Notice Board and External Competitions
On this page you will find ..
About IWW
International Writers’ Workshop (IWW) was formed in 1976 by Barbara B Whyte, noted New Zealand Poet and Writer. We are 'International' in that our multi-cultural national membership is diverse, and ages range from school to retirement. Anyone at all interested in any aspect of writing is welcome.
The aims and objects of IWW include:
--- To promote a greater interest in many fields of writing.
--- To encourage the new writer to reach a higher standard of achievement.
--- To organise competitions and performances of Members' work.
IWW is an Incorporated Society. Our Annual General Meeting is held in September. A copy of our Constitution is available on request.
IWW is celebrating its 50th anniversary in July 2026.
Jocelyn Grattan Bequest
International Writers' Workshop is the fortunate recipient of a generous and ongoing bequest by an Auckland woman Jocelyn Grattan who died in 2007.
Jocelyn, who was the daughter of well-known Aucklander's Frank and Kathleen Grattan, was many years ago a sub editor of New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.
It was a specific request of Jocelyn that her mother, Kathleen, be recognised through an annual competition in recognition of her love for
poetry and that the competition be for a sequence or cycle of poems with no limit on the length of the poems. This is to be known as The Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems and is to be competed for annually.
Jocelyn’s trustees advise that 80% of the bequest may be used for the general purposes of the workshop (that is payment of rent, guest speakers, judges etc) and 20% is to be allocated as prize money (First Prize award only).
The Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems is sometimes referred to as the 'Little Grattan' as the Jocelyn Grattan Charitable Trust also funds the biennial Kathleen Grattan
Award, run by Landfall / Otago University Press.
IWW competitions are for members only. See our competitions page for more details.
IWW produced Beyond the Persimmon Tree, an Anthology of members work in 2010. The generous Grattan Bequest enabled us to do this.
Our 40th jubilee history book, Those be Rubies, published November 2016, was also assisted by the Jocelyn Grattan Chaitable Trust.
Our 50th anniversary members anthology, to be launched in July 2026, is currently in production.
External Competitions
Looking for other competition and writing opportunities? Check out these websites for a selection ...
NZ Writers College Summary of Writing Competitions and Events - incldues their own short story competitions
Mindfood magazine - short story publishing opportunity
Otago University Press - includes Landfall Essay Competition and Kathleen Grattan Poetry Award
takahe magazine - short story and poetry competitions
New Zealand Poetry Society International Poetry Competition - held annually in May.
Dunedin City of Literature Awards and Competitions
NZSA Summary of writing competitions and opportunities.