Skip to content

The Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize

As an Australian poet, your contribution shapes our culture. None believed this more so than the late Emeritus Professor Bruce Dawe AO, one of Australia’s most acclaimed contemporary poets. Professor Dawe believed that universities should support the study of literature and promote the Arts in Australian society. His passion was turned to action when he chose to sponsor this prominent literary prize.

The Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize is offered each year and applicants can enter the competition by submitting poetry.  The 2024 winner of the Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize will receive $3000, and the two highly commended entrants will be awarded $500 each.

The competition opens on Monday 27 May 2024 and closes on Monday 14 October 2024.

 

View Terms and Conditions 

Register here

FAQs

How to Enter

The Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize is open to Australian citizens and permanent residents.

You are able to submit between one and five poems. A fee of $8.00 is charged for each poem you enter, which contributes to the longevity of the competition.

Your poem(s) must not exceed 50 lines, however, there are no thematic or style constraints.

Please ensure you read the terms and conditions prior to entering.

For further information, please email brucedawepoetryprize@unisq.edu.au

 
All poems are submitted to the judges with no additional information. The judges will not know the name, age, gender or location of the author. All that they will have to judge are the words that you put to paper.
Yes. Please ensure that the poems you wish to enter into the competition are submitted at the same time. Please note that the terms and conditions do not allow for entries to be edited after submission.  
Our definition of publication excludes self-publishing. You are welcome to enter any poem you have written if it has not been published by a third party at the time of submission.
No, let your creativity flow – there is no theme or preferred structure. Everything from free verse to formal styles such as bush poetry, sonnets or haikus are welcome.

Edits - Email your original poem to brucedawepoetryprize@unisq.edu.au with the changes you wish to make highlighted.  The administrative officer will edit and email confirmation of the changes.

Replacements - Email brucedawepoetryprize@unisq.edu.au specifying which poem/s you would like replaced and attach the replacement poems.  The administrative officer will edit your record and email confirmation of the changes.

Email brucedawepoetryprize@unisq.edu.au requesting a refund.  The administrative officer will remove the poem/s you specify and arrange a refund to the same card payment was made with.

 
The “owning” clause is similar to what other competitions include and has been reviewed by the University’s legal team. Taken together, items 12 and 13 articulate that the Poem belongs to the Poet, but the Entry belongs to the University. To clarify, if a poem was submitted as typed on a piece of paper, the University would own the paper and are under no obligation to pay to return it to the entrant, for example. But the University do not own the poem. Item 12 of the terms and conditions provide further clarification.
Study English Literature

Examine contemporary works of poetry, prose, drama, film, new media and critical essays while learning skills in analysis, critical thinking and developing high-level communication skills.

Find out more