Judges wowed by next generation of writers

9 August, 2024

Queensland school students with a flair for writing were celebrated on Wednesday evening (7 August) as part of the Independent Education Union – Queensland and Northern Territory (IEU-QNT) and English Teachers’ Association of Queensland’s (ETAQ) annual Literary Competition.

ETAQ President Anne Wood said over 1300 submissions of poetry, short stories and non-fiction prose were entered into this year’s Competition, with all schools providing a high quality of entries for judging.

“Now in its 65th year, the Literary Competition remains the longest-running writing competition in Queensland and is open to students and staff in both state and non-government schools,” Ms Wood said.

At the presentation evening, held at the Queensland Multicultural Centre, award recipients were presented with certificates and book prizes generously donated by event sponsor Penguin Random House Australia, before first prize recipients read their winning pieces to the audience.

Attendees were also treated to an engaging lecture by guest speaker Zanni Louise, a Byron Bay-based author of children’s books, who shared insights and highlights from her writing career.

IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the Literary Competition was a great opportunity for students to hone their writing skills and creativity.

“Our antecedent union established the competition to encourage literary development and freedom of expression in young people,” Mr Burke said.

“The Literary Competition judges were impressed with the exceptional talent on display this year, with a diverse range of entries submitted from across the state.

“I congratulate those outstanding writers who were awarded prizes and thank all the recipients who entered the 2024 Literary Competition,” Mr Burke said.

See the full list of 2024 Literary Competition winners.