Secondary Schools Division: The Secondary Schools Division is open to students enrolled at a New Zealand secondary school, or home-schooled students, who are aged between 16 and 18 years on the date that competition entries close. Entries must be single stories of no more than 3000 words. They must be original, unpublished pieces of work.

Prize Information

• Open Division:
  • First Prize: $15,000
  • Second Prize: $1,000
  • Third Prize: $500
• Secondary Schools Division:
  • First Prize: $2,000
  • Second Prize: $1,000
  • Third Prize: $500

Benefits

• The winner of the Secondary Schools Division will also be offered a one-week summer residency at the University of Waikato, to be taken up in January or February of the following year.
• The residency will include accommodation and meals at one of the University of Waikato Halls of Residence, a writing space in the School of Arts, and mentoring from postgraduate students and/or academic staff in the Writing Studies programme.
• The three winning stories in the Open Division will be published by ReadingRoom. In addition to the prize money, authors will receive a small contributor’s fee from ReadingRoom.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entry to the Competition is open to New Zealand citizens residing anywhere in the world or permanent residents currently living in New Zealand. Proof of citizenship or residency may be required.
• Entrants in the Open Division of the Competition must be at least 18 years of age on the date that Competition entries close. There is no upper age limit.
• Entrants in the Secondary Schools Division of the Competition must be enrolled at a New Zealand secondary school and aged between 16 and 18 years of age on the date that Competition entries close. Home-schooled students who have a Certificate of Exemption from Enrolment at a Registered School from the Ministry of Education may also enter, providing that schooling is their primary occupation.

Ineligibility Criteria

• The individuals excluded from entry into the Competition are:
  • members of the Competition screening panel;
  • official judge(s) of the Competition;
  • permanent staff members of the English and Writing Studies programmes at the University of Waikato;
  • the Sargeson Prize Assistant;
  • the editor of ReadingRoom.

Application Requirements

• Entrants may submit online or by post.
• To enter the Competition online, entrants must complete the official online entry form for either the Open or Secondary Schools Division and attach their entry as a Word document or PDF (.doc, .docx, or .pdf).
• To enter the Competition by post, entrants must download and complete the official postal entry form for either the Open or Secondary Schools Division and send it with their entry to: Sargeson Prize, English Programme, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240.
• Story manuscripts submitted for entry must be typed in English, and 1.5-spaced (and for postal entries, typed and printed on one side of A4 paper only). Postal entries will not be returned.
• For online entries, the file name must be the story name.
• Entries may not contain any photographs or illustrations.
• The author’s name or other personal information must not appear anywhere on the story manuscript. All personal information must be listed only on the entry form.
• Once an entry is submitted, the manuscript is final. The entry cannot be withdrawn and no alterations can be made to it.

For more information, visit University of Waikato.