Published in Overland Issue 230 Autumn 2018 · Uncategorized Neilma Sidney Prize: Judges’ notes Nic Low, Jennifer Mills and Ryan O'Neill We were pleased to see a broad range of entries in the 2018 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize, stories diverse in form and voice, and creative in their approach to the theme of travel. We noticed that some writers struggled to think beyond cliché and others struggled to balance experimentation with engaging the reader. In general, though, the quality of entries was very high, and we enjoyed seeing some humour and formal experimentation in the mix. Travel is a rich subject, filled with human drama; we are excited to share this year’s winner and runners-up with Overland readers. First place: ‘Unspooling’ – Laura Elvery A clear and unanimous winner, ‘Unspooling’ is an emotionally powerful and intimate portrait of a relationship affected by migration law. It’s rare to see the second person imperative used in a short story, and rarer still to see it done so well. In a strong shortlist, ‘Unspooling’ stood out immediately for this confidence of voice, for the beauty and poise of its writing, and for the unique angle it takes on what it means to travel. Runner-up: ‘Hot days’ – Joey Bui This compelling story of a young woman’s life in Vietnam manages to make her whole world real in such a short space of time. A good short story needs to manage so many elements at once: plot, character, setting, structure and language. It’s a pleasure to see all these parts working together so seamlessly in ‘Hot days’; the writer’s careful attention to detail makes this a very rewarding read. Readers are left with a strong sense not just of Linh’s world, but of her inner life too. Runner-up: ‘Psychosexual thriller’ – Ursula Robinson-Shaw This story combines an unusual feel for language with stunning insights into character and the sometimes toxic, sometimes tender dynamics between a group of young friends and lovers travelling. At times uncomfortable, and packed with interpersonal drama, this is a story that sees human behaviour and is unafraid to describe it, making impressive leaps between bleakness and comedy. Read the rest of Overland 230 If you enjoyed this piece, buy the issue Or subscribe and receive four outstanding issues for a year Nic Low Nic Low is a writer, installation artist and arts organiser of Ngai Tahu Maori and European descent. His first book was Arms Race, a collection of fierce, playful short stories. His second, a literary walking expedition through New Zealand’s Southern Alps, will be out soon. More by Nic Low › Jennifer Mills Jennifer Mills was Overland fiction editor between 2012 and 2018. Her latest novel, The Airways, is out through Picador. More by Jennifer Mills › Ryan O'Neill Ryan O'Neill is the author of The Weight of a Human Heart and the Miles Franklin-shortlisted and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award-winning Their Brilliant Careers. His fiction has appeared in many places. He teaches at the University of Newcastle. More by Ryan O'Neill › 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 1 15 June 202616 June 2026 · Reviews Transubstantiations: Toby Fitch’s Or Grace Roodenrys The final trick of Or is that in the end it stages something utterly universal: the search for a momentary recognition of ourselves in language, the maybe-hopeless pursuit of those “very exceptional circumstances” in which something half-truthful might be said, the unending attempt to build something that feels real with the limited resources one has. This is a very old, a very sacred enterprise. We might call it poetry. 11 June 202612 June 2026 · Solidarity The zero-sum state: what the Royal Commission reveals on the future of Muslim life in Australia Sara Cheikh Husain The zero-sum logic that the Royal Commission’s witnesses have voiced through the IHRA definition is a colonial act of oppression. If the state succumbs to that logic, as every indication suggests it will, Muslim political solidarity with Palestine risks becoming not merely unrecognised but structurally criminalised. The full institutional protection of one community will come to be constitutively built on the misrecognition of another.
