The Alan Marshall Short Story Readings was held at the Eltham Library on Saturday 29 May. It was a wonderful chance for all who attended to hear some of the excellent entries the competition received read aloud. The event had a relaxed and enjoyable feel, with refreshments provided and musical entertainment.
To begin, the Nillumbik Shire Council Mayor Ken King officially opened the ceremony. There were three categories that winners were selected from, including the Open, Local and Youth Sections. The winners for each section were announced by the judge, Michael McGirr who also read out the judge’s report and some important tips for writers in the future who may be interested in entering a short story.
The MC of the event was Dennis Coard, who along with Debra Lawrence read aloud to the audience the winning entries. The Open First Prize was awarded to Christine Fontana of Victoria, for her story Yellow, and the second prize for this section went to Jennifer Mills, an entrant from Alice Springs with a story called The Taxi Driver. The winner of the Local Writer’s Prize went to Gillian Essex of Victoria, with her story entitled One of the Girls. The winner of the Young Writer’s prize was awarded to Tom Banger, an Eltham local who wrote a story called The Dead Dog.
Every story that was read aloud captured the attention of the audience, and we were treated to some truly impressive writing. It was motivating to see so many locals up there receiving awards. The competition was out of about 550 entries, Australia wide, so congratulations to the winning authors for their terrific work.
