The OutStanding LGBTIQ Short Story Competition is Australia and New Zealand’s premier literary competition for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer community.

Our competition encourages writers to produce a 750-word story with this year’s theme of Next Big Thing

The competition offers a first prize of $1000 with a second, third, and three highly commended receiving a combination of cash and literary prizes, plus a youth prize of $500 for writers 25 and under.

All winning stories are published in the Star Observer and on the OutStanding website.

The competition is supported by the Aurora Group, NSW Writer’s Centre, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, Queerstories and Ariel Bookshop, and its patron is Alex Greenwich, the Independent Member for Sydney.

The annual competition aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for both emerging and established writers to share stories.   The competition is increasing the visibility of LGBTIQ writers in wider literary circles and more broadly enabling LGBTIQ people to take their rightful place in the wider society.  And above all, the competition provides a space for the expression of LGBTIQ values, experiences, history and hopes.