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New England Writers' Centre

NEW ENGLAND THUNDERBOLT PRIZE

The Thunderbolt Prize is a prestigious, nationally recognised, literary award for crime writers resident in Australia. Includes major prizes and a youth category for writers under 18yrs.
WRITERS PLEASE NOTE

We deeply regret having to announce that the Thunderbolt Prize for Crime writing has been deferred until further notice.

Despite our best efforts, the NEWC did not secure our modest funding grant from the state arts body to help us run the 2024 and 2025 programs.

Due careful fiscal management we were able to deliver our 2024 program without interruption, but the withdrawal of state support has put the NEWC at risk.

We are currently unable to run our annual writing competitions. Please be assured that we are working behind the scenes to find a resolution. Thank you for your continued support.
Visit our archive to see previous years' winners.
Take a look at 2024's winning submissions
Take a look at 2023's winning submissions
Take a look at 2022's winning submissions
Picture
SUBMISSION WINDOW OPENS -  JUNE
CLOSES  - SEPTEMBER
The NEWC would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to all our wonderful sponsors of previous year's competitions. Please visit the previous years competitions to celebrate the creativity generated, and support from our local businesses and university, that allowed this competition to gain National recognition and been the launchpad for several highly successful writing careers.

The New England Thunderbolt Prize ​for Crime Fiction
For a story up to 2,500 words
First Prize: $500

The New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Non-fiction
for an article up to 2,500 words
First Prize: $500

The New England Thunderbolt Prize ​for Crime Poetry
for a poem up to 60 lines
First Prize: $500
The New England Award
The best entry in any category by a resident of New England , NSW. 
​Prize: 
$250 

Emerging Authors Award (over 18 years)
The best entry in any category by a new, ​unpublished writer 
​Prize: 
$250

Youth Award (Under 18 years)
The best entry in any category
by writers aged under 18.
Prize: 
$150

ENTRY DETAILS
Opens:  deferred
Closes:  deferred
Results announced:  November
Fee: $10 for adults, $5 for Youth
No limit on number of entries per entrant but a fee must be paid for each individual entry.

Entry Form must be sent as an attached file (.pdf) by email to: [email protected].

​No hardcopy submissions will be accepted.
​​
Payments may be made through Trybooking or by EFT.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
This competition has been deferred until further notice.
CLOSED

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES | Terms & Conditions of Entry
 1. Entry is open to all Australian residents. Entry fee is $10 18 years and over | $5 under 18 years.
 2. The entry is an original work by a human and not generated through the use of artificial intelligence.
 3. All entries submitted must be unpublished commercially * whether in print or online, must not be on offer to any outlet or have won a prize or be currently entered in any other competition, and must be wholly the original work of the entrant. It is, however, permitted for work to have been published non-commercially on a blog or website.
 4. A completed Entry Form and Entry Fee must be submitted with each entry.
 5. As judging will be carried out anonymously, the author's name or other identifiers should not appear anywhere on the work itself. The title on the work must be identical to the title on the Entry Form.
 6. Entries must be emailed and received by 5pm (NSW time) on closing date.
 7. No hard copy submissions will be accepted.
 8. Receipt of entries will be acknowledged by email. This will serve as an official receipt of the entry fee. No other receipt will be issued. Entry fees are non-refundable.
 9. Entry instructions including word and line limits and details of prizes form part of these Terms & Conditions.
10. Winning entries will also be published on the NEWC website. All copyright remains with the author.
11. Winners will be notified mid-November, and results announced on the NEWC website at the end of November.
​
* An unpublished writer means not having had any of your work previously published in traditional form in a commercially produced book or anthology, or more than twice in commercial magazines, whether in print form or online. You may have had work self-published or in free online journals.
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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which the New England Writers' Centre is situated and pay our respects to Aboriginal Elders past, present and emerging.
  • Home
  • Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing
  • Illustration Prize for Children's Picture Book Publishing
  • Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
  • About
    • Annual Reports
    • Our Board
  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • 2024 Archive
    • 2024 Illustration Prize for Children's Picture Book Publishing
    • 2024 Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing >
      • 2024 Thunderbolt Judges
      • 2024 Thunderbolt Winning submissions
    • Writing for the Primary Education Market
    • Story to Script Course
    • Writing and Illustrating for Children
    • Riveted Press Pitch Sessions
    • Grow Big Little Seed
    • Crafting Memoir
  • 2023 Archive
    • 2023 Thunderbolt winners >
      • 2023 Thunderbolt Judges
      • 2023 Thunderbolt winning submissions
    • 2023 Illustration Prize for children's picture book publishing
    • Varuna Fellowship 2023
    • Inside Story Workshop Series
    • Story to Script Course
    • Dive into Worldbuilding
  • 2022 Archive
    • 2022 Summer Micro Grants >
      • 2022 Summer micro grants_Mary McMillan >
        • 2022 Summer micro grants_Kerry Moran
    • 2022 Illustration Prize for children's picture book illustration
    • 2022 Thunderbolt winners >
      • 2022 Thunderbolt Prize winning submissions
      • 2022 Thunderbolt Prize Judges Reports
    • 2022 Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
  • 2021 Archive
    • 2021 Illustration Prize Winners
    • Varuna Fellowship 2021
    • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 >
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 Judges Reports
    • 2021 Summer Micro Grants >
      • 2021 Summer micro grants_Trish >
        • Beetle Hunt Stories
      • 2021 Summer micro grants_James
      • 2021 Summer Micro Grants_Fiona
  • 2020 Archive
    • Thunderbolt Prize 2020 >
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2020 Judges Reports
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2020_Winning submissions
    • Illustration Prize 2020 Winners
    • Varuna Fellowship 2020
    • 2020 Historical Novel Prize
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Inside Story Book
    • By The Book video series
    • Stories Connect