We’re excited to announce the winners of the 2023 Young Writers’ Competition!

Now in its 14th consecutive year, this year’s challenge called for students to submit a short story featuring the word ‘promise’.

The competition received more than 400 incredible entries from Kindergarten to Year 12 students across the Northern Beaches. After narrowing them down to twenty-four finalists, guest author judges based their final decisions on originality, plot and use of language.

Winners’ awards were officially presented by Mayor Sue Heins and author judges at a special presentation in Dee Why Council Chambers on Saturday 19th August.

Congratulations to this year’s winners and finalists!

Kindergarten - Year 2, judged by Author Ashling Kwok:

Winner: Olivia Pollrock for The Story of the Witch and the Broken Promise
Runner Up: Isabelle Jones for Space
Highly Commended: Jasper Cook for The Missing Painting
Highly Commended: Teddy Brown for Revenge of the T-Rex    

Years 3 – 4, judged by Authors Beck & Robin Feiner:

Winner: Ashley Smith for The Promise of Safety
Runner Up: Lily Elliott for The Promise
Highly Commended: Ella Harding for The Promise
Highly Commended: Maya Gaffney for Prometheus

Years 5 - 6, judged by Author Deborah Abela:

Winner:  Frankie Boulter for The Last Promise
Runner Up: Anoushka Dymock for What Becomes of a Promise?
Highly Commended: Bronte McDevitt for The Endless Trek for Water
Highly Commended: Harriet Soper for A Dog’s Promise

Years 7 – 8, judged by Author Jeremy Lachlan:

Winner: Nico Clausen for Don’t Reach Me
Runner Up: Lauren Kuiper for I Promise
Highly Commended: Lachlan Kline for An Unexpected Battle
Highly Commended: Lam Nhi Catalinotto for It’s Me

Years 9 - 10, judged by Author Leanne Yong:

Winner: Lillian Hamilton for Evening Rounds
Runner Up: Lexie McCoy for Switch
Highly Commended: Annika Schulte-Paterson for To Heal a Broken Heart
Highly Commended: Laura Piper for All that I am

Years 11 – 12, judged by Author Gary Lonesborough:

Winner: Quinn Campbell for Infallible Memories
Runner Up: Otto Maxwell for Bronze Pocket Watch
Highly Commended: Jared Kimpton for The Farm at the Edge of Human Space
Highly Commended: Lachlan Ginger for Shadow

We asked some of this year’s winners what they think makes a good story:

“A good story is something that anyone can see a part of themselves in” Quinn Campbell, Winner of Year 11-12 Category.

"A story needs a hooking start and emotion” Frankie Boulter, Winner of Year 5-6 Category.

Nine out of our 24 finalists this year have been finalists in our previous Young Writers’ Competitions, demonstrating the student’s commitment to creative writing each year across multiple theme words and by different author judges.

All 24 finalists’ stories will feature in the 2023 Young Writers’ Competition ‘Promise’ e-book, which is available in the library’s collection.

Thank you to all the students who entered this year’s competition. For those interested in entering next year, our finalists have offered the following advice:  

“Choose your idea, write about your passion and make the theme fit it” Lachlan Kline, Highly Commended for Year 7-8 Category.

“Be brave and just keep going!” Ashley Smith, Winner for Year 3-4 Category.

“Just keep writing!” Annika Shulte-Paterson, Highly Commended for Year 9-10 Category.

We look forward to seeing what wonderful stories next year’s competition brings!

Enquiries: 8495 5028 or libraryprograms@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au