Finding Beauty Poetry Prize 2025
Entries Due Monday, 19 May
MARION is honoured to launch the inaugural Finding Beauty Poetry Prize for emerging poets. This very special prize has been established in memory of Roger Green, an environmental advocate, writer and editor, lover of poetry, and thinker. Roger believed that beauty had the power to alleviate fear and hardship, and to provide hope and inspiration.
Photo courtesy of Monika Binder
For this inaugural prize, Roger’s family has chosen the theme Finding Beauty – in Nature.
As a guide for entrants, here is what beauty in nature meant to Roger:
an ancient tree
spring blossom
the leap of a whale
the full moon rising
the seashore
a storm in the mountains
the Antarctic wilderness
the Milky Way
the smell of jasmine or gardenia
air, after nearly drowning
Entrants can use this list as inspiration for their own poems or as a starting point for exploring what beauty in nature means to them. Writers are not required to confine themselves to these examples.
Key Dates
Monday 22 March – Call for entries opens
Monday 19 May – Entries close at 4PM
Friday 20 June – Shortlist announced
Thursday 3 July – ACT Literary Awards Night
The Shine Dome ANU, Acton
Meet the Judges
We are delighted to have two distinguished judges for the inaugural Finding Beauty Prize, both of whom bring exceptional expertise and a deep connection to the prize’s theme.
We are honoured to have two distinguished judges for the inaugural Finding Beauty Prize, both of whom bring exceptional expertise and a deep connection to the prize’s theme.
Melinda Smith AM lives and writes on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country. She is an award-winning Australian poet whose career spans 23 years and eight books. In 2014, she received the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Poetry for her collection Drag Down to Unlock or Place an Emergency Call. She has taught in the Creative Writing program at the University of Canberra, served as Poetry Editor at The Canberra Times (2015–2017), and co-organised the That Poetry Thing reading series at Smith’s Alternative.
Bebe Oliver is a Bardi Jawi award-winning author, poet, and illustrator. His creative journey began as a classical pianist and composer, later expanding into theatre, festivals, and public art projects across Australia and internationally. He is currently the Artistic Director and CEO of Blak & Bright, Australia’s premier First Nations literary festival, and serves as Deputy Chair of Magabala Books.
Together, Melinda and Bebe bring a wealth of experience, insight, and care to the judging process—and a shared commitment to recognising beauty in all its complexity.
ENTRIES CAN BE MADE BELOW: Please read the following terms and conditions before making a submission.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
OVERVIEW and PURPOSE
The Finding Beauty Poetry Prize is established in memory of Roger Green, a lifelong environmental advocate, writer and editor, lover of poetry, and thinker. Roger believed that beauty had the power to alleviate fear and hardship, and to provide hope and inspiration.
The prize recognises and rewards emerging poets in Canberra and its surrounding regions, encouraging them to explore the theme of beauty in its many dimensions such as in the natural world, art, music and human action. The prize is intended to be ongoing.
The theme for the inaugural prize in 2025 is 'Finding Beauty in Nature'.
KEY DATES
Call for entries opens on Saturday, 22 March.
Entries must be received no later than midnight on Monday, 19 May.
Shortlisted entries will be announced Friday, 20 June.
Winners will be announced at the ACT Literary Awards at The Shine Dome ANU, Acton ACT on Thursday, 3 July 2025.
PRIZES
The First Prize winner will receive AUD $5,000.
The Second Prize winner will receive AUD $2,000.
The remaining selected shortlisted poets will each receive AUD $750.
Award winners and shortlisted poets may have their work published online in the MARION Journal and/or in a future poetry publication dedicated to the theme.
Judges may, at their discretion, award up to two honourable mentions.
ELIGIBILITY
Residency: Entrants must have a strong connection to the Canberra region as defined by this eligibility map (e.g., through residency, birth, family ties, or extended involvement or commitment to the region through study or work).
The applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia.
The prize is open to emerging poets aged 18 and over.
Submitted poems must not have been previously published in a book (including anthologies), a literary journal (print or online), or a commercial website. However, poems that have only been self-published (e.g., on a personal blog or social media) or published in non-commercial community newsletters or university publications are eligible, provided the entrant retains full rights to their work.
If the submitted poem is longlisted or shortlisted for another award, the poet must promptly notify MARION. To preserve the integrity of the judging process, the poet may be required to choose between opportunities and withdraw their work from one competition before final outcomes are announced.
For the purposes of the Finding Beauty Poetry Prize, an emerging poet is defined as a writer who has demonstrated dedication to their craft but has not yet achieved significant professional recognition.
This may include poets who:
Have not yet published a full-length collection with a commercial publisher.
May have had poems published in journals, anthologies, or online platforms but are still in the early stages of their literary career.
Have not received major literary awards or fellowships for their poetry.
Are actively developing their voice and body of work within the literary community.
The prize is designed to support and encourage emerging poets by providing financial recognition and public acknowledgment of their work. This may include individuals who have actively written poetry, studied writing, or are currently undertaking writing studies at a tertiary institution.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Entries must be uploaded to this submission form.
The form must uploaded and you must make payment for your submission to be valid.
Note: Upload your poem as a PDF or Word document using a legible font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12pt, single-spaced)
Language: Poems must be written in English.
Length: Poems must be a maximum of 80 lines. The title is not included in this line count.
ENTRY FEES
Entry fees are $15 per entry for MARION members.
Entry fees are $20 per entry for non-members.
Entry fees are non-refundable, including in cases where an entrant withdraws their submission.
Individuals can enter a maximum of 6 works. Each work must be submitted separately, and an entry fee is required for each submission.
EXCLUSIONS
Members of the judging panel, as well as immediate family members of MARION staff and organisers, are not eligible to enter.
ORIGINALITY AND AI USE
Entries must be original works written by an individual living author and must not infringe upon anyone’s copyright.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the creation or generation of submissions is not permitted. Entries found to have been generated or significantly assisted by AI will be disqualified.
PRIVACY, DATA AND OUTCOMES
Entrants' personal information will be managed in accordance with MARION’s privacy policy and relevant privacy laws. It will be used solely for administering the prize.
Should any dispute arise between MARION and the Award Recipient that cannot be solved by negotiation between the two parties, the dispute will be resolved through mediation by the ACT Conflict Resolution Service.
All decisions by MARION and the judging panel are final. No further correspondence will be entered into.