(PHOTO: Member for Sandringham Brad Rowswell and Library President Graeme Johnstone cut the cake at the Library’s 100th Birthday celebration on Tuesday 6th May, 2025 where the winners of the writing competition were announced)
WHEN the Library decided to run a Writing Competition as part of our Centenary Celebrations, we did not know how it would go. As it was our first attempt at something as ambitious as this, we had no idea whether we could get 2 entries, or 20.
Well, to our amazement, it was closer to 200!
There were 24 stories in the Travel section, 57 works from all those dedicated Poets out there, and 98 Short Stories.
Entries came from all over the nation, as far afield as Western Australia, and even from Canberra, where aspiring writers somehow managed to tear themselves away from the election to contribute.
Our judges were very impressed with the quality of the writing, the intriguing storylines, the colourful characters, and the engaging way the writers grabbed the suggested subject headings and ran with them.
Due to poor ticket sales the Festival had to be cancelled so we moved the winners ceremony from the last day of the festival to our birthday party on the Tuesday night, 6th of May.
Thank you to our judges – Carly Moulang, Judy Sullivan and Denise Tobin Shine (Short Story), Ian McMahon (Travel Story) and Virginia & John Lowe (Poetry) – who did a terrific job.
Best wishes to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the winners.
SHORT STORY
Winner
Julie Kloppenborg
Subject: It Happened In The Library
Title: A Murder of Crows
Runner-up
Marie Low
Subject: In The Year 2125
Title: Don’t breathe too deeply
Highly Commended
Kylie Gardiner
Subject: That Day On The Beach
Title: Secret Shell
Sandra Thom-Jones
Subject: It Happened In The Library
Title: For Want of a Book
Amelie Bongrain
Subject: In The Year 2125
Title: Between The Cracks
TRAVEL STORY
Winner
Pamela Holko
Subject: OMG!!! Can you believe that?
Title: A Touch of Chocolate
Runner-Up
Agi Dobson
Subject: Under The Bridge
Title: St Andrew Summer
Highly Commended
John Allison
Subject: OMG!!! Can you believe that?
Title: A spot of leopard hunting
Steve Cumper
Subject: OMG!!! Can you believe that?
Title: Carry-on confidential
Lachlan Mitchell
Subject: That Day On The Beach
Title: A Christmas Without Borders – Finding Family Among Strangers
Name: Alanah Andrews
Subject: It Happened In The Library
Title: Without a Man
POEM
Winner
Liz Sutherland
Subject: That Day On The Beach
Title: Cosmic Mattering
Runner-Up
Megan Cartwright
Subject: That Day On The Beach
Title: Weigh Station
Highly Commended
Name: Darrelle Spenceley
Subject: That Day On The Beach
Title: Woman O’War
Dorothy Plummer
Subject: OMG!!! Can you believe that?
Title: In Our Garden
Natalie Scanlon
Subject: That Day On The Beach
Title: That Day On The Beach
Mentone Public Library 