A record 318 entries have been received for City of Darwin’s Young Territory Author Awards, as the annual competition celebrates its 36th year of encouraging young Territorians to share their stories and develop their writing skills.
The awards continue to attract strong participation from across the Northern Territory, with entries received from urban, regional and remote communities.
This year's awards also received a record 12 school entries, highlighting the ongoing support of schools, teachers and families in fostering young writers.
Lord Mayor Peter Styles said the outstanding response demonstrates the continued popularity of the long-running competition.
"It is wonderful to see so many young Territorians embracing their creativity and sharing their stories through the Young Territory Author Awards," Mr Styles said.
"For 36 years, the awards have encouraged young people to develop their writing skills, explore their imagination and celebrate the power of storytelling.
"We're particularly pleased to see record participation from schools and strong representation from communities right across the Territory, including a record number of entries from Katherine,” he said.
Entries have been received from across the Northern Territory, including 23 from Palmerston, five from Alice Springs, 40 from Katherine, 15 from Litchfield and three from East Arnhem, as well as several remote regions.
The largest age category this year is the 9 to 12 years division, while the 13 to 15 years category has also attracted a significant number of entries.
City of Darwin is now preparing the entries for judging ahead of the awards ceremony in November, where winners across all categories will be announced.
The Young Territory Author Awards are open to Northern Territory residents aged 18 years and under and provide young writers with the opportunity to write, illustrate and publish their own book.
The 2025 Young Territory Author Collection is available at Casuarina Library, with a growing digital collection also available through Libby, the library reading app.
The online collection features the overall winning book from each of the past 35 years, along with shortlisted entries from the past two years.
From 2026, all shortlisted books will be digitised and added to the collection, providing greater access to the creativity and storytelling of young Territorians.
For more information about the Young Territory Author Awards, visit darwin.nt.gov.au/libraries/kids-and-teens/young-territory-author-awards
To access Libby visit libbyapp.com
Image credit: 2025 Overall Winner: Faye Yik, Book: A Prince and a Princess Against the World