The Young Territory Author Awards is now open for 2022.
About the Young Territory Author Awards
The Young Territory Author Awards is an annual writing competition where entrants write and produce their own book. It is organised in association with other public libraries and schools throughout the Northern Territory. The competition is in its 32nd year of production and showcases the incredible imagination and creativity of young people in the community, providing them with an opportunity to develop their writing skills and have their work nationally recognised.
Entries Close: Saturday 27 August 2022
Winners Announced: November 2022 (Date TBA)
Prizes Offered: Yes
- Prizes
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There are lots of prizes up for grabs.
Young Territory Author of the year - $500
School Entry Winner - $500 (for the school)
CBCA NT Wow Award - $200
Regional Area Winners - $50
Age Category Winners - $50 voucher to the Bookshop Darwin
Highly Commended - $30 voucher to the Bookshop Darwin
Encouragement Awards - $20 voucher to the Bookshop DarwinEntries are considered in all categories they are eligible for. The categories include:
- 8 years and under - all individual entries in this age bracket are eligible
- 9-12 years - all individual entries in this age bracket are eligible
- 13-15 years - all individual entries in this age bracket are eligible
- 16-18 years - all individual entries in this age bracket are eligible
- Regional areas - all entries received (school and individual) in each NT region are eligible
- School Entries - all entries received from schools are eligible
- Young Territory Author of the year - all individual entries are eligible
- Writer's Toolbox
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Have a look through the Writer Toolbox - a page filled with resources to help you write your story.
- Information for Teachers
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If you are preparing a class entry, please use this permission template to notify your student's parents, and gain the necessary permissions.
- Information for Public Libraries
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Find marketing resources here.
- Past Winners
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The 2021 Young Territory Author Award Winners are...
Young Territory Author of the Year
Rowan McGrath for A Frozen Flame
Judges comment: “A frozen Flame - Exiled and alone, Corrin is cast into trouble when Cassandra drops into his life. Together they must flee and race to discover who and what they are. Judges agreed that Rowan is a natural writer with a sophisticated turn of phrase and an ability, far beyond his years, to conjure images in the reader’s mind. Many sentence constructions in the story are beautiful, evocative and linger long in the mind.”
School Award Winners
Pertame School for Pertame Ketyeya Mapa Yeya-iperra
Judges comment: “A collection of stories from the children at Pertame school, incorporating their severely endangered language, culture and superheroes. It’s a wonderful gaze through the eyes of children, who by sharing their stories are learning and strengthening their language as they go”
The NT Children’s Book Council of Australia Wow Award
Mai Morante for When the Suns not Shining
Judges comment: “Everyone has their own sun and cloud. This sun and cloud are best of friends, playing, talking, and doing all the fun things best friends do! But they don’t always get along, and when sun feels sad, she hides away. From 10-year-old Mai Morante comes an uplifting and heartfelt story about how to stay happy when our sun doesn’t shine"
Regional Winners
Alice Springs – Coriel Stay for The Legend of Phalanx Rilmont
Darwin – Mila Gusmao, Hannah Argoon & Mikayla Seden for Cat and a Pickle
East Arnhem – Zoe Pettiford for My Life in Yirrkala
Katherine – Abigail Grogan for Gold Magic
Litchfield – Lillian Ansell for The Tawny Frogmouth
Palmerston – Zara Gottfried for The Seeds I Plant
Wagait – Chay Keating for First and Foremostly8 years and under
Winner – Lucinda Ronayne for Whoopsie
Highly Commended – Anastasia Banson for My Special Baby Brother
Encouragement Award – Haziq Ali for The Deep Blue Sea9-12 years
Winner – Freya Galati for Starless
Highly Commended – Amy Elliott for Legend
Encouragement Award – Akein Udhaka Hikkaduwa for The Passing
Encouragement Award – Amy Devlin-Aylott for The Mystery at Number 1913-15 years
Winner – Geliane Vergara for Elizabeth
Highly Commended – Olivia Wall for God’s Sacrifice16-18 years
Winner – Elizabeth Mullavey for The World that Cannot be Seen
Highly Commended – Jules Gabor for The Things I Never Said
Encouragement Award – Abigail Kube and Kelly Chen for MannaAll entries in the 2020 Young Territory Author Awards will be on display at Casuarina Library and available to borrow.
Congratulations to all our winners and to all of our amazing authors who entered last year's Awards.
Previous Young Territory Authors of the Year
2020 Rachel De Kock
2019 Jethro Pollock
2018 Tiger-Lily Clements
2017 Jessica Phelan
2016 Alice Cotter
2015 Sascha Duffy
2014 Irini Melas
2013 Yasna Delo
2012 Shayla Moses
2011 Ella Hardiman & Tjina Stoll
2010 Isabella Hope Tester
2009 Timothy Hansen
2008 Rosanna Cameron
2007 Sophie Philip
2006 Dean Holzwart
2005 Karina Brabham
2004 Lauren Crabbe
2003 Erin Pearce
2002 Amanda Deacon and Penny Cameron
2001 Penny Cameron
2000 Guy Spielman
1999 Jessica Rose
1998 Melanie Robinson
1997 Karen Bryce
1996 David Palmer
1995 Yvonne Medel
1994 Aaron Tucker
1993 Aaron Tucker
1992 Megan Jacobson
1991 Arvin Roach
Thanks to our sponsors
City of Palmerston
Children's Book Council of Australia - NT Branch
NT Writer's Centre
The Bookshop Darwin