2026 Finalists

JUNIOR PRIMARY SHORT STORY

The Unexpected Beach Day
Michelle Chen

Greed Goes Beyond the Gates
Justin Zhao

The Day the Future Started
Antonio Avati

Ducky Dinner
Amira Abed-Elgani

SENIOR PRIMARY SHORT STORY

A Mother's Reckoning
Mulan Li

A Guardian's Grip
Siya Patel

Beneath the Station Lights
Jie-En Yang

The Day I Swallowed a Lion's Roar
Reina Xu

JUNIOR SECONDARY SHORT STORY

The Day the City was Free
Sara Roychand

Unshakable Figures
Frankie Davies

The Book of Questions
Ava Shi

SENIOR SECONDARY SHORT STORY

Blue
Ridhi Panuganti

Viola
Sidney Silkstone

OPEN SHORT STORY

Your Father's House, Your Father's Blood
James Hughes

The Apple
Lois Segun-Beloved

Tea Cup House
Ellen Coates

The Springtime Paradox
Michelle Gu

Two Worlds Collide
Rosslyn Ball

Once the Hands are Empty
Alexander Rathgen

JUNIOR PRIMARY POETRY

The Traveller
Antonio Avati

Parliament House
Amalia Margolin

SENIOR PRIMARY POETRY

The Big-Top Dog
Sasha Krapf

Flying Plastic Bag
Mae Zhang

JUNIOR SECONDARY POETRY

Birth
April Huang

Train Ticket
Millie Drabkin

SENIOR SECONDARY POETRY

Broken Tiles
Charley Johnston

The Object the Future Chose for Me
Liora Seligmann

OPEN POETRY

Journeys moving, Journeys moving still
Lois Segun-Beloved

What Will I Lose
Anita Liyanage

Before Truth
Karen Beynon

Wedding day
Gayelene Carbis

Facets
Andrew Harris