Submissions for the $20,000 Penguin Literary Prize 2025 are now open

In 2017, Penguin Random House Australia established the Penguin Literary Prize to discover, nurture and develop literary fiction writers, providing a unique platform for new and diverse voices to emerge.

Offering aspiring authors the chance to become a part of the Penguin Random House (PRH) community, the winner of the Penguin Literary Prize receives $20,000 and the opportunity to publish with PRH, home to over 80 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.

Since its inception, the Penguin Literary Prize has received submissions from across Australia in a variety of genres and subjects with each winner going on to publish with PRH and many selling international and foreign-language rights, spreading Australian literature from the UK to Estonia and beyond.

Previous winners include Hitch by Kathryn Hind (2019), The Spill by Imbi Neeme (2020), The Rabbits by Sophie Overett (2021), Denizen by James McKenzie Watson (2022), On A Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs (2023) and Jade and Emerald by Michelle See-Tho (2024), with The Occupation by Chloe Adams to be published July 2025.

‘The prize was established to provide more paths to publishing for undiscovered writers,’ says PRH publisher, Meredith Curnow. ‘From booksellers to editors, many PRH associates read entries, and we all look forward to playing a part in bringing new writers and books to publication.’

Chloe Adams, winner of the 2024 Penguin Literary Prize, says, 'Winning the Penguin Literary Prize has been life-changing on both a personal and professional level. Making that psychological shift from I feel like a writer to I am a writer is a profound one, and prizes like this are rare opportunities for emerging writers to make that leap.'

'I could not recommend entering this prize highly enough. The team at Penguin Random House have been incredibly supportive of my creative vision.'

The details

• The prize: $20,000 and the opportunity to publish with PRH AU
• Eligibility: Submissions open to all Australian residents aged 18+, more T&C here
• Submitting: Entries can be submitted here or at penguin.com.au/penguinliteraryprize
• Important dates:
• Submissions close on 16 December 2024 at 11:59 PM AEDT
• Shortlist announced 13 March 2025, 10 AM AEDT
• Winner announced 12 June 2025, 10 AM AEDT