Australian Writers' Guild

08/10/2026

The Australian Writers’ Guild is pleased to celebrate the eight emerging writers selected as national finalists for The Next Brilliant Career, an initiative created by Netflix in partnership with the AWG and Australia’s eight State and Territory Screen Agencies.

Congratulations to:

Elyse Landsberry – New South Wales
Theresa Angela – Victoria
Rae Choi – Queensland
Scarlett Scherer – South Australia
Jamey Claffey – Western Australia
Caitlin Richardson – Tasmania
Rebecca Parker – Northern Territory
Denai Grace – Australian Capital Territory

Representing every state and territory across Australia, the finalists travelled to Netflix ANZ HQ in Sydney this week to pitch their original scripted concepts directly to the Netflix team and receive feedback on their work.

Read more:

Thursday 8 October 2026 – The Australian Writers’ Guild is pleased to celebrate the eight emerging writers selected as national finalists for The Next

29/09/2026

Playwrights! Griffin Theatre Company are opening play submissions from midday this Friday, 2 October, for one week only.

Find out more below 👇

📜 PLAY SUBMISSIONS 🪶

Playwrights, ready those scripts! Play submissions are open from midday next Friday 2 October, for one week only. Outside of our creative programs, Griffin accepts play submissions during two week-long submission periods each year.

Writers will be invited to submit full drafts of plays through an online portal. Each play will be read and feedback provided within three months by the Griffin Literary and Artistic team, as well as external consultants and collaborators.

There is currently a criterion for submission, so we encourage all playwrights to visit our website to check your eligibility and what you'll be asked to submit.

If you have any questions about play submissions, please get in touch through [email protected].

PLAY SUBMISSIONS
2 – 9 October
Learn more | https://griffintheatre.com.au/artist-development-programs/ -submissions

22/09/2026

✍ Are you getting the most out of your AWG membership?

Next time you're negotiating a contract, don't forget to consult our range of Recommended Agreements, Negotiated Agreements and Rates via the Member Portal.

These resources provide writers with favourable terms and minimum rates that are a good starting point for your negotiations with producers.

Find out more about the benefits of AWG membership, including our industrial resources, at awg.com.au.

20/09/2026

✍️ Our in-person First Break Vic workshop ran yesterday, giving 12 participants the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of note-taking in a writers' room.

Delivered with support from VicScreen, the one-day workshop was run by screenwriter Libby Butler and provided participants with in-demand skills and the training necessary to obtain work in a writers’ room.

Our 2026 First Break Vic in-person participants are:

🔸Erfan Behzadnia
🔸Tom Dickinson
🔸Pia Dula
🔸Emily Eicke
🔸Archer Irving
🔸January Jones
🔸Tom McMahon
🔸Ryan Muir
🔸Sian Murphy
🔸Emily O'Brien
🔸Lachlan Roberts
🔸Emily Sheehan

Find out more about First Break here: https://awg.com.au/first-break/

17/09/2026

💰 Writers, musicians, filmmakers and artists financially rely on owning their material, but under reforms currently being weighed by the government, AI companies could gain access to everything Australians create online.

AWG's Claire Pullen says creators are already losing business to AI as it generates imitations, or sometimes identical regurgitations, of their work. They could lose even more income under the proposals, revealed in a leaked government document tabled in the Senate on Tuesday.

Read the full article here:

The Albanese government is considering reforms that give US big tech unrestricted access to Australian content

10/09/2026

💥 That's right folks, there's only ONE WEEK LEFT to get your entry in for the 59th Annual AWGIE Awards!

Each year the recognise the outstanding achievements of Australian screen, stage, interactive and audio writers. With Award categories spanning 23 categories, don't miss out on this chance to have your script considered.

Find out more and enter at awg.com.au/awgies.

04/09/2026

A fantastic article from Dr Terri Janke and the Australian Society of Authors on writing and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) in the era of AI.

Read the full article here: https://www.asauthors.org.au/news/writing-and-icip-in-an-ai-world/

Reminder: AWG members can access resources from our July Lunch Break with Dr Janke and Chloe Hillary, covering writing and cultural safety, via AWG On Demand on the AWG website.

Writing about Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property requires consideration of protocols. It is an important part of the writing process.

29/08/2026

First Break Victoria Online wraps up today with WEEK THREE In the Writers' Room.

The writers’ room is where writers pitch ideas, brainstorm, break down the scenes, create characters and write first drafts. In order to succeed, it’s crucial to understand how a writers’ room works - who does what and when. This workshop is covering character development, plotting, dialogue and the all-important social etiquette of a writers’ room.

Be sure to check out the Pathways First Break portal where you will find our trained note-takers and script coordinators.
https://www.awgpathways.com.au/note-takers/

Our latest additions to the Pathways First Break portal are:
Kathy Bard, Madeline Davies, Max Evans, Lucie Jamison, Anna Lyon, Siobhan Mithen, Alyssa Moller, Ryan Prestipino, Nikki Teeuw, Brendan Wan, and Alexander Wardrop

Thanks to VicScreen for their ongoing support of First Break!

27/08/2026

🚨 Final call! Entries for the 2026 Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for close 5pm AEST today.

Get your entries in here: https://awg.com.au/shane-and-cathryn-brennan-prize/

The Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting has been developed to discover and celebrate the best new scripts among Australian playwrights.

25/08/2026

Ready to take your storytelling to the next level? Join the Africa Film Fest Australia and Australian Film Television and Radio School for The Art of Storytelling, an inspiring masterclass featuring acclaimed writers, filmmakers, and industry professionals:

Ratidzo Mambo – Moderator
Malla Nunn – Writer & Filmmaker
Huna Amweero – Screenwriter, Filmmaker and AWGIE Award winner
Jenevieve Chang – Screenwriter, AFTRS

Together, they'll explore the craft of creating stories that move audiences and shape culture. Hear directly from leading creatives as they share their journeys, practical insights, and the realities of working in today's screen industry.

WHEN: Friday, 4 September 2026, 2:00–5:00 PM
WHERE: Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, NSW
Book here: https://africafilmfest.au/storytelling