The Text Prize

The Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing is an annual prize awarded to an outstanding unpublished manuscript. It aims to discover more wonderful new books for young readers, by Australian and New Zealand writers.

The Publisher at Text, Michael Heyward, hopes this award “will unearth some brilliant new writing for young readers, which we can take to the world as we have done for many adult writers on our list”.

Both published and unpublished writers of all ages are eligible to enter with works of fiction or non-fiction. Judged by a panel of editors from Text Publishing, the winning book will be announced during the Melbourne Writers’ Festival. The winner will receive a publishing contract with Text and a $10,000 advance against royalties.

PLEASE NOTE: All relevant information regarding the 2011 prize including entry dates and entry forms will be available in late 2010.

All entries must be received with an entry form. Please read entry terms and conditions carefully.

The winner of the 2010 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing was announced at the Australian Booksellers Association conference on Monday 12 July in Brisbane. The award was taken out by Jane Higgins for her post-apocalyptic action novel The Bridge. Text will publish The Bridge in August 2011.

The 2009 winner was Leanne Hall, for her novel This Is Shyness, published by Text in August 2010.

In 2008 the inaugural prize was won by Richard Newsome’s adventure caper, The Billionaire’s Curse, published by Text in August 2009.