Overview
Annual Prize. Entries open (now closed): Mon 5 Aug – Tues 10 Sept 2024
Named in honour of a distinguished Queensland poet, the Arts Queensland Val Vallis Award for an unpublished poem is committed to recognising and celebrating the work of Australian poets.
The Prize, as part of the Arts Queensland Poetry Awards, is administered by QWC and supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Prize
Winner: $1,500 + publication with Westerly
Runner-Up: $500 + publication with Westerly
Shortlist: One Year Membership with QWC
An opportunity for development in an online workshop is included for all Entrants.
Publication Partner
QWC is proud to partner with Westerly to offer a publication opportunity to the Winner and Runner-Up of the Prize.
What to Submit
Submit an unpublished poem (or suite of poems) up to 80 lines in length. Suggested formatting as follows:
Submit as an unrestricted Word document (.docx) or PDF file. Please do not include your name or identifying details on any portion of the submission.
12pt Times New Roman or Arial font
1.5 line spacing
1” or 3cm margins on an A4 page
Start each new poem on a new page
Include page numbers
Previous winners
Jaya Savige, Judy Johnson, Ynes Sanz, Nathan Shepherdson, Andrew Slattery, Anna Krien, Michelle Cahill, R.A. Briggs, Chloe Wilson, B.R. Dionysius, Andrew Last, Caitlin Maling, Bronwyn Lovell, Zenobia Frost, Damen O’Brien, Helen Lucas, Dimitra Harvey, Dan Hogan, Jarad Bruinstroop
Submission guidelines
Entries are accepted only via the online Entry Form at queenslandwriters.org.au/poetry-awards. By making a submission Entrants acknowledge to have read and understood the Submission Guidelines.
Entrants should submit their own original work.
Poems may be of any genre or style.
Entrants should be Australian citizens or currently resident in Australia.
Entrants to the Prize may be published or unpublished poets or writers.
Entrants under 18 years are eligible but should contact QWC prior to entering, and will require permission from a guardian.
Poetry included in the submission should be previously unpublished and not on offer for publication elsewhere.
Multiple submissions are permitted but limited to five total. Each submission requires a separate Entry and fee.
For co-authored Entries, please contact QWC prior to making a submission.
Entrants grant first right of refusal on the publication of the poem to the Publication Partner for an exclusive period of up to 12 weeks following public announcements if selected as Winner or Runner-Up. Further contractual arrangements will be made directly with the Publisher. QWC otherwise reserves no rights over works submitted to the Awards; Entrants retain copyright at all times.
Where there is Indigenous content or participation in the work, Entrants should comply with Creative Australia’s Protocols for using First Nations Intellectual and Cultural Property.
Discounted entry fees are available to all concession card holders (including students, seniors and pensioners) and current members of state writers’ centres in the National Writers’ Centre Network, including QWC.
Entries will be subject to a rigorous assessment process with review by QWC team members, trained Readers and two experienced guest Judges, including a blind read process.
Judges’ feedback is not provided to unsuccessful Entrants. No correspondence with Readers or Judges may be entered into.
Submissions will be disposed of securely up to nine months after QWC completes the selection process. QWC may record and keep other information provided on the Entry Form.
The awarding of a Winner, Runner-Up and Shortlist (of up to three writers) is to be at QWC’s discretion, and may depend on the quality and number of submissions received. In the event a Winner is not awarded, QWC may provide development opportunities (e.g. mentorship) to up to three highly-placed Entrants.
QWC does not guarantee the future publication of work submitted to the Awards.
QWC is committed to providing a relevant online development workshop, delivered by an industry professional, to all Entrants free of charge, regardless of submission outcome. QWC will endeavour to tailor the content of the session to address commonalities found across the cohort of submissions.
All Entrants will be personally notified of the outcome of their Entry prior to public announcements.
For assistance with your Entry, please contact QWC at admin@qldwriters.org.au or (07) 3842 9922.
These Submission Guidelines were developed and updated for the 2024 suite of Queensland’s poetry awards. QWC reserves the right to amend Guidelines for future Awards.