Award Winning Australian Writing

Short-story writing in Australia is alive and well. Just how well is being judged by over 300 short-story writing and bush poetry competitions from Melbourne to Darwin and Bundaberg to Boyup Brook. Some of these, such as The Age Short Story Competition, are high profile, while others, such as the Page Seventeen Short Story Competition, are not. But they all encourage people to write and send in their work in the hope that it will strike a chord and, who knows, even win. And then what? Perhaps, at best, publication in The Age, The Village Voice or the Australian Bush Poets Association’s bi-monthly magazine.

Now, Award Winning Australian Writing (AWAW) brings the writing that wins short story and bush poetry awards around Australia to a wider audience. Well, perhaps The Age has a wider readership, but there is certainly something to be said for being published in book form – a book is forever! It is hoped this collection will encourage and inspire as well as entertain. We are not claiming that all of the stories here are masterpieces. You may like some and not others. But if you think you can do better, you know what to do!

The criterion for inclusion is that the story or bush poem has won an independently judged short story or bush poetry competition in 2007/8 and is under 3,000 words long. There is, however, an exception to every rule: ‘Passionfruit Time’ won the Authors’ Ally award the last time it was conducted in 2006; and ‘Toother’ is closer to 6,000 words than 3,000, but it is such a riveting read that one dosen’t really notice. The only other anomaly is that Max Merkenschlager gets two gurnseys, having won first prize in both the Australian Bush Poetry National Written Championship and The Bundaberg Bush Lantern Award. Bush poetry has been included as it is a uniquely Australian way of storytelling.

AWAW is also a tribute to the voluntary work of the passionate people who organise writing groups, such as the Eastern Writers Group, founded in 1938 ‘to give writers a chance to discuss their works in progress.’ You’ve got to love the Boyup Brook Short Story Competition (with a theme of Blue Gum trees), which was held to try to save their ‘weekend of books’. It attracted five adult entries, including Graham Calley’s gem, ‘Country Living.’
In compiling this first edition, thanks obviously go to all of the authors and writing organisations represented for their enthusiasm and support of the project. And to all the authors and writing organisations who are not represented, we look forward to seeing your winning entries in next year’s book.

Enjoy the read.

David Tenenbaum
Melbourne Books