Get involved

Want to get involved with NYWF?

NYWF regularly looks for young writers and/or artists who are interested in becoming part of our family in both staff, volunteer AND festival artist roles!

Each year we search for the usual and unusual suspects. Whether you’re a PR student, emerging creative producer, novelist, poet, podcaster, blogger, budding arts director, content maker, lyricist, comedian or anything in between, we want your input into NYWF.

Artist Applications for the 2025 National Young Writers’ Festival closed on 28 April 2025, but keep an eye out for other opportunities to be involved with NYWF.

Our core team of directors, producers and other arts geniuses is regularly changing – we have limited-time stints so that the opportunity to work on NYWF is spread widely.

We partner and work with other organisations in the arts, media, education, and more! Would you like to support us or collaborate with us?

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see frequently asked questions below and if you have any further concerns or queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Age limit (i.e. how young is ‘young?’)

The National Young Writers’ Festival focuses on creating opportunities for writers aged 18 to 35; however, artists and festival-goers of all ages are encouraged to get involved. Having some more experienced writers and industry folk on our panels and in our audiences is an invaluable part of the NYWF experience. If you are a writer between 13 and 17 years of age, you can get involved with our Younger Young Writers’ Program, details coming soon!

Festival Artist application process and timeline

Applications to be part of the 2025 NYWF closed on Monday 28 April 2025.

Successful applicants will be informed via email at the beginning of June. You will then be connected to one of our team, who will be your point of contact for all things organising and preparing for the festival.

The festival program will be published on our website in late August.

NYWF will be held from 3-6 October 2025 on the land of the Awabakal and Worimi peoples in Newcastle, NSW.

What is the 2025 festival theme?

The 2025 National Young Writers’ Festival theme is:

SHARE SPACE: THE ART OF STORYTELLING

Whether personal or collective, timeless or fleeting (or just plain silly), the stories we tell are central to the way we connect within our shared spaces. The written word is a tool for connection–the same way dance, theatre, podcasting, textiles, and comedy are. Share Space: The Art of Storytelling centres the festival as a creative community. We’re inviting contributing artists, festival-goers, and organisations alike to explore the dynamic relationship between storytellers of all forms and the art of telling stories.

What creative pathways are today’s emerging creatives taking to build upon, experiment with, dismantle, or create generative and impactful ways of sharing their stories? What have they learnt, and what can they tell us? Held on the land of some of the oldest storytellers in the world, NYWF 2025 will explore how stories connect us all.

Being involved beyond featuring as an artist

To show equal treatment, we don’t accept applications after the closing deadline.

Our directors receive hundreds of quality applications each year and if yours was not selected, it’s not personal! Often a writer’s application may be strong and interesting but not fit with our program, or we may have a surplus of excellent applications for the number of positions our budget allows. Each year applications are selected based on a number of things; on the experience and voice of the writers, on the quality of their event pitches, the strength of their ideas, and how these fit into the festival theme It’s a complicated balancing act, and please know that we read and appreciate each and every one.

If you miss the deadline or your application was not chosen, we’d love you to apply next year, and of course to get involved in events! We always include workshops and other participatory sessions in our festival program. NYWF audience members are predominantly writers themselves. Unfortunately, as we’re a small team of four, we will not be able to give feedback on applications.

We have a strong team of volunteers who keep the festival running each year.

The Younger Young Writers’ Program

The Younger Young Writers’ Program (YYWP), a part of the National Young Writers’ Festival, is designed to ignite the passion for writing in young talents aged 13-17.

This exciting youth outreach program is specially crafted for young writers in remote and regional areas. Participants have the unique opportunity to work alongside inspiring NYWF artists, learn the ropes of the literary world, and share their unique stories.

YYWP isn’t just about writing; it’s about creating pathways for the future. Participants can dive into a bunch of writing workshops, connect with mentors, and be part of an intergenerational exchange of knowledge. Whether they dream of publishing their first novel or simply love to write, YYWP serves as a gateway to the world of writing and publishing.