This edition of The Round-Up aims to provide a bite of what is going on in the writing world. Read up and stick your teeth into the scores of festivals, competitions and callouts. Don't forget about us in the process though - the sweet Creative Writing team are foaming-at-the-mouth keen to read YOUR work, so send your stories, poems and ramblings through!


FESTIVALS

• The New South Wales Writers' Centre Contemporary Australian Fiction Festival takes place on the 29th March. Between 10am and 5pm fiction will take centre stage, with discussions, panels and presentations by various authors including Kate Forsyth, Sophie Lee, Matt Rubinstein and more. Go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au for more information.

• For inner-western Melburnians, the Williamstown Literary Festival is coming up - 2nd to 4th May. Various events will be taking place to celebrate the written word including play readings, various awards and book clubs. Various writing competitions are being run in conjunction with the festival - go to www.willylitfest.org.au for more info.

CALL-OUTS

• The National Young Writers' Festival is held annually in Newcastle. The festival is currently calling for proposals from writers of all forms to take part in the 10th anniversary extravaganza. Applications and info can be found on the website: www.nywf.org.au

• Vignette Press is seeking submissions in their Mini Shots short story competition. Write 3000 words maximum on any subject you desire and you could score $500 plus publication. Entries close 31st May. www.vignettepress.com.au has all the details.

• Hands up who's salivated openly over the thought of having their novel published?... Hands up who hasnt?! You could be plucked out of literary obscurity thanks to the lovely Louise Thurtell - adult fiction publisher of Arena, an imprint of Allen & Unwin. Friday's are Louise's 'Pitch Days'. Send your first chapter and a synopsis to Louiset@allenandunwin.com ('Friday Pitch' in the subject line) on a Friday and Louise will get back to you if she wants to take the project further. No response by 5.30pm the following Thursday means you'll have to keep dreaming for a little while longer...

• Anyone from or with a particular passion for the city of churches, submit your short stories and poems to Wakefield Press for their upcoming anthology 'Small City Tales of Strangeness and Beauty'. All pieces should have Adelaide as a setting. Fiction writers - stick to 3000 words max and poets, no more than three pieces. Email stories to stephen.lawrence@adelaide.edu.au and poems to gillian.britton@adelaide.edu.au

• Melbourne Writers' Theatre is asking for submissions for the 7th annual short play competition, which takes place in conjunction with the Fringe Festival in late September. Thirty plays are shortlisted for a rehearsed reading. More info? www.melbwriters.org.au

Know something we don't? Be kind and share. If you have an event you want listed in the Round-Up, send it through! writing@vibewire.net.