It is with great pleasure that we announce the winners of the 2015 Overland Story Wine Prize:

Winner: ‘Woodsmoke’ by Melissa Manning

Runner-up: ‘First fish’ by Zoe Meager

Runner-up: ‘Salt skin’ by Melanie Pryor

The stories that stood out in this year’s competition, especially those on the shortlist, note judges Alicia Sometimes, Clare Strahan and Leah Swann, honed in on a moment or mood ‘with precision and attention to the finest, evocative detail’. Others ‘drew a looser brush across broad, deep issues and spans of time’ – and did so in fewer than 800 words.

Winning story ‘Woodsmoke’, only 485 words in length, was regarded by judges as ‘a stunning story – intriguing and quietly transgressive’.

‘Woodsmoke’ has won $4000 and publication in the next issue of Overland, as well as on the label of an upcoming Story Wines shiraz. ‘First fish’ and ‘Salt skin’ will each receive $500 and be published on Overland, and on a Story Wines wine.

Read the winning story and the full judges’ report in Overland 221, out in early December.

Congratulations to the winning and shortlisted stories.