Australian Poetry Announces the Theresa Matheson Bequest Award 2026. This new award, running in its 2nd year, is for poets who have not had a poem published, outside self-publication or via their Social Media.
There is no entry fee, and you do not need to be an Australian Poetry subscriber.
The Theresa Matheson Bequest Award, with a prize of $1,000 for the successful poet, has been established to honour the memory of Theresa Matheson (1972-2022) by her sister, Julie. Theresa was herself a prolific poet, but had not published a poem in her lifetime. This will be an annual award administrated by the national poetry body, Australian Poetry.
Australian Poetry is excited to be offering this unique award; it’s a privilege to be part of honouring Theresa Matheson’s legacy in this way, by directly acknowledging the work towards establishing our place as poets. We’re so pleased to be able to support an unpublished poet with the very real steps of their first publication, and mentorship; this is where possibility turns into a beginning!
– Melinda Bufton, Australian Poetry CEO & Publisher
The judge and mentor for the 2026 Award is Lucy Van.
Lucy Van writes poetry and criticism. She has published Figures (Purely Physical 2017; Boomkat 2022), The Open (Cordite 2021), Australian Women Photographers: Other Times, Other Views (Anthem 2024) and MATERIAL (Permanent Draft 2026). She has been listed for prizes including the Stella, Mary Gilmore and Anne Elder, and won the Woollahra Digital Award for non-fiction (2024). She is a researcher at La Trobe University.
headshot by Leah Jing McIntosh
Theresa Matheson – Bio
Theresa Matheson was born and raised in the Pilbara Town of Port Hedland. Theresa spent a lifetime weaving words into meaning. A passionate poet and observer of life, she found beauty in the ordinary and strength in vulnerability. After leaving her hometown of Port Hedland, she embarked on a journey that led her to achieve extraordinary success working in mineral resources and the oil and gas industry. Throughout her career, she tirelessly contributed her expertise as a Senior Business Analyst to groundbreaking projects that revolutionised the industry and left a lasting impact.
Tragically Theresa passed away on 25th of July 2022, age 49, leaving a void in the hearts of her family and those who knew and cherished her. Theresa left behind her unpublished poetry that reflected a deep love for language, shaped by personal growth and a quiet curiosity about the human experience.
Through poetry Theresa offered an invitation to readers to slow down, reflect and rediscover the world through fresh eyes.
KEY DATES FOR THE 2026 AWARD:
- Open call for entries – Thursday, 16 July 2026 (SUBMIT HERE)
- Close of entries – Sunday 16 August 2026, 11:59pm (AEST).
- Winner announcement – Early October
Information and enquiries
Jennifer Nguyen
Email: associate@australianpoetry.org
Submission Guidelines & Eligibility
- Entries close at Sunday 16 August 2026,11:59PM (AEST).
- Open to Australian residents only
- Entrants must be 18 years of age or older at the time entries close. Entries from individuals under the age of 18 will not be accepted.
- Entries must be in English. Bilingual submissions are acceptable provided the poems are also written or translated into English by the entrant and provided alongside the original submission.
- Poets are to send up to three (maximum) poems in both word.doc and PDF versions. If more than three poems are sent, the extra poems will not be read by the judge.
- Entrants are eligible if they have never had a poem published in a literary journal, magazine, anthology, or book (including online or print), excluding self-published platforms (e.g. personal websites, blogs) or Social Media. Poems can have been performed or read at events, as long as they have not been published in written form. Entrants must complete the declaration form available in the Wufoo form confirming eligibility.
- Entrants who have previously published in another writing genre are eligible, as long as publication was not in poetry.
- Co-authored entries are not eligible for the award.
- First prize $1,000. The winner will also receive a single, one-hour mentoring session with Claire Gaskin to prepare a single poem for publication on the AP website. There is no extra fee for this publication.
- The judge reserves the right not to award a prize.
- The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- All entries must be the sole, original work of the entrant. Submissions that have been generated or substantively created using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are not eligible and will be disqualified. By entering, entrants confirm that their submission is entirely their own work and has not been created with the assistance of AI.
- Entrants retain copyright of their work. By entering, entrants grant Australian Poetry the non-exclusive right to publish the winning poem on its website. Personal information collected through the Wufoo entry form will be used solely for the purposes of administering this competition and will not be shared with third parties.
How to Enter
Submit via the Wufoo form. Go to this link to enter: https://apsubs.wufoo.com/forms/submit-to-the-theresa-matheson-bequest-award-2026/
Entries will be accepted only via the Wufoo form. If you’re having issues accessing or submitting via Wufoo, or have any questions please contact Jennifer at associate@australianpoetry.org
File naming:
- In the Wufoo form submit no more than three poems, all in a single word document titled ‘last name_first name_TMBA2026’
- In the Wufoo form submit no more than three poems, all in a single PDF document titled ‘last name_first name_TMBA2026’
