Australian Competitions Club

http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/media/writingcompetition/index.cfm



2010/11 Writing Competition


Black Dog Institute 7th Annual Writing Competition
Postnatal Depression, Men and Women - Personal Experiences and the Search for Real Answers
With 9 per cent of expectant women and 16 per cent of new mothers suffering postnatal depression as well as 1 in 10 men, the Black Dog Institute, in its latest writing competition, is focusing the spotlight on their stories.

The Institute is looking to provide more answers to deal with the problem of mood disorders during a vulnerable two-year span that takes in the period of pregnancy, childbirth and the baby’s first year.

We want you to tell us what it was like for you to manage depression or bipolar disorder during pregnancy and through your baby’s first year. How did you recognise that you needed help and what made you follow through and seek it? Then, what did you feel was of use to your support and recovery and what interventions were unhelpful? Was a mood disorder a problem with the first pregnancy or with subsequent pregnancies also?

We welcome stories from women, partners, family, friends and professionals involved in this area.

The 2010/11 competition invites entries from the Australasian region.

Essays are to be no more than 1500 words.

Prizes will be awarded for the three best essay entries.

First Place $2000; Second Place $1000 and Third Place $500.

The closing date for receipt of entries is 24 March, 2011.

Download the application form [PDF, 1.85MB]

Read the news release [PDF, 79KB]


Black Dog Institute 2010/11 Writing Competition – Application Form
Terms and Conditions:
1. Entries must be in the form of a typed essay. They must be submitted as specified on the Application Form and
must be received by 24 March 2011.
2. Essays must be no shorter than 500 words and no longer than 1500 words.
3. Entries must be typed. Incomplete, illegible or incomprehensible entries will be deemed invalid.
4. Only one entry per person is permitted.
5. The essay must be in English.
6. The Writing Competition is open to entries from Australia and New Zealand.
7. Articles referring to or using the work of other writers or sources must include footnotes and a bibliography of
sources as appropriate.
8. You confirm that your entry is original and your own work. You confirm that it will not infringe the rights of any third
party.
9. By submitting your essay to the Black Dog Institute, you assign full copyright in your essay or poem to the
Institute. You agree that your entry may be used by the Black Dog Institute for promotion, education, teaching and
research purposes. You agree that your essay may be published in whole or in part, including extracts and
quotations. You agree that in using or publishing your entry the Black Dog Institute does not have to acknowledge
you as the author and may edit and/or alter your essay.
10. You agree that no fee will be payable to you for the assignment of your entry to the Institute and the Institute's use
of your entry.
11. If your entry identifies other persons, or could do so to a reader of all or part of the entry, you will obtain the
permission of those other persons to the submission of your entry and their agreement to the use and publication
of your entry by the Institute. You will provide us with written evidence of this permission if required.
12. This is a competition of knowledge and writing skills. Chance plays no part in determining the winner. Each entry
will be individually judged based on merit. The judgesʼ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered
into. Unsuccessful entries will not be returned.
13. There are three prizes for essays to be awarded. First prize is $2000, second prize is $1000 and third prize is
$500. $500 will also be awarded for the best poem. The winners will be notified by mail or phone, using the
contact details provided on the Application Form.
14. The Black Dog Institute is not liable for any costs associated with entering the Competition.
15. The Black Dog Institute will not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered (including but not
limited to indirect or consequential loss), or personal injury which is suffered or sustained as a result of taking part
in this promotion, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law.
16. The Black Dog Institute accepts no responsibility for late, lost or misdirected entries.
17. The governing law and jurisdiction of the competition is New South Wales, Australia.
Privacy Notice
Personal information collected from you in connection with this competition is limited to the items on this application form
and whatever personal information about yourself or other persons that you choose to provide in your entry essay. If
your essay identifies other persons, or could reasonably do so to a reader of that essay, you have obtained the
agreement of those persons to the inclusion of their personal information in your essay before submitting your entry to
the Black Dog Institute. Personal information obtained from you via the Application Form will be used solely for the
purposes of running the Competition.
Personal information about you or other persons that you have included in your entry may be used by the Institute for
further education, research, teaching and promotional purposes and may be published.
The names of winners and any award recipients and their home State or Territory, will be published on the Black Dog
Instituteʼs website and in other promotional material. Subject to any editing deemed necessary by the Institute, we will
also place the essay on our website and in other promotional material.
If the author has advised the Institute on their application form that they do not want their name published, the author's
name will not be published by the Institute.
The Institute reserves the right, at its discretion, not to include the author's name and/or personal information about a
third person if the Institute believes that the inclusion of this identifying information is not appropriate.
Black Dog Institute, Hospital Road, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick NSW 2031. ACN 69 110 575 092



Checklist before sending your entry: (Please tick ✓)
1. My essay is no longer than 1500 words.
2. My name, or other personal identifier (e.g. email address)
is not written or typed anywhere on my essay.
3. I have signed the application form and attached it to the
front of my original essay.
4. I have enclosed a typed copy of my original essay or poem.
5. I have emailed a copy of my essay to
blackdog@blackdog.org.au with my full name and ‘Black Dog
Writing Competition’ in the subject field.
Please tell us – where did you read or hear about the writing competition?
www.blackdog.org.au ❏ www.biteback.org.au ❏ Newspaper ad ❏
Newspaper story ❏ Social media ❏
Mail your entry to: Black Dog Writing Competition
Black Dog Institute, Hospital Road,
Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick NSW 2031
Your entry must reach us by 5pm, 24 March 2011.
We will confirm receipt of your entry once we have received the signed application form, together with your essay.