BackThe Good Oil 2025 Writers’ Award is an initiative of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan in partnership with Garratt Publishing. The award aims to support and encourage the development of aspiring and published writers aged 18 and over.
The Good Oil’s editorial vision is to nourish the spirit, stimulate thinking, promote social justice, and encourage reflection and dialogue about issues of the day from a Christian, Catholic, Good Samaritan perspective.
In this Jubilee Year in the Church, the theme of the award is Pilgrims of Hope.
Let us become pilgrims of hope! Peoples, nations, and all creatures need those who choose to move towards communion. Others will follow. Let us return to building bridges where there are now walls.
Let us open doors, connect worlds, and hope will spring forth.
–Pope Leo XIV, Rome, 14 June 2025
Entry is free and open to residents of Australia, Kiribati, the Philippines and Japan – countries where the Sisters of the Good Samaritan live and minister.
The winner will receive mentoring by Garratt Publishing to support their writing goals.
A judging panel will award first, second and third place. The prize for the winning entry is $600; second prize $400; third prize $200.
A New Encouragement Award with a prize of $250 is being sponsored by Garratt Publishing.
Entrants may submit more than one piece of writing, to a maximum of three (3) pieces, in the following styles:
• Reflection – creative writing or first-person reflective writing
• Opinion – first-person personal opinion
• Profile – profile of a person based on an interview and research
• News Feature – issues-based article written in journalistic style
The submission must be the entrant’s original work, written in English, and must not have been published previously in any forum, including websites and blogs.
For further information about the award, to download the guidelines and to submit an entry, click here.
Entries close at 5pm AEST on Friday 29 August 2025.
