Short Story Competition

Junior A (Prep - Year 3)

1st Prize: $300
2nd Prize: $200
3rd Prize: $100

Junior B (Year 4 - Year 6)

1st Prize: $300
2nd Prize: $200
3rd Prize: $100

Teen (Year 7 - Year 12)

1st Prize: $300
2nd Prize: $200
3rd Prize: $100

Adult (18 years and over)

1st Prize: $750
2nd Prize: $500
3rd Prize: $250

Additional information

• Prizes will also be awarded for Best First-Time Entry and Highly Commended in each category.
• In the event of a tie in any category, prizes will be added together and divided equally between the winners.

Junior Judge: Maxine Beneba Clarke 

Maxine Beneba Clarke is the author of over fifteen books for adults and children, including the poetry collection ‘It's the Sound of the Thing: 100 new poems for young people’, which won the 2024 ABIA for Book of the Year for Younger Children, 'Stuff I'm (NOT) Sorry For: 99 more poems for young people’, and the ‘Aussie Kids’ series chapter book ‘Meet Taj at the Lighthouse’.

Maxine’s picture books include the fashion anthem ‘Fashionista’, the CBCA Honour Book ‘The Patchwork Bike’, and the illustrated poem ‘When We Say Black Lives Matter’, which was longlisted for the UK's Kate Greenaway Medal.

She is currently Poet in Residence at The University of Melbourne.

Learn more about Maxine Beneba Clarke.

Young Adult Judge: Ernie Rijs

Ernie has spent nearly 50 years in Secondary Education as a leader and English / Humanities teacher. He is an experienced theatre performer and director.

Ernie’s first novel, ‘The Crossing’, was published in October 2022. He is currently putting the finishing touches to his second novel, ‘Hindsight’, and is halfway through a sequel to ‘The Crossing’. He writes short stories and plays, both for fun and to test himself in competitions, and now works as a Secondary School Counsellor. Ernie has four daughters and six grandchildren.

Read 'The Crossing' by Ernie Rijs.

Adult Judge: Alice Pung

Alice Pung OAM is an award-winning author from Naarm. Her non-fiction books ‘Unpolished Gem’, ‘Her Father’s Daughter’ and ‘Growing Up Asian in Australia’ have been set texts at schools and universities around Australia, Asia and the US. ‘Her Father's Daughter’ won the Western Australia Premiers' Award, and her novel ‘Laurinda’ won the Ethel Turner Prize at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. ‘One Hundred Days’, Alice’s first novel for adults, was shortlisted for the 2022 Miles Franklin Award and has been optioned by Michelle Law for development as a film. She is also the author of several award-winning children’s books.

Alice is the current Artist in Residence at Janet Clarke Hall and Adjunct Professor at RMIT University's School of Media and Communication. In 2022 she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to literature.

Learn more about Alice Pung.

Refine your writing skills and work on your Short Story in our writing workshops!

Writing for Competitions with Emily Bitto (Ages 18+)

Start your Story in this 4-week in-person preparation course with award-winning author, Emily Bitto. Learn and build on your skills each week with fun writing exercises and activities. Explore key elements including genre, story development, character formation, writing structure and more.

Emily Bitto has a Masters in Literary Studies and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. Her writing has appeared in various publications, including 'HEAT', 'The Age', 'Sydney Morning Herald' and 'The Big Issue fiction edition'. Her debut novel, 'The Strays' was shortlisted for the 2013 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, and went on to win the 2015 Stella Prize.

Saturdays from 17 May to 7 June, 10.30am to 12.30pm
Melton Library & Learning Hub

Book now

Show don’t tell: Writing workshop with Nicole Hayes (Ages 18+)

To help you kick off your Short Story entry, we’ve invited award-winning author and podcaster Nicole Hayes to share her words of wisdom.

Nicole is the author of several works including Young Adult novels 'One True Thing' and 'A Shadow’s Breath', the popular 'Little Legends' children's series, and 'From the Outer', an anthology of footy stories from unexpected voices.

In this workshop, Nicole will break down the difference between 'showing' and 'telling' in writing, what this concept looks like, when to apply it, and when not to. Through guided activities, Nicole will teach you how to create dynamic scenes that serve your story.

Wednesday 28 May, 6pm to 7.30pm
Online via Zoom

Book now

Little Writers (Ages 7 – 14)

Create imaginative worlds, colourful characters and stories that leap off the page! With fun writing exercises and helpful hints, we'll get you on the way to writing a book of your very own.

Every Wednesday for 8 weeks, during school terms, 4pm to 4.45pm
Online via Zoom

Book now

Writing Workshop with Alice Pung (Ages 18+)

Find your writer's voice in this interactive workshop with award-winning Melbourne-based author (who also happens to be one of this years' judges!) Alice Pung. You’ll learn how to create characters and dialogue to make your piece stand out from the crowd.

Monday 16 June,11am to 12.30pm
Caroline Springs Library & Learning Hub

Book now

Little Writers Workshop with author Michael Wagner (Ages 7 – 14)

It’s Little Writers with a twist! Hear from a real-life author about his writing, with tips and tricks to build your storytelling skills.

Michael Wagner is a children's author, speaker and storyteller. Some of his most-loved picture books include ‘Why I Love Footy’, Why I Love Summer’ and ‘Dirt by Sea’ illustrated by Tom Jellett.

This is a great opportunity to build on your creativity and writing skills.

Wednesday 18 June, 4pm to 4.45pm
Online via Zoom

Book now

Author Talk: Alice Pung (Ages 16+)

Join us for an evening of conversation with award-winning author, OAM, and this years' adult category judge, Alice Pung. Come and be inspired for your own Short Story piece by one of Australia’s most formative and bestselling authors.

Thursday 19 June, 6pm to 7.30pm
Melton Library & Learning Hub

Book now

The Word Crafters Society (Ages 16+)

Join a community of like-minded writers, from those just starting out to published authors, all with a passion for writing. Brush up on your skills with planned exercises and supportive group members.

Every second Wednesday, 6pm to 7pm
Online via Zoom

Book now

If you're a young person aged 12 to 18 years working on your Short Story, consider having a 'Final Check' with our library staff. Send us your draft story, and we'll make sure that it's proofread and polished before the judges see it. You can choose to attend your appointment online, or face-to-face at either of our library branches. Simply choose your preferred location when making your request.

Request an appointment and upload your draft using the online form.

Please note, requesting an appointment does not guarantee your place. Once you have completed the online form, a library staff member will contact you to confirm your booking.

All sessions will run from 4pm to 4.30pm
Monday to Friday from 16 June to Thursday 10 July
Request an appointment online

No. We only accept one entry per person. If you submit more than one entry, we will accept the first submission only. 

If you submit more than one entry, we will accept the first submission only. If you are not happy with your first entry and would like to resubmit, please email us at shortstory@melton.vic.gov.au. 

We submit all entries to our judges without any names to keep everything anonymous. This is to make sure that all entries are judged fairly. Entries including your own name will not be sent to the judges.

In video entries, you can show your face, as long as it is not clear that you are the creator of the work. For example, we will accept a short film if you are acting in it, however, we will not accept a video of you reading out your own story. Again, this is to make sure that all entries are judged fairly. 

Yes, the rights of all entries submitted remain with the original author.

By entering the competition, you agree to have your work published by Melton City Libraries on our website (if your entry is shortlisted). However, the rights of your work stay with you. 

If it tells a story, we want to see it!

Entries can be presented in any way that tells a story. Your Short Story can be a piece of writing, an illustration, a video, a voice recording, or a combination of any of the above.

Written entries should be no more than 3000 words for the Adult category (18+ years) or 1500 words for Junior and Teen categories (under 18 years). For other story formats, aim for something that takes no more than 5 minutes to experience.

No, you do not need to have a library card to enter the competition. (However, it’s free to join!) You can still enter as long as you live, work or study in the City of Melton.

If you have any problems in filling out the entry form, or your entry will not upload, please email shortstory@melton.vic.gov.au.