Cambridge Autumn Festival
Short Story Competition 2026
Online Entry Form

Entry Form - Short Story Competition

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IMPORTANT: The competition opens 2 November 2025 and is free to enter. All entries must be received by 5.00pm Monday 2 February 2026. The theme: There is no specific theme - write about any topic you wish.
  • There are 2 ways to enter:
  • a/ Enter online by filling out the online form below; or
  • b/ Download the printable entry form on this website, and post to the address given in the Terms and Conditions.
  • * Fields in this online form marked with an asterix must be filled in

    • Personal Information

    Address*

    Short Story

    Please enter a number less than or equal to 1500.
    Please double-check your word count - entries over 1500 words will be disqualified
    Accepted file types: pdf, docx, doc, Max. file size: 16 MB.
    Please upload your short story in Microsoft Word or PDF format . Maximum file size allowed is 16Mb.

    Full Terms and Conditions:

    1. Entry is open only to living, New Zealand permanent residents. (Winners will be asked to provide proof of residency.)
    2. There is no specific theme - write about any topic you wish. Stories must be typed in English. Stories must be the author’s original work. Entrants must not use artificial intelligence (AI) tools or plagiarised content to produce their story. Stories must not have been published before, or submitted for publication or entered into another competition before the Cambridge Autumn Festival Short Story Competition winners are announced on 19 March 2026. Please do not include your name on the manuscript itself.
    3. Stories are to be fiction and maximum 1500 words. All manuscripts are to have double-line spacing.
    4. An entrant can submit more than one story (maximum 4 stories) but each story must be supplied individually with a completed entry form. The stories must be submitted by the author. Entries are to be received no later than 5.00pm Monday 2 February 2026. Manuscripts will not be returned to entrants. We prefer entries are submitted with the online entry form on the www.cambridgeautumnfestival.co.nz website. If this is not possible, please post with a printed entry form to Cambridge Autumn Festival Short Story Competition, c/- Cambridge Autumn Festival, PO Box 369, Cambridge 3450. Download the printed entry form from the www.cambridgeautumnfestival.co.nz website.
    5. Employees and immediate family of the competition sponsor (Maurice Trapp Group), Cambridge News, Te Awamutu News and the Cambridge Autumn Festival organisers are ineligible to enter.
    6. Entrants may be contacted by the competition sponsor.
    7. The three winners will be contacted by phone. The winning entries will be announced 19 March 2026 at the Cambridge Autumn Festival and on the Cambridge Autumn Festival website and Facebook page.
    8. First prize is $1000, second prize is $500 and third prize is $250. Cambridge Autumn Festival reserves the right during 2026 to publish the winning stories without further compensation. Stories remain the property of the entrant.
    9. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Judging comments on individual stories will not be provided. However, after the winners have been announced, the shortlisted entrants will be advised that they were in the judges’ shortlist.
    10. By entering the competition, entrants agree to the competition’s terms and conditions.
    ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS: **
    ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS: *