2025 Calibre Essay Prize

Australian Book Review (ABR), a prominent cultural magazine in Australia, is now accepting entries for the 2025 Calibre Essay Prize, open to essayists worldwide who write in English.

About the Prize

Established in 2007, the Calibre Essay Prize is one of the world’s most respected awards for original, unpublished non-fiction essays. It invites a range of styles, whether personal, political, literary, speculative, traditional, or experimental.

Submission Guidelines

• Word Count: Essays should be between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

• Topics: Open to any subject.

• Publication Status: Only unpublished, non-prize-winning, and non-broadcast essays are eligible.

• Language: Must be written in English.

  
  

Who Can Enter?

The Calibre Essay Prize is open to all essayists writing in English, regardless of nationality or location.

Awards

• First Prize: AU$5,000 and publication in the April 2025 issue of Australian Book Review (print and online).

• Second Prize: AU$3,000

• Third Prize: AU$2,000

  
  

Entry Fee

• Standard Fee: AU$30 per entry

• Discounted Fee: AU$20 per entry for current ABR subscribers