\nThese were just some of the story ideas conjured by Moorabool locals for this year\u2019s Moorabool Young Writers\u2019 Awards and the Peter Carey Short Story Award.
\nCreative writers across the shire gathered to celebrate the rich writing history of the area earlier this month, as entrants, supportive parents, teachers and the local literary community packed the Lerderderg Library in Bacchus Marsh on the afternoon of Saturday 1 June, celebrating an array of short stories that pulled at the heartstrings, questioned our current reality, and shared the intricacies of what it means to be human.
\nThe Moorabool Young Writers\u2019 Award, judged by Bacchus Marsh young adult author Allyse Near, received more than 150 entries \u2013 making it the most successful to date for its second year running.
\n\u201cThis year we had 155 entries from writers aged from six to seventeen. Storytelling develops vital literacy skills, and the Moorabool Young Writers’ Awards gives entrants a chance to demonstrate the breadth of their imaginations,\u201d said Ms Near.
\nThe entries were a variety of stories ranging from unicorns and monsters; to more serious topics such as homelessness and looking at war from the perspective of a carrier pigeon.
\nLocal author and event organiser Jem Tyley-Miller said that the \u201cbrave young writers gave it their all to tell a story that reflects what\u2019s inside them, that shows how they see the world around them as only they can, by creating characters that take the reader on an incredible journey in the short space of only a few well-crafted pages,\u201d said local author and event organiser Jem Tyley-Miller.
\n\u201cStories can do many things, and when told well, they can light a fire inside the reader, making them laugh and cry and revaluate how they see others different to them. Stories really are magical beasts.\u201d
\nPeter Carey Short Story Award Judge Nic Low began his speech with a traditional Maori chant and commended all the entrants on their work before announcing this year\u2019s winner \u2013 \u2018Let\u2019s Talk Trojan Bee\u2019 by Alex Cothren, who had flown in from Adelaide for the ceremony.
\nMr Low described \u2018Let\u2019s Talk Trojan Bee\u2019 as \u201ca kaleidoscopic piece\u201d, built entirely from fictional quotations spanning Twitter, Fox News, The New York Times, IPCC reports, Breitbart and Infowars.
\n\u201cAlex tells a tale of climate change and the impact of collapsing bee populations. But the frame quickly expands to encompass migrant workers, border control, far-right conspiracy theories, mass shootings and ultimately civil war. It’s ingenious, timely, and politically and socially astute. It’s also hilarious,\u201d he said.
\nAlex Cothren received $1000 prizemoney, with runner-up Paige Clark receiving $500 for her story ‘Elisabeth K\u00fcbler-Ross’, which Mr Low described as \u201chighly polished.\u201d
\n\u201cPaige has written and then edited it down to the bone with an angular confidence that frequently made me suck in my breath. This compression gives the piece the air of a time-honed oral history, even of a myth.\u201d
\nFellow event organiser and author Wayne Marshall said the awards had taken on \u201ca life of its own\u201d since its beginnings three years ago, having received entries from across the country and by some of \u201cAustralia\u2019s most high-profile short story writers\u201d.
\n\u201cWhat we\u2019d intended, originally, was something far more simple; a story competition to encourage and foster the wealth of writing talent we have locally. Writing is often hard work; it\u2019s mostly solitary\u2026what writers need, as much as anything, is encouragement and opportunity.\u201d
\nThis year saw the addition of the first Best Local Entry Award, with Ballan resident Bob Carey-Grieve its inaugural winner for his short story \u2018Act III\u2019.
\nMr Carey-Grieve told the crowd that he was inspired to entry the award after his child entered last year\u2019s Young Writers\u2019 Award.
\nThis year\u2019s awards were also the last for Lerderderg Library\u2019s Natalie Grero, who served as Programs Coordinator at the library and was a pivotal member of the Peter Carey Short Story Award Committee.
\n\u201cSaturday was Nat’s last day at the library, thus ending her involvement with the awards. Nat was a pivotal figure in making the PCSSA a reality and worked tirelessly to develop the awards. We wish her all the best in everything she does next,\u201d said Mr Marshall.
\n\u2018Let\u2019s Talk Trojan Bee\u2019 by Alex Cothren and \u2018Elisabeth K\u00fcbler-Ross\u2019 by Paige Clark will be published in the Spring 2019 issue of literary journal Meanjin.
\nAn extract of \u2018Act III\u2019 by Bob Carey-Grieve will be published in the June 25 edition of the Moorabool News.
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/themooraboolnews.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/website-1-2-300x200.jpg\")
Photo – Meg Kennedy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Meg Kennedy What do unicorns, monsters, camping, fake news and carrier pigeons all have in common? These were just some of the story ideas conjured by Moorabool locals for this year\u2019s Moorabool Young Writers\u2019 Awards and the Peter Carey Short Story Award. Creative writers across the shire gathered to celebrate the rich writing history […]<\/p>\n