Fearless Prize 2026
Championing bold new voices
The Fearless Prize is open to unpublished Australian women and gender-diverse writers.
'Unpublished' being defined as not having received a commercial trade book contract.
We’re seeking an innovative work of literary fiction.
In the first round, only chapters 1–3 (to a maximum of 20,000 words) are required.
Short-listed authors will be invited to submit their full manuscript.
What the Winner Receives
A $10,000 advance against royalties and a publishing contract with Fearless Press, with the winning novel to be published in 2026.
Key Dates
Entries open: 1 September 2025
Entries close: 31 October 2025
Shortlist notified: by 15 December 2025
(shortlisted writers will be invited to submit their full manuscript)
Winner announced: 2 March 2026
How to enter: Submissions are via Paperform (link below).
Please read the Terms and Conditions below before applying.
Emily Bitto
Emily Bitto is an award-winning writer of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, and a former Stella Prize winner. Her debut novel, The Strays, won the Stella Prize (2015) after being shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. Her second novel, Wild Abandon, won the Margaret and Colin Roderick Award and was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal and the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year. Emily’s work has appeared in HEAT, Meanjin, Island, The Age, and The Saturday Paper. She has taught and mentored emerging writers for over a decade and is a tutor at the Faber Writing Academy.
Terms and Conditions
Please review the full Terms and Conditions, which can be downloaded here. These include eligibility, manuscript requirements, assessment process, entry fee, and privacy.
Submit for the 2026 Fearless Prize
Ginny Grant
Ginny Grant is a published author and the founder and publisher of Bakers Lane Books. After more than two decades in trade publishing, she launched Bakers Lane in 2025 to champion bold, inclusive storytelling and to support under-represented Australian voices. Through Bakers Lane’s feminist imprint, Fearless Press, she is committed to addressing inequity in the literary world and creating opportunities for women and gender-diverse writers.
