The 2025 Younger Young Writers’ Program (YYWP) focuses on finding your voice. Whether you’ve been scribbling in the back of your workbooks for years or want to try and write something beyond what’s expected of you in your English classes, this program is for you.
For the first time in a long time, we are making the program truly national. Taking place on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of October 2025, the YYWP aims to connect writers via blogs and videos, as well as opening up the festival for people unable to make the October long weekend program in Newcastle.
Take a look at the 2025 Younger Young Writers’ Program!
You’ll be working with other young writers from across Australia and mentors from the NYWF program to help you develop your writing and editing skills in the creation of a book of short stories, poetry and non-fiction, over the course of the program. Following the festival you will have the support to see the stories you create during the program into print.
School aged students can apply to be involved in the Younger Young Writers’ Program here.
Promotional Materials
Download Younger Young Writers’ Poster
Download Younger Young Writers’ Poster for schools
About YYWP
Are you a young writer aged 13–17?
Would you like to learn all about the world of publishing from a team of expert editors, a NYWF mentor as well as working with other excellent young writers?
Well, the Younger Young Writers’ Program at the National Young Writers’ Festival is for you.
Each year, the National Young Writers Festival (NYWF) creates a Younger Young Writers’ Program (YYWP)—a series of events for young writers at the very beginning of their career paths. This year’s Younger Young Writers’ Program (YYWP) focuses on the craft of writing. Whether you’ve been scribbling in the backs of your workbooks for years or want to try and write something beyond what’s expected of you in your English classes, this program is for you.
What is the Younger Young Writers’ Program?
Each year, NYWF creates a Younger Young Writers’ Program (YYWP)—a series of events for young writers at the very beginning of their career paths.
This year’s program focuses on the world of publishing: the process that transforms words from their creation on a notepad or laptop to their emergence in the form of a physical object. In order to lift the curtain and show younger young writers the workings of the world of publishing, NYWF has teamed up with a group of talented young editors, designers, typographers, proofreaders, and printers to create a chapbook (small book) of YYWP participants’ work over the course of the festival.
All of the production processes will take place over the festival, culminating in the launch of the printed and bound chapbook on the afternoon of Sunday 5 October 2025.
This program will not only give the program’s participants an outlet for their work, but will also give them feedback on their writing and expose them to valuable industry experience—a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the realities of being a writer.
You can apply to be involved here.
2025 Younger Young Writers’ Program (YYWP) Roadshow (Monday 22 – Friday 26 September 2025)
The YYWP Roadshow is an outreach program for school-aged people, giving them the opportunity to participate in inspirational workshops run by professional writers. Taking place in the lead up to the annual National Young Writers’ Festival, the roadshow provides pathways for young people to develop a deeper interest in the literary world and gain exposure to the arts through intergenerational knowledge sharing.
If you or your school is interested in taking part, please email: yywp@youngwritersfestival.org for more information.