The West Australian Young Writers' Contest
Subcategory of Awards Australian Awards
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History

The West Australian Young Writers' Contest was open to primary and secondary students in Western Australian schools. Prizes were awarded in six age group categories in both prose and poetry sections.

As well as individual prizes, special awards were given to the primary and secondary schools that make the best overall effort in the contest.

There was no set topic  The judges were members of the English Teachers' Association of Western Australia. (The West Australian 29 April 1997, p7)

Latest Winners / Recipients (also see subcategories)v925

Year: 2004

first (Group 3) Poetry Just Let Me Finish... i "It's time to settle and tackle all that homework.", Niamh Dell , 2004 single work poetry humour
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 3)
first (Group 6) Poetry Porousness i "I dislike the porousness of things", Jenny Jiang , 2004 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 4)
winner (Group 5) Poetry Game i "Refers to the hunters' pleasure", Stefan Elliot , 2004 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 4)
winner (Group 2) Prose The Dragon's Lair Timothy Simpson , 2004 single work prose fantasy
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 5)
winner (Young Writer of the Year) Emily Webb-Smith
winner (Group 4) Poetry An Unguarded Moment i "Death Visited our School", Emily Webb-Smith , 2004 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 5)
winner (Group 5) Prose Wreckreation Ella Wisniewski , 2004 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 6)
winner (Group 2) Poetry The Most Frightening Thing i "The Bunyips dance", Annika Powers , 2004 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 6)
winner (Group 6) Prose Moses' Song Zarah Burgess , 2004 single work prose young adult
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 7)
winner (Group 4) Prose Family Bonding Kate Dromey , 2004 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 7 September 2004; (p. 8)

Year: 2003

winner (Group 5: Prose) The Weaver Zarah Burgess , 2003 single work prose extract
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 3)
winner (Barking Gecko Script Writing Award) Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Isabelle Rivette , 2003 single work drama extract
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 4)
winner (Young Writer of the Year) Anna Dunnill
winner (Group 5: Poetry) Tall Glass i "yesterday", Anna Dunnill , 2003 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 5)
winner (Group 3: Prose) Heavenly Peaches Emily Webb-Smith , 2003 single work prose extract
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 6)
winner (Group 2: Prose) A Human is a Pet for Life - Not Just Christmas Niamh Dell , 2003 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 8)
winner (Group 6: Poetry) Rich Beauty i "The tour buses gleamed", John Pearce , 2003 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 9)
winner (John Kinsella Environment Award) Rich Beauty i "The tour buses gleamed", John Pearce , 2003 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 9)
winner (Group 4: Poetry) Eucalypts at Sunset i "Golden-green whispery sequins", Rachel Lewandowsky , 2003 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 9)
winner (Group 4: Prose) Frozen in Time Ella Wisniewski , 2003 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 10)
winner (Group 2: Poetry) Universal Friendship i "After three days at her new school", Imogen Castledine , 2003 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 11)
Poetry The One in the Middle i "The cat needs feeding", Aithne Dell , 2003 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 2003; (p. 11)

Year: 2002

winner (Best Overall Writer) Jennifer Watson
winner (Group 5: Poetry) Five-Thirty i "Morning, though night's fingers still have hold", Jennifer Watson , 2002 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 8)
joint winner (Group 1: Poetry) Hamish Gets in Trouble i "My mischievous little brother when he was two", Lachlan Blair , 2002 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 4)
joint winner (Group 1: Poetry) Teeth i "Teeth are wobbly", Maggie Johnson , 2002 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 9)
joint winner (Group 1: Poetry) Dogs i "Pouncing, jumping", Olivia Rourke , 2002 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 1)
joint winner (Group 1: Poetry) Hannah Smith
joint winner (Group 1: Prose) The Dynamite Ride Andrew Lauw , 2002 single work short story
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 9)
joint winner (Group 1: Prose) Abbey's Trip to Space Grace MacLeod , 2002 single work prose fantasy
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 5)
joint winner (Group 1: Prose) My Dog i "Jacky", Bethany Nichols , 2002 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 11)
joint winner (Group 1: Prose) My Tickly Dragonfly i "When I snuggled up in bed the night", Jesse Webb-Smith , 2002 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 6-7)
winner (Group 2: Poetry) Volcano i "A sleeping dragon", Daniel Nichols , 2002 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 11)
winner (Group 2: Prose) The Search Niamh Dell , 2002 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 12)
winner (Group 3: Poetry) Just Say No! i "Smack, skag, hammer, horse", Matthew Nichols , 2002 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 11)
winner (Group 3: Prose) The Operation Katie Hill , 2002 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 5)
winner (Group 4: Prose) Snow White and the Seven Politically Correct Little People Myfanwy McClements , 2002 single work short story humour satire
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 3)
winner (Group 5: Prose) Simoncorp Martin Hogan , 2002 single work short story fantasy
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 4)
winner (Group 6: Poetry) I Heard that Song i "I heard that song again, last night", Anli Chin , 2002 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 6-7)
winner (Group 6: Prose) Stream of Consciousness Lisa Burton , 2002 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 3 September 2002; (p. 10)

Year: 2001

joint winner Clouds i "Like colourful silk moving across", Leanne McGeogh , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 3)
joint winner My Dongara Emily Webb-Smith , 2001 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 1)
joint winner My Dog Harry i "Harry! Harry! My puppy, my little boy", Sophie Fielding , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 3)
joint winner The Dancing Diplodocus Kelly Hoyle , 2001 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 3)
winner Fragments Lisa Burton , 2001 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 4)
joint winner Save the Rain Forest i "The moon is a balloon floating nicely"", Brendan Robeson , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 4)
winner The Dentist Shona Curtin , 2001 extract short story
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 5)
winner The Wildcat i "The fox whistle is bitter on my lips", Anne Barnetson , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 7)
winner Concrete Jungle i "I walk through a concrete", Julia Petricevic , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 7)
winner Poetry Swimming Lessons i "Forming a line,", Aithne Dell , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 5)
winner Grandad Lana Webber , 2001 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 5)
winner A Beef Tale i "My name is Moses, I'm a hunky looking bull", Harriet Swale , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 6)
winner Rebel i "Smooth white pony", Connor Morgan , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 6)
winner Waterslide i "The circular tyre is big and black", Daniel Nicols , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 6)
winner Opium : Views on a newspaper article Jennifer Watson , 2001 single work short story
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 8)
Highly Commended Overall Category
winner The Art of Being Invisible Siobhan Dell , 2001 extract short story
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 9)
winner My Unicorn i "She comes in a cloud of stardust", Ashleigh Thompson , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 9)
winner Anger i "Anger is a drunken man", Kim Fowler , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 9)
winner My Wobbly Loose Teeth Andrew Lauw , 2001 single work short story
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 10)
winner The Cocky Cloe Binckes , 2001 single work prose
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 10)
winner Fortress of Memories i "The giant looms above me", Connor Fisher , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 11)
winner Following the Fool Samuel O'Sullivan , 2001 single work extract drama
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 11)
winner Bushfire i "It came, silent as the night", Joanna Tan , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 11)
winner In Transit i "An old homeless man buys an all day train", Briony Stewart , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 12)
Highly Commended Overall Category.
winner The Beach i "Digging, pouring, patting", Niamh Dell , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 12)
winner Lost i "Yesterday my pet rabbit ran away", Marc Sjollema , 2001 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 11 September 2001; (p. 12)

Year: 1997

winner (Group 6 16-18 years) Poetry Section Visiting My Grandfather i "The world breathes hot", Anne Smith , 1997 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 1997; (p. 11)
winner (Group 5 14-15 years) Poetry Section Classroom Observations i "Aboredboy makes a paper plane out of his Maths worksheet and watches it fly....", Rachael Young , 1997 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 1997; (p. 8)
winner (Group 4 12-13 years) Poetry Section Bushland Dreaming i "Up high", Amy Jacobson , 1997 single work poetry
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 1997; (p. 3)
winner (Group 6 16-18 Years) Prose Section De Profundis Margaret Stevenson , 1997 single work short story
— Appears in: The West Australian , 9 September 1997; (p. 3)
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