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Young Writers Competition

Australian Fabians Young Writers Competition for the Race Mathews Award

Write an opinion piece

Get published in The Australian

Spend a month with the UK’s leading think tank

What are the most important issues facing Australia today? What practical policy solutions do you have to address those problems? Can you convince people of your argument in 1,000 well-written words?

Your views about the future of Australia could win you a month-long internship at Demos, one of the UK’s leading progressive think-tanks, and get your opinion article published in The Australian.

The Australian Fabians Young Writers Competition for the Race Mathews Award is open to all young political thinkers and activists in Australia aged 18 – 28. We want to hear your view on any policy issue relevant to Australia in 2008.

Opinion pieces can be on any policy issue facing Australian progressive politics today
Entries should be no longer than 1,000 words, with no footnotes
Entries will be judged for their originality, fluency of style and their practical solutions to current issues

This competition is an exciting chance for progressive young writers to challenge themselves and share their ideas with leading progressive politicians and the Australian public.

The judging panel – Kim Beazley, Barbara Norman, Larissa Behrendt and Rebecca Weisser – will select the winning article in December 2008.

First prize: A return economy class airfare to London and a month-long internship at Demos, one of the UK's leading think tanks. A small living allowance will also be provided and the winning article will be published in The Australian newspaper.

Second prize: A one month internship at Per Capita, Australia's newest progressive think tank (in Sydney or Melbourne).

To enter, simply fill out the form below and attach your 1000 word opinion article by Monday 15 December 2008.

If you have any queries please email afsyoungwriters@gmail.com

Please complete your details, select your Entry file (allowed formats are .DOC and .PDF) and click the Submit button to proceed.

Your Details
First Name:
Last Name:
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Year of Birth:
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Address 1:
Address 2:
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Entry Document
	Please click the Browse button and select your competition entry document from your computer. The allowed file type is ".DOC" - Microsoft Word Format, or ".PDF" - Acrobat. If you are using a Macintosh, make sure the file name has either ".doc" or ".pdf" at the end.
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Terms and Conditions
Terms & Conditions:	Terms and Conditions 1. Competition and Entry Details 1.1 The Australian Fabians Young Writers Competition for the Race Mathews Award (the “Competition”) is open to Australian residents aged between 18 and 28 years of age on 8-15 December 2008. 1.2 Entries are to be received by no later than midnight on Monday 15 December 2008. 1.3 All entries must be submitted online at http://www.fabian.org.au/youngwriters 1.4 Acceptance of entries is subject to agreement to these Competition terms and conditions by the person who has created the entry (“the Entrant’). 1.5 Each entry must be an original work and must not contain any material that infringes the rights of another person, including intellectual property or moral rights. 1.6 By submission of an entry all Entrants: 1.6.1. Agree to release their winning submission for publication as determined by The Australian Fabians, including (but not limited to) publication in The Australian newspaper, and The Australian Fabian News, while allowing that, otherwise, ownership of all winning entries, including all intellectual property rights, will remain with the Entrant; and 1.6.2. Consent to acts or omissions performed by or on behalf of the Australian Fabians which would, but for this clause, infringe the author’s right of attribution of authorship or integrity of authorship. 1.7 The Australian Fabians reserve the right to disqualify, without notice, entries that are late or do not comply with these terms and conditions, including the specifications below. 1.8 The Australian Fabians reserve the right to refuse to accept any entry that contains any material that is defamatory, offensive, contrary to standards of decency or has been submitted in bad faith. 1.9 Entrants should make copies of entries as entries will not be returned to Entrants. 2. Entry Specifications 2.1 The entry must adhere to the following specifications: Entry must be 1000 words or less; Entry must be the Entrant’s original work; Entry must express a clear and considered opinion on current policy issues; Entry must be of publishable quality; All pages must be numbered; Entry must be double-spaced and in 12 point Times New Roman font; and Entry must be submitted online at http://www.fabian.org.au/youngwriters 3. Selecting the Winners 3.1 A short-listing panel will select eight entries for final judging; 3.2 A judging panel will select the winning entry through a process of consultation; 3.3 The following criteria will be considered in judging all entries: Writing style; Originality; and The extent to which the entry addresses a policy issue facing Australian progressive politics today. 3.4 The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 3.5 The national winner will be announced in The Australian within one month of final judging, at the same time as publication of the winning entry on The Australian Opinion Page. 4. Privacy 4.1 All Entrants must provide their names, phone numbers, address and email address on the online registration form. 4.2 Personal information provided by Entrants may be used to inform Entrants of other opportunities with the Australian Fabians but will not be divulged to any other party, except by consent or as required by law. 5. Prizes 5.1 A prize of one return airfare to the UK from the winner’s nearest Australian capital city, a one month internship at Demos, London, a weekly living allowance of GBP75 and A$1000 for other expenses will be awarded by the Australian Fabians at its absolute discretion to the winning entrant. 5.2 Publication of the winning entry will be in The Australian, within one month of the winner being notified. 5.3 Additional prizes will be at the discretion of The Australian Fabians. 6. Participation, Postponement, Variation, Cancellation and Withdrawal 6.1 The Australian Fabians may, at its sole discretion and without prejudice to any other rights, cancel, terminate, postpone, modify or suspend the Competition, subject to any legislative requirements. 6.2 If the Australian Fabians become aware after the prizes have been awarded that the winning Entry does not meet the Competition terms and conditions then the winning entrant: 1. has no entitlement, right or interest in the prize; and 2. will be required, at the discretion of the Australian Fabians, to return, refund or otherwise make restitution of the prize. 6.3 In the event that the Australian Fabians cancels or postpones the Competition, or part thereof: 1. it shall not be required to conduct the Competition at any other time; and 2. it shall not be liable to any person for any loss or damage arising out of, or in connection with, the cancellation of the Competition (including, without limitation, liability for negligence); and 3. it will not be required to award the prize to any entrant. 6.4 If at any time any circumstance or event beyond the Australian Fabians’ control occurs that affects the conduct of the Competition in accordance with these Competition terms and conditions, the Australian Fabians may take such action as it considers appropriate, including disqualifying any Entrant, cancelling, postponing, suspending or varying the Competition. 6.5 The Australian Fabians, including its employees, agents and contractors, is not liable for any injury, loss or damage to any Entrant including any injury loss or damage to any entry, resulting from, directly or indirectly, their participation in the Competition.
	I agree to the Terms and Conditions of Entry

The Fabian Society would like to thank The Australian newspaper, QANTAS, Demos and Per Capita for their fantastic support of the Young Writers Competition.

Thanks for your entry to the Australian Fabians Young Writers Competition.

If you have any queries please email youngwriters@fabian.org.au

Click here to return to the Competition page