Calling all young writers

By Ōtepoti He Puna Auaha | Dunedin UNESCO City Of Literature | Posted: Wednesday Nov 19, 2025

Entries are open for the 2026 Landfall Tauraka Young Writers' Essay Prize! Entries close 31 March 2026.

Thinking about exploring an important topic in your life through prose? We want to read it! We welcome original essays that reflect life in Aotearoa today and capture the concerns and creativity of our emerging writers.

Open to Aotearoa New Zealand citizens or permanent residents aged between 16 and 25. Essays must not exceed 2000 words. The winner will receive $1500 and a year's subscription to Landfall Tauraka. The winning essay will also be published in Landfall Tauraka 251: Autumn 2026.

For more information and to enter, head to: oup.nz/competitions