Moorabool Libraries is thrilled to share the success of this year's Peter Carey Short Story Awards and Moorabool Young Writers Awards! Over 150 community members came together on Saturday 14 June to celebrate the power of storytelling and the incredible talent of our local young writers.
This Year's Theme: "Write Where You Are"
Local author Allyse Near served as our head judge for this year's young writers competition, which was open to students from Prep/Foundation through Year 12. The theme "Write Where You Are" challenged writers to incorporate landmarks and specific locations from within the Moorabool Shire into their stories.
Judge's Highlights
Allyse Near shared her enthusiasm for this year's entries, noting how the local focus created something truly special:
"This year's theme resulted in a wealth of totally different scenarios, which was particularly helpful when it comes to developing a strong setting - something that can be really challenging with limited word count. Because these locations were important to our writers, it gave the stories a real sense of authentic voice."
The localisation approach led to fascinating trends in storytelling. Rather than fantastical adventures, many writers gravitated toward historical and real-world narratives, with our region's natural beauty taking center stage. Nature reserves, rivers, waterfalls, and national parks proved to be particularly popular settings throughout the entries.
A Message to Our Young Writers
Judge Allyse Near emphasized the courage it takes to share creative work: "It's really hard to put yourself forward, to be judged, especially within a creative context. In this climate where creative industries are being undermined by the proliferation of AI and writing software, it's more important than ever to encourage young people to actively develop their creative skills."
She continued: "Text generators flatten ideas and box in minds. The act of putting pen to paper or fingertips to keyboards proves that young writers have imaginations that cannot be boxed in, caged, or programmed."
We extend our congratulations to each and every young writer who participated in this year's awards. Your creativity, dedication, and unique voices have created hundreds of distinctive stories that capture the heart of our community.
The Moorabool Young Writers Awards continue to showcase the incredible literary talent within our shire, proving that the best stories often begin right where we are.
Congratulations to this years winners:
Emerging Writers Awards (Foundation to Grade 2)
Ayden Apap
Leo Cianciarulo
Elsie Cricchiola
Lila Staub
Hannah Whitelaw
Maddison Smith
Middle Primary Awards (Grades 3 and 4)
Winner: The Ghost by Serena Barker
Runner Up: The Great Easter Hunt by Isabella Griffith
Third: Destiny by Evie Hill
Honourable Mention: The Library Books by Jaquie Veliscek
Honourable Mention: The Summit by Hunter Eddy
Upper Primary Awards (Grades 5 and 6)
Winner: The Arsonist by Eli Butler
Second: The Secret of Lerderderg River by Aurora Browney
Third: The Moorabool Legend by Ebony Smith
Honourable Mention: In the Past by Mia Di Mieri
Honourable Mention: Harvey's Mill Treehouse by Teodora Petruvseva
Honourable Mention: A Day Trip to the Jeweller's Mines by Keira Attard
Encouragement Award: The Chest of Trentham Falls by Joshua Askew
Encouragement Award: The Secrets of 100 Main Street by Riley Cayley
Youth Awards (Years 7 to 12)
Winner: The Half-Church by Kate Nicholson
Runner Up: Forget-Me-Not by Maddison Szalay
Third: Bloodied Memories by Blayk Kawana
Honourable Mention: The Forgotten Ones by Elsie Morrow