First Draft:

Submissions

‘First Draft’ is a series of reading salons held every second month at Willows & Wine.

We offer a space for writers to share their work in a friendly, low-pressure environment.

Selected writers will have the opportunity to test out their pieces at our ‘First Draft reading salons’.

Writers of all levels are welcome - the only requirement is that pieces are in the phases of a ‘first draft’, and are not yet published.

As those long Summer nights dwindle away and we look towards March, we invite you to submit your first drafts on the theme:

Now that the dust has settled, what remains?.

We are well into the groove of the year, so what are you letting go of, or breathing new life into?

Send us your poetry on picking up the pieces after a break-up, short stories about a career change, essays that offer radical imaginings after a societal rupture, your late night notes-app thoughts on a friendship that has taken a new course, and everything in-between. 

Important Info:

Submission Deadline - Saturday 7th March (end of day)

Performance - Saturday 28th March @ 7pm

Performance Length - max. 5-8 mins

Themes:

March: Now that the dust has settled, what remains?

submissions open 16th February

submissions close 7th March

May: TBA

submissions open 1st April

submissions close 30th April

July: TBA

submissions open 1st May

submissions close 31st May

  • Scroll down the page and complete the required questions, upload your pieces of work and click submit!

  • Yes, as long as they have not been published before and are technically in a ‘first draft’ phase.

  • Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to provide written feedback for the pieces chosen for the event.

    This is an opportunity to share your writing in front of an audience and engage in informal conversations with others about your work.

    Remember that this event is about the work being in it’s ‘first draft’ phase.

    It doesn’t have to be perfect :)

  • No stress, if you are chosen we can help with a few pratice sessions with the microphone.

    If chosen to present your work we will work with you in the weeks before so that you feel confident in front of an audience.

  • Over the past 5 years Willows & Wine has built a small amazing community of artists who will read through each submission and decide what pieces fit best with each theme.

  • No, we will not be paying the chosen writers who perform for this series of events.

    This is due to the nature of the event and it being a trial of what we hope to be a series of reading salons throughout the year.

    We hope to be able to pay writers in the future.

    We will provide one ticket (plus one) for any chosen writer for the event. Each ticket gets you a drink on arrival.

  • Get in touch by emailing us at: info@blackbooksbar.com

FAQ’s

Requirements: 

  • Writers must be available to read on the night at Willows & Wine, 315 Victoria St, West Melbourne 3003

  • Writers must feel comfortable performing a max. 5-8 minute reading. (As a guideline, this typically involves 3 medium length poems or 1000-2000 words of prose.) Excerpts are welcome for longer pieces. Shorter readings are also welcome—if you want to read one poem, that’s completely fine! 

We look forward to reading your work!

First Draft Submissions:

Complete & submit the form below to send us your writing.

Please see FAQ’s above for any queries you have.