Celebrating Australian Creativity
Welcome to the Heart Awards, the Whitsundays Writers Festival’s national celebration of Australian literary and artistic excellence. More than a competition, this suite of awards honours the craft and courage of storytelling in all its forms—from the raw power of an unpublished manuscript to the visual poetry of a book cover.
Each year, we invite writers, poets, and designers from across the nation to submit their work. We seek to discover new voices, elevate emerging talent, and celebrate the finished works that enrich our culture. The Heart Awards are a testament to the festival’s deep commitment to the future of Australian literature and its creators.
Select an award below to explore its unique mission, eligibility, and entry details.
Our Awards
The Gloria Burley Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript
First Prize $2,500 and Runner-Up $1,000
This prestigious award honours the legacy of the Festival’s founder, Whitsundays author Gloria Burley. It is open to any Australian with an unpublished fiction manuscript, offering vital recognition and financial support to emerging and established authors.
Further details of the Gloria Burley Award will be released later this year (2026).
In the meantime, prospective entrants should note the following preliminary information:
- The award is open to unpublished works of fiction only.
- Entries should comprise the first three chapters of the manuscript and/or a maximum of 12,000 words.
- Entrants must have a completed manuscript available on request for consideration by the judging panel.
Full eligibility criteria, submission guidelines, prize details, and key dates will be announced later this year.
Best Short Story Award
The Heart Award for Best Short Story has two divisions: Open Age and Under 18. In both divisions, first prize will receive $1,000 and $500 for the runner up. The awards seek submissions from around Australia of up to 3,000 words of unpublished creative fiction stories.
KEY DATES
Applications open: Friday 20 March 2026 – 11:59pm Friday 17 July 2026
Shortlist announced: August 2026
Poetry Prize
Offering first prize of $1,000 and $500 for the runner up, the prize seeks submissions from around Australia of up to 50-lines of unpublished poems. The winning poems have been selected based on its originality, creativity and expressiveness.
KEY DATES
Applications open: Friday 20 March 2026 – 11:59pm Friday 26 June 2026
Shortlist announced: August 2026
The Book Cover Design Award
This award offers first prize of $1,500 and $500 for the runner up for original design works for books published in Australia and offered for sale to the public. Book covers in any genre were eligible, as are printed books, ebooks and audio book cover designs.
Further details of the Book Cover Design Award will be released later this year (2026).
Get in touch
If you have further queries regarding the Heart Awards or your application, contact us
For specific award rules, please refer to the individual award pages linked above.