A Legacy of Literary Love
My journey into children’s literature started in my adult years. I fell in love with the joy and richness of books written for children — the way they stir imagination, challenge ideas, and help shape the people who read them. That passion became the centre of my work as a primary school teacher. Outside the classroom, I spent decades volunteering with the WA Branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, supporting our homegrown authors and illustrators.
I believe in the value of children’s fiction — and in the voices of Australian writers who are waiting for their stories to be heard.
That’s why I’m so proud that The University of Western Australia Publishing (UWA Publishing) has established The Spiers Prize, an annual national award that champions Australian writers of middle grade and Young Adult fiction (ages 8 and above). This prize is my way of continuing the work I loved so much — supporting the books and storytellers who help children see themselves and understand the world around them.
The finer details –
Each year the winning manuscript will receive:
- A publishing contract with UWA Publishing
- A $5,000 cash prize
The manuscript word counts for both middle grade and young adult readers ranges from 25,000 to 80,000 words.
Submissions for the Inaugural 2025 Spiers Prize will open at 10am AWST on 1 May 2025 and close at 11.59pm AWST on 31 May 2025.
Gail Spiers
