National Writing Competition Attracts Record Number of Entries

IMAGE: Gabriel, Mirabelle and Gwendolyn Corkery all won prizes in the school section of the Lambing Flat Young Fellowship of Australian Writers Annual National Writing Competition.

The 2022 winners of the Lambing Flat Young Fellowship of Australian Writers Annual National Writing Competition were announced at the Cherry Festival on Sunday, December 4.

From a field of 771 entries, 289 of which were within the school section, the prize winners came from around Australia.

For the first time ever, a prize was awarded to an overseas entry - a student from Sri Lanka.

The competition was marked by a strong response in the schools section resulting in Lambing Flat Writers providing an additional third place cash prize.

Judges noted the high standard of entries describing the quality of Years 7, 8, and 9 short stories and secondary poetry as outstanding. Standards in primary and junior primary sections have markedly increased each year.

Lambing Flat Writers were appreciative of the support of the competition and encouragement to young writers provided by teachers locally and around Australia.

Major prize winners from the Hilltops area students include:

Second Place Junior Primary Short Story Years 1 - 2 - 3, Annabelle Calvert, Young;
Third Place Junior Primary Short Story Years 1 - 2 - 3, Gabriel Corkery, Young;
First Place Primary School Short Story Years 4 - 5 - 6, Mirabelle Corkery, Young;
Third Place Junior Poetry Years 1 - 2 - 3, Thomas Goltz, Binalong Public School;
First Place Primary Poetry Years 4 - 5 - 6, Imogen Grange, Binalong Public School;
Third Place Short Story Years 7 - 8 - 9, Gwendolyn Corkery, Young;
First Place Short Story Years 10 - 11 - 12, Ray Prowse, Young.

Students from St Joseph’s School Boorowa and Young Public School received a large number of the Judges’ Highly Commended and Commended awards.

The adult section also had record entries, with an almost equal number of entries in the poetry and short story sections.

There was a diverse range and breadth of entries reflecting many themes and genres. Each year entries reflect current times and issues.

Coordinators, Joan Dwyer and Ted Webber have, over many years, had the mammoth task of organising and steering the competition. Their efforts have made it the success it is today.

Full details of results were posted on the Writers Wall in the Young Library and sent to all participating schools.