The 2010 Northern Territory Literary Awards are bringing about a few changes to the existing formula. First, with the addition of the new award category of Darwin Festival Script Award, a prize that guarantees that a script be turned into a full-blown production for Darwin Festival – an enticing opportunity for any writer.

The application states that “the judges will be looking for a script that is vividly imagined, expertly crafted and lends itself naturally to a performance medium. The winning script will then be workshopped for a live performance at the 2010 Darwin Festival”.

Another new award is the, the Birch Carol and Coyle Screenwriting Award, awarded for a screenplay for a feature or short film or television program, “executed with technical excellence and creativity”.

The Awards will now also be held as part of the NT Writers Centre’s “Wordstorm” festival in May, becoming the opening welcome event.

The Awards, which have been running since 1984, help to recognise the Territory’s finest wordsmiths, acknowledging and celebrating the talent that our creative residents have to offer, and help to cultivate our ever-growing creative writing industry.

Entries for the 2010 NT Literary Awards close on January 31. Entry forms can be found at www.ntl.nt.gov.au.