Presented by Ballarat Writers Inc, the biennial award is now open for submissions.

Ballarat Writers Inc chairperson Heather Roche said writers were able to submit short stories of up to 3000 words.

“We are excited to declare the competition open for 2015,” she said.

“It is one of the regular events that the group provides to support the aspirations of local and regional writers.

“We have already run a workshop so local writers had an opportunity to develop their writing skills and workshop their stories with an experienced author.

Ballarat Writers Inc has run the Southern Cross Literary Competition for more than 20 years.

This year’s competition will be judged by popular author Tony Birch with the winning work set to receive a prize of $1,500.

2011 prize winner Kate Rizzetti said writing short stories was an art.

“It must be whole within itself, a circle of exploration where the seed of the ending is planted in the beginning,” she said.

Submissions for the competition close on October 16. The winning stories will be announced and read at an award presentation in November. For more information, visit ballaratwriters.com/competitions