Submissions for the 2025 Newcastle Poetry Prize now open!

Hunter Writers’ Centre, in association with Presenting Partner, the University of Newcastle, is delighted to announce submissions for the Newcastle Poetry Prize are now open.

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For more than four decades, the Newcastle Poetry Prize has championed Australian poets and their craft. The University’s sponsorship of the $15,000 First Prize highlights the importance of poetry in our cultural life and affirms the University’s role as a leading supporter of Australian literature and the arts. Their investment in poetry, literature and culture has positioned Newcastle as a regional centre of literary excellence.

University of Newcastle Interim Deputy Vice Chancellor, Engagement and Equity, Mr Nathan Towney affirmed the University’s longstanding commitment to the Newcastle Poetry Prize.

“For six decades, the University of Newcastle has championed the creative spirit of our region, nurturing local talent and celebrating the arts. The Newcastle Poetry Prize is a testament to our rich cultural landscape, and the power of language to connect us. As one of the most significant poetry prizes in Australia, I would like to encourage everyone in the community to get involved,” Mr Towney said.

This year, the timing of the Newcastle Poetry Prize has shifted to allow the announcement of the Prize and the launch of the accompanying anthology as part of the Newcastle Writers Festival, one of Australia’s most respected and beloved literary festivals. This alignment creates a powerful moment in Newcastle’s cultural calendar: it brings poetry to the main stage, reaches new audiences, and celebrates Newcastle as a centre for Australian literature, placing poetry and poets into the cultural heart of this beautiful city.

‘Newcastle Writers Festival and Hunter Writers' Centre have a history of championing poets, and this wonderful new partnership will enhance the crucial role we play in providing poetry with a vital platform,’ says Rosemarie Milsom, Founding Director, Newcastle Writers Festival.

Other new developments for the Prize this year include an increase to $1,500 for the Harri Jones Memorial Award. Established in the memory of the much-loved University of Newcastle lecturer and teacher Harri Jones, an Anglo Welsh poet of distinction, this award is presented to a poet aged 35 years or younger.

The Hunter Writers’ Centre Member Prize, valued at $1,000, will be renamed to honour the memory of Jan Dean, a cherished poet and long-time member of Hunter Writers’ Centre whose passion for poetry inspired many.

A new $500 award, the Kade Fenwick Prize will be introduced this year and sustained for the next three years. Created in memory of Kade Fenwick (formerly known as Kait), a passionate poet and committed advocate for Indigenous and trans right, and a vibrant presence in the LGBTQI+ community.

The Newcastle Poetry Prize is now open until Sunday 7 December. The shortlist will be announced in early February, with the announcement of the Prize Winners and Anthology Launch on Saturday 28 March. Learn more at: Newcastle Poetry Prize 2025.