We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2019 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize, worth a total of $12,500. From a field of almost 1,400 entries from 35 countries, the judges – Maxine Beneba Clarke, John Kinsella, and Beejay Silcox – have shortlisted the following stories:
- 'The Point-Blank Murder' by Sonja Dechian
- 'Miracle Window' by Raaza Jamshed
- 'Rubble Boy' by Morgan Nunan
These shortlisted stories will appear in our September issue. The winner will be announced at a free-to-attend ceremony on September 11 at Readings Hawthorn at 6 pm. Bookings are required: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The judges have also commended three stories: 'Hero Manifest' by Bill Collopy, 'Lizard Boy' by Brendan Sargeant, and 'Supermarket Love' by Elleke Boehmer. The shortlisted and commended stories were selected from a longlist of ten stories, all listed below:
About the 2019 Jolley Prize shortlisted authors:
Sonja Dechian is the author of the short story collection An Astronaut’s Life, which won the 2016 UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing and was shortlisted for the Steele Rudd Award the same year. Her writing has previously appeared in The Best Australian Stories, New Australian Stories 2, and elsewhere. She has co-edited two books of children’s writing about the Australian refugee experience, No Place Like Home and Dark Dreams.
Raaza Jamshed is a writer and researcher drawn to the poetics of gender, language, and identity. She is a Doctor of Creative Arts candidate at Western Sydney University and is currently compiling her short fiction in a collection. Two of her recent stories have been published in Meanjin. Raaza has lived in four different continents in the last decade; she currently resides in the historic town of Richmond, New South Wales, with her husband, two children and a small band of Arab horses.
Morgan Nunan is an emerging Australian writer based in Melbourne. He currently studies creative writing at RMIT University. His short fiction has been published in a number of Australian literary magazines, most recently appearing in Gargouille Literary Journal. As a practising media lawyer, Morgan is an adviser to several large media and technology organisations. He holds a BA (English) and LLB from La Trobe University.
The 2019 Jolley Prize longlist
'Supermarket Love' by Elleke Boehmer - Commended
'Hero Manifest' by Bill Collopy - Commended
'The Manque' by Steph Cornish
'The Point-Blank Murder' by Sonja Dechian - Shortlisted
'The Net' by D.J. Huppatz
'Miracle Windows' by Raaza Jamshed - Shortlisted
'Rewilding' by Jennifer Mills
'Rubble Boy' by Morgan Nunan - Shortlisted
'Lizard Boy' by Brendan Sargeant - Commended
'Holding the Torch' by Tracey Slaughter
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions page before contacting us with queries about the Jolley Prize.
Click here for more information about past winners and to read their stories
ABR gratefully acknowledges Mr Ian Dickson's generous support for the Jolley Prize.