2026 Manuscript Prize

About the Competition

With the activity of poetry-making central to its efforts, Flying Islands particularly aims to bring experienced and new poets together on and off-line, through mentoring, art events of various kinds, workshops, blogs, websites, readings, launches and most importantly, through the ongoing publication of the Flying Island Pocket Poets Series. The Flying Islands Manuscript Prize for Emerging Poets is part of this process.

Discipline of English and Writing, The University of Sydney logo

SPONSORED BY:
Discipline of English and Writing, The University of Sydney.

The prize

The prize for the competition is $1000 cash, publication in the Flying Island Pocket Poets Series (with thirty free copies to the poet) and the possibility of negotiating a short writer’s residency at Arbaro Writers and Artists Residency. Other finalists may also be offered publication in the Flying Island Pocket Poets Series.

Timeline

  • Competition opens: 1 March 2026
  • Entries close: 30 April 2026
  • Longlist announced: June 2026
  • Shortlist announced: July 2026
  • Winner announced: August 2026

How to enter

Enter the Flying Islands 2026 Manuscript Prize for Emerging Poets by completing the submission form and uploading your manuscript as a single PDF document. Please ensure that:

  • You have read the Eligibility and Terms and Conditions below and are satisfied you can comply.
  • Your manuscript is ready as a single PDF file.
  • The manuscript has no identifying details or marks. This includes the name of the PDF file.
  • You have compressed your PDF file. There are many free online compression tools such as www.ilovepdf.com/compress_pdf. The maximum file size is 7 MB

Click the Enter Competition button below to submit your work. Submissions open on 1 March 2026 and close on 30 April 2026. You will be asked to complete the entry form, pay the entry fee, and upload your manuscript as a PDF. Once uploaded, your manuscript will be anonymised for the judges. The details you provide in the form will be used to identify your entry when results are announced, so please ensure they are correct before submitting.

Eligibility and Terms and Conditions

  1. Entrants can be poets of any age who have not yet published a full-length poetry collection (of more than 40 pages).

  2. Entrants must submit a complete manuscript (m/s) as a PDF document of no less than 60 A4 pages, and of no more than 90 pages.

  3. Entrants are only permitted to submit one m/s or book proposal in this competition.

  4. Manuscripts may be in English or in any other language AND English (bilingual manuscripts are encouraged).

  5. Collaborative entries are permitted, and in such a case, all authors involved must provide all necessary details; collaborations between poet/translators will be entertained. All authors must be eligible entrants.

  6. Poets who have already published books with Flying Islands are not eligible for this prize (likewise ineligible are poets who have previously discussed or negotiated a m/s with Flying Islands, or who currently have one in the pipeline).

  7. The manuscript PDF file must be uploaded using the entry form. Please compress your PDF file before uploading. There are many free online compression tools such as www.ilovepdf.com/compress_pdf. The maximum size of a PDF file is 7 MB.

  8. The entry must be submitted no later than 30 April 2026.

  9. The entry form includes a payment gateway to pay the entry fee by credit card only. The entry fee is $20 concession / $25 waged. Successful payment of the entry fee is a condition of entry in most cases. However, hardship waivers are available, please email us.

  10. As this is a blind competition, the entrant’s name, address or other identifying details must not appear anywhere on the PDF of the m/s (if identifying details do occur on the m/s, it will be excluded from the competition). This includes in the name of the PDF file.

  11. The entry submitted must be the original work of the author and its submission is read as a statement of this as fact and as an agreement to all of these Terms and Conditions.

  12. The judges reserve the right not to award a prize if entries are of insufficient merit.

  13. The decisions of the judges are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

  14. Winners must be prepared to participate in at least one launch of their book, as determined by Flying Islands.
Enter Competition

All the best for your entry!