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.
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