In August, called for the next generation of bold new voices to tell stories that reflect the diversity of modern Australia.
Writers from all over the country responded and we received more than 2,000 entries in our inaugural .
, acclaimed authors Melissa Lucashenko and Benjamin Law, picked from a shortlist gathered by the SBS Voices team over a month-long reading process. Read more about our winners, their writing journey and what inspires them.
Alana Hicks - 1st place, $5000 prize
Alana Hicks. Source: Supplied
As the winner of the inaugural SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition Alana jokes that she is a two-decades long emerging success. After years of trying to juggle earning an income and pursuing creative work, last year she quit her job at a migrant resource centre and gave herself the challenge to submit to writing competitions and funding opportunities every month and, as luck would have it, SBS soon announced a competition focusing on stories just like hers.
She felt compelled to enter but was nervous about telling such a personal story. “It’s a vulnerable process to put your history and your words on a page or on a screen for other people to judge. When I sat down to write my entry for the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition I looked out the window and kind of into my own soul and said ‘what are the experiences and memories that have truly shaped me’?”
Judge Melissa Lucashenko called Hicks's piece: "a fierce blow struck in self-defence against casual racism.".
"Australia seems far removed from the violence of Port Moresby, her mother’s home, but the wounds of never really being accepted have their own savage pain. The author’s ultimate decision to remove her placatory masks brings a joyful defiance and strength to this winning entry."
Fellow judge Benjamin Law said the entry was, "One of those stories that makes you tingle, knowing you’re reading an important new voice in Australian writing.
"While every paragraph – covering violence, racism and class – hints at a much bigger story to tell, this is also a self-contained gut-punch of a story offering hard-won wisdom, strength and perspective."
Nadia Johansen - 2nd place, $3000 prize
Nadia Johansen. Source: Supplied
Nadia is a Gungarri writer and poet living in Meanjin/Brisbane who was awarded second place in the competition. She is a second-year creative writing student at QUT and has her sights set on becoming a novelist. She has a love for contemporary Indigenous storytelling and it was her teacher, who she mentions in her story, who encouraged her to enter this competition.
“I saw that the SBS competition was being judged by Melissa Lucashenko, who is my favourite author at the moment. I love Too Much Lip, and that was what made me think it was the place to submit for.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity and the prize money will give me time to write non-stop over the summer.”
The judges described her story as quietly powerful and culturally rich.
"This piece illuminates some of the many ongoing triggers for Aboriginal trauma that exist in everyday Australia and what the fight against them can cost. A beautifully written and culturally rich entry," said Lucashenko; while Law said the entry was: "An elegant and matter-of-fact depiction of the toll history takes on the present-day mind and body, and an insight into what so many experience in Australian schools and university campuses right now."
Amy Duong - Highly commended, $1000 prize
Amy Duong. Source: Supplied
Amy is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and says she was always drawn to writing but wasn’t sure if there was a place for stories like hers. It was only after seeing the stories of other culturally diverse writers published on the Voices website that gave her the encouragement to enter the competition.
“By looking at the SBS Voices website I saw that there was a place for stories like mine.”
Her story is an insight into Vietnamese history and culture with a clever use of an ordinary red plastic stool which signifies so much. The judges described her work as technically brilliant.
"An hilarious and skilfully crafted insight into Australian-Vietnamese life through the motif of the plastic stool. Word perfect and moving," said Lucashenko.
"Such a memorable and expertly written invitation into a Vietnamese-Australian history and family," agreed Law.
"Especially love the way in which something so humble and ordinary as a plastic stool is properly elevated and given the respect and attention it warrants. A technically brilliant and flawlessly executed story."
Nakul Legha - Highly commended, $1000 prize
Nakul Legha. Source: Supplied
When this competition came along Nakul had been looking for a reason to start creatively writing again. He said the topic of growing up in diverse Australia was the perfect lure.
Nakul was born in India and grew up in Bhutan, where television was banned. He moved to Australia as a boy and jokes that now he's making up for lost time by spending most of his days watching and working in television. He’s passionate about hearing and telling new kinds of Australian stories. He has previously worked as a media lawyer for the ABC and now works for Netflix.
Lucashenko said Nakul's story was a 'wryly funny assessment of how internalising shock-jock values helped one Indian-Australian boy survive his Sydney adolescence.'
Law said it made him 'cringe in recognition, horror and comedic delight'.
is on sale July 28. The featured writers include: Alana Hicks, Nadia Johansen, Amy Duong, Nakul Legha, Karla Hart, Sita Walker, Jason Phu, Trent Wallace, Tania Ogier, Miranda Jakich, Bon-Wai Chou, Prateeti Sabhlok, Amer Etri, Cher Coad, Sam Price, Rosie Ofori Ward, Lal Perera, Monikka Eliah, Serpil Senelmis, Margarita D'heureux, Maha Sidaoui, Kaye Cooper, Esmé James, Naeun Kim, Jackie Bailey, Michael Sun, Caitlyn Davies-Plummer, Hugh Jorgensen, Dianne Ussher, and Courtney Theseira.
