The Best Australian Yarn: Short story competition attracts record 6000 entries

Authors across Australia have submitted a staggering 6020 entries to the world’s biggest short story competition, the Best Australian Yarn — up nearly 10 per cent on last year.

In the competition’s three years, more than 16,000 stories have been entered from around the nation, with professional and amateur short-story writers now competing for an $80,000 prize pool, courtesy of major sponsor Navitas.

The contest closed on Monday night with a rush — more than 2500 entries were filed in the final three days, nearly 1500 on the last day.

Two new categories introduced last year — the Navitas English as a Second Language Prize and the First Nations Storytelling Prize — continued to attract hundreds of entries, with submissions to the ESL Prize increasing by 25 per cent.

The popular youth prizes, supported by the WA Education Department through the Premier’s Reading Challenge, drew nearly 1500 entries.

For the first time, prizes will be awarded for the best comic story, both in the general section and in the two youth sections.

The decision to include the new prizes recognises the growing appeal of graphic novels and reflects the competition’s aim to provide opportunities to all storytellers.

The competition for published and unpublished writers is the brainchild of Seven West Media’s Director of News and Current Affairs and Editor-in-Chief, Anthony De Ceglie, who wanted to inspire people who had a passion for writing and help put arts and culture at the forefront of Australia’s identity.

Leading education provider Navitas has partnered with Seven West Media to sponsor the contest in the past two years, delivering the richest short-story competition in the world.

All entries will now be assessed by experienced writers from The West Australian and experts in the ESL, First Nations, comic and youth writing fields.

They will select a longlist of 50 to go before a prize jury, to be chaired by De Ceglie and including authors Robert Drewe, Holden Sheppard, Rachael Johns and publishers Terri-ann White and Rachel Bin Salleh.

The overall winner will receive $50,000 and the runner-up $4000. Eight other entrants selected in the top 10 will get $1000 each.

Winners in the major sub-categories receive $3000 each and are eligible for the overall prize.

Sheppard, an award-winning WA writer, said it was awesome to see a record number of entries.

“To me, this is a heartening sign that, in an era of artificial intelligence, human creativity is truly alive and kicking. Humans love to express ourselves through the written word – and readers love connecting with another soul this way,” he said.

“Stories like these are a magic that cannot be replicated by machines.

“I am pumped to read the final longlist of 50 stories and discover the best yarns this great nation has to offer.”

Leading romantic fiction writer Rachael Johns joined the prize jury this year and was thrilled the competition attracted more than 6000 entries.

“I’m sure with this many entries the premises and settings will be diverse, and I can’t wait to read the top 50 and go on all sorts of adventures,” she said.

“I have a feeling choosing the top 10 is going to be a challenge, but I’m ready and excited for it.”

The top 50 entrants will be revealed in early November.

The prize winners will be announced at an awards night at the State Library of WA on November 22.