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Past winners of the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

ABR subscribers can read all previous prize-winning and shortlisted stories to the Jolley Prize. If you aren't a subscriber, digital subscriptions begin at only $10 per month. Click here to become an ABR subscriber.


2023

Rowan Heath: ‘The Mannequin

Rowan HeathRowan Heath was the winner of the 2023 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for their story ‘The Mannequin’. They received $6,000. This year’s prize received 1,200 entries from thirty-eight different countries. Uzma Aslam Khan placed second and receives $4,000 for her story ‘Our Own Fantastic’ , and Winter Bel placed third and received $2,500 for her story ‘Black Wax’ The 2023 Jolley Prize was judged by Gregory Day, Jennifer Mills, and Maria Takolander. The shortlisted stories were published in the 2023 August issue.

 

 


2022

Tracy Ellis: ‘Natural Wonder

Tracy Ellis NEW 2023 200x200Tracy Ellis was the winner of the 2022 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘Natural Wonder’. She received $6,000. This year’s prize received 1,338 entries from thirty-six different countries. Nina Cullen placed second and received $4,000 for her story ‘Dog Park’, and C.J. Garrow placed third and received $2,500 for his story ‘Whale Fall’. The 2022 Jolley Prize was judged by Amy Baillieu, Melinda Harvey, and John Kinsella. Each of the shortlisted stories were published in the 2022 August issue.


2021

Camilla Chaudhary: ‘The Enemy, Asyndeton

Camilla ChaudaryCamilla Chaudhary was the winner of the 2021 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for their story ‘The Enemy, Asyndeton’. She received $6,000. This year’s prize received 1,428 entries from thirty-six different countries. Lauren Sarazen placed second and received $4,000 for her story ‘There Are No Stars Here, Either’, and John Richards placed third and received $2,500 for his story ‘A Fall from Grace’. The 2021 Jolley Prize was judged by Gregory Day, Melinda Harvey, and Elizabeth Tan. Each of the shortlisted stories are published in the 2021 August issue.


2020

Mykaela Saunders: ‘River Story

Mykaela Saunders NEW 2020Mykaela Saunders was the winner of the 2020 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘River Story’. Mykaela Saunders received $6,000. C.J. Garrow was placed second for his story ‘Egg Timer’, and Simone Hollander was placed third for her story ‘Hieroglyph’. This year the Jolley Prize attracted almost 1,450 entries from 34 different countries. The judges were Gregory Day, Josephine Rowe, and Ellen van Neerven. The three shortlisted stories appear in our August Fiction issue.


2019

Sonja Dechian: ‘The Point-Blank Murder

Sonja DechianSonja Dechian was the winner of the 2019 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘The Point-Blank Murder’. She received $5,000. Raaza Jamshed was placed second for her story ‘Miracle Windows’, and Morgan Nunan was placed third for his story ‘Rubble Boy’. The judges were Maxine Beneba Clarke, John  Kinsella and Beejay Silcox. Subscribers can read all three stories in the 2019 Fiction issue. 

 

 


2018

Madelaine Lucas: ‘Ruins

MMadelaine Lucasadelaine Lucas was named the winner of the 2018 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘Ruins’. Madelaine Lucas receives $7,000. Sharmini Aphrodite was placed second for her story ‘Between the Mountain and the Sea’ and Claire Aman placed third for her story 'Vasco'. The judges were Patrick Allington, Michelle Cahill, and Beejay Silcox. Subscribers can read all three shortlisted stories in the August 2018 Fiction issue. The judges also commended three other stories: ‘Joan Mercer’s Fertile Head’ by S.J. Finn, ‘Hardflip’ by Mirandi Riwoe, and ‘Break Character’ by Chloe Wilson.


2017

Eliza Robertson: ‘Pheidippides

Eliza Robertson 200 jolleyEliza Robertson was named the winner of the 2017 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her storyPheidippides. Author David Malouf announced Eliza Robertson as the overall winner at a ceremony at Potts Point Bookshop, Sydney. She received $7,000 for her story. Dominic Amerena placed second for his storyThe Leaching Layerand Lauren Aimee Curtis came third for her story ‘Butter’. The 2017 Jolley Prize was judged by ABR Deputy Editor Amy Baillieu, and authors Chris Flynn and Ellen van Neerven. Subscribers can read all three shortlisted stories in the August 2017 Fiction issue. The judges also commended three stories – ‘Contributory Negligence’ by Stevi-Lee Alver, ‘The Man I Should Have Married’ by Catherine Chidgey, and ‘The Fog Harvester’ by Marie Gethins. 


2016

Josephine Rowe: ‘Glisk

Josephine Rowe 200x200 Josephine Rowe (Australia) was named the winner of the 2016 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘Glisk’ at a ceremony during the Melbourne Writers Festival. She received $7,000 for her story which was chosen from a field of nearly 1400 entries from thirty-eight countries. Anthony Lawrence (Australia) placed second for his story ‘Ash’ and Jonathan Tel (UK) came third for his story ‘The Water Calligrapher's Women’.  The 2016 Jolley Prize was judged by ABR Deputy Editor Amy Baillieu, and authors Maxine Beneba Clarke and David Whish-Wilson. Subscribers can read all three shortlisted stories in the August 2016 Fiction issue. The judges also commended three stories – ‘Help Me Harden My Heart’ by Dom Amerena, ‘Window’ by Cate Kennedy, and ‘Slut Trouble’ by Beejay Silcox.


2015

Rob Magnuson Smith: ‘The Elector of Nossnearly

Rob Magnuson SmithRob Magnuson Smith (UK/US) was named the winner of the 2015 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for his story ‘The Elector of Nossnearly’ by Steven Carroll at an event at the 2015 Brisbane Writers Festival. He received $5,000 for his story which was chosen from a field of over 1,200 entries sent in from thirty-one different countries. Michelle Cahill placed second for her story ‘Borges and I’ and Harriet McKnight (Australia) came third for her story ‘Crest’. The judges on this occasion were ABR Deputy Editor Amy Baillieu, poet and academic Sarah Holland-Batt and author Paddy O'Reilly.  Subscribers can read all three shortlisted stories in the September 2015 Fiction issue.


2014

Jennifer Down: ‘Aokigahara

Jennifer Down2Jennifer Down was named the winner of the 2014 Jolley Prize by Ian Dickson at an event on Saturday 30 August during the Melbourne Writers Festival. She received a total of $5,000 for her winning short story, ‘Aokigahara’. Faith Oxenbridge (New Zealand) came second with her story ‘The Art of Life’, winning $2,000, and Cate Kennedy came third with ‘Doisneau's Kiss’, winning $1,000. The judges on this occasion were author–academics Patrick Allington and Cassandra Atherton and ABR Deputy Editor Amy Baillieu. This was the first year that the Jolley Prize was open to international entrants.


2013

Michelle Michau-Crawford: ‘Leaving Elvis

Michelle-Michau-CrawfordIn October 2013 at a lively ceremony held at Gleebooks, David Malouf named Michelle Michau-Crawford’s ‘Leaving Elvis’ as the overall winner of the 2013 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize. The first prize is worth $5000. The judges – Tony Birch, Maria Takolander, and Terri-ann White – could not split the other two shortlisted stories, Rebekah Clarkson’s ‘The Five Truths of Manhood’ and Kim Mahood’s ‘The Accident’; each author receives $1500.

In 2013, ABR also held a Readers’ Choice Award. Readers were invited to choose their favourite out of the three shortlisted stories. They voted Rebekah Clarkson’s ‘The Five Truths of Manhood’ as their favourite.


2012

Sue Hurley: ‘Patterns in Nature

Sue_Hurley_2Sue Hurley won the 2012 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘Patterns in Nature’. Hurley received $5000 for her winning story, which was drawn from a large field of more than 1300 entries. Jack Cox was placed second with ‘Gorgeous Perambulator’, and Ngiare Elliot third with ‘Tended by Foxes’. They received $2000 and $1000, respectively. ABR and the judges congratulate all three authors for their outstanding contributions. The judges on this occasion were Peter Rose, Gregory Day (a winner of the 2011 Jolley Prize), and Maria Takolander (winner in 2010).

 


2011

Carrie Tiffany: ‘Before He Left the Family

Gregory Day: ‘The Neighbour’s Beans

GDandCTCarrie Tiffany (‘Before He Left the Family’) and Gregory Day (‘The Neighbour's Beans’) were the joint winners of the 2011 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize. They shared a first prize of $5000. Four stories were shortlisted, and Claire Aman (‘Milk Tray’) and Gaylene Carbis (‘What’s Richard Ford Got to Do With It?’) both received $1000. The judges on this occasion were Tony Birch (author of Blood), Mark Gomes (then-Deputy Editor of ABR), and Terri-ann White (Director of UWA Publishing). All four stories were published in the special Fiction-themed October 2011 issue of ABR.

Four stories were commended in the 2011 Jolley Prize. They were: ‘Russell Drysdale's Trousers’ by Catherine Moffat, ‘Nitrogen’ by Meg Mundell, ‘Bad Luck’ by Rose Lane, and ‘A Body of Water’ by Else Fitzgerald.

 

 

 


2010

Maria Takolander: ‘A Roānkin Philosophy of Poetry

Maria-Takolander-2Maria Takolander won the inaugural Australian Book Review Short Story Competition. She received $2000. The judges – Chris Flynn and Peter Rose (Editor of ABR) – were impressed, and amused, by ‘A Roānkin Philosophy of Poetry’, an artful take on academic intrigue and absurdism. Maria Takolander’s story appeared in the December 2010–January 2011 issue of ABR. Placed second was Cate Kennedy for ‘Sleepers’ ($500 prize).

In 2010, ABR also held a Readers’ Choice Award. Readers were invited to choose their favourite out of the seven stories shortlisted. They voted Josephine Rowe's ‘Suitable for a Lampshade’ as their favourite, which was published in the February 2011 issue. The other shortlisted stories were: ‘The Virus - Travel Notes’ by David Cohen, ‘Angus's Playground’ by S.J. Finn, ‘Honey’ by Erin Gough, and ‘The Body’ by Joan Phillip.