The Long Way Home Writing Competition 2024 is now open

It’s time for Clarence writers to look at the twilight sky for inspiration. This year’s theme is ‘Fly by Night.’ We’re hoping to get lots of wild and imaginative stories featuring flying foxes, the night sky, and travelling in the dark. From our inner realms to wild places, flying foxes are the stuff of fable. They can fill the sky, they can travel more than a thousand kilometres, they sleep upside down. They’ve inspired Batman, Bartok the Magnificent, Batty Koda, and Dracula. If not flying foxes, think about flying by night and see what else you can come up with. The sky’s the limit.

We’re looking for original stories that move us or surprise us, stories that make us curious about what happens next. We look for authentic voices with a touchstone of the writer’s own culture and experience, enlivened by imagination.

Email your story to cvshortstories@gmail.com Feel free to email us with any questions about entering.

The best entries will be published in a book, ‘Stories from the Clarence Valley 2024 – Fly by Night,’ to be released at the end of this year. 

Terms and Conditions

Primary students in Year 1- 6 can enter stories of up to 200 words

High school students can enter stories of up to 500 words

Open section stories can be up to 2,500 words

The closing date for entries is 11pm June 1st, 2024. Late entries will not be accepted.

The shortlisted stories from each category will be edited and published in ‘Stories from the Clarence Valley 2024 – Fly by Night.’ The book will be launched in early December.

Primary school students: Each story must include the author’s name, story title, word count, school year, school, teacher’s name, and the category (Primary). Teachers, please email us the stories as separate word files. Home schoolers are welcome.

High school students: Each story must include a cover page with the author’s name, story title, word count, school year, school, teacher’s name, and the category (High School).  Write the title on each page. Your name only goes on the cover page. Stories are judged blind.  Home schoolers are welcome.

Open category: Each story must include a cover page with the author’s name, the title of the story, word count, the category (Open). Write the title on each page. Your name only goes on the cover page. Stories are judged blind.

The winner of the open category will receive a $100 cash prize. Winning high school and primary school students will be awarded book vouchers.

The author owns the story. In entering the competition, the author gives permission to The Long Way Home to edit and publish the shortlisted stories in ‘Stories from the Clarence Valley 2024 – Fly by Night’ under the author’s name.

The Long Way Home does not generate enough income to pay authors for published stories, but each author will receive free copy of the book. (We don’t pay ourselves either).

Stories can be emailed to cvshortstories@gmail.com

Frequently asked questions

Am I eligible to enter?

If you live in the Clarence Valley, or you have lived here in the past, you can enter. Students need to attend a school in the Clarence Valley, or be of school age and have an address in the Clarence Valley.

What are the judges looking for?

We are looking for well crafted, powerful, original stories that move us. We look for authentic voices – with a touchstone of your own culture, your own experience, enlivened by your own imagination.

Can I enter more than one story?

Yes. But make sure any story you send is the best it can be. Read it at least ten times, keep improving it, make every sentence work. Then send it.

Do I have to pay to enter?

No. Entry is free.

How will I find out if my story will be published?

We’ll contact you by email. The results will also be posted on this website, and on Facebook. We expect judging to be complete by August.

How should I format my entry?

As a Word document. t. Use double spaces between the lines. Please number the pages, and include the title on each page. If you need help to format your story, email us.

First Nations writing

The Long Way Home has been proud to publish Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl writers in all our collections.

If your piece is written in the voice of an Aboriginal person, or telling an Aboriginal story, are you Aboriginal? If not, leave it for Aboriginal people to tell their own stories.  Use your own voice to tell your own story. The most powerful writing comes from our own voice and experience and identity.

Out now. Stories from the Clarence Valley 2023 – Grow

Stories from Clarence Valley writers of all ages, selected from The Long Way Home writing competition. These stories have an undercurrent of slender hope, dogged spirit. A unique gift, written and printed in the Clarence. Buy your copy at Grafton Book Warehouse, South Grafton News and Gifts, The Nook in Yamba, Coldstream Gallery in Ulmarra, and Grafton Regional Gallery. Congratulations to the writers!

Book launch

Stories from the Clarence Valley 2023 – Grow is a uniquely Clarence book featuring 60 outstanding entries from this year’s Long Way Home Writing Competition. So many worlds are in bloom in this book! We’re launching the book on Monday 4 December in the courtyard at Grafton Regional Gallery, 158 Fitzroy St, Grafton, from 6pm-7.30pm. Everyone’s welcome. Come and celebrate our creatives.

We’re grateful for the generous support of South Grafton Community Bank, the Yugilbar Foundation, Grafton Book Warehouse and Clarence Regional Library.

And the winners are . . .

The Long Way Home is delighted to announce the results of the 2023 writing competition. Congratulations to these talented writers! The book launch is 4 December at Grafton Regional Art Gallery, with all 60 shortlisted writers being published. We’re grateful for the generous support of South Grafton Community Bank, Yugilbar Foundation, Grafton Book Warehouse and Clarence Regional Library.

Open Section

Winner – Loueen Winters, ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ ($100 cash prize)

Runner up – Eevee Bailey, ‘More Than Anything’ ($50 cash prize)

High School Section

Winner, Eva Patricks, Year 11, McAuley Catholic College, ‘Grafton Boy’ ($50 book voucher)

Runner up – Charlie Rouse, Year 7, Grafton High, ‘Grow and Change’ ($40 book voucher)

Highly commended – Talia Duckworth, Year 9, home school, ‘Unnoticed’ ($25 book voucher)

Highly commended – Vinh Coorey, Year 7, Grafton High, ‘The Little Seed of Life’ ($25 book voucher)

Highly commended – Nadia Smith, Year 12, Grafton High, ‘Bunny Ears’ ($25 book voucher)

Primary Section

Winner – Zali Nichols, Year 5, Gulmarrad Public, ‘Is This Up?’ ($50 book voucher)

Second – Theo Symons, Year 5, Grafton Public, ‘Fire’ ($40 book voucher)

Third – Zoe Commerford, Year 6, Westlawn Public, ‘Free’ ($30 book voucher)

Highly commended – Emmeline Beohm, Year 3, Westlawn Public, ‘New Beginnings’ ($25 book voucher)

Highly commended – Josie Vickers, Year 5, South Grafton Public, ‘Divorce’ ($25 book voucher)

*Book vouchers are from Grafton Book Warehouse.

The shortlist!

Thank you to everyone who wrote a story for the 2023 Long Way Home story competition. The judges have made a shortlist of 60 stories, all to be published in Stories from the Clarence Valley 2023 – Grow. Congratulations to all! Winners will be announced on 28 August.

The judges were Meg Rowe, Roweena Shakespeare, Jacqui Hinshaw, Julie Henry, Janelle Brown, Jess Wood and Claire Aman.

We take our hats off to everyone who wrote a story. Keep writing. As judge Janelle Brown says, ‘What a fantastic result! It seems to get harder and harder each year to judge the stories, as the quality of the entries just keeps improving. It’s wonderful to know that there are so many young aspiring (and inspiring) writers in the Clarence!’

The book launch will be on 4 December at the Grafton Regional Art Gallery. We are grateful for the generous support of South Grafton Community Bank, Yugilbar Foundation, Grafton Book Warehouse, Grafton Regional Gallery and Clarence Regional Library.

The shortlist

Open category

‘The Scholar Gipsy’ by Gaye Sprenglewski

‘Hillvale Phoenix’ by Jim Chambers

‘Napthol Crimson Through the Dark’ by Nadia Smith

‘There Is a Season’ by Charlie Limdell

‘The Best Is Yet to Come’ by Loueen Winters

‘Bundy’ by Adam Smith

‘More Than Anything’ by Eevee Bailey

‘Two Degrees of Hope’ by Norman Mjadwesch

‘Grow Up’ by Zach Jones

High school category

‘Somewhere In Between’ by Samara Grebert, Year 12, Grafton High

‘Unnoticed’ by Talia Duckworth, Year 9, home school

‘The Feeling of Home’ by Ada Sage, Year 10, home school

‘Grow’ by Olive Pereira, Year 7, Grafton High

‘Bunny Ears’ by Nadia Smith, Year 12, Grafton High

‘The Little Seed of Life’ by Vinh Coorey, Year 7, Grafton High

‘Metamorphosis’ by Lily Hall, Year 7, McAuley Catholic College

‘Grafton Boy’ by Eva Patricks, Year 11, McAuley Catholic College

‘The Start of Life’ by Max Lobsey, Year 7, McAuley Catholic College

‘The Flower’ by Bella Moran, Year 7, Grafton High

‘Grow and Change’ by Charlie Rouse

Primary school category

‘Aether the Amazing Dog’ by Yvonne McLennan, Year 4, Nymboida Public

‘Food For Life’ by Asher Nichols, Year 6, St Joseph’s Primary, Maclean

‘Forest End’ by Jordan Polsen, Year 5, South Grafton Public

‘Gariima Country’ by Jericho Close, Year 6, Baryulgil Public

‘Is This Up?’ by Zali Nichols, Year 5, Gulmarrad Public

‘Grow’ by Novi Rush, Year 5, Grafton Public

‘Grow’ by Freya Thompson, Year 5, St Mary’s Primary, Grafton

‘Growing Frogs’ by Elhi Laurie, Year 3, Baryulgil Public

‘How I Live’ by Henry Miller, Year 6, St James’ Primary, Yamba

‘Fire’ by Theo Symons, Year 5, Grafton Public

‘How Things Grow and Change’ by Morgan Tullipan, Year 1, Copmanhurst Public

‘I Am Growing Up’ by Luke Sanna, Year 3, Cowper Public

‘Free’ by Zoe Commerford, Year 6, Westlawn Public

‘It Begins With a Seed’ by Evie Rae, Year 6, Gulmarrad Public

‘The Clarence River’ by Kassius James, Year 5, Cowper Public

‘The Sprout’ by Zoe Banfield, Year 5, Grafton Public

‘Bob and Coco’s Garden’ by Ami Camara, Year 4, Nymboida Public

‘Divorce’ by Josie Vickers, Year 5, South Grafton Public

‘Crystals and the Apple’ by Ella Cox, Year 4, Ulmarra Public

‘New Beginnings’ by Emmeline Beohm, Year 3, Westlawn Public

‘Goodbye’ by Gretel Farrell, Year 6, Ulmarra Public

‘Grow’ by Lilly Mulqueen, Year 5, St Mary’s Primary, Grafton

‘Grow’ by Sophie Sutherland, Year 6, St Mary’s Primary, Grafton

‘Growing’ by Lucky Sanna, Kindergarten, Cowper Public

‘Growing Sunflowers’ by Scott Halls, Year 3, Cowper Public

‘Growing Up’ by Katie Shawyer, Year 4 Ulmarra Public

‘Human Evolution’ by Aidan Knox, Year 6, Grafton Public

‘My Town’ by Willow Seivers, Year 6, St James’ Primary, Yamba

‘My Town Growing’ by Marlie Zvatora, Year 6, St James’ Primary, Yamba

‘My Wish’ by Autumn Enns, Year 6, St James’ Primary, Yamba

‘Reptiles Galore!’ by Sienna Patricks, Year 6, St Mary’s Primary, Grafton

‘Spreading My Wings’ by Hanna Maginnity, Year 6, Grafton Public

‘The Beginning Again’ by Mikinleigh Bullock, Year 6, South Grafton Public

‘The Big Fig Tree’ by Cooper Stuart, Year 3, St Mary’s Primary, Grafton

‘The Enormous Bowl of Ice Cream’ by Hazel Rowney, Year 3, Yamba Public

‘The Mysteries of Space’ by Mya Williams, Year 6, Copmanhurst Public

‘The Rebels’ First Big Game’ by Olivia Hillman, Year 3, Copmanhurst Public

‘The Story of My Grandad’ by Sophia Cleere, Year 5, Grafton Public

‘War’ by Zoe Woods, Year 5, Grafton Public

‘This Family, My Family’ by Maggie Clancy, Year 5, South Grafton Public

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