2024 Local Government Election:

The local government election period is from Tuesday 17 September, 12pm until Saturday 26 October 2024, 6pm. For more information, visit our Election page.

My Brother Jack Awards

Winners were announced on Sunday 1 September at the 2024 My Brother Jack Awards Ceremony. Thank you to everyone who entered and we will see you again next year!

Junior Primary Short Story

(Years Foundation-3)

Teenager to Mermaid by Maya Kolieb (COMMENDED)

The Mysterious Light by Fabien Cachart (COMMENDED)

The Lost Cat by Rishaan Aravind (WINNER)

Kitty Criminal by Ruby Gous (COMMENDED)

Judges Report - Eliza Henry Jones


 

Senior Primary Short Story

(Years 4-6)

A Kite of a Whale by Liza Subbotina (WINNER)

Brighton Sky by Oscar Layton (COMMENDED)

Moonlight in Melbourne by Thalia Atsis (COMMENDED)

I Wonder Who by Peggy Burns (COMMENDED)

Judges Report - Eliza Henry-Jones


 

Junior Secondary Short Story

(Years 7-9)

No Sun in Sight by Allegra Adams (COMMENDED)

All that Glitters is Not Gold by  Stefania Trapetsa (COMMENDED)

Escaping the Sky by Emma Gracey (WINNER)

What If...? by Sara David (COMMENDED)

Judges Report - Paul Dalgarno


 

Senior Secondary Short Story

(Years 10-12)

Peeping by Daisy Merrifield (WINNER)

Judges Report - Paul Dalgarno


 

Open Short Story

Different by Adele Lin (COMMENDED) 

Without an Anchor by Sharyn Kolieb (COMMENDED)

The War I Understand by Kasia Grzechowiak (COMMENDED)

Sphagnum by Ellen Coates (FIRST PLACE)

Hope, A Needle Pulling Thread by Alexander Homoc (THIRD PLACE)

Mid-Life/Route 44 by Pamela Ueckerman (SECOND PLACE)

Judges Report - Angela Meyer


 

Junior Primary Poetry

(Years Foundation-3

Garden by Meenakshi Ashok Varadhan (COMMENDED)

Fun at the Gunn by Franklin Campbell (COMMENDED)

The Toy by Emily Piao (WINNER)

Pitter Patter of the Rain by Daisy Mahemoff (COMMENDED)

Judges Report - Joel McKerrow


 

Senior Primary Poetry

(Years 4-6)

The Lake of Ocean Tides by Loretta Wise (COMMENDED)

Unknown Waters by Jasmine Li (COMMENDED)

One of Many by Mona Bachmann (COMMENDED)

Piano Fingers by Shifra Sacks-Frosh (WINNER)

Judges Report - Joel McKerrow


 

Junior Secondary Poetry

(Years 7-9)

When Sadness Comes by Keila Bekker (WINNER)

Diwali Festivities by Arjun Gupta (COMMENDED)

Chatterbox by Charmaine Chu (COMMENDED)

Honey by Luke Xu (COMMENDED)

Judges Report - Alicia Sometimes


 

Senior Secondary Poetry

(Years 10-12)

Mycelium by Shelley Wajsbrem (COMMENDED)

Thank you, for loving me by Kerry Lyons (COMMENDED)

The Uncertainty by Demah Farhan (COMMENDED)

Age's Touch by Alice Masson (WINNER)

Judges Report - Alicia Sometimes


 

Open Poetry

Untitled Grief by Kerryl Beissel (COMMENDED)

Rising with the Fog by Hamish Plaggemars (COMMENDED)

The Eucalyptus Tree I Saw While Waiting for the 9pm Bus Home by Victor Zhang (THIRD PLACE)

An Intern Vet Nurse Privy to Granulation by Shoshanna Rockman (SECOND PLACE)

Fig in the Night by Alexander Homoc (FIRST PLACE)

Judges Report - Alicia Sometimes


 

Who are this year's judges?

Eliza Henry Jones
Eliza grew up in Glen Eira and is the author of the adult novels Ache and In the Quiet and the YA novels P is for Pearl and How to Grow a Family Tree. Her novels have been listed for the QLD Literary Awards, NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, ABIA, Indie and CBCA Awards. Her work has appeared in places such as The Big Issue, The Guardian, The Age and Country Style. She is currently working towards a PhD in creative writing. In 2022, Eliza released her novel, Salt and Skin – an evocative tale set in the haunted landscape of the islands off the Scottish coast.

Paul Dalgarno
Paul is an author and journalist. He was deputy editor of The Conversation (Australia) and a senior writer and features editor at The Herald newspaper group (UK). He has written for The Guardian, Big Issue Scotland, and Australian Book Review. He is the author of And You May Find Yourself and Poly. His latest novel, A Country of Eternal Light was recently shortlisted for The Age Book of the Year. Born and raised in Scotland, Paul has lived in Australia since 2010. 

Angela Meyer
Angela Meyer’s debut novel, A Superior Spectre, was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award, the MUD Literary Prize, an ABIA, the Readings Prize for New Australian Writing and a Saltire Award (Scotland). Her novella, Joan Smokes, won the inaugural Mslexia Novella Award (UK). Her work has been widely published in magazines, journals and newspapers, and she has worked as a bookseller, book reviewer, commissioning editor and publisher. Her latest novel, Moon Sugar, has just been released – a life-affirming magical novel that sees two people travel to Berlin together to piece together the final days of a mysteriously missing friend.

Alicia Sometimes
Alicia is a poet, writer and broadcaster. She has performed her spoken word and poetry at many venues, festivals and events around the world. Her poems have been in Best Australian Science Writing, Best Australian Poems, Overland, Southerly, Meanjin, ABC TV's Sunday Arts and more. She is a member of the ABC’s Outer Sanctum podcast and is often reviewing books on ABC Melbourne. She is director and co-writer of the science-poetry planetarium shows, Elemental and Particle/Wave. Her TedxUQ talk in 2019 was about the passion of combining art with science.

Joel McKerrow
Full-time in his creative career for the past fifteen years, Joel McKerrow is an award winning writer, keynote speaker, creativity specialist, children's author, educator and, having performed for hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world, is one of Australia’s most successful performance poets. In this time Joel has released seven spoken word/music albums, six published books of poetry and has just released his first Junior Fic/Graphic novel, Urban Legend Hunters with publisher Larrikin House.

Background to My Brother Jack

Background to My Brother Jack

My Brother Jack is a novel written by George Johnston, published in 1964. Johnston grew up in Elsternwick, and his mother Minnie was a Voluntary Aid Detachment member during the war.

My Brother Jack is a semi-autobiographical novel that follows the character of David Meredith through his youth in inter-war Melbourne. David’s mother is a VAD at Caulfield Repatriation Hospital on Kooyong Road, and she often brings wounded soldiers into their house. His childhood is filled with injured and traumatised men, and his memories of the hospital are a powerful view of war’s impact through a child’s eyes.

An Australian classic, the novel brought Glen Eira’s post-war experience into the national consciousness. Johnston’s book won the Miles Franklin Award in 1964.

Launched in 1996, the My Brother Jack Awards, Glen Eira City Council’s annual literary competition, acknowledge the lasting impact of Johnston’s work.

Sources:
G Johnston, My Brother Jack, William Collins, Sons, 1964
VAD Register, Red Cross Australia (Victoria)

Short stories

Open 

3,000 word limit
1st: $1,000 cash prize
2nd: $600 cash prize
3rd: $400 cash prize

Senior Secondary (Years 10-12)

1,000 word limit
$500 gift voucher

Junior Secondary (Years 7-9)

500 word limit
$400 gift voucher

Senior Primary (Years 4-6)

500 word limit
$300 gift voucher

Junior Primary (Years Foundation-3)

500 word limit
$200 gift voucher

Poetry 

Open

60 line limit
1st: $1,000 cash prize
2nd: $600 cash prize
3rd: $400 cash prize

Senior Secondary (Years 10-12)

30 line limit
$500 gift voucher

Junior Secondary (Years 7-9)

10 line limit
$400 gift voucher

Senior Primary (Years 4-6)

10 line limit
$300 gift voucher

Junior Primary (Years Foundation-3)

10 line limit
$200 gift voucher