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Notes

  • In 2005 this award was an open award for short stories only. In 2006 writers were also permitted to enter the first chapter of an novel and the award was divided into two sections, one for writers aged under 18 and one for writers aged 18 to 24 years.

Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 2022

winner Grey Clisby de la Piedad for 'Claylike'.

Year: 2021

winner Maya Crombie for 'Leap Year's Boy'.

Year: 2016

winner Marmalade Abigail Strangward , 2016 single work short story
— Appears in: Voiceworks , Spring no. 105 2016; (p. 68-71)
'She didn't have visitors very often, to tell you the truth, much less young, uninvited boys. So on the pale Tuesday morning Maddy unlocked her front door, stowed her umbrella and coat away neatly and discovered him in her sitting room, she was far less surprised than she probably ought to have been.'

 (Publication abstract)

winner The Formula for Life Darrelyn Nguyen , 2016 single work short story
— Appears in: Voiceworks , Spring no. 105 2016; (p. 73-75)
'A few years ago, I had come across an article, 'Nature Has a Formula That Tells Us When It's Time to Die', by Robert Krulwich. It was amazing, how the immensity of life could supposedly be condensed into a singular mathematical formula. The mass of an organism multiplied by its metabolic rate was equal to its mass taken to the three-fourths power, a formula which transcended the distinct characteristics of seven hundred species. The tremendous developments of research left me bewildered, that the essence of death was able to be epitomised through such a simplistic manner. I think my cousin Steven would have been as equally fascinated by the article.' 

 (Publication abstract)

Year: 2015

winner The Be All and End All Madeleine Streater , 2015 single work short story
— Appears in: Voiceworks , Summer no. 102 2015-2016; (p. 66-71)
winner (Under 18) What Happens to a Family Zhi Wei Wang , 2015 single work short story
— Appears in: Voiceworks , Summer no. 102 2015-2016; (p. 73-77)
It had just suddenly appeared. Around it stood a shiny pair of brown designer dress shoes, two pairs of worn-in leather school shoes (shoelaces untied), and a pink fluffy pair of bunny slippers. Two ginger-striped balls of fur shuffled next to the four pairs of shoes, and pawed at this existence. It was a just dot, no different to if a full stop had floated off a page and decided to hover in the living room of this family.' 

 (Publication abstract)

Year: 2014

winner Soybeans Laura Woollett , 2014 single work short story
— Appears in: Voiceworks , Summer no. 99 2014; (p. 58-63) Award Winning Australian Writing 2015 2015; (p. 99-107)
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