Published 6 November 201516 December 2015 · News / Prizes / Announcement Announcing the winners of the 2015 Short Story Prize Editorial team Overland, Victoria University and the three judges – Nam Le, Natalie Kon-yu and Jacinda Woodhead – are very pleased to announce the winners of the Victoria University Short Story Prize for New and Emerging Writers. Winner ‘Their Cruel Routines’, Barry Lee Thompson The exploration of a childhood recollection exposes a family’s troubled terrain. Barry Lee Thompson is developing a collection of linked short fiction; the project is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. His writing is published in Australia and overseas, and his work has been recognised in a number of literary awards. He writes at barryleethompson.com Runner-up ‘Faking’, Genevieve Poetka Flawed both as a dog-owner and a husband, David wilts and rallies in the New York heat. Genevieve Poetka is 38 and lives in Sydney. Runner-up ‘Alpine Road’, Jennifer Down ‘It’s not that we’re really struggling,’ Franca tells a friend, ‘it’s just that we’ve got no safety net.’ Jennifer Down is a writer and editor. Her writing has appeared in The Age, Australian Book Review, The Saturday Paper, Overland and Kill Your Darlings. Her debut novel, Our Magic Hour, will be published by Text in March 2016. www.jenniferdown.com The winning story, ‘Their cruel routines’, was regarded by judges as ‘exceptional and unnerving’. Thompson takes the fairly mundane relationship of mother and repressed adult son and makes it strange and ambiguous, leaving the reader on edge. Indeed, all three winning stories interrogate common relationships and subvert narrative expectations in artful ways. The flawless ‘Alpine Road’ depicts the day-to-day concerns of a family living on the poverty line in the shadow of the Hazelwood mine, while ‘Faking’ recounts, with wit, gusto and highly polished prose, the life of an emasculated writer. All three stories, along with the full judges’ report, will feature in Overland 221, out in early December. Congratulations to the winning and shortlisted stories, and our thanks to all the writers who entered the competition. The Overland Victoria University Short Story Prize will open again in 2016. (Please note: all stages of this competition are judged blind.) Editorial team More by Editorial team › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays 18 October 202418 October 2024 · Prizes Announcing the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers 2024 shortlist Editorial Team Sponsored by Trinity College at the University of Melbourne and supporters, the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers, established in 2014 and now in its ninth year, recognises the talent of young Indigenous writers across Australia. First prize includes $5000, an optional writing residency at Trinity College, and publication of the successful piece in […] 16 February 202419 February 2024 · Announcement Statement of the Board of Overland Literary Journal Editorial team We, the Board of Overland literary journal, make the following statement in support of Editors-in-chief Evelyn Araluen and Jonathan Dunk and the entire Overland staff. We are a diverse Board made up of writers, unionists, lawyers, academics, activists, and arts industry workers. Our Board includes First Nations peoples as well as members of Australia’s Jewish community.
