2026 Somerset Storyfest National Novella Writing Competition
2026 Shortlisted
Congratulations to the following participants who have been Shortlisted. Our shortlisted participants will be invited to travel to the Gold Coast to attend the Storyfest Writers' Festival from Monday 30 March to Wednesday 1 April, meet with authors, publishers and immerse themselves into literacy for the three days!
- It was Sweetness - Juliet Gwizdek - Faulkner, Toorak College, Victoria
- The Sound of Light - Bridget White, Scots All Saints' College, New South Wales
- The Train to Nowhere - Xinyu Jiang, Presbyterian Ladies College, Victoria
General comments from Judges:
This year, 2026, there was a significant increase in the number of entries, and the number of very mature and sophisticated entries. It is so encouraging to read novellas of such high quality and to witness the vast diversity in form, genre, theme and writing style, all from school-aged young people, across Australia. The vast range of themes explored, from old age and dementia, to gothic horror, crime, to fantasy fiction with an authentic message, to the game of chess and life, to healing, music and human greed, to revisiting one’s youth and reimagining life, to surreal, futuristic, post-apocalyptic worlds, to science fiction in its best versions, to love explored and dissected, to caring for our future world, to standing up for what is worth preserving and so much more, is indeed impressive. The experience of reading and sifting through the novellas and pondering the quality and asking questions like “what makes a good novella”, made this task, of reading and re reading the novellas, over the Christmas break, an absorbing and enjoyable one. So, congratulations to all writers who were bold and focused enough to enter. Because writers you are! One feels heartened that there exist such maturity, adventure, joy, boldness and skill out there. It is quite feasible that Australia’s next prize-winning author could emerge from this stable of writers. What follows, is a brief commentary on the 10 longlisted novellas; all of immense quality. From the longlist, three will be invited to attend Storyfest Gold Coast and have the opportunity to discuss their work with the judges. The final winner, to come from these three, will be announced at Storyfest Gold Coast on Tuesday 31 March.
Proud sponsors of the 2026 Somerset Storyfest National Novella Writing Competition
Dr Catherine Mills
Congratulations to all those participants, the standard of entries was excellent and decisions for winners even more difficult.
2026 Longlisted
- Evenly Matched - Dinuki Indiketiya, A.B. Paterson College, Queensland
- It was Sweetness - Juliet Gwizdek - Faulkner, Toorak College, Victoria
- Silence on the Danelion Field - Maya Yamauchi-Blach, Ryde Secondary College, New South Wales
- The City at Night - Venice Cai, Somerset College, Queensland
- The Enchanted Lake - Chanel Tu, Somerset College, Queensland
- The Holy Fatigue of the Divine - Zara Taleb, Broughton Anglican College, New South Wales
- The Nameless One - Neeve Taia, John Paul College, Queensland
- The Significance of Tea Loaves - Tara Cheong, Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus, New South Wales
- The Sound of Light - Bridget White, Scots All Saints' College, New South Wales
- The Train to Nowhere - Xinyu Jiang, Presbyterian Ladies College, Victoria
Our Previous Winners
2025 Winners
2024 Winners
2023 Winners
2022 Winners
2021 Winners
2020 Winners
2025 Winners
2025 Somerset Storyfest National Novella Winner
The Diary of Another Individual - Ayla Chirathivat Geralds, Somerset College, Queensland
2025 Shortlisted
The Diary of Another Individual - Ayla Chirathivat Geralds, Somerset College, Queensland
There Should Have Been Music - Scarlett Wightley, St Thomas More College, Queensland
All That Never Was - Shiloh Herzberg Nicholls, St Clare's Highschool Taree, New South Wales
2025 Longlisted
The Diary of Another Individual - Ayla Chirathivat Geralds, Somerset College, Queensland
The Night of the Long Knives - Chesna Fernando, St Monica's College Epping, Victoria
There Should Have Been Music - Scarlett Wightley, St Thomas More College, Queensland
All That Never Was - Shiloh Herzberg Nicholls, St Clare's Highschool Taree, New South Wales
In Life and In Death - Milla May Muirhead, Merewhether Highschool, New South Wales
Fortune Maximus: The Hybrid's Lament - Yenuli de Coonghe, Box Hill Highschool, Victoria
Shatter - Pippa Riley, St Micheal's Collegiate School, Tasmania
The House Beneath the Lake - Emma Russell, Box Hill Highschool, Victoria
The Last Covenant - Lucas Ryan, St Gregory's College Campbelltown, New South Wales
2024 Winners
2024 Somerset Storyfest National Novella Winner
My Lady Greensleeves - Audrey Li, Ravenswood, New South Wales
2024 Shortlisted
My Lady Greensleeves - Audrey Li, Ravenswood, New South Wales
When Absolutely Everything Counts - Milla May Muirhead, Merewether High School, New South Wales
Surviving Wonderland - Isabelle Knowles, Oberon High School, Victoria
2024 Longlisted
The Bard's Bloodlust - Else O'Leary, The Friends' School, Tasmania
Ruina Imperii - Jerry Gao, Baulkham Hills High School, New South Wales
My Lady Greensleeves - Audrey Li, Ravenswood, New South Wales
When Absolutely Everything Counts - Milla May Muirhead, Merewether High School, New South Wales
Surviving Wonderland - Isabelle Knowles, Oberon High School, Victoria
2023 Winners
2023 Somerset Storyfest National Novella Winner
Inside You and Me - Hannah Morgan, Fitzroy High School, Victoria
2023 Shortlisted
Under the Gaze of the Tamarind - Preethika Mathan, Westbourne College, New South Wales
All My Reasons Not to Die - Manuri Jayawardhana, Norwood International High School, South Australia
Inside You and Me - Hannah Morgan, Fitzroy High School, Victoria
2023 Longlisted
The Debate Team - Violet FitzSimons, Oxley College, New South Wales
Under the Gaze of the Tamarind - Preethika Mathan, Westbourne College, New South Wales
All My Reasons Not to Die - Manuri Jayawardhana, Norwood International High School, South Australia
History Repeats Herself - Jaimie Donnan, Christian College Geelong, Victoria
Inside You and Me - Hannah Morgan, Fitzroy High School, Victoria
The Shadow Master's Eye - Anni Ratten, Little Yarra Steiner School, Victoria
For What He's Done to You - Grace Winspear, The Friends' School, Tasmania
Dinosaurs From The Far Side Of The Moon - Lotus Rossi, Gloucester High School, New South Wales
Charcuterie Board - Abigail Porter, Churchlands Senior High School, Western Australia
Alcestis - Elisa Chen, Methodist Ladies' College, Victoria
2022 Winners
2022 National Winner
Where We Meet the Sea - Brianna Spencer, Gosford High School, New South Wales
2022 Shortlisted
Happy Little Girl - Grace Saxton, Linuwel School Ltd. New South Wales Where We Meet the Sea - Brianna Spencer, Gosford High School, New South Wales Clockwork Machinations - Sarah Lam, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Victoria
2022 Longlisted
Happy Little Girl - Grace Saxton, Linuwel School Ltd. New South Wales Love in the Time of Corona - Nirvana Prasad, Girraween High School, New South Wales Where We Meet the Sea - Brianna Spencer, Gosford High School, New South Wales The Journey - Cameron De Silva, Waverley Christian College, Victoria Clockwork Machinations - Sarah Lam, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Victoria Brown Aussies - Anirudh Sonti, Suzanne Cory High School, Victoria Do not fear the Reaper - Praise Wong, Waverley Christian College, Victoria
2021 Winners
2021 National Winner
The String Quartet – Eden Annesley, Clarence Valley Anglican School
2021 State Winners
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
The String Quartet – Eden Annesley, Clarence Valley Anglican School
Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia
Strangers From Within – Cameron De Silva, Waverley Christian College (Wantirna South)
Queensland and Northern Territory
Bigger Brother – Bridget MacKay, Emerald State High School
Western Australia
Today Until Yesterday – Hannah Pemberton, Perth Modern School
2020 Winners
2020 National Winner
All eyes on us. – Lani Gibson, Miami State High School
2020 State Winners
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
The Fire Burning – Keely Mewett, Picton High School
Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia
Optimistic Fatalism – John Patrick, Home Education
Queensland and Northern Territory
All eyes on us. – Lani Gibson, Miami State High School
Western Australia
I am Death – Lottie Berinson, Mount Lawley Senior High School
