PRESENTS:

The judges have had their say, unveiling the winners and shortlisted entries of the world's richest and most popular short story competition for 2023. Thank you to everyone that entered and congratulations to all our winners.

Information about the 2024 competition will be made available soon, so start thinking about your next story.

PRESENTS:

Are you the author of Australia's best short story?

Short stories have the power to transport us to another world, they educate and entertain us, and can make the everyday seem extraordinary.

The West Australian and Navitas present The Best Australian Yarn, a search for Australia’s best short story. It is a celebration of creative writing and the arts across Australia.

Everyone has a story to tell, and now we are calling on Australians everywhere to put pen to paper and take part in the world’s richest short story competition for published and unpublished writers.

The judges have had their say, unveiling the winners and shortlisted entries of the world's richest and most popular short story competition for 2023. Thank you to everyone that entered and congratulations to all our winners.

Information about the 2024 competition will be made available soon, so start thinking about your next story.

Short stories have the power to transport us to another world, they educate and entertain us, and can make the everyday seem extraordinary.

The West Australian and Navitas present The Best Australian Yarn, a search for Australia’s best short story. It is a celebration of creative writing and the arts across Australia.

Everyone has a story to tell, and now we are calling on Australians everywhere to put pen to paper and take part in the world’s richest short story competition for published and unpublished writers.

Your story doesn’t have to be long, just 1000 - 2500 words.

Anyone can enter - published and unpublished writers, students, anyone over the age of 12.

Your story doesn’t have to be long, just 1000 - 2500 words.

Anyone can enter - published and unpublished writers, students, anyone over the age of 12.

There is a prize pool of $75,000 to be won across a range of categories:

OVERALL WINNER $50,000
RUNNER UP $3,000
THE NAVITAS ESL PRIZE $3,000
THE FIRST NATIONS STORYTELLING PRIZE $3,000
REGIONAL AUSTRALIA WINNER $3,000
GENWEST YOUTH WINNER (12-14) $1,500
GENWEST YOUTH WINNER (15-18) $1,500
READERS CHOICE $2,000
EIGHT SHORTLISTED FINALISTS $1,000 EACH

There is a prize pool of $75,000 to be won across a range of categories:

OVERALL WINNER $50,000
RUNNER UP $3,000
THE NAVITAS ESL PRIZE $3,000
THE FIRST NATIONS STORYTELLING PRIZE $3,000
REGIONAL AUSTRALIA WINNER $3,000
GENWEST YOUTH WINNER (12-14) $1,500
GENWEST YOUTH WINNER (15-18) $1,500
READERS CHOICE $2,000
EIGHT SHORTLISTED FINALISTS $1,000 EACH

Read the Top 50
stories here.

Read the Top 50
stories here.


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The Prize Jury.

Anthony De Ceglie

Editor-in-chief, The West Australian

Anthony De Ceglie is the Walkley award-winning editor-in-chief of West Australian Newspapers, responsible for The West Australian, The Sunday Times, thewest.com.au, PerthNow and the company’s 18 regional and 11 local PerthNow newspapers. Before editing The West, he was the deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph in Sydney. His first job was at a small regional paper, The Collie Mail, in rural WA.

Terri-ann White

Publisher, Upswell Publishing

Terri-ann White was director of UWA Publishing from 2006 to 2020. She has been an independent bookseller, has had her writing published widely, and she has collaborated with other artists: dancers, visual artists, and musicians. In 2021, Terri-ann launched Upswell Publishing, with a focus on distinctive works in fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry and works of hybridity.

Robert Drewe

Australian author

Robert Drewe’s novels, short stories and non-fiction works have won national and international prizes and have been adapted for film, television, radio and theatre. He has twice edited the Best Australian Short Stories and in 2019 his own collection of stories, The True Colour of the Sea, won the prize for the best book published in Australia. His latest novel, Nimblefoot, was published in August. His column The Other Side appears in The West every Saturday.

Rachel Bin Salleh

Publisher, Magabala Books

Rachel Bin Salleh is a Nimunburr/Yawuru woman from Broome. She is an experienced editor, has worked as a sales/administration manager, marketing assistant, production co-ordinator, part-time bookseller and now publisher. Rachel works with First Nations writers, storytellers, poets, yarners, songwriters, playwrights, performers and illustrators.

Holden Sheppard

WA author

Holden Sheppard is an award-winning West Australian author originally from Geraldton. His debut coming-of-age novel Invisible Boys won multiple accolades including the 2019 WA Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer. His second novel The Brink won Young Adult Book of the Year nationally at the 2023 Indie Book Awards and was shortlisted for the 2023 NSW Premier's Literary Awards. Holden’s writing has been widely published in books and journals. He was Deputy Chair of Writing WA until 2023 and he currently serves as an ambassador for Lifeline WA.

The Prize Jury.

Anthony De Ceglie

Editor-in-chief, The West Australian

Anthony De Ceglie is the Walkley award-winning editor-in-chief of West Australian Newspapers, responsible for The West Australian, The Sunday Times, thewest.com.au, PerthNow and the company’s 18 regional and 11 local PerthNow newspapers. Before editing The West, he was the deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph in Sydney. His first job was at a small regional paper, The Collie Mail, in rural WA.

Terri-ann White

Publisher, Upswell Publishing

Terri-ann White was director of UWA Publishing from 2006 to 2020. She has been an independent bookseller, has had her writing published widely, and she has collaborated with other artists: dancers, visual artists, and musicians. In 2021, Terri-ann launched Upswell Publishing, with a focus on distinctive works in fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry and works of hybridity.

Robert Drewe

Australian author

Robert Drewe’s novels, short stories and non-fiction works have won national and international prizes and have been adapted for film, television, radio and theatre. He has twice edited the Best Australian Short Stories and in 2019 his own collection of stories, The True Colour of the Sea, won the prize for the best book published in Australia. His latest novel, Nimblefoot, was published in August. His column The Other Side appears in The West every Saturday.

Rachel Bin Salleh

Publisher, Magabala Books

Rachel Bin Salleh is a Nimunburr/Yawuru woman from Broome. She is an experienced editor, has worked as a sales/administration manager, marketing assistant, production co-ordinator, part-time bookseller and now publisher. Rachel works with First Nations writers, storytellers, poets, yarners, songwriters, playwrights, performers and illustrators.

Holden Sheppard

WA author

Holden Sheppard is an award-winning West Australian author originally from Geraldton. His debut coming-of-age novel Invisible Boys won multiple accolades including the 2019 WA Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer. His second novel The Brink won Young Adult Book of the Year nationally at the 2023 Indie Book Awards and was shortlisted for the 2023 NSW Premier's Literary Awards. Holden’s writing has been widely published in books and journals. He was Deputy Chair of Writing WA until 2023 and he currently serves as an ambassador for Lifeline WA.

Frequently Asked Questions.

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Is it free to enter The Best Australian Yarn short story competition?
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Yes, there is no entry fee.


Can I enter more than one category?
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Yes, if you fit the criteria for one of the four sub-categories. You will need to tick the relevant box when submitting your story. Entries into these sub-categories will automatically go into the pool to be considered for the shortlist for the major prize and the Readers’ Choice Prize.

Entrants aged between 12 and 18 can submit their story into the GenWest Youth Prize. Entrants for this category must be under 18 on April 29, 2023. Select your age bracket, there are two prizes, one for 12-14 year olds and one for 15-18 year olds.

Entrants who live outside a major city (see criteria in the Q&A below) can submit their story into the Regional Australia category.

To enter the First Nations Storytelling Prize, an entrant must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person and have been accepted as such by the community in which you live, or formerly lived.

To be eligible for the Navitas ESL Prize, the entrant must speak a language other than English at home. The Navitas ESL Prize is designed to encourage writers for whom English isn’t their first language to express themselves in written form.

If you fit the criteria for all three categories, you can tick all relevant boxes when submitting your story.


How do I know if my town or city is considered regional?
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To be eligible for the regional prize, your home address must be outside a major city, which are classified in this competition as MM1 under the Modified Monash Model. You can search your location here to find out if you qualify.


Can you explain the Navitas ESL Prize?
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Backed by Navitas, Australia’s foremost English as a second language provider, the Navitas ESL Prize is open to writers who speak a language other than English at home. This often includes migrants, refugees, or individuals from multicultural backgrounds who are learning English in addition to their mother language.

The Navitas ESL Prize is designed to encourage writers for which English isn’t their first language to express themselves in written form. The aim is to provide an opportunity for writers to practise and develop their English language skills while expressing their creativity through storytelling.

The competition is open to both experienced and inexperienced writers. For many writers who are migrants or refugees, this may be their first experience with the English language literary community. However, professional writers are also encouraged to participate and share their knowledge and experience with others.

All entries must be written in English. However, writers are encouraged to use their own voice and to incorporate elements of their native language or culture into their writing. This can add depth and richness to the story and can help to showcase the writer's unique perspective.


Can I have more details about the First Nations Storytelling Prize?
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We recognise the generational connection to land, sea, and air that Aboriginal people had and continue to have in Australia since time immemorial. We want to recognise the history and celebrate the future of our First Nations people, raise their voices, and help them share their stories.

For too long many of our Australian history books have not reflected to the truth. Our books have not included Aboriginal history from Aboriginal people, First Nations perspectives in novels was uncommon, and historically, many of our stories were silenced.

We want to change the narrative and be a part of the journey of reconciliation to educate Australians of the truth of our shared past and we want to re-write history to represent all Australians, including our First Nations people. We are not proud of the past traumas Aboriginal people have faced, but the truth needs to be shared in a healing and reconciliation journey.

We want to help facilitate the truth telling of our history and future with our First Peoples. The West Australian in conjunction with Navitas, is including a new category in The Best Australian Yarn to incorporate First Nations storytelling.

We respect and deeply value the contribution of First Nations people and want to hear your story. This is a place for people of all abilities, and where English may not be a first language, to come together and share their story in an inclusive and safe place.

We are committed to our First Nations storytellers from remote communities, regional towns and urban cities where writing is an obstacle to storytelling. We would like you to submit your story in a way that suits you, it can reflect your style of thinking, quirky nature and the spelling which reflects you. We are open to and support your creative process.

We want to hear stories from our First Peoples and stories which reflect who we are, historically, currently and who we can be in the future. Your story can be based on real situations, imaginative or futuristic. All stories are important and deserve to be heard. We want to reflect this in this new prize to recognise the importance of our First Nations people in this great nation we call home. The First Nations Storytelling Prize is supported by Magabala Books, Australia's leading Indigenous publishing house.


Is there any formatting restrictions or guidelines?
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There are no specific formatting restrictions or guidelines for entering the short story competition.


Does my short story have to be fiction?
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Yes. The Best Australian Yarn is for fiction writing.


Does my short story have to be about a particular theme, idea, or genre?
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There are no restrictions on theme for the competition. The stories can be on any subject and in any style, as long as they are original, unpublished and written in English.


What is the word limit for The Best Australian Yarn?
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The Best Australian Yarn has reduced the word limit to enter the 2023 competition. Stories must be between 1000 and 2500 words. Any entries outside this word count will not be considered.


Is there a minimum age to enter?
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You must be 12 years of age by April 29, 2023 to enter the Best Australian Yarn. Parents and guardians may not enter a story on behalf of a child under 12.


Do I need to be an experienced writer to enter?
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No. The competition is open to all writers, both published and unpublished, aged 12 and over.


Can I enter multiple stories?
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No. Each writer can only submit one entry.


Can I change my entry after I have submitted it?
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No. Make sure you have finalised your story before you submit it, because no changes can be made to it once it has been received.


Where do I submit my story?
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You can submit your story here.


What is the cut-off date for entries?
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All entries must be submitted no later than 08.00pm AWST on August 1, 2023.


What if I have problems submitting my entry?
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Please email bestaustralianyarn@swm.com.au and we will help you.


Will my work be checked for plagiarism?
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Yes. All short stories submitted must be the author’s own original, unpublished work.


I have written a story with someone else. Are we eligible to enter as a duo?
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No. Stories entered in The Best Australian Yarn must be written by an individual and cannot be collaborations.


How will the entries be judged?
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First, entries for the main prize will go through a longlist panel of experienced writers from The West Australian, which will select the best 50 short stories.

Those entries will then go to the Prize Jury, who will determine the final shortlist of 10 and the winners in the various categories.

Entries for the First Nations Storytelling Prize, the Navitas ESL Prize and the GenWest Youth Prizes will be judged separately by selected judges who are highly regarded in the relevant fields and who have expertise in evaluating these particular genres. These judges will pass on their recommendations to the Prize Jury to be judged as part of the main prize and shortlist.


Who is in the prize jury?
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Click here to meet the prize jury.

Anthony De Ceglie, Editor in Chief of The West Australian, will chair the Prize Jury, which will also include representatives from Magabala Books, Perth Festival and Writing WA.

The longlist panel will consist of experienced authors and writers from The West Australian’s stable.

The Navitas ESL Prize judging will be led by Miles Hitchcock, a senior teacher at Navitas English has taught ESL for over 20 years in Japan, China and Australia, most recently on Academic English pathways into Universities and TAFE. Miles is also a previous winner of the Melbourne Age Short Story Award and the Curtin Fiction Award. Miles will be joined in judging this prize with Basim Shamaon JP, a highly respected community leader in South West Sydney, whose work with migrants and refugees is his life, passion, identity. Basim is the Stakeholder Engagement Manager at Navitas Skilled Futures and recently released his own book, From Iraq to Australia: Jewels from My Journey.

First Nations lawyer, columnist and academic, Emma Garlett, a Nyiyaparli-Yamatji-Nyungar woman from Geraldton, WA, is the ambassador for the First Nations Storytelling Prize and will be judging this prize in collocation with select First Nations judges who are experienced in this genre.

Gail Anthony, editor of GenWest, will head up the judging of the GenWest Youth Prizes in collaboration with select judges who are experienced in YA and youth literature.


How will the stories be judged?
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The judging criteria will be set by the Prize Jury, and will consider, among other things, readability and originality. Stories should entertain and challenge through a clear understanding of what it takes to make a compelling story.

The evaluation process will be ‘blind’ which means the entrant’s name will not be known by the panel of judges.


Will you provide feedback on my story?
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No. The Best Australian Yarn short story competition is expected to attract a large number of entries and while all will be read and assessed, it is unfortunately not feasible to provide feedback to everyone. 


My friend/relative has written a story. Can I enter it on their behalf?
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No. All stories must be entered by their authors. Please encourage your friend/relative to enter their story in the Best Australian Yarn competition for their chance to win.


Can I use references in my story?
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Yes, but only if absolutely necessary. Please put them at the end and use them sparingly. The text used from references will be included in the word count.


Can I submit an illustrated story?
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No. The Best Australian Yarn competition is a celebration of the written word and does not take into account illustrations.


Can I submit a poem?
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No. Entries can be creative and original in style but must have a short story narrative structure.


It says entries to The Best Australian Yarn must not have been previously published; what does this mean?
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This means that an entry to the competition cannot have been published before in any form – this includes in print and online, such as a journal, magazine, newspaper or anthology or on a personal blog or website.

If you submitted your story for assessment in a writing course, but it has not been distributed further, this does not constitute publication and you can enter it in The Best Australian Yarn.


My story was shortlisted/commended for another prize; can I enter it in The Best Australian Yarn?
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No. A story that has been entered for another prize is not eligible to be submitted to The Best Australian Yarn. Please contact us at bestaustralianyarn@swm.com.au if you are unsure about eligibility.


Can I submit the work I entered in The Best Australian Yarn 2023 elsewhere while I await the results?
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No. Entries must remain unpublished and not be entered for other prizes for the duration of The Best Australian Yarn 2023 competition. Winners are expected to be announced by the end of November, 2023.


Can I submit the same entry that I entered in the Best Australian Yarn 2022?
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No. You cannot resubmit an entry that has already gone through the judging process of The Best Australian Yarn.


What happens if I started a short story entry last year but never submitted it?
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You will need to create a new entry and can submit the short story you started work on last year, as long as it follows the terms and conditions and hasn't been published elsewhere or entered into any other competitions.


If you publish my entry, will I be paid?
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During the selection process, some entries will be published in The West Australian newspaper, some with custom illustrations and design treatment. By submitting your story, you give us permission to use it in this way and if published in the newspaper you will receive a $200 honorarium. By publishing a story in The West Australian, it does not mean that the entrant is entitled to an award or prize. You will still, however, be eligible to win the prize money.


Who owns the copyright?
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All writers retain the copyright to their story and can use it in any way they choose, after the competition is over. By entering The Best Australian Yarn, you are licensing us the rights to potentially publish your story. Please see the full terms and conditions at the end of this list for more details.


When will long-listed authors be announced?
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The longlist of the top 50 entries is expected to be announced by November 2023. If your story is selected you will be contacted by the contact details supplied when submitting the entry.


When will the shortlist be announced?
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The shortlist is expected to be announced in November 2023. If your story is selected, you will be contacted by the contact details supplied when submitting the entry.


When will winners be announced?
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The winners are expected to be announced by the end of November, 2023. Winners will be contacted by the contact details supplied when submitting the entry.


Will I be contacted if my story isn't longlisted?
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No. If you have not been contacted by the end of November, 2023, then you are not a finalist in The Best Australian Yarn 2023.


What is the prize money for The Best Australian Yarn?
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The prize pool for 2023 is worth a total of $75,000 (AUD) – making it the world’s richest short story prize open to both published and unpublished writers.

This will be split in the following way:

The winner of The Best Australian Yarn 2023 will win a grand prize of $50,000.

The runner-up will receive $3,000.

The remaining eight shortlisted stories will each be awarded $1,000.

The Regional Australia Prize, for the best story from an entrant living outside a major city, is $3,000.

The First Nations Storytelling Prize, for the best story from an entrant who is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, is $3,000.

The Navitas English as a Second Language Prize, who an entrant for whom English isn’t their first language, is $3,000.

The GenWest Youth Prizes are for entrants aged 12-18. One prize, for $1500, is for an entrant aged between 12-14 years old. The other prize is also $1500 for an entrant aged between 15-18 years old.

The winner of The West Australian’s Readers' Choice Prize, judged by a public vote, will receive $2,000.


Will my story be published?
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Selected entries will be published in The West Australian and its affiliates at the discretion of West Australian Newspapers. You will be contacted before your story is to be published.


Where can I find the complete Terms and Conditions of entry for 2023?
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Entrants should read the full terms and conditions before submitting their story as they contain important information about your entry. These can be found here.

Please contact us at bestaustralianyarn@swm.com.au if you require any clarification on rules or entry procedures.

Read the top 50
stories here.

Read the top 50
stories here.

2023 Partners.

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Powered by a team of multi award-winning journalists, The West Australian is a change-making masthead that holds industry and government of all levels to account.

Navitas works with trusted partners across the education sector, industry and government to deliver education and employability programs that transform the lives of thousands of students every year.

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