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Shortlisted writer Meg Rowe Long Way Home organiser Claire Aman and shortlisted writer Maggie McDade

‘Long Way Home’ authors announced

A bunch of talented Clarence Valley writers had good news last week, with the shortlist for the 2022 Long Way Home story competition.

According to The Long Way Home’s Claire Aman, the shortlist is proof that nothing can stop a good writer.

“There’s been a lot to write about. Dramatic times call for brave storytelling. This year’s theme was ‘Let Go,’ prompting over 330 writers of all ages to come up with fabulous stories ranging from profound to hilarious. People let go of their belongings after the floods. They let go of fear and sadness. They let go of the past and the future, and each other. They let go of a leash, the reins. Some of the stories made us laugh out loud, and some gave us tears. As always, these stories sit in the familiar and beloved landscapes of the Clarence Valley.”

The 65 shortlisted stories – by a mix of adults, high school and primary students – will all be published in Let Go – Stories from the Clarence Valley 2022, with the book going on sale in early December. The winners will be announced in September. Judges were Janelle Brown, Roweena Shakespeare, Jacqui Hinshaw, Kathryn Goldie, Ilana Kaplin, and Claire Aman.

“We take our hats off to the shortlisted authors, who come from all over the Clarence Valley, from Nymboida to Baryulgil to Iluka. To bring a short story from idea stage to deadline, takes imagination, effort and courage,” said Claire.

Long Way Home books published since 2018

Started in 2018, The Long Way Home competition grows more popular each year. It is a community project, open to anyone with a connection to the Clarence Valley. The annual book is written, edited and designed in the Clarence, and printed in Grafton by local printer Yoohoo McPhee.

“We don’t get paid or make a profit, so we are grateful for the generous support of South Grafton Community Bank,” said Claire.

“This year we received more stories than ever. So many stories were jostling for the shortlist, too many to fit into one book. We want to keep unearthing new writers, so we encourage everyone of all ages to keep writing.”

To find out who made the shortlist, people can head to www.thelongwayhomestories.com. The Long Way Home can also be found on Facebook.

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The shortlist is below

Open category

Maggie McDade, Neighbour

Jan Booth, Letting Go of Joy

Jo Parry, Two Worlds

Karla Hubbard   , The Rains

Loueen Winters, My Nephew

Meg Rowe, Ant

Sarah Rose-Cherry, Letters to Georgia

Stephanie Haines, Hold On

Zach Jones, Changing Tides

High school category

Nadia Smith, Facing the Forest, Year 11, Grafton High School

Aidan Menzies, Paddlin’ the Zambezi, Year 7, Grafton High School

Jacquiline Diaz, Let Go! Year 7, Home School

Ada Hitchins Sage, Move On, Year 9, Home School      

Brooke Chapman, Unreal, Year 9, McAuley Catholic College

Matilda Neal, Round One of the 2022 Floods, Year 10, Clarence Valley Anglican School

Elsie Stewart, Lockdown, Year 7, Grafton High School

Harmin Singh, Camping, Year 8, Grafton High School

Lotte Pereira, Grief, Year 9, Grafton High School

Syian Thompson, The Slam of the Door, Year 10, Clarence Valley Anglican School 

Primary school category

Evie Rae, The Tale of a Dandelion, Year 5, Gulmarrad Public School

Alyssa Dixon,    The Spider, Year K, Tucabia Public School

Locklen Baker, Bob and the Megalodon Tooth, Year 2, Harwood Public School

Oscar Woods, First Day of School, Year 6, Grafton Public

Alva Eastwood, Flooded Soil, Year 6, Grafton Public School

Ashton Rainbow, An Adventure, Year 2, Ulmarra Public School

Autumn Enns, The Flood, Year 5, St James’ Primary School, Yamba

Buddy Walker, Catching Bingiing, Year 6, Baryulgil Public School

Chainey Gosper, My Life So Far, Year 6, St Mary’s Primary School, Grafton

Chloe Edwards, Let Go, Year 6, St James’ Primary School, Yamba

David McLean, Let It Go! Year 1, Baryulgil Public School

Dusty Ellem, Invisible, Year 1, Copmanhurst Public School  

Ellie Denem, Let Go, Year 5, Ulmarra Public School

Ember McKittrick, Unicorn Mystery, Year 2, Copmanhurst Public School

Emily Archer, Gone Too Soon, Year     5, St Mary’s Primary School, Grafton   

Emmitt Caldwell, Petie, Year K, Cowper Public School

Felicity Causley, Let Go, Year 6, Iluka Public School

Isobel Keane, The Memory, Year 5, Grafton Public School

Jaali Walker, Let Go, Year 3, Baryulgil Public School

Jamieson Allen, The Falls, Year 5, St Mary’s Primary School, Grafton

Jonah Plummer, Let Go, Year 6, Iluka Public School

Joseph Hartley, Corn Crows, Year 6, Nymboida Public School

Kaden Burnside, Cutie The Elephant, Year 1, Tucabia Public School

Luke Sanna, My Dog, Year 2, Cowper Public School

Lyla Woodlock, Duchess, Year 3, Copmanhurst Public School

Mia Quelch, Learning to Let Go, Year 6, Pacific Valley Christian School

Noah Robinson, My Dog, Year K, Baryulgil Public School

Olive Pereira, When the Seasons Change, Year 6, Grafton Public School

Pippa Brown, Two Hands on the Wheel, Year 5, South Grafton Public School

Pippi Short, Let Go, Year 5, St James’ Primary School, Yamba

Rhys Staples, Lacher Prise, Year 6, South Grafton Public School

Scott Halls, Let Go, Year 2, Cowper Public School

Stella Skeels, The Forest Shadows, Year 6, St Mary’s Primary School, Grafton

Willow Seivers, The Sandon River Bay, Year 5, St James’ Primary School, Yamba

Zoe Cameron, The Eagle Soars, Year 6, South Grafton Public School

Zoe Commerford, Free Fall, Year 5, Westlawn Public School