2019 Newcastle Short Story Award now open

Entries for the 2019 Newcastle Short Story Award are now open! This award boasts over $6000 in prizes with the winner taking away a sweet $3000.

So, what do you have to do? Well, the award is open to people 18 years and over and all you have to do is submit a short story up to 2000 words. There’s no theme.

The judges for the 2019 award are Annabel Smith (one of AWC's wonderful creative writing presenters) and Tim Richards.

From the Hunter Writers Centre website:

Annabel Smith is the author of Whiskey & Charlie (published in Australia as Whisky Charlie Foxtrot), digital interactive novel/app The Ark, and A New Map of the Universe, which was shortlisted for the West Australian Premier’s Book Awards.

Tim Richards is a Melbourne-based script assessor, screenwriting teacher, and short story writer. He is the author of three collections: Letters to Francesca (1996), Duckness (1998), and Thought Crimes (2011).

Past winners from the 2018 round are listed on the Hunter Writers Centre website.

Last year's first prize was won by Shaynah Andrews.

Here is an excerpt from her winning story Not for Me to Understand from the Hunter Writers Centre website:

“My blood feels too hot. I want to beat my fists against Dad for treating me like a kid. I smash a cup on the kitchen tiles, half on purpose. There are little bits of glass all around me. Dad and Linda rush into the room.

‘I’m sorry, it was an accident,’ I say.

‘It’s OK, possum,’ says Dad. I want him to yell and scream at me but he is gentle. ‘I’ll clean this up darlin’, just get away from all the glass. Careful now.’

Dad and Linda hover over plastic dustpans. I walk out the front door and ride my pushie to the beach with Ellie behind me.”

2019 Newcastle Short Story Award
First prize: $3000
Second Prize: $1700
Third Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $16.50
Entries close: 8pm AEST Monday 4 February 2019
Find out more about how to enter via the Hunter Writers Centre website.

Good luck everyone entering.