Stringybark Open Short Story Award 2024

CLOSED

The Stringybark Short Story Award 2018

Competition Closed: 18 March 2018

249 entries.  $1210 in prizes.

Judges: Kathy Childs, Dr Kathryn Collins, Julie Davies and David Vernon

Editor: David Vernon

Cover designer: Michael Vernon

Ausralian printer: Prinstant, Canberra

Thirty-seven award-winning short stories from Australian and international authors are showcased in this entertaining and thought-provoking anthology from the Stringybark Short Story Awards.  An open-themed award this collection of stories covers topics from romance to murder, humour to horror and everything in between. Dive in for some wonderful literary treats!

Arms, legs and breasts were thrust through the bars and the desperation caused Mr. Fox to stumble back, muttering, "Good God!" before being accosted on the other side and pinned by dirty arms to the bars and his waistcoat pocket was explored by boney fingers.  Fortunately Mr. Fox had displayed some forethought and left his pocket watch at home, but he still seemed genuinely surprised by the molestation."Geeeeeet back!" one of the sailors yelled and swung a bat at the limbs, which receded quickly after the crack of wood on iron.

— from "Mr Fox and the Button Girl" by C.J. Dainton

Don was dead. The kookaburras were laughing. The two events were not correlated nor even causal. It just was. Just like the mist was rising over the small lake, the sun was catching the dew-laden spiderwebs and making them shine like silver platters at a banquet and that there was a crisp eucalypt-damp-grass smell rising from the ground. Nature was celebrating the start of a new day and obviously cared nothing for Don's predicament. But neither did I for that matter.

— from "Don and the Kookaburras" by Michael Wilkinson

37 published stories. One e-book and printed anthology, Timber! (in press).

Edited by David Vernon, e-book and paperback, Stringybark Publishing,

ISBN: 978-0-6480884-4-8

A$14.95 includes postage within Australia.  Discounts for multiple purchases.  Please enquire for international orders.

Paperback

THIRD PRIZE

The Escape

by

Kitty Gardner

FIRST PRIZE

Timber

by

Gabrielle Gardner

SECOND PRIZE

Mr Fox and the Button Girl

by

C.J. Dainton

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Going out for Coffee — Julia Archer

Fizzy Drink — C.F. Benham

Future Past — Bruce Blackford

Scars — Holly Bruce

Exposure — Holly Bruce

Graduation Night — Kerry Cameron

Warm as Ice — Kerry Cameron

Big Trouble — Lilian Cohen

Hugo's Second First Day — James Hart

Night Moves — Claire Johnston

A Fly on the Wall — Michael Kelly

Two Nights at the Carrington — Stephen Knox

Missing in Action — Roger Leigh

Lonely Stretch — Martin Lindsay

The Invisible Boy — Ian Martin

Soundscape — Chris Moss

A Man Misplaced — Paul Maxwell Taylor

Country Life — Victoria Mizen

One Week to Harvest — Victoria Mizen

Maisie, Maisie — Kitty Gardner

Homecoming — Elizabeth Ottosson

An Impossible Jewel — Natalie Parsons-Clair

Things that Kill — Jon Presswell

Tin Thimble — Nikki Reid

The Run — Pia Riley

A Little Cheeky — Barry Rosenberg

Her Other Life — Fin J Ross

The Jam Tin — Mark Scott

The Last Waterhole — Deanne Seigle-Buyat

A Sky the Shade of Pastel Blue — Alexander Somlyay

Lofty — Dan Staniforth

Left Over — Judy Tait

Don and the Kookaburras — Michael Wilkinson

The World's Greatest Mesmerist — Ted Witham