The eleven best stories from the Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2021 as selected by Hilary Burden, Chris Gallagher and Penny Lane.

Winner

Saving Daniel | RI Quin (QLD)

Commendation

Chasing the light | Helen Wyatt (TAS)

Finalists (alphabetical order) 

Roadkill | Leah Carter (NZ)

Butterfly girl | Gail Chrisfield (VIC)

The Likeness | Tamara Hajdu (QLD)

Murmuration | Keren Heenan (VIC)

A man’s home is his jumping castle | Reg Lynch (TAS)

Island Life | Stephen May (NSW)

The Satchel | Terry Mulhern (VIC)

The Ballad of Skull Callaghan | David Wilson (VIC) 

With a foreword from Penny Lane

When judging each story, we looked for a captivating storyline that lingered in the mind after the reading. We looked for stories with a satisfying shape and poignant or arresting moments, with an opening that drew the reader in. 

We appreciated the imagery of some stories, the humour of others, the characters we met. Because of the island theme, we sought island settings or references. In this, we were not disappointed. The range of interpretations of the theme was impressive. 

Particularly now, stories help us make connections. We are a community, those of us who write and read. This anthology makes a thought-provoking contribution to our community. 

—Penny Lane