2026 Winners and Award Recipients

JUNIOR PRIMARY SHORT STORY

FIRST PRIZE
Greed Goes Beyond the Gates
Justin Zhao

HIGHLY COMMENDED
The Unexpected Beach Day
Noa Wertheimer

The Day the Future Started
Antonio Avati

Ducky Dinner
Amira Abed-Elgani

SENIOR PRIMARY SHORT STORY

FIRST PRIZE
A Guardian's Grip
Siya Patel

HIGHLY COMMENDED
A Mother's Reckoning
Mulan Li

Beneath the Station Lights
Jie-En Yang

The Day I Swallowed a Lion's Roar
Reina Xu

JUNIOR SECONDARY SHORT STORY

FIRST PRIZE
The Day the City was Free
Sara Roychand

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Unshakable Figures
Frankie Davies

The Book of Questions
Ava Shi

SENIOR SECONDARY SHORT STORY

FIRST PRIZE
Viola
Sidney Silkstone

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Blue
Ridhi Panuganti

OPEN SHORT STORY

FIRST PRIZE
The Springtime Paradox
Michelle Gu

SECOND PRIZE
Tea Cup House
Ellen Coates

THIRD PRIZE
Two Worlds Collide
Rosslyn Ball

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

The apple
Lois Segun-Beloved

Once the Hands are Empty
Alexander Rathgen

JUNIOR PRIMARY POETRY

FIRST PRIZE
The Traveller
Antonio Avati

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Parliament House
Amalia Margolin

SENIOR PRIMARY POETRY

FIRST PRIZE
The Big-Top Dog
Sasha Krapf

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Flying Plastic Bag
Mae Zhang

JUNIOR SECONDARY POETRY

FIRST PRIZE
Train Ticket
Millie Drabkin

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Birth
April Huang

SENIOR SECONDARY POETRY

FIRST PRIZE
The Object the Future Chose for Me
Liora Seligmann

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Broken Tiles
Charley Johnston

OPEN POETRY

FIRST PRIZE
What Will I Lose
Anita Liyanage

SECOND PRIZE
Before Truth
Karen Beynon

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Facets
Andrew Harris

Wedding day
Gayelene Carbis

Journeys moving, Journeys moving still
Lois Segun-Beloved