2026 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize Longlist Announcement
The Hawkeye Publishing team and our esteemed judges are thrilled to reveal the longlist for the 2026 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize!
This year, we received an astonishing 180 entries, showcasing an incredible range of storytelling talent. After careful deliberation, 24 outstanding manuscripts have been selected for the longlist. Our judges were truly impressed by the high calibre of writing and the diversity of stories in this year’s competition.
Congratulations to this year’s longlisted entrants, in no particular order:
A Living Sacrifice by Susannah Andrew
A Treachery of Neighbours by Muriel Cooper
Be Like Me by C. J. Dears
Casanova Road Blues by Jo Madeline Moore
Far From Home by Devon May
Embeds by Jeremy Kalbstein
Final Curtain Call by Holly Brunnbauer
Lost Boys by Shaun Stephen
Madame Brussels’ Daughter by Chrissie Bellbrae
PanToad’s Castle by Sam McNicol
Spin Drift by Franklin Richards
Storms of the Mind and Sea by Michael Davey
The Geography of Dust by Mimi Matisse
The Girl in the Corner by Emma Greville
The Kraken by Harrison Smith
One Last Quiet Morning by David Waldron
The Pact by Claudine Tinellis
The Pointy Finger of God by Honni van Rijswijk
The Search – An Aurora Freeman Adventure by Margaret M. MacDonald
The Sound of Ora by Jessica Mienert
The Stairs by Cat Henry
To Run the Monster by RJ Butterway
Tulips on Tuesday by Peta Veanes
You Fix It by Kirsty Windeyer
A huge congratulations to all our longlisted authors! We invite everyone to celebrate their achievements and wish them the best as they progress to the next stage of judging.
What’s Next?
Shortlist Announcement: 27 March 2026
Winners Announced: 24 April 2026
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The Prize
The 2026 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize is valued at $3,500 and includes a structural edit by Lauren Daniels, Director of Brisbane Writers Workshop, and a line edit provided by Hawkeye Publishing.
Entrants will receive feedback on their manuscript within three months of the winners' announcement.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Thank you to our sponsor, Lauren Daniels, a highly experienced editor and the Director of Brisbane Writers Workshop, who provides the winner with a structural edit.
‘We’ve had tremendous feedback each year from the writer who’s been afforded the opportunity to work with Lauren,’ said Carolyn Martinez, Director of Hawkeye.
Since 2019, every winner of the Hawkeye Prize has been contracted for publication. Additionally, all longlisted manuscripts are considered by Hawkeye’s submissions review panel for a potential trade publishing contract.
We look forward to announcing the winners in April.