How to Enter

Ready to submit your story?
Here’s everything you need to know to enter The 2025 Hope Prize.

Key Dates

The 2025 Hope Prize opens for submissions on Thursday 1 May at 9:00 AM AEST.
Early bird submissions close 30 June 2025 11.59pm AEST.
The deadline for receipt of entries is Friday 31 October 2025 at 11:59 PM AEST.

Entry Fees

An early bird entry fee of $20 AUD (approx. $13 USD / €12 EUR / £10 GBP etc) applies to all entries submitted by 30 June 2025.
After this date, the regular entry fee of $30 AUD (approx. $19 USD / €18 EUR / £15 GBP etc) will apply.

Each story must be submitted separately, and each must be accompanied by its own entry fee.

Eligibility

To enter, writers must be 18 years or older by close of submissions on 31 October 2025.
There are no geographical restrictions. The Hope Prize is an international competition, open to writers from anywhere in the world.

Submission Format

Entries must be:

• Written in English

• A maximum of 5,000 words (no minimum)

• Double-spaced

• Set in 12-point Times New Roman font (ideally)

Please do not include your name or personal information anywhere in the piece document. Include only the title and the story text to ensure a de-identified judging process.

What to Submit

The Hope Prize is a short story competition and we accept prose short stories only; either fiction or narrative nonfiction (including memoir).
We do not accept poetry, essays, or academic writing.

Genre, style, and subject matter are open (and we encourage bold self expression and boundary pushing), though stories should reference or speak to the core themes of hope, courage, or resilience, as personally experienced or imagined by you, the writer.

We only accept previously unpublished work. This includes work that has not been published in print, online, or on social media.

Please note:
We welcome writers at all stages of their journey.
You don’t need a publishing history or an MPhil in Creative Writing (although it’s great if you have one!). You just need a compelling story and the skill and courage to tell it well, in your own voice.
We believe great writing is rooted in curiosity, sharp observation and literary instinct. So, whether this is your first submission or your fiftieth, we’re deeply excited to read your work.

How to Submit

All entries must be submitted via the Submittable platform.

Prize Timeline

• Early Bird Submissions Open: 1 May 2025

• Early Bird Deadline: 30 June 2025

• 2025 Submissions Close: 31 October 2025

• Long list Announced: Late January 2026

• Shortlist + Winners Announced: March to April 2026

All shortlisted writers will be published in The 2025 Hope Prize Anthology by Simon & Schuster Australia.

Please note: While we aim to stick to these dates, there may be slight changes depending on volume of entries and judging schedules. We’ll keep you updated every step of the way via IG and our newsletter.

The Voices We Need Program (formerly Financial Hardship Access)

We’ve been deeply moved by the number of writers seeking fee-free access; a clear reminder of how many people are writing in difficult circumstances.

We believe some of the most urgent, powerful writing comes from those navigating occupation, war, conflict, displacement, or economic hardship.
The Voices We Need is our fee-free submission pathway, created to ensure that vital stories aren’t left unheard due to structural barriers.

The Voices We Need is now reserved for writers who are directly affected by:

• War, conflict, or occupation

• Forced migration or statelessness

• Entrenched poverty

• Systemic barriers (including those related to race, class, geography, or identity) that make the entry fee unaffordable

We offer a limited number of fee-free places and review applications on a rolling basis.

To apply, email hello@thehopeprize.com with the subject line “The Voices We Need” and a short statement of need. No detailed personal information is required. We’re only able to offer one submission per person through the fee-free program, to ensure we can support as many writers as possible.

Inspiration

We encourage writers to read our 2024 anthology, Tomorrow There Will Be Sun, and follow us on Instagram @hopeprize for story highlights, updates, and a sense of the kind of writing we champion and love to read.

Publication

The winning entries, along with selected highly commended stories, will be published in an anthology by Simon & Schuster Australia.

Royalties from the sale of the anthology will be donated to CAMFED (The Campaign for Female Education), supporting girls’ education and empowerment globally.