Sweatshop Director and competition judge, Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, said they are looking for residents to enter personal stories for the chance to be part of the first definitive creative writing document in Canterbury-Bankstown.

"To celebrate the competition’s 10-year anniversary, this year’s annual Youth Week anthology will not only showcase the top 15 finalists from 2018, but also the finalists from each year since 2008," the Bankstown resident said.

No-one can be more you, than you. We’re looking for honest, unique and raw stories about real people, like the teenage Chinese-Australian girl from Campsie, the Lebanese immigrant family settling in Lakemba, and the second-generation Italian boy from Bass Hill merging two cultures. It will be a snapshot of our City."

Mayor, Khal Asfour, said this year’s competition, which follows the Youth Week theme ‘unity through diversity’, is open to young people aged between 12–24 years who live, work or study in Canterbury-Bankstown.

"This is a great opportunity for budding writers to showcase their skills," Mayor Asfour said.

"The top three entrants will receive a share of $200 prize money and have the opportunity to continue writing with Sweatshop."

2017 finalist, Frances An, said anyone thinking about entering should stop thinking and start writing.

"Being a finalist in the competition, and having my work published, was a really proud moment," the 20-year-old Campsie resident said.

"Writing excites me because it portrays the darkest parts of human psychology in seemingly ordinary spaces.

"Since the competition, I’ve completed literature electives at university, submitted short stories to various national and international publications, and I’m currently working on a novel."

Entries of no more than 1,000 words should be submitted by 5pm Friday 16 February. To enter, or for more information, go to cb.city/youthweek or call 9707 9605.