Search Results

Hello writers! Whether established or emerging, young or old, published or yet-to-be-published, we want to encourage you in your writing forays. One of the best ways to forge a way forward with your writing craft is to get it out there in the world. Easier said than done? Well, here is something to motivate you: a list of all the upcoming writing competitions for Australians. We encourage you to choose one, and get writing! (Please note that the competitions are listed by due date.) March Mulga Bill Writing Award 2023 CLOSED Closing date: March 3, 2023 Goldfields Libraries and Eaglehawk Festivals Inc. are calling for entries from writers all over Australia for the annual Mulga Bill Writing Award. Writers are encouraged to take inspiration from the theme ‘gold’, and submit a poem (max. 25 lines) or short story (max. 2000 words). Short story: $500 first prize, $150 second prize, Poetry: $200 first prize, $50 second prize Entry fee is $5 More info The SCWC 2023 Poetry Award 2023 CLOSED Closing date: March 5, 2023 The Award is open to submissions of poems up to 50 lines responding to the theme “In Colour”, with four prizes to win totalling $1300. The Award will have guest judge Peter Ramm, published South Coast poet and winner of multiple awards including the SCWC 2021 Poetry Award. Submission fee per poem is $15/$10 for SCWC members. More info Little Black Dress Spooky Story Competition CLOSED Closing date: March 15, 2023 *NB: Tasmanian residents are only eligible to enter the Youth section The theme for 2022 is ‘After Midnight’. Adults: $10 per entry Youth: Free YOUTH: Max 500 words, one entry only (Australian residents) ADULT: Max 1,200, unlimited entries (WA residents only) More info Peter Carey Short Story Awards 2023 CLOSED Closing date: March 16, 2023 This award is for short stories between 2000 – 3000 words, and is open to all Australian residents. The winning entry receives $2000, while the runner-up wins $1000. First and second prized stories will also be published in the Spring 2023 issue of Meanjin. Entry fee is $15 per story More info Daisy Utemorrah Award CLOSED Closing date: March 30, 2023 For an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction by a First Nations author. Open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people currently living in Australia. Open theme. Entry free. Winner receives $15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books. More info Northern Beaches Writers’ Group Competition CLOSED Closing date: March 31, 2023 Stories up to 2,500 words that are inspired by the theme of ‘RAIN’, along with at least one copyright-free image that reflects and enhances that story. Stories can be non-fiction, fiction, or fiction inspired by true events. All genres and styles welcome. Entry fee: $15. Multiple entries welcome. Prizes: First place $250 + online publication. Second place $100 + online publication. More info FAW Tasmania 2023 Nairda Lyne Award CLOSED Closing date: March 31, 2023 For an original, unpublished short story suitable for children aged 8-12 years. First Prize $100 and winner’s name inscribed on a plaque in the State Library Launceston Branch. Hobart Bookshop voucher for the best Tasmanian entry. More info April CYA Competitions (U18, Aspiring & Published sections) CLOSED Closing date: April 11, 2023 Under 18s and Aspiring Writers sections are open themed and require first 5,000 words maximum, pitch and a single-spaced synopsis no longer than 600 words. Published Writers section is also open themed and requires first 12,500 words maximum, pitch and a single-spaced synopsis no longer than 600 words. Entry free for U18, $25 for Aspiring, $45 for Published. Prizes vary. More info Under the Silver Tree Short Story Competition CLOSED Closing date: April 12, 2023 This year's theme is UNDERGROUND, and entries may be up to 2000 words in length. First place wins $1000, and there are prizes for young people and local (Far West NSW) entries. Entry is $10. More info Peter Cowan Short Story Competition CLOSED Closing date: April 14, 2023 Entries may be up to 600 words in length. Open to all, as well as specific sections: Senior Writer Award, Novice Writer Award, Secondary Education Support Centre Student Award, Julian Cowan Youth Award. Prizes are $50-$200. Entry is $10 + Eventbrite fee, youth entries $5 + Eventbrite fee. More info Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction CLOSED Closing date: April 21, 2023 Open to all women and non-binary writers residing in Australia. Entries may be up to 2000 words in length, must be original, previously unpublished, and unperformed, and engage with the theme REVOLT. Prizes are $1000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place, all with a book pack and publication on the Lip Magazine website included. Entry is $10. More info ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize CLOSED Closing date: April 24, 2023 For an original work of short fiction with a length of 2,000-5,000 words. First prize $6,000, second prize $4,000, third prize $2,500. Entry is $30, or $20 for ABR subscribers. More info The Bronze Swagman Award CLOSED Closing date: April 30, 2023 All are welcome to enter works of bush poetry. First place wins $1100, runners-up $350, highly commended $100 and the Tim Borthwick Memorial Award $100. Entry is $25 per form (up to three poems) and includes a copy of the 2023 Bronze Swagman poetry book, posted on its publication. More info Furphy Literary Award CLOSED Closing date: April 30, 2023 Open to all Australians aged 18+ with the theme 'Australian Life in All Its Diversity.' The work must be fiction or narrative non-fiction and the length is no more than 5,000 words. First place wins $15,000, second place $3,000, third place $2,000. No entry fee is mentioned. More info Silver Tree Poetry Competition CLOSED Closing date: April 30, 2023 Open to all Australians of all ages, open theme, poetry only up to 50 lines length. First place wins $1,000, Junior entry $200, highly commended $100. Entry fee is $10. More info May The Writing Prize CLOSED Closing date: May 1, 2023 Open to all Australians of aged 40 years and under. For the best writing on the question, 'Why is ‘A Voice to Parliament’ important and how will it be of benefit to Australia?' Length 4,000-5,000 words. First place wins $10,000. No entry fee. More info Kyogle Writers Festival Poetry Competition CLOSED Closing date: May 1, 2023 Open to all Australians. For the best poem of any style on the theme 'beginning', with a maximum length of 35 lines. First place $250, second place $100, third place $50. Entry fee is $5. More info RD Walshe Memorial Writing for the Environment Prize CLOSED Closing date: May 31, 2023 Open to Australian citizens under different age categories (u19, 19-26 and over 60). For the best fictional prose on the theme, 'Your vision of the future.' Prizes in each category, up to $500. No entry fee. More info The Australian/Vogel’s Award for Young Writers CLOSED Closing date: May 31, 2023 Open to Australian citizens under aged under 35 years. For a 50,000-80,000 piece of fiction, Australian history or biography. Winner receives $20,000 and publication by Allen & Unwin with an advance against royalties. Entry is $25. More info June Ros Spencer Poetry Prize CLOSED Closing date: June 23, 2023 Open to all Australians. For original and unpublished poems of up to 60 lines, of any theme, for an opportunity to be published in the anthology Brushstrokes 2023. First place wins $1001, second place $299. Entry fee is $10. More info AAWP Writing Prizes CLOSED Closing date: June 28, 2023 The Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) publishes the literary journal Meniscus and the writing journal TEXT, and hosts a number of creative writing competitions. Open to all Australians of various ages and stages, according to each prize. AAWP / ASSF Short Story Prize AAWP / Westerly Magazine Life Writing Prize AAWP - UWRF Translators' Prize Sudden Writing Prize (U25 yrs) AAWP/UWRF Emerging Writers' Prize Click the link for information on each prize and the associated prize money/award. Entry fee is $20. More info Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards CLOSED Closing date: June 30, 2023 Poetry competition with various age sections, open to all students enrolled in Australian education facilities. Click the link for information on each prize and the associated prize money/award. Entry fee is $20 for up to 3 poems (where home-schooled or school is not taking part), and school entries are $30 for up to 30 entries, $60 for 30-100 entries and $80 for more than 100 entries. More info Henry Savery National Short Story Award CLOSED Closing date: June 30, 2023 Hosted by the Fellowship of Australian Writers Tasmania, this award is open to all Australian residents. Open themed short story of up to 2,500 words. First prize $400, second prize $100. Entry fee is $5. More info University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor's International Poetry Prize CLOSED Closing date: June 30, 2023 Open to all writers aged 18+. Open themed poem of up to 60 lines. First prize $15,000, second prize $5,000, international winner $5,000. Entry fee is $25 ($15 concession). More info July SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award CLOSED Closing date: July 1, 2023 Hosted by the Kennedy Foundation and recognises excellence in this genre of writing, either fiction or non-fiction. It is open to all budding crime writers and journalists, and word limit is 2,000 – 5,000 words. First place wins $1,000. Entry fee: $60 More info The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers CLOSED Closing date: July 7, 2023 For works of adult fiction or adult narrative non-fiction. Entries must include the first three chapters, up to 20,000 words in length, a one-page synopsis, a chapter breakdown and a statement up to 750 words about how winning the prize will further your writing career. Prize: Winning Entry: $10,000 and a 12-month mentorship with Hachette Australia More info The LIMINAL & Pantera Press Nonfiction Prize CLOSED Closing date: July 15, 2023 (extended) Open to first nations writers and writers of colour, for a work not exceeding 4,000 words. Theme: ARCHIVE. Archives are not merely sites where knowledge is retrieved, but sites where knowledge is produced. What is placed in an archive is often a monument to political authority—and the narrative that authority wishes to tell. Prizes: Winner $10,00 Second place $2,000 More info E.M. Fletcher Writing Competition CLOSED Closing date: July 15, 2023 Open to all Australians aged 18+ and hosted by Family History ACT and the University of Tasmania. For a short story on the theme of family history/genealogy, of length 1500-2000 words. First place wins $1000, second place $500. Entry fee is $30 ($20 for FHACT members). More info Not Quite Write – Flash Fiction Competition CLOSED Closing date: July 16, 2023 A flash fiction competition with a twist! The competition commences on 14 July 2023, and at this time, NQW will announce the competition criteria by email to those who have registered for email updates. Writers will then have 60 hours to submit a 600-word piece of original fiction in response to the given criteria. Entry is free Prizes: Winner $300 More info Albury City Short Story Award CLOSED Closing date: July 25, 2023 Open to any theme, with a word limit of 3,000 words Entry fee: $10 Prizes: Winner $1,000, Second place $200 book voucher, Third place $100 book voucher More info Short Stories Unlimited Competitions CLOSED Closing date: July 31, 2023 Open to all, with sections for poetry or short story on the theme 'urban'. Absolute upper word limit of short story section is 5,000 words. Poetry: first place $50 and copy of anthology, highly commended (x2) $25 and copy of anthology. Short story: first place $200 and copy of anthology, second place $100 and copy of anthology, third place $50 and copy of anthology, highly commended (x2) $20 and copy of anthology. Entry fee is $5 poetry, $10 short story. More info Port Writers Open Writing Competition CLOSED Closing date: July 31, 2023 For short fiction (up to 2500 words) and poetry (up to 32 lines). Entry fee: $10 per entry (maximum of 3 entries per category) Prizes: Winner $200, Second place $50, Hastings Prize for local author $50 (for local writers in the Port Macquarie-Hastings geographic area) More info August Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Writing Competition CLOSED Closing date: August 1, 2023 Open to all Australians. For a short story on the theme of detour/s, of length 1000 words. First prize wins a $250 Hawkeye Publishing Gift Voucher and anthology cover art based on story, top 40 entries will be published. Entry fee is $15. More info The Best Australian Yarn Short Story Competition CLOSED Closing date: August 1, 2023 Everyone has a story to tell. Share yours in the world’s richest short story competition for published and unpublished writers. Word limit: 1000 – 25o0 words Prizes: Overall Winer $50,000 Runner up $3,000 The Navitas ESL Prize $3,000 The First Nations Storytelling Prize $3,000 Regional Australia Winner $3,000 Readers Choice $2,000 Eight Shortlisted Finalists $1,000 each More info FAW Tasmania Poetry Prize CLOSED Closing date: August 31, 2023 Open to all Australians. For a poem on any theme, of no more than 60 lines in length. First prize wins $150, second prize $50. Entry fee is $5. More info September New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Non-fiction CLOSED Closing date: 28 September, 2023. Word limit: up to 2,500 words Entry fee: $10 Prizes: Winner $500 More info KSP Poetry Competition CLOSED Closing date: 27 September, 2023 Entries must be original and unpublished. All poetry styles and themes are acceptable. Entry fee: $10 per poem, no limit on entries Prizes: Winner $300, plus a weekend residency at the KSP Writers’ Centre, Second place $150 More info Woorilla Poetry Prize 2023 CLOSED Closing date: 30 September, 2023 Judith Rodriguez Open Section Word limit: up to 50 lines per poem Entry fee: $20 per poem Prizes: Winner $3,000, Second place $500 More info Scribes Writer Short Story Competition – 2023 CLOSED Closing date: 30 September, 2023 Genre: Short Story Theme: Open Work limit: 1,000 words Entry fee: $10 per entry Prizes: Winner $200, Second place $100 More info October Stella Prize CLOSED Closing date: 12 October, 2023 A major literary award that celebrates and promotes the work of Australian women and non-binary authors. For novels of all genres; memoir; biography; history; short story collections; poetry collections; verse novels; novellas. Entry fee: Earlybird $66, general $88 Prizes: Winner $60,000. Shortlisted $4,000. Longlisted $1,000. More info 2023 Ernestine Hill Memorial Award CLOSED Closing date: 21 October, 2023 Type: Short Story, in a rural setting Word limit: 4,000 words Entry fee: $20 per entry Prizes: Winner $1000 More info November The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize Closing date: 30 November, 2023 Open to Australian authors, for their first or second work, published by a recognised Australian publisher between June 2023 and May 2024. More info The Marj Wilke Short Story Award Closing date: 17 November, 2023, 5pm. Open to Australian women writers over the age of 18 years, for a short story up to 1,500 words length, open theme. Entry Fee: $15 or $40 for maximum of three (financial members of the Society of Women Writers Queensland Inc may submit one entry free). Prizes: First $350, second $150, and The Lauren Elise Daniels Encouragement Award $50. More info December 2024 Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award Closing date: 15 December, 2023 The Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award recognises the best original book, in the judges' opinion, that is published in Australia in the previous calendar year. Submissions must deal with any aspect of Australian life and can be in any field or genre of writing, verse or prose. Entry fee: $50 Prizes: Winner $50,000. More info

You may have heard by now that the Tamar Valley Writers Festival has two new faces in the roles of co-presidents to carry the vibrant organisation into the future. Georgie Todman and Lyndon Riggall are full of energy and passion for words: written, spoken, performed or any other way that sees people interacting with and enjoying this medium that ultimately promotes expression and empathy. We thought you might like to get to know them a little better. Here, Georgie gives us some insight into her world and workings. Next time, we'll bring you Lyndon. Enjoy. What's your day job? I am an English teacher at Launceston College, having recently transferred in from Brooks High School. I am also a foster carer with Life Without Barriers and the president of Three River Theatre Company. Your earliest memory? Gathering plums with my siblings in Beaconsfield. They had rigged up a guttering system to send them down the tree to the wheelbarrow. I thought it was magic! How do you unwind? I love to settle in with a good book or perhaps play a competitive/cooperative board game with friends or watch a good episode on the couch. What's something quirky about you? I'm a vego, I can't feel one of my legs, I complete running events for fun and am about to do my second 25km 'Gone Nuts', I played the violin, I have my certificate one in Auslan and I can't eat onion. What are you reading right now? I just finished Heather Rose's memoir Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here (Allen & Unwin, 2022). We recently attended an in-conversation with Heather and she was so genuine and impressive. I have also enjoyed two very cosy fantasy/sci fi stories in A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Becky Chambers, 2021) and Legends and Lattes (Travis Baldree, 2022) and I'm listening to Brene Brown's Atlas of the Heart (Vermilion, 2022) at the gym. Finish this sentence, "If I could meet one person I would choose..." ...to go back in time and mess around with the grandfather paradox, shake things up a bit. Finish this sentence too, "My vision for the future of the TVWF includes..." ...engaging with the wider Tasmanian community, including young people, and fostering a love of language, literacy and community. I would love to see more people coming together to practise their writing craft and getting excited about reading and stories!

You may have heard by now that the Tamar Valley Writers Festival has two new faces in the roles of co-presidents to carry the vibrant organisation into the future. Georgie Todman and Lyndon Riggall are full of energy and passion for words: written, spoken, performed or any other way that sees people interacting with and enjoying this medium that ultimately promotes expression and empathy. We thought you might like to get to know them a little better. Last week, Georgie gave us some insight into her world and workings. Today, we bring you Lyndon Riggall. Enjoy. What's your day job? Like Georgie, I am an English teacher at Launceston College, but I am lucky enough to also have a role promoting books at our school library this year. I can’t imagine what a younger version of me would think about where I have found myself. I wish I could just grab myself at thirteen and say, “It’s okay. You’re going to get to live in the world of books all day, every day.” Your earliest memory? Being a kindergarten student, delighting in those half-days of chaos at primary school. I was absolutely obsessed with two-minute noodles, and while the microwave was running for its allotted time I would charge around the house in enormous excited loops, knowing that I could do about four laps before the timer ticked down. If I was a dog you’d call it the zoomies. How do you unwind? I’m trying really hard at the moment not to use my phone as a soothing device at night. It’s so powerful, and always so available, so it can be challenging not to reach for it as my first option, but I find it’s better if I don’t. Settling down at night, I’ll get the best night’s sleep after a nice cup of tea and an hour reading before I drift away. After a long work day, I’m also rapidly discovering that a good run is like a whole-body reset. If I can just con myself into getting through the first five minutes, I know I’ll feel better for it. What's something quirky about you? I drive an electric car! Last year I bought myself a Nissan Leaf and I absolutely love it. It is such an unusual thing to come home and “plug in” my car to charge (yes, in a regular power-point!), but I’m certainly enjoying not having to go to the petrol station on the way home. It barely whispers on the road and it feels like the future. I’ve always loved driving, but this is definitely the kind of driving for me! What are you reading right now? I am reading Jennifer Down’s Bodies of Light (Text, 2021), the winner of the 2022 Miles Franklin Award. So far it’s an extremely powerful exploration of the foster care system and one woman’s life and experiences growing up. The further I get into it the more nervous I am about where it might be going, but it is without a doubt an exceptional novel and I am just soaking it up. Finish this sentence, "If I could meet one person I would choose..." Terry Pratchett. I recently finished his official biography A Life With Footnotes by Rob Wilkins (Doubleday, 2022), and it will always be one of my biggest regrets that I never had the chance to meet him and experience his wit and wisdom first-hand. One of my prize possessions is an illustration of the Discworld’s orangutan librarian that he has signed. Sadly, that will have to do. Finish this sentence too, "My vision for the future of the TVWF includes..." An expansion of the reading community. We have an amazing army of stalwart festival-goers who are smart, generous and passionate about the written word, but I can’t help but feel that our mission now is to try and grow this group even more. Those of us who are readers know what everyone else is missing out on. I would love to see our literary community continue to grow with new eyes and fresh voices.

Home to Echidna Lane by Eva Scott (Reviewed by Kate Jackson @kate_thebooklover) Back in late 2021, Eva Scott and her family made the Coal River Valley their home after moving to Tasmania from Queensland and, excitingly, her 2023 release is set in the very area she now calls home. Her recent books have followed tropes from '90s romcoms and Home to Echidna Lane (Harper Collins Australia) is no different, drawing comparisons to the Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr movie Hope Floats. I couldn’t get enough of the local Tassie references. There were just so many moments this book made me smile due to the mention of something like a familiar place, the aurora australis, or even just a reference to the Tasmanian way of life. Although the main setting of the book, the town of Winton, is fictional, quite a few Southern Tasmanian towns and locations get a mention, like Richmond and Sorell—and even Eva’s favourite coffee shop, Czegs’ Café, makes a cameo. I just adored the characters in this book; Shane, a local lad, widower, a single father who makes a living walnut farming; and Lacey, Shane’s high school crush, is a local girl who only ever wanted to escape the small-town life for the glamour of the big city. Lacey finds herself back living with her parents in Echidna Lane after her perfect life crumbles live on television. She brings her two boys and a broken heart and it’s her parents and Shane that help to piece it back together. I really enjoyed the banter between Shane and Lacey, and the way they navigate through this new chapter in their lives. The minor characters also really added to the story. Lacey's father had me smiling with his bedtime stories. I loved the walnut-inspired recipes included at the end of chapters. I am definitely going to give some of them a try as they sound utterly delicious! First up will be the Sunday Lunch Tortellini with Burnt Butter, Sage and Walnuts. Chatting via Instagram, Eva has told me that this will be her last Rural Romance novel for a while, and I can say that without a doubt she has gone out with a bang. This one would have to be my favourite of her recent books. I have no doubt that Home to Echidna Lane will be very popular with Tassie readers and lovers of rural romance. Home to Echidna Lane, published by Harlequin Australia, is set for release on August 2 around Australia. Kate Jackson is a prolific bookstagrammer and you can follow her reviews and snippets of life on Instagram @kate_thebooklover

On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs (Reviewed by Katie Lewis). On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs (Penguin, 2023) follows the Hatton family, convict descendants living in the Tasmanian bush on a farm called Paradise in the 1870s. The story centres around the arrival of two strangers into their midst, both evangelical preachers from outside Tasmania. The strangers’ arrival causes quite the stir within the tight-knit community as they go from house to house conducting revivals and converting the locals, and the Hatton family start to question long held beliefs about their past and their future. I was completely drawn in by this book. Tasmania in the late 1800s is not a setting I’ve read much about, and I really loved being transported to the rough but beautiful farm of Paradise. The story is told through the perspectives of five different members of the Hatton family, following each character through roughly the same time period. As we move from one character’s perspective to the next, we learn more and more about their lives and their reactions to the arrival of the evangelists. We see the same events through five very different perspectives and, rather than being repetitive, it was nuanced and so unique. I loved how each new perspective added more and more to the story, carefully and delicately layering details on top of each other. It was cleverly done. I also love when the landscape becomes a character in a story and the author does it so well in this book. You can feel the connection she has to this place and its history, and I loved being able to feel that through this story. It was also impeccably researched. This is a quiet but tender book. It was a little melancholy but also eerily beautiful, and I loved how the author highlighted the beauty in the ordinary lives of the Hatton family. The more I learned about this family, the more I found myself sinking into their world. I could smell the gum trees, I could hear the water of the Dasher, and I could feel the cold wind blowing in from the mountain. The writing was evocative and immersive, without being overly flowery, and dialogue felt natural and genuine. I loved the way the author carefully crafted the characters and slowly brought them to life. They felt so real. I’ll be thinking about this family for a long time to come. On a Bright Hillside in Paradise was an extremely enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend, especially to readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction. Katie Lewis as a prolific bookstagrammer and you can find more of her reviews on Instagram @katie.reads.things More Reviews The Secrets of the Huon Wren, by Claire van Ryn. Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here, by Heather Rose.

The Unearthed by Lenny Bartulin (Reviewed by Kate Jackson @kate_thebooklover) Tasmanian-born Lenny Bartulin is the author of five books and his latest, The Unearthed (Allen & Unwin), is the first of his I’ve read. I was drawn to the setting of the story in my own locality, as well as the fact that I enjoy a good mystery. Set mainly on the West Coast of Tasmania, in and around the townships of Strahan and Queenstown, there were some very familiar places mentioned throughout this book, like Hamer's Hotel in Strahan and the gravel football oval in Queenstown, giving the story a strong grounding and sense of atmosphere. Initially, on finishing the book, I had the strange feeling of not being sure what I thought, but the more I mulled it over, the more I feel it was actually cleverly done. It included several mysteries to be solved and, unlike crime novels I have read in the past, they aren’t solved in the traditional sense, almost allowing the reader to form their own conclusions. This book will make you stop and reflect on what you have just read. Told from multiple points of view and jumping between various timelines in the present day and 1950s, each part of the story reveals pieces of the mystery. When bones are found in the Tasmania wilderness, one of the main characters, Antonia Kovács, discovers through her work at FSST (Forensic Science Services Tasmania) that they are decades old. She has questions for her father, a now retired Police Inspector who had been stationed at Queenstown around the time, so she heads home to where he is now enjoying a quiet retirement in the harbourside township of Strahan. Meanwhile, Tom Pilar the other main character in the book, receives an inheritance. It’s from a man belonging to his past, a friend of his father's, though Tom can barely remember him. He travels from the mainland to Queenstown to get a better understanding of why he was receiving it. I felt the author's description of the drive from Hobart to Queenstown was spot on! There are flashbacks where we meet some post-war migrants and locals working in the mines. It’s through these flashbacks that the mysteries begin to unfold. I found it interesting how the mysteries were revealed, laughing to myself when I realised the clues I had clearly missed. I certainly won’t be a detective anytime soon! I enjoyed the local references; I could tell that the author had spent time in and around the areas described in the book. There has also been some extensive research undertaken into the lives of the migrant workers of the area in the early/mid 1900s. At 274 pages you can easily devour this in one sitting. The Unearthed was released in Australia on August 1st by Allen & Unwin, in paperback, e-book and audio. Kate Jackson is a prolific bookstagrammer and you can follow her reviews and snippets of life on Instagram @kate_thebooklover

Reviewed by Kate Jackson @kate_thebooklover I was absolutely delighted to read an advanced copy of Claire van Ryn’s debut novel The Secrets of the Huon Wren published by Penguin Random House Australia on June 27. This story had me captivated as it circles around two women and the connection that they build after a chance meeting. Set in Tasmania, the story is written in dual timelines. The present day, 2019, is set in Launceston and in 1953 in Caveside, at the base of the majestic mountains of the Great Western Tiers. We begin the story in the present day where we are introduced to Allira Ambrose who is a journalist for a local magazine, and can I just say when I first read her full name I thought, what a great name for a character, Allira Ambrose! It had such a good ring to it and is so memorable, just like her character will be for the reader long after the last page of this book is turned. It’s through a twist of fate that we meet Nora at the nursing home in the present day. Allira has arrived there to interview another resident but when that isn’t possible, Sally, the homes manager, tells Allira of Nora, a dementia patient who sits cradling a doll so lovingly in her arms. Having lost my own grandmother to dementia, the first few chapters really tugged at my heart strings and I felt a huge mix of emotions. The chapters then alternate from the past to the present, with flashbacks to 1953 when Nora is a 15-year-old, free-spirited young lady who doesn’t want to conform to her mother’s belief that her calling in life is to be that of a housewife and mother. Nora’s world is turned upside down when a young Polish-German migrant makes a wood delivery to Nora’s father who is the local undertaker. The titbits the author provides about his profession I found utterly fascinating. As the story progressed, I couldn’t help but enjoy the connection that builds between the two women. It is so heart-warming, and I found their relationship to be an interesting one. They are unable to connect simply by words, but share a similar life-changing experience that bonded them. As Allira continues to visit Nora, she knows there is a story to be told about this woman and the carved Huon wren in her room and I enjoyed how the secret unfolded and the past came crashing into the present. It was a bittersweet ending, with a few soggy tissues tucked into my sleeve as I finished the final chapters. I enjoyed the array of characters within the story; Rae, Allira’s best friend, Her Husband Hamish (picture a hot, hunky paramedic) and Nora’s father won my heart. There was also an interesting dynamic with mother-daughter relationships experienced by both the main characters. This book covers some sensitive topics that are central to the story, but I found the author approached them delicately and with such care that you can’t help but feel empathy for the characters involved. There is so much to like and enjoy about this book, I found it captivating and loved the instant connection I had with the story and setting. It was a brilliant debut novel, and I am excited to read more of what Claire van Ryn has to offer in the future. Kate Jackson is a prolific bookstagrammer and you can follow her reviews and snippets of life on Instagram @kate_thebooklover

Saddleback Wife by Fiona Stocker (reviewed by Claire van Ryn @clairevanryn) After attending the book launch of Saddleback Wife and hearing firsthand its author's delightful British accent and her witty, if slightly dark, sense of humour, I couldn't resist taking a copy home. This is Fiona Stocker's second memoir (you may be familiar with her first, Apple Island Wife) which leans heavily on her experience as an English expat eking out a life in Australia's island state with her husband, Oliver, and two kids. No, you don't need to have read the first to appreciate the second. Nor do you need to have any interest in pigs (phew! I hear you say). Saddleback Wife, with the subtitle Slow Food in Tasmania, is the story of a couple with admirable dreams of rearing Wessex Saddleback pigs and selling premium pork at bustling farmers markets each weekend. The pigs would live long and idyllic lives compared with their mass-farmed counterparts, and the customers would be agog for the delectable, superior pork product made from these happy creatures. It is the dream versus the reality. In fact, it reads like one of those Instagram posts that juxtaposes the glossy, colour-coordinated beauty of a photo with what it took to produce it. The warts-and-all, behind the scenes footage. 'Television lifestyle shows have a lot to answer for. They're responsible for many of the unexpected turns our married life has taken, and we've sourced many of our experimental ideas from them,' Fiona writes in the prologue. A newspaper article about Tasmania was impetus for the family's move to Australia, and the television series River Cottage was responsible for their interest in pigs soon after. 'As we sat on our sofa one evening, watching Hugh preparing a straw-filled birthing shed for his sows, Oliver turned to me. "We could keep those pigs in our bush block, you know," he said. I could have sworn I saw a light bulb flickering over his head.' Saddleback Wife gave me a great appreciation for farmers, particularly boutique-style farmers with high-end product for high-end prices. Her insights on rearing an animal that requires more time for less quantity, made me appreciate the price tags, not to mention the incredible amount of back-breaking work, tenacity and self-belief required to make a go at something they had never done before. At times, the memoir's accounts are frank to the point of being brutal. I'm not sure I would recommend this to someone who has just started a pig-farming operation. Then again, maybe it would help them avoid the same mistakes. In the end, I was grateful for a glimpse at reality. In a world where I make pork stir fry with meat sourced from a plastic tray bought from a supermarket, it's easy to forget that life is sacrificed for our appetites. Whether you're an avid carnivore or a vegan, or somewhere in-between, I think we can all agree that society would be enriched and somehow more intelligent if our our spending habits were more considered. This is a book for that. For understanding the backstory of our food, and allowing time to sit in that potentially uncomfortable place. Thankfully, it's told with Fiona's wry humour which makes it that bit more palatable. Oh, and did I mention there are recipes? The carbonara was a hit in my household! Find out more about Fiona Stocker, her books and her writing here.

We're delighted to share this collection of short stories. It is comprised of the winners of our recent short story competition where the theme was 'The Good Life'. We had some truly incredible entries and our judges had their work cut out for them. The winners are as follows: Grades 5-6: "Pippy: A True Story" by Jade Dickinson from Kingston Primary School Grades 7-9: "The Sleeping Forest" by Erin Grubert from Scotch Oakburn College Grades 10 - 12: "The Midden" by Ena Nichols from Don College Open Section: "Mother" by RT Wenzel The Adam Thompson 'New Voice' Award: "Welcome to the Afterlife" by Mieke Burch from Launceston College The Adam Thompson 'New Voice' Award Highly Commended: "An Affair with the Dark" by Monique Schnitzer from Clarence High School We hope you enjoy them! Tamar-Valley-Writers-Festival-Short-Story-Competition-Winners-2022Download Mieke Burch and Adam Thompson at 'The Power of the Short Story' panel and prize announcement. Hotel Grand Chancellor Saturday Oct 15.

The school holidays are approaching and the Tamar Valley Writers Festival is here to support and engage young writers throughout Launceston and the Tamar Valley.  Our program has been designed for 12 - 18 year olds to work on world building, spoken word poetry, visual language, and more. The workshops are all one hour long and feature Tasmanian talents. Sara Ferrington is the founder and atelierista of Rascal Robot Art Space - an art space to celebrate and nurture young visual creatives based in the West Tamar Valley. Sara will talk about creating visual language and storytelling that doesn't rely on traditional language to communicate meaning and ideas. Jazz Frost, a spoken word poet, recently published her anthology 'Ambiguity', documenting their journey through accepting her queerness, vulnerability, and mental health. They are excited to pass on the freedom of expressing oneself through words and the joy of performing. Jazz has youth mental health first aid qualifications and works with young people from trauma backgrounds, as well as being one of the driving forces behind Launceston's Queer Pride Ball, earning them a special commendation at the Young Tasmanian of the Year Award 2022. Avery McDougall published her debut YA novel in April 2022 with Forty South Publishing. Invisibly Grace has been described as moving, genuinely funny, and honest as it deals with being a teenager, chronic illness, and being the 'new kid'. She is a teacher librarian by degree and a youth worker in practice, specialising in working with those, like her, who collect 'A-Words' (autistic, autoimmune, author, awesome.... the list goes on!). Avery looks forward to helping young people with their world building and dialogue, making characters and settings feel authentic and alive. Mallika Naguran isn't just an author, she's also a very experienced communicator and environmental professional. She has published two books for young people that focus on retelling classic tales for younger readers (Peter Pan and Ramayana: the quest to rescue Sita by Pop!Lit for Kids). She's thrilled to be part of the young writers program and looks forward to helping young people develop compelling voices for animal characters.  For more information on workshops, dates, and times, check out Eventbrite!

The launch of Avery McDougall’s debut young adult fiction novel ‘Invisibly Grace’ was an enjoyable and thought-provoking evening hosted by the Tamar Valley Writers Festival at Petrarch’s Bookshop, attended by headspace Launceston. McDougall was presented in conversation with local literary fixture and Doctor of Creative Writing Cameron Hindrum. Their candid conversation was interspersed with laughter as well as discussion not just about the challenges of writing a novel, but of McDougall’s own complicated health journey. Hindrum spoke highly of main character Grace’s wit and authenticity, as well as the tone and pace of the story. McDougall shared that she wanted the book to not just serve as representation for young people in Grace’s health situation but also as an opportunity to develop empathy and understanding for others who meet people like Grace in their lives. ‘Invisibly Grace’ is the story of sixteen-year-old Grace Turing as she arrives at a new school determined to keep her chronic illness a secret to try and seem ‘normal’. The Examiner wrote about Avery McDougall’s desire to flout the traditional disability or ‘sicklit’ genre for young adult fiction by presenting a protagonist who both has a chronic condition without an ‘end’ and doesn’t serve as inspiration for able-bodied characters in their article on Saturday April 30. ‘Invisibly Grace’ is available from Forty South Publishing’s website, as well as Petrarch’s Bookshop and Fullers Bookshop Hobart. Signed copies are available at Petrarch’s Bookshop in Launceston.

Tamar the Thief is an e-book that was commissioned and created by the Tamar Valley Writers Festival to be shared for free with schools, families and readers everywhere. The project was the vision of the festival’s artistic director Georgie Todman, who brought together in collaboration two Launceston-based creators: writer Lyndon Riggall and artist Grace Roberts. In this blog, Lyndon shares his insight into how the book came to be, beginning with his experience writing the book. * * * * * I have always loved magpies (Go Collingwood!). I love the beautiful pattern of their black and white feathers, the wildness of their eyes, the wardle argle oogle sound they make when they sing of the morning’s arrival… to be honest even their swooping (which luckily we don’t see much of in Tasmania) is fascinating to me. Where I sit to write each morning, above me is an artwork by Graeme Whittle (who I created my first picture book, Becoming Ellie, with) called The Song of the Magpie. When Georgie, Grace and I met, I told them of my love for these birds, and we talked about different ideas for what we might create, including having a magpie visit Tasmania from the mainland on holiday! For me, the first step was always going to be the story. I wanted to know what we, as readers, learn when we turn the final page. In European folklore there are so many tales of magpies being thieves… there is even a famous opera about it! In actual fact, magpies aren’t nearly as interested in shiny objects as we are interested in making up stories (which makes me wonder if some of those famous tales aren’t really just good excuses for when we lose our car keys). Nevertheless, it is true that magpies have been known to steal the odd shiny object to add to their nest. When the creative team behind Tamar the Magpie returned back to our houses, we began playing with ideas privately, and one day my phone buzzed with an image attached from Grace. It was a sketch of a magpie, but there was something special about her… she had the most startlingly human expression on her face. It occurred to me that she looked like I do when someone tries to talk to me while I’m really hungry! That was when Tamar came to life for me. In that face I saw jealousy, and stubbornness, and I knew that this little magpie would do almost anything to try and keep up with everyone else. I realised, suddenly, that as her house grew more and more crowded with the things hoarded away inside it she would get less and less happy with every passing day as the guilt weighed on her wings. From that point on I knew I had the course of Tamar’s journey. Tamar’s tale is really about the fact that sometimes we get confused about what we really need. Tamar isn’t wrong that there is something missing in her life, but like so many of us she tries to fill that hole with things, when what she really needs is a friend. It was very important to me that she found a true friend by the end of the book, and I can’t think of a single creature more deserving of the title than Luka the kookaburra. Luka is patient with Tamar. He doesn’t fight her when she convinces herself that all of the things that she has collected in her house are going to make the other birds like her. He doesn’t try to make her throw anything away. He waits patiently for her to realise for herself that the life that she is living is not the one that she wants, and guides her thinking by being the best example of a better way of living that he can possibly be. The story tells us that Luka knows that any friend who only wants to visit you because of the cool stuff that you have isn’t a true friend, but he doesn’t have to say that. That’s probably what I love most about him: he believes that Tamar will make the right choice if he just cares about her and gives her the time and space to think about what will really make her happy. I am really proud of Tamar the Thief. With Georgie’s passion and hard work to bring the project to life, the enthusiasm of our festival director Mary Machen and the Tamar Valley Writers Festival committee, and of course Grace’s captivating illustrations, I think that what we have created together is a book that people of all ages can love, and laugh at, and even learn from. The best news of all? In the book Tamar realises that holding on to beautiful things won’t make her happy, and so instead she he releases them back into the world. Here we have a beautiful thing that we have made. I am very excited to be giving it away. Author photo: Kate Tulejac * * * * * Read Tamar The Thief