E. J. Corbett Mentorship Contest
Have you written the next The Book Thief or Sacred Hearts but need help polishing the manuscript?
In honour of historical novelist, Elizabeth Jane Corbett, the HNSA offers the chance every two years for an aspiring author from Australia or New Zealand to receive a mentorship to develop an unpublished historical fiction manuscript for young adults.
Information about the E.J Corbett Mentorship Contest
In honour of historical novelist, Elizabeth Jane Corbett, the HNSA is offering the chance for a previously unpublished author from Australia or New Zealand to receive a mentorship with Swinburne University tutor, Dr Wendy J Dunn, to develop an historical fiction manuscript for young adults.
The contest is run biennially with the next contest to be held in November 2026. Start polishing your manuscript now!
Check Eligibility & Rules to learn more.
There is no hard and fast definition of young adult (YA) fiction but for the purposes of the contest, the novel is aimed at a readership age group between the ages of 12 and 18. Books generally explore themes and issues relevant to young readers including coming of age stories, interpersonal and/or family relationships etc and can cover mature and complex themes. The main character is usually of similar age to the targeted YA audience but there can be older characters in the story.
Read our newspost to learn more about Wendy Dunn and YA historical fiction.
About the Mentorship
The winner will receive five (5) mentoring sessions at times to be arranged between the winner and tutor.
Wendy will read and assess the novel in its entirety, then meet with the mentee via Zoom, initially for 1-2 hours, to discuss the winner’s inspiration and goals, and to identify ‘roadblocks’ requiring Wendy’s assistance. She will provide in-depth feedback on plot, characterisation, pacing, dialogue, world building and effective use of research. Recordings of the Zoom sessions will provided together with Wendy’s comments and notes.
Three further 1-hour sessions, followed by a final 1-2 hour session, will then be arranged to track progress and provide encouragement and support. Wendy will also proofread the manuscript and provide comments on the way forward.
Important dates
The 2024 mentorship contest has closed for submissions.
The contest is held biennially. Submissions for the next contest will open in November 2026. Start polishing your manuscript now!
About Elizabeth Jane Corbett
Elizabeth Jane Corbett sadly passed away in January 2020. She was a talented author, dedicated member of the HNSA Committee, reviewer for the international Historical Novels Review, and a mainstay of our historical fiction community. She had a great love of Wales, and learned the Welsh language in order to research her books fully. Her debut young adult historical novel, The Tides Between, was named a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book for older readers. Liz described the book as ‘an historical coming-of-age novel about fairy tales and facing the truth. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the power of myth.’
When Elizabeth Jane wasn’t writing, she worked as a librarian, and taught Welsh at the Melbourne Welsh Church. In 2009, her short-story, Beyond the Blackout Curtain, won the Bristol Short Story Prize. Another, Silent Night, was short listed for the Allan Marshall Short Story Award. She died suddenly in her beloved Wales at Stiwdio Maelor on a research trip for her next novel about the wife of Owain Glyn Dŵr – the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales.
Her advice to aspiring authors was: ‘It will be hard work and you may have to wrestle with confusion and self-doubt (even after you’ve won prizes and been published). So, focus on the journey and learning your craft. And remember, writing is the real magic.’
Liz liked red shoes, dark chocolate, commuter cycling, and reading quirky, character driven novels set once-upon-a-time in lands far away. The HNSA Committee hopes the mentorship will keep the memory of Elizabeth Jane Corbett alive while providing the opportunity for an aspiring author to walk in her red shoes in writing a successful historical novel for young adults.
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