Hachette Australia, along with Hannah Richell, is honoured to launch the 2026 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers, in partnership with the Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF).

Joel Naoum, Publishing Director of Hachette Australia, says: ‘The Richell Prize is an incredible opportunity for emerging writers and all at Hachette are so proud at how, in its twelfth year, the prize has become so important in the Australian literary landscape. Created to honour the memory of former Hachette CEO Matt Richell, the Richell Prize is designed to celebrate, support and remove barriers for unpublished writers. It does that by ensuring there is no age limit, and entry requires only three finished chapters at the time of submission. I hope anyone who has been thinking about publishing their work decides 2026 is the year to try.’

The Richell Prize is free to enter for unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction and offers the winner a rare one-year mentorship with a Hachette publisher and $10,000 in prize money. Long and shortlisted writers will also be eligible to apply for a Casa Morphosi Residency in Abruzzo Italy. Since its infancy, the Prize has attracted thousands of entries across adult fiction and non-fiction and Hachette has published or contracted twelve authors who have been discovered through this annual Prize, including Sally Abbott (2015 winner), Brodie Lancaster (2015 shortlist), Susie Greenhill (2016), Sam Coley (2017 winner), Julie Keys (2017 shortlist), Ruth McIver (2018 winner), Mandy Beaumont (2018 shortlist), Zaheda Ghani (2018 shortlist), Allee Richards (2019 shortlist), Aisling Smith (2020 winner), Simone Amelia Jordan (2021 winner), Susannah Begbie (2022 winner), Alex Sawyer (2023 winner) and Myles McGuire (2024 winner).

Hannah Richell, bestselling author, says: ‘That we find ourselves opening entries this year to the twelfth annual Richell Prize is a staggering thought. In some ways it feels as though we are barely weeks away from its inception, and yet in others it feels as though it has been part of the Australian publishing calendar for more than the sum of its years. Even more staggering to me, however, than this strange passage of time, is the cohort of brilliant writers who have been discovered, published and celebrated since we first launched the Prize. It is a joy to see the Prize achieve exactly what it was intended to do. Discovering and launching new and diverse voices in literature was always Matt’s passion and I cannot wait to help find the rich seam of talent the 2026 Prize will unearth. If you’re thinking of entering this year, my advice is simple: Go for it. You have nothing to lose.’

Jess Zanoni, Artistic Director & Co-CEO of the Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF), says: ‘The Emerging Writers’ Festival is delighted every year to facilitate the one-of-a-kind Richell Prize in partnership with Hachette Australia, a prize that touches and often transforms the lives of Australia’s brightest, boldest writers. EWF is privileged to be able to honour Matt Richell’s legacy in this way. The EWF team wishes each and every writer submitting the very best of luck. You’ve already won just by putting your work out there! We can’t wait to read your stories in 2026.’

Monique Marani, 2025 Richell Prize winner, says: ‘The Richell Prize is a rare gift, and I encourage every emerging writer to apply for it. It stands apart because it offers something we, and the industry, so often deny ourselves: time. Winning the Richell Prize means experiencing the Hachette team’s uncommon devotion to patience and its unwavering faith in your emerging voice: their willingness to trust in your potential, in your story’s earliest flickers, and perhaps the most endangered of artistic resources: time, time to work, to investigate, to experiment, and to play. If you are an emerging writer with a story that feels urgent: apply. You will be astonished by what becomes possible when your work is given time, and when you are believed in.’

To enter the Prize, writers are not required to have a full manuscript at submission, though they must intend to complete one. The winner will receive $10,000 in prize money from Hachette, and a one year mentorship with a Hachette publisher.

PRIZE OPENS 23/04/26
PRIZE CLOSES 13/07/26
LONGLIST ANNOUNCED 11/09/26
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED 16/10/26
WINNER ANNOUNCED 6/11/26

Applications will be judged on three main criteria:

• The writing – make sure that you are telling an original story that you have a burning desire to share;
• The synopsis – give us a brief summary of the plot, major characters, themes and settings in the book and a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the rest of the book;
• Why you to win – tell us how winning the Prize will help you further your writing career.

Hachette Australia recommends that all entrants read the Terms and Conditions carefully on the EWF website (https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/the-richell-prize-for-emerging-writers/) to ensure your work is eligible. 

Hachette Australia and Hannah Richell would like to thank the Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF) for partnering with them to make this Prize a reality. The EWF would also like to thank Simpsons Solicitors for assisting them financially with the administration of the Prize. This Prize brings together a group of people who know the huge amount of support that Matt Richell gave to emerging writers. Without the writers, there would be no Prize – so be brave and submit your work.

Apply now here: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/richell-prize-2026/