AustLit

This column lists the winning and highly commended stories in the 2011 'It's Never Too Late ... To Learn to Read' competition.

The 12 winning stories from published writers are: Refuting the White Rabbit by Maria Arena, Letters and Lufstories by Matt Blackwood, Letters by Sophie Constable, The Beauline by Jane Downing, I is for You by Tom Dullemond, Happy New Year by Penny Gibson, A Written History by Amy Jackson-Shelling, Camels in Morocco by Melanie Joosten, Roadhouse by Jennifer Mills, Taking Leaves by Tansy Rayner Roberts, A Time for Many Words by Ruth Starke and The Miracle Calendar by Philomena van Rijswijk.

Winning stories from new, unpublished writers are: A Reason for Reading by Kirralee Baldock, When English Made My Future Better by Faten Chendeb, The Sleeping Beauty by Cassandra Dickerson, For Lucy by Karen Eastwood, Grandad's Garden by Kath Harper, The War Gift by Vanessa Jones, My Neighbour's Screen Door by Mark Joseph, Strangers in Fiction by Kerri Turner and The Tin of Secrets by Steve Wilson.

Highly commended stories are: Written on My Heart by Juliet Blair, A Bridge Between Two Worlds by Astrid Cooper, God Shopping by Robert Hollingworth, The Books by Tania McCartney, One Better Life by Mike Murphy and Rocky Road by Jackie Tritt.

All stories are available as free downloads via the National Year of Reading website, http://www.love2read.org.au/index.cfm