We are pleased to announce the winners the Margaret Hazzard Short Story Award 2024.
With many thanks to judge Dr Rachel Matthews.
Congratulations to all the authors. Please note we have two 3rd prize joint winners.
1st prize: Beneath the Wailing Street – Gayle Beveridge
2nd Prize: Glubbed – Nichola Thompson
3rd prize: Footy Boots – Fran Prem
3rd prize: Provenance – Alison Knight
Short-list
- Baiting Crabs – Elaine Chennatt
- Mrs Bartram’s Neighbours – Gayle Beveridge
- Returns – Eva White
- Swiped Right – Robyn Black
- The Tiny Mirror – Claire Denness
- The Woman Who Loved Noah – Rosanne Dingli
Longlist
- A Circle of Light – Trica Bowen
- Am I The Invisible Man? – Janice Williams
- Cerebral Incident – Nichola Thompson
- Flora’s Princes – Janice Williams
- Henry – Fran Prem
- Holding Samuel’s Legacy – Louisa Prince
- Jack’s House – Taryn Donohue
- Lost – Paula Wilson
- Nicked – Gillian Barnett
- Of Business in Great Waters – Janice Williams
- On the Edge – Clare Roche
- Paintbox – Kym Tyzack
- Puffer Jacket – Alida Galati
- Shadow Play – Beverley Lello
- Terra Astris – Ellen Cottingham
- The Laughing Wave – Anne Louise Dubrawski
- The Norns – Denise Ogilvie
- The Road to Nowhere – Judith Green
- The Secret Life of a Car – Nichola Thompson
- Unco – Sandra Rutter
Winning stories will be published in the Society’s anthology, Sparx. Copyright remains with the author.
Judge: Dr Rachel Matthews
About our judge:
Dr Rachel Matthews is a Melbourne author, lecturer and teacher. Her debut novel Vinyl Inside received strong press reviews and was highly commended by the Australian Vogel Award judges. Siren, her 2017 novel was part of a PhD at Victoria University exploring sexual violence in Australian football. Never Look Desperate is her third novel, a tragi-comedy rated in the Guardian 'Best New Australian fiction' section. Her short fiction has been published in EQ magazine, educational and writing journals. She has over 20 years’ experience as an educator within a diverse range of learning environments, including lecturing in RMIT’s Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing, ACU’s Bachelor of Creative Arts, international settings, the RVIB and in student welfare at Virtual School Victoria (the largest gov school in the state). Rachel is also a contributor to news media.
https://www.rachelmatthewsauthor.com/
Background to the award:
In 1970, Margaret Hazzard gathered together fourteen women – journalists, authors, playwrights, illustrators, contributors of articles paid for by newspapers or magazines, and TV and radio writers – to form a Victorian branch of the Society of Women Writers.
In recognition of Margaret’s commitment to women writers and support of SWWV, the Margaret Hazzard Short Story Award was established.
The competition runs biennially and women writers residing in Australia (or members residing overseas) are invited to submit short stories of up to 2,000 words on any theme.