David Evans Awards for Fiction

WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER WISS EMPORIUM, KALBAR 6.30PM

The Scenic Rim has a rich human history stretching back thousands of years. From the original aboriginal inhabitants to early European explorers and pastoralists and the bustling agricultural community that grew in their wake, to the railway that provided a boon for flourishing towns and the more recent influx of people to the area – each generation has made their mark on the landscape.

Their footprints are scattered throughout this country and we are constantly reminded of their presence: in place names and lonely roadside graveyards, by hillside contours and sprawling farmland, altered water courses and valleys lined with homesteads, cattle yards and historical towns.

Over time many of these stories have been buried, or forgotten in the hustle and bustle of modern life. This year entrants were invited to get their hands dirty - to dig deeper into the region’s fascinating past to uncover the imprints left by those who walked this way before us, through a work of fiction in prose or poetry.

Entrants made use of local resources such as archives, libraries, museums, landmarks and place names, scenery, buildings, businesses and organisations, as well as the locals themselves; to inspire, authenticate and bring life to their writing. Of course they also used their imagination to share their wonderful stories.

Read the winning entries here

$600 PRIZE POOL with cash prizes for winners in all age categories, and books provided by RLB Drafting Services for the Highly Commended finalists.

A creative writing workshop, focusing on poetry and prose was held on 26 July to support the awards.

Young writers are also encouraged to go online and check out the Noobah Writers Circle at noobah.edublogs.org/ for inspiration, advice on theme and writing activities, as well as the chance to chat with other young writers and receive feedback on drafts from professional writers and educators.

Everyone has a story. Everyone leaves an imprint on this land.
What’s your story?

The entry must be a short story or poem in the following categories:
Adult (19 years +) short story of up to 2,000 words or poem up to 100 lines
Young Adult (15-18 years) short story of up to 1,000 words or poem up to 75 lines
Young Writer (10-14 years) short story of up to 500 words or poem up to 50 lines
Children (5-9 years) short story of up to 250 words or poem up to 25 lines

Please post entries to PO Box 57 Boonah 4310.

Judges will be looking for
 Originality of work and interpretation of theme
 Experimentation with form and style
 Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar

The Awards Ceremony will include entertainment and a mini book fair with local authors. Special guests include percussive poet Ross Clark, recent national winner of the Australian Book Review Poem of the Year, and Estelle Pinney, who together with husband Peter wrote Too Many Spears, the dramatic story of Australia's turbulent northern frontier.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
 Multiple entries will be accepted.
 Entrants must be residents of the Scenic Rim region.
 Entrants must not be already signed with a publishing company.
 The work of fiction must address the festival theme of IMPRINTS … Yours … Mine … Ours … in an imaginative way, be an original work, written in English, and must not have been previously published or accepted for publication, or be under offer to any publisher.
 The manuscript must be typewritten and formatted in a clear legible font. Submissions will not be returned; authors should send two (2) copies and retain a copy.
 All entries should be clearly identified only by their title. The entrant’s name must not appear on any page. No work of fiction will be forwarded to a judge if that entry is marked with the name of the entrant.
 Entrants are invited to provide biographical details to a limit of fifty words.
 Entries, including works of fiction must be received by 15 August 2008.
 Winning entries will be published on www.artsboonah.com

The Boonah Arts Collective Inc reserves the right to quote extracts from the work of fiction, but not to exceed fair dealing as defined in the Copyright Act, for the purpose of promoting the competition.

Here's the competition entry form.

EVENT COORDINATOR: Renee Mason, phone 0437 923 661 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it