Emerging Voices 2026

Call-out

Griffith Review Emerging Voices Competition 2026

Griffith Review is looking for original submissions of fiction and creative non-fiction from 3,500 – 5,000 words.

You can write to any theme you like – but we're looking for new ideas, fresh voices and bold perspectives - work that commands our attention.

Up to four winning entries will be selected by our judges Melanie Ostell (Melanie Ostell Literary)¸ Margot Lloyd (Pink Shorts Press) and Sharlene Allsopp (author) as well as Griffith Review’s editorial staff. The winners will share a prize pool of $20,000 and have their work published in an edition of Griffith Review.

Entries close at 11.59pm AEST on Monday 13 April 2026. Winners will be announced in July 2026.

For the purposes of this competition, we’re defining ‘emerging’ as writers ranging from previously unpublished through to those with a maximum of one published book in any of the following genres:

• Novel
• Short story collection
• Essay collection
• Memoir
• Other work of non-fiction

You can have published more than one children's book or poetry collection, or have multiple essays, reviews, or short fiction publications in magazines, literary journals, or other collections/anthologies.

Answers to some frequently asked questions can be found here.

Entries must be submitted through Submittable https://griffithreview.submittable.com/submit and payment made through GriffithPAY.

Entry fees:

$25 (including GST)

$15 (including GST) for Griffith Review subscribers. 

The entry fee entitles you to a complimentary digital subscription to Griffith Review valid for six months. If you already have a subscription, we will extend your existing subscription by six months.

No refund for this competition. Refer to the Terms & Conditions: https://www.griffithreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/EMERGING-VOICES-2026-TCs.pdf 

Before you submit...

Please make sure that you've completed the following steps before you submit your entry:

1. Please name your submission document file with your surname first, then the genre. For example: filename: surname_fiction.doc. Do not include your name or any identifying information in the document itself.
2. Make sure your submission is an editable Word document with 12pt Times New Roman font, 1.5 line spacing and all document margins set to 2.54 cm.
3. Please submit only one entry.
4. Please pay your entry fee via GriffithPay and keep a note of the receipt number.    

Summary of Terms and Conditions of Entry

• Entries close 11.59pm AEST on Monday 13 April 2026. Early submissions are encouraged. Late submissions will not be accepted.
• Submissions are limited to Australian and New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.
• Original works of fiction and creative non-fiction only. Work between 3,500 and 5,000 words is  preferable; if a piece is slightly over or under the work limit (no more than 10%), we can still  accept the submission.
• Works must not have been published elsewhere in any format.
• Emerging writers are defined for the purposes of this competition as writers ranging from  previously unpublished through to those with a maximum of one published book (fiction or non-fiction). Note: self-published books that have sold over 500 copies will be considered published  works.
• Only one entry per author.
• All entries must be submitted electronically via the Submittable page. Emailed or posted entries  will not be accepted.
• Entry fee for the competition is $25 (including GST) or $15 (including GST) for Griffith Review  subscribers. Entry fees must be paid via GriffithPay. Entries that are submitted without corresponding payment will not be accepted. Griffith Review subscriptions can be purchased here. The entry fee entitles you to a complimentary digital subscription, valid for six months. Existing subscribers will have their subscriptions extended by six months.
• All potential entrants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the type of work published by Griffith Review before submitting.
• It is anticipated that four works will be selected for publication, but the judges reserve the right to vary the number selected.
• Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges and the Griffith Review editorial team in a blind reading. The decision will be final and there will be no correspondence with unsuccessful candidates about the merits of the work submitted.
• The winning works will undergo a professional editorial process prior to publication.
• Winners will share the $20,000 prize pool. The amount awarded to each author will be at the discretion of Griffith Review. All entrants will be notified of the outcomes by 31 July 2026.
• Winning works will be published in an edition of Griffith Review between 1 November 2026 and 5 August 2027 (Griffith Review editions 94, 95 and 96).   

Griffith Review 93: Into the Archive

The archive has long been a form of collection, preservation and communication. As the internet and social media reshape what, why and how we record information, whether for personal or institutional means, the nature of the archive itself is also in flux. How does the archive mediate the relationship between public and private space? How do archives shape individual and collective memory? Should the archivist preserve without intervention? What will the archives of the future look like? And in what ways do other mediums – bodies, places, cultures – act as their own kinds of archive? 

This edition of Griffith Review goes on the record to reveal the secrets and surprises of the archive.  

Submissions are open from Monday 5 January to Sunday 15 February.

Things for you to note: 

* We're looking for non-fiction and fiction that responds to the theme.    

* We want pieces that are no longer than 4,000 words (they can, of course, be much shorter than this).    

* Attention poets! We'll be opening a separate poetry call-out on 23 March – keep an eye on our social media and newsletter for more details soon.    

* We'll let you know the outcome of your submission within eight weeks of the call-out closing date.     

Full submissions only – no pitches, please. 

Submissions close: 11:59 pm AEST, 15 February 2026   

Publication date: August 2026