Randolph Stow Young Writers Awards
The winners for this year’s Randolph Stow Young Writers Awards were announced at a special ceremony held at Geraldton Grammar School on Thursday 25 August.
A huge bouquet of thanks to Principal, Mrs Neesha Flint, Donna Hope, Kerrianne Jefferies, staff and students for your enthusiasm and support to ensure the evening was a resounding success.
This year seventy-two awards were presented across ten categories of poetry and prose, including the Pat Gallaher Encouragement Award. This year a new award was introduced, called The Hon Sandra Carr MLC Emerging Young Writers Scholarship, named in honour of the sponsor for this award. The award entitles two secondary students the opportunity to attend the Young Writers Collective Program in 2023. This program is organised by The Literature Centre where budding young writers will have the opportunity to learn from award-winning Australian and WA authors here in Geraldton.
Congratulations to the winners. It is wonderful to know students continue to enjoy the opportunity to use their creative talents to pen some very inspirational and imaginative works of poetry and prose. Thank you to all the students for your enthusiasm and time taken to enter this year’s awards.
To the teachers, parents and guardians – thank you for your positive encouragement towards the students and your continued support for these awards. This year the Library received a received 573 entries from twenty-seven schools across the Midwest region including Meekatharra School of the Air and the home educated.
The Library would also like to acknowledge and thank the judges who willingly gave up their time to assess the entries. As always, the judges do an incredible job and all judging is done anonymously. This year the judges were: Chris Yates, Meredith Wills, Tony Turner, Sue Chiera, Heather Wallace, Warwick Glenister, Nola Gregory, Deanne Davies, Lorraine Chapman, Malcolm Smith, Matilda Scotney and Hugh de Beer.
The Library wishes to acknowledge and thank the people, local organisations and businesses within our community who have helped to make these awards a reality and contribute toward their success. In addition to being supported by the City of Greater Geraldton, the Award receives support from the following sponsors ;
- Hon Melissa Price MP, Minister for Defence Industry & Federal Member for Durack;
- Hon Sandra Carr MLC, Labour Member for Agricultural Region;
- Hon Colin de Grussa MLC, National Member for Agricultural Region;
- Hon Steve Martin MLC, Liberal Member for Agricultural Region;
- Ms Lara Dalton MLA, Member for Geraldton;
- Mr Shane Love MLA, Member for Moore;
- Apex Club of Geraldton;
- Friends of Geraldton Library;
- The Geraldton Cultural Trust;
- Lions Club of Geraldton;
- Writers of the Coral Coast;
- Geraldton Newspapers Ltd;
- Mrs Helen McArthur – (Sister to Randolph Stow);
- Mr and Mrs Peter and Patricia (Patti) Rock;
- Mrs Ann Boyle and
- J & L Oliveri Cabinet Makers
Booklets containing the works of finalists are available for sale @ $13.00 each from the Library. EFTPOS is available.