Entries have now closed for the 2024 June Shenfield Poetry Awards

Thank you to everyone who entered these awards this year.
The winners will be announced at the MARION Annual Book Awards on Thursday 27 June 2024.


The June Shenfield Poetry Award is an annual Australia wide, poetry prize to commemorate poet June Shenfield and to encourage people to write, publish and read poetry.

June Shenfield was a poet, playwright and performance artist who lived and worked in Paris for much of her life. She wrote experimental, free verse poetry that was designed to be read aloud. In 1985, with her husband Ken Shepherd, she opened the first gallery and bookshop in France devoted to Australian art and writing.

Entries must not exceed 80 lines.
First Prize: $1,000, Second Prize: $700 , Third Prize: $500

This award is for an emerging Australian poet.
Who is an emerging writer? In this case it could mean that you have done a fair amount of writing, studied writing, or are currently studying writing at a tertiary institution. You may have had some short pieces published or been listed for some awards; however, you have not yet had a full-length book published by a mainstream publisher.

MARION Member entry fee: $25, FNAWN Member entry fee: $25 , Non-member entry fee: $35

Entry fee submissions are non-refundable. The fee is required for each submission made.
Entries Close: Midnight Monday 13 May 2024

Please submit your entry in the text box in the submission form section. If your entry has complex formatting, please email it as a PDF in Times New Roman to operations@marion.ink with no identifying information in the PDF, noting in the submission box that you will include it via email.

Please read the terms and conditions below before making a submission.


TERMS + CONDITIONS
The June Shenfield Poetry Awards

  • Entries and any associated entry fees and required material must have been received no later than Midnight Monday 13 May 2024.

  • These are National Awards - Entrants can be from any state or territory in Australia.

  • The applicant must be an emerging writer.

    Who is an emerging writer? In this case it could mean that you have done a fair amount of writing, studied writing or are currently studying writing at a tertiary institution. You may have had some short pieces published or been listed for some awards; however, you have not yet had a full-length book published by a mainstream publisher.

  • Your entry must have been written in 2023 and not have been previously entered in the June Shenfield Poetry Awards.

  • The applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia.

  • Entries must be original works written by an individual author.

  • If entrants withdraw their entry, the entry fee will not be refunded.

  • Entries are welcome from writers of any age, writing in English.

  • Please submit your entry in the text box in the submission form section. If your entry has complex formatting, please email it as a PDF to operations@marion.ink with no identifying information in the PDF.

  • MARION staff, and board members are not eligible to enter. Former MARION staff and board are not be eligible to apply until 18 months from the end of their term of engagement.

  • All decisions made by MARION are final and no correspondence will be entered into.