The ten best entries from the Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2023 as selected by Amanda Lohrey, Mallika Naguran & Rayne Allinson.

The stories in this year’s anthology include supernatural voyages, a solitary woman’s sense of home, a family’s attempts to connect offline, a mysterious island ritual, a criminal’s new beginning, a flash of colour in a child’s hand, a man who disappears then reappears transformed, a lighthouse keeper’s vigilant watch, and a coming -of-age story amidst devastating floods.

Kathryn Goldie | Downhill (Winner)

Keith Johnson | The terror (Highly Commended)

Abigayle Carmody | Between islands

Linda Cockburn | The man who spoke tree

Grace Fatchen | Something blue

Marian Matta | Equilibrium

Brid Morahan | Lake people

Jaclyn Riley-Smith | Hold in contempt

Averil Robertson | Motutaratahi

Toby Sime | Three roads

Cover image: Winter calm, Bathurst Harbour by Peter Marmion (from his book, Hidden Worlds, Forty South Publishing, 2023)