Can you hear nature talking? What if you could write its secret messages?

The MARION Science + Storytelling Prize is a creative writing competition for ACT-based writers of all ages. We’re inviting you to unlock the mysteries of the natural world using the power of storytelling!

This year’s National Science Week school theme is Decoding the Universe – Exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden language. We want to know how you imagine nature speaks — through DNA, bird calls, fungi networks, the stars, or even the rhythms of the weather. Maybe your story is about animal behaviour, a secret forest language, or how data and AI learn to understand the world. Whatever your interest, we want writing that’s curious, clever, and full of imagination.

You can write a poem, a short story, a creative essay, or mix them all together! The most important thing is to explore the science behind how we understand the world and respond with wonder.

There are three prize categories:

• YOUTH (under 18s)

• OPEN (18+)

• 65+ (for older writers)

Submissions are open from Tuesday 8 July to Tuesday 22 July 2025. Winners will be announced during National Science Week (9–17 August) at a special event.

Entries will be judged by science writer and nature nerd Olivia Congdon, whose work has appeared in Australian Geographic, BBC Wildlife, and Cosmos.

This is your chance to combine science and creativity, and to show how storytelling can help us hear and understand the hidden language of the universe.