wilderness arts

Australian writers of short stories should now be well aware of the opportunities offered by the EJ Brady prize. The Mallacoota Arts Council has hosted the EJ Brady Short Story writing competition for more than a decade. The main prize, for a story of fewer than 2500 words, is the handsome sum of $1,000. In recent years we have added another category; this section is called the Very Short Story. For fewer than 700 words you can win $500.
In 2005, the winning writers were able to come to the Forest Flowers and Fiction weekend of spring festivities in Mallacoota, to read their stories in public. The Arts Council organised a total of three reading events in different formats, both indoors and outside in our unique beautiful locations, where volunteer readers presented the stories in original style. Music and poetry were added to the entertainment, which was composed of stories from the shortlist, in both categories.
We are excited about celebrating the short-listed entries again in 2006, at Mallacoota on Saturday and Sunday November 4th and 5th, 2007.
The competition is promoted through the state writers’ centres, and regional newspapers. The entry form is below, and reminds you that the entry fee is $10 for the Major prize and $7 for the Very Short Story.

entry form

 

$1,000 prize for Major Short Story Word limit 2,500 words

$500 prize for Very Short Story Word Limit 700 words

Closing date - Friday September 21st 2007

Edwin James Brady came to Mallacoota in 1909 and set up his “Writers’ Camp” at Captains Point, where Henry Lawson visited in 1910.
Among his other famous acquaintances were Katherine Susannah Pritchard, Louis Esson (poet and playwright), artist Tom Roberts, and William Payne the “New Australia” Utopian reformer. EJ pursued a life-long endeavour to improve the lives of both the writer and the ordinary man

He recalls, “We were… radical bohemians, filled with sincere enthusiasms. We dreamt the establishment of a new Hellenic democracy. Literature and the fine arts would be a permanent policy of the administration, and Australia was to become the intellectual leader of the nations, and a fingerpost to the freedom and prosperity of the world.”
We name this competition in his honour

Three Sisters on a Trampoline. Alison Collins

mangos, cherries & ink Claire Yeomans

Short Story

Behind the Lines Stephanie Buckle

 

Short Short Story

Lip Stick   Jeanette O'Shea

Fever Forever - John Millet Good Manners - Kyra Giorgi
Leaving the Scene of an Accident - Nathaniel Moncrieff Few of Life's Givens -           Alison Lloyd

An Interview with Bruce Pascoe – one of this year’s judges.

Bruce, was in the past, a long term resident of Mallacoota and a past editor of ‘The Mallacoota Mouth’ (Our local newspaper produced by Mallacoota P12 College under the current editorship of Richard Wooten). He and Lyn moved back to the Mallacoota areaa couple of years ago.


As judges of the EJ Brady Short Story Competition - what experience do you two bring to bear?
Publishing and editing for 25 years. We published Australian Short stories for 16 years which meant reading 125 stories every week.
What are the key criteria that make for a really successful short story?
Having a story to tell is the key ingredient. Lots of people can write but few are natural storytellers. Technical excellence is important but having an unforgettable story to tell or telling a familiar story in an unforgettable way is vital.
What is the main difference between Short Story writing and poetry writing?
Story writing and poetry writing? Poetry must be written like music. The balance and rhythm is crucial. In story you can be more expansive. There just different tools to say different things. Some ideas call for the brevity and sharpness of poetry, others need the time and expanse of the story or novel.
Can you pick what will be a good story from the first paragraph?
How? No. Some say you can but I don't think you can judge most stories until you're half way through.
Why is it that most short stories written and published are Science Fiction/Fantasy?
People like to read to escape. I think there is too much escapism. We need to tackle the real world. Three hundred and fifty people drowned on our northern shore three years ago because not enough people were paying attention to the real world. But people love SciFi and fantasy and it has produced great literature. It's just me, I'm a grumpy old bastard. It comes from barracking for Richmond.
For writers looking for exemplars of Australian Short Story writing which authors would you suggest?
Here are some of Australia's best. Helen Garner is hard to beat. Carmel Bird has a really distinctive voice, Gillian Mears is exceptional, Melissa Lucashenko is unique, Graham Sheil is the most under-rated writer in the country and Anson Cameron is terrific.