Winners of the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing 2024 have been revealed.
This year, seven works were awarded from a record-breaking 550 entries, which were received from around the country, across the various categories.
Common themes emerged within the shortlisted entries including connection, community, ecology, societal pressures, isolation and loneliness, diaspora and displacement, loss and grief, prejudice, and mental illness.
Writers, their friends and family gathered at an event at Diamond Valley Library on Saturday for the announcement of the prestigious prize, which is awarded every two years and builds on the Shire’s strong tradition of supporting contemporary Australian writing.
Nillumbik Mayor Ben Ramcharan congratulated the winners, and everyone who participated.
“Many of the themes were challenging topics, but they were bravely tackled by the writers with sensitivity, grace and eloquence,” Cr Ramcharan said.
Cr Ramcharan acknowledged the new partnership with Writers Victoria for the Prize, which allowed Nillumbik to draw on the experience of the organisation.
He also acknowledged the judges – Rijn Collins, Dan Hogan, Eloise Grills and Eda Gunaydin – for their commitment and expertise in selecting this year’s winners, and the professional readers who undertook the shortlisting process.
He also thanked Yarra Plenty Regional Library for partnering with Council in the public programming connected to the Prize and hosting the announcement event.
Short Story Category Award Recipients
Open Section Winner
Delila Bevan Zavadsky for Metallic
Local Section Winner
Cara Spina for Our Body
Youth Section Winner
S.D Munawara for
Mayor’s Prize Winner
Briony Kane for The Von Meck Mystery
Memoir Category Award Recipients
Open Section Winner
Viv Cutbush for To Say the Least is to Say Nothing At All
Local Section Winner
Lucinda Bain for The Butterfly Reserve
Youth Section Winner
Nadine Chantelle Salita for Triple Zero Saved Me
Highly Commended Writers
Short Story – Open Section Highly Commended
AE Macleod for Brilliant
Lauren Sanders for Minefield
Short Story – Local Highly Commended
Peta Keown for Domestication
Lisa Kate Moule for Lessons in Rebellio
Short Story – Youth Highly Commended
Marissa Wilkinson for Slow and Sweet and Sticky
Munira Tabassum Ahmed for Water Resistance
Memoir – Open Highly Commended
Ouyang Yu for Memories of a Metaphorically Displaced Person
Lily Chan for Third Culture Kids
Memoir – Local Highly Commended
Ale Prunotto for The Spaces Between
Ainsley Grace for Becoming Jezebel
Memoir – Youth Highly Commended
Marshall Juno for Resting the Soul
Jamie Hayes for transprefixacrossthrough
Download the Anthology
The winning works are published in the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing 2024 Anthology(PDF, 468KB)
The Anthology is also available to borrow from the Yarra Plenty Regional Library.
