Established in 2007 and supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, the Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize seeks outstanding original short fiction of up to 3000 words themed loosely around the notion of ‘travel’.

This year’s judges, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, selected a shortlist of eight pieces from over 500 entries. They then chose a winning story from this shortlist, as well as two runners-up. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the judges for their hard work and commitment to the integrity of the blind-judging process.

This year, first place receives $5000 in prize money and two runners-up receive $750 each. Overland will publish the winning story in our autumn 2024 edition, while the runners-up stories will be published online, alongside the autumn issue.

Overland, the judges and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation are thrilled to announce the final results of the 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize. Congratulations to the following writers!

First place ($5000)

Annie Zhang

‘Who rattles the night?’

In their new home, a couple learns to live with ghosts.

Annie Zhang is a writer and editor living on unceded Wangal land. Her work has been published by Island, Kill Your Darlings and The Big Issue, among others. She has been a WestWords Western Sydney Emerging Writer Fellow. Annie is interested in monsters, hauntings and surreal encounters.

Runners-up ($750 each)

Madeleine Rebbechi

‘A Map of Underneath’

A woman reflects on her unique relationship with the sea as her partner becomes increasingly drawn to a life on land.

Madeleine Rebbechi is a writer based in Naarm/Melbourne. She is the 2024 recipient of the ASA/Varuna Ray Koppe Fellowship for Young Writers and was most recently published in the Kill Your Darlings anthology New Australian Fiction 2023. She is currently completing a Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing at the University of Melbourne.

Sheila Ngọc Pham

‘Whack-a-mole’

A journey to Việt Nam to reckon with the consequences of war – and take tea with the enemy.

Sheila Ngọc Phạm is a writer, editor, producer and curator working across the arts, media and public health. She has published widely in literary and mainstream publications, and is currently developing her first mainstage play. Sheila lives on Dharug land with her husband and two children.

The Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize is supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation