Now is the time to start writing those unwritten short stories and poems.
Entries for the 2022 Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing (NPCW) are now open, with $18,000 available in prizes.
The NPCW is awarded every two years and builds on the Shire's strong tradition of supporting contemporary Australian writing.
In 2022 prizes will be awarded for
- Best short stories – with open, local and youth categories
- Best poems – also with open, local and youth categories.
The prestigious Alan Marshall Short Story Award will be awarded to the open winner in the short story category. The Alan Marshall Short Story Award has been an important fixture on the Australian literary calendar since 1985 and celebrates one of the giants of the local literary scene.
In addition there'll also be a Mayor's Award.
Nillumbik Mayor Peter Perkins said the Australian renowned and highly regarded prize is now into its 17th year.
"This prestigious award showcases excellence in contemporary writing and celebrates Nillumbik's culturally rich artistic community," Cr Perkins said.
"Council is proudly a strong supporter of all art forms, support that is especially important as we continue to mitigate the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."
The best writing in local, open, youth and poetry categories from the Nillumbik Prize will be published in an anthology, and celebrated at a special event next year.
Entries close Sunday 7 November 2021.
The judges for NPCW 2022 are:
Alan Marshall Short Story Prize:
Tim Richards
Tim Richards is a Melbourne-based writer, script consultant and screenwriting teacher. He is the author of three story collections. His latest book is Approximate Life: The Prince and Other Stories (Ligature, 2022).
Bec Kavanagh
Bec Kavanagh is a Melbourne-based writer and academic. She has written fiction and non-fiction for a number of publications including Westerly, Meanjin, Review of Australian Fiction and the Shuffle anthology.
Nillumbik Prize Contemporary Writing – Poetry:
Cassandra Atherton
Cassandra Atherton is an international expert on the prose poetry form and an award-winning prose poet. Cassandra has authored and edited over 30 critical and creative books and has been invited to edit 12 special editions of leading refereed journals.
Tony Birch
Tony Birch is the author of three novels: the bestselling The White Girl; Ghost River, which won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing; and Blood, which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. In 2021, Tony will publish two new books; a poetry collection, Whisper Songs, and a new book of short stories, Dark As Last Night (both with UQP).
