Calling all short story writers! The Furphy Literary Award, a prestigious Victorian-based literary competition, has expanded into a national competition. South Australian writers are encouraged to enter a short story, of up to 5,000 words, by April 30 2022.
Named in honour of Australian writer Joseph Furphy, who wrote the classic Such is Life in 1903 under the pen name Tom Collins, the national Furphy Literary Award offers $20,000 in total prize money and publication in the annual Furphy Anthology.
Judges include novelist Anson Cameron, writer and publisher John Harms, playwright and author Margaret Hickey, writer and publisher John Kerr, journalist and author Thornton McCamish, and a new judge this year in Miles Franklin Literary Award winner Tara June Winch.
The Judges note, “The Furphy Literary Award presents a wonderful opportunity to all writers whether they’re first-timers, emerging, or established in their careers. Free to enter, it is genuinely accessible and democratic.”
With over 500 stories submitted in 2021, all relating to the topic of life in Australia in all its diversity, the Furphy Literary Award first prize is an eye-watering $15,000 cash prize. The winner is also offered a residency at La Trobe University and pride of place in The Furphy Anthology 2022, a physical book which is professionally designed, printed and distributed nationally.
Sam Furphy, Co-Director of The Furphy Foundation, and great, great, great nephew of Joseph Furphy says, “To honour the life and times of Joseph Furphy in the most fitting way possible, we encourage Australian storytellers out there to submit a story with a focus on ‘Australian life in all its diversity’.”
“We are calling all writers to compete in this annual award for a prose work, either fiction or non-fiction, by a writer aged 18 years or more at the time of submission,” Sam adds.
The history of the Furphy Literary Award is a fascinating one. In WW1, Australian soldiers congregated at the back of Furphy water carts, manufactured by Joseph’s brother John, to trade speculative and wild rumours and stories. The ingenious fabrications became known as ‘furphies’ from that time on. Jointly honouring the author of Such is Life, and ‘the furphy’ that was born from water cart tales, the 2022 Furphy Literary Award promotes and extends the tradition of storytelling that is embedded in Australian life.
The open competition runs from 1 February 2022 until 30 April 2022. Following the judging, a shortlist will be revealed on June 30, and the grand finale, when the winners will be announced at an award ceremony, will take place in late July 2022.
The Furphy Literary Award encourages Australian writers everywhere to ‘have a go’ and perhaps tell a furphy or two along the way.
For more information regarding the competition, please visit the official website.
Important Details
Theme: Australian Life (in all its diversity)
Maximum Length: 5,000 words
First Prize: $15,000, a La Trobe University Residency and publication in the 2022 Furphy Anthology.
Second Prize: $3,000 plus publication in the 2022 Furphy Anthology
Third Prize: $2,000 plus publication in the 2022 Furphy Anthology
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