Black text that says “SHORTLIST: 'Beyond the Wire Fence' by Sarah Hunter, 'Phoebe in the Forest with Carmen' by Alana Rae, 'The Summer I Stayed' by Elise Thornthwaite” on a soft violet background with neon green, white and blue shapes around the edges. The Steph Bowe Prize logo is at the bottom.

Announcing the shortlist for The 2026 Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers 🎉

Congratulations to Sarah Hunter, Alana Rae and Elise Thornthwaite! They each receive a professional development package worth $300.

The winner will be announced on 15 May 2026 🌟

www.stephboweprize.com

#LoveOzYA

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The Steph Bowe Prize closes *tomorrow*, Sunday 15 March 2026. Entries will be accepted until 11.59pm AEST.

The winner will receive $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning #LoveOzYA author, and a professional development package worth $300.

Submit at stephboweprize.com

Black text that says “Enter The Steph Bowe Prize for the chance to win $1000, a 20-hour mentorship, and a professional development package worth $300. WWW.STEPHBOWEPRIZE.COM” on a soft violet background with blue illustrations around the edges including an envelope, keyboard, mouse and lightbulb. The Steph Bowe Prize logo is at the bottom.

The Steph Bowe Prize closes *tomorrow*, Sunday 15 March 2026. Entries will be accepted until 11.59pm AEST.

The winner will receive $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning #LoveOzYA author, and a professional development package worth $300.

Submit at stephboweprize.com

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Entries to The Steph Bowe Prize can now be submitted until 15 March 2026.

The winner will receive $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning #LoveOzYA author to develop their manuscript, and a professional development package worth $300.

Visit www.stephboweprize.com to enter!

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The deadline for entries to The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers has been extended to 15 March 2026.

The winner will receive $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning #LoveOzYA author to develop their manuscript, and a professional development package worth $300.

www.stephboweprize.com

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One week left to enter The Steph Bowe Prize!

The winner will receive $1000 in prize money, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning #LoveOzYA author to develop their manuscript, and a professional development package worth $300.

The Prize closes 28 February 2026.

www.stephboweprize.com

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For the chance to win $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning #LoveOzYA author, and a professional development package worth $300, enter The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers!

The Prize closes 28 February 2026.

www.stephboweprize.com

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Are you an Australian YA writer under 25?

Enter The Steph Bowe Prize for the chance to win $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning #LoveOzYA author to develop your manuscript, and a professional development package worth $300!

Entries close 28 February.

www.stephboweprize.com

The Steph Bowe Prize is now open!

Unpublished Australian YA writers aged 18 to 25 can now enter for the chance to win $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with award-winning YA author Helena Fox and a professional development package worth $300.

Enter at www.stephboweprize.com

The Prize close 28 February.

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The winner of the 2026 Steph Bowe Prize will receive $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with award-winning #LoveOzYA author Helena Fox to develop their YA manuscript, and a professional development package worth $300. Visit www.stephboweprize.com for more information or click the link in the bio.

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🌟 DID YOU KNOW? 🌟

The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers will be judged on a completed #LoveOzYA manuscript, a 1-page synopsis and a 500-word statement about how winning the Prize will further the entrant’s career.

The Prize opens this Sunday, 1 February 2026.

www.stephboweprize.com

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Rebecca Lim is a judge for the 2026 Steph Bowe Prize. She’s the author of books including the CBCA award-winning ‘Tiger Daughter’ and #LoveOzYA novels ‘The Astrologer’s Daughter’ and ‘Mercy’. She is also co-editor of ‘Meet Me at the Intersection’, an #OwnVoices YA anthology. www.stephboweprize.com

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Shirley Marr is a judge for the 2026 Steph Bowe Prize. She is a first-generation Chinese-Australian living in Perth and the author of many books including the CBCA award-winning ‘A Glasshouse of Stars’ and #LoveOzYA novels ‘Fury’ and ‘Preloved’. The Prize opens 1 February. www.stephboweprize.com

A circular photo of Helena Fox smiling on a soft violet background with neon green and blue swirls. Blue text underneath the photo reads “Meet the Team / Helena Fox / Mentor”. The Steph Bowe Prize logo is at the bottom.

Helena Fox is an Australian author, poet and writing mentor. Her debut ‘How It Feels to Float’ won a Prime Minister’s Literary Award and a Victorian Premier’s Literary Award. Her second novel ‘The Quiet and the Loud’ won a NSW Premier’s Literary Award. The Prize opens 1 Feb. www.stephboweprize.com

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The winner of the 2026 Steph Bowe Prize will receive $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with award-winning #LoveOzYA author Helena Fox to develop their YA manuscript, and a professional development package worth $300. Visit www.stephboweprize.com for more information or click the link in the bio.

Black text that says “Enter The Steph Bowe Prize for the chance to win $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning YA author, and a professional development package worth $300. WWW.STEPHBOWEPRIZE.COM” on a neon green background with soft violet swirls. The Steph Bowe Prize logo is in the corner.

Sadly, Steph Bowe passed away in 2020 from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She was 25. The manuscript of her posthumous YA novel, ‘Sunny at the End of the World’, was discovered on her computer by her family and published in 2025. The Steph Bowe Prize was created in her honour. www.stephboweprize.com

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‘All This Could End’ was longlisted for the Gold Inky Awards and ‘Night Swimming’ was a CBCA Notable Book and longlisted for a Davitt Award. Steph was a Schools Ambassador for The Stella Prize and awarded the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellowship. www.stephboweprize.com

A circular photo of Steph Bowe smiling on a neon green background with soft violet swirls. The Steph Bowe Prize logo sits next to the photo.

The Steph Bowe Prize was established in memory of beloved #LoveOzYA author Steph Bowe and honours her passion for fostering young emerging writers. Her debut novel, ‘Girl Saves Boy’, was published when she was 16. It was described by Rebecca Stead as ‘full of the absolute truth—life is complicated’.

Black text that says “Enter The Steph Bowe Prize for the chance to win $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning YA author, and a professional development package worth $300. WWW.STEPHBOWEPRIZE.COM” on a neon green background with soft violet and blue decorative shapes. The Steph Bowe Prize logo is in the corner.

The winner of The Steph Bowe Prize will receive $1000, a 20-hour mentorship with an award-winning YA author, and a professional development package worth $300. The shortlist also receives the package which features a 1-hour Publishing Masterclass with industry professionals.

www.stephboweprize.com

A photo of Steph Bowe smiling, wearing a beautiful floral dress and holding a copy of her YA novel ‘Night Swimming’ on a neon green background with soft violet and blue decorative shapes around the edges. The Steph Bowe Prize logo sits next to the photo and the website is underneath.

Thrilled to announce that The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers is back 💚

Designed to encourage and support an unpublished #LoveOzYA writer aged 18 to 25, the Prize honours Steph’s passion for fostering and mentoring emerging writers.

The Prize opens 1 February.

www.stephboweprize.com

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Elizabeth Bourke: “I'm currently obsessed with Emma Clancey's ‘This Dream Will Devour Us’. I love a story full of glamour and dangerous aristocracy. And I can't wait to sink my teeth into Sophie Gonzales's ‘Nobody in Particular’. A high school YA romance with bisexual representation? Sign me up!”

A bright purple square with a bright blue circle in the middle and black text on top, the text is what Beth says in the post. The Steph Bowe Prize logo is in the corner.

Question: Do you have any words of wisdom for young writers?

Elizabeth Bourke: “Write the story that only *you* can tell. That's where the magic and the heart and the sparkle and the delicious gooey parts of a story can be found.”

www.stephboweprize.com

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Question: Why should young voices be amplified in YA?

Lydia Schofield: “The world is not built for young people. Supporting us to share our stories gives us a chance to take big first steps into the publishing world. And it means kids coming up behind us have people to look to for support.”

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We recently chatted with the inaugural winners of The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers 👏

Elizabeth Bourke: “The publishing world is so daunting for young writers, and opportunities like The Steph Bowe Prize gives the next generation of writers a chance to find our place.”

www.stephboweprize.com

A bright blue square with a bright purple circle in the middle and black text on top, the text is Lydia’s answer to the question. The Steph Bowe Prize logo is in the corner.

Question: What is a recent #LoveOzYA novel you enjoyed?

Lydia Schofield: “My Top 2 #LoveOzYA of the year are ‘Sonny and Tess’ by Nova Weetman for cute lower-YA romance and ‘Sunny at the End of the World’ by Steph Bowe herself for a hilarious, Australian-set zombie story.”

www.stephboweprize.com

A bright purple square with a bright blue circle in the middle and black text on top, the text is Beth’s answer to the question. The Steph Bowe Prize logo is in the corner.

Question: Why is it important that young voices in particular be amplified in regards to YA?

Elizabeth Bourke: “Elevating young writers to represent young readers within YA lit is so important, because we can echo back the stuff that young readers are thinking and wondering (and worrying!) about.”

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We recently sat down with the inaugural winners of The Steph Bowe Prize ✨

Lydia Schofield: “Winning the Prize has made a really big difference to the quality of my manuscript, my confidence as a writer, and my outlook on publishing. It’s made being published feel much more achievable and real!”

A colour photograph of a white person’s hand holding up ‘Sunny at the End of the World’ by Steph Bowe against a backdrop of a bookshelf full of #LoveOzYA including Garth Nix and Isobelle Carmody.

This week I’m celebrating the release of ‘Sunny at the End of the World’ 👏

What a gift, to have another story by Steph. It is every bit as funny, fierce and insightful as her.

Sending love to Danielle and Rhiannon Bowe. Thank you for sharing this with us.

www.textpublishing.com.au/books/sunny-...

A colour photograph of a white person’s hand holding up ‘Sunny at the End of the World’ by Steph Bowe against a backdrop of green foliage.

Happy publication to ‘Sunny at the End of the World’ 🎉

After the passing of beloved #LoveOzYA author Steph Bowe, her mother and sister discovered a manuscript on her computer. How lucky are we to have one last tale from such a talented storyteller?

www.textpublishing.com.au/books/sunny-...

A bright blue square with a yellow illustrated trophy in the centre with the words ‘2025 Winner, The Maggie Problem by Lydia Schofield’ in black underneath. The Steph Bowe Prize for Young Writers logo is in the corner. Bright purple, violet and white scribbles decorate the edges of the tile.

‘The Maggie Problem’ is a contemporary YA that explores complexities of making friends, coming out and finding your people. Lydia Schofield (they/she) is a writer and artist from Melbourne Naarm. They write YA and MG that revolves around friendships, queer experiences, magic and sometimes spaceships