2025 Calibre Essay Prize

2025 Calibre Essay Prize is now open for entries!

2025 Calibre Essay Prize : Australian Book Review (ABR), one of Australia’s major cultural magazines, welcomes entries in the 2025 Calibre Essay Prize, open to all essayists writing in English.

Short description

Australian Book Review (ABR), one of Australia’s major cultural magazines, welcomes entries in the 2025 Calibre Essay Prize, open to all essayists writing in English.

Founded in 2007, the Calibre Prize is one of the world’s leading prizes for a new non-fiction essay.

The Calibre Prize is open to all essayists writing in English.

Organiser seeks essays of between 2,000 and 5,000 words, based on any subject.

Previously published, prize-winning, or broadcast essays will not be accepted.

Essays of all kinds are wellcome: personal or political, literary or speculative, traditional or experimental.

The overall winning essay will be published in the first half of 2025, followed by the runners-up.

Who may enter?

The competition is open to all essayists writing in English.

Prize:

The winner will receive AU$5,000, the runner-up will receive AU$3,000 amd the Third place will receive AU$2,000.

The winning essay will be published in the April 2025 issue (print and online).

Entry fees:

Each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee of AU$30, or AU$20 for current ABR subscribers.