We’re delighted to announce that Briohny Doyle and Tresa LeClerc will lead The 2018 Scribe Nonfiction Prize Masterclass.

Now in its sixth year, The 2018 Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers is a unique development award to foster talented writers aged 30 and under writing longform nonfiction. Entries are currently open, and submissions between 5,000 and 10,000 words are welcome across all nonfiction genres, including memoir, journalism, essay, and creative nonfiction.

The 2018 winner will receive a cash prize of $3000, an editorial mentorship to develop their work and a generous selection of new-release Scribe books tailored to their reading interests. Shortlisted writers also receive a book-pack from Scribe publications and personalised feedback relating to their entry. All shortlisted writers will receive an invitation to an exclusive craft development masterclass with Briohny Doyle and Tresa LeClerc, two of Australia’s best nonfiction writers, in Geelong, ahead of the Word For Word National Non-Fiction Festival opening night, including The 2018 Scribe NonFiction Prize for Young Writers prize announcement, on Friday 16th November.

As a development organisation, Express Media ensures that the Scribe Nonfiction Prize is a valuable opportunity for all writers shortlisted. The masterclass day includes two skill development workshops covering how to write, research and investigate stories that matter and the ethics of storytelling and knowing your place. The masterclass day in 2017, featuring Anna Krien, Jill Stark and Jeff Sparrow allowed all shortlisted writers to come together to meet, providing an unforgettable experience for all.

I learned so much from the workshops. It was so lovely to meet everyone at Scribe and Express Media and the other shortlistees! I came away from the day feeling really inspired.
– Amaryllis Gacioppo, 2017 shortlisted writer

Being a finalist in The 2016 Scribe Nonfiction Prize was such a memorable and defining experience, one that has boosted both my confidence and creative output as a writer. The support and motivation offered by the organisations during your time as a finalist is immensely encouraging. There were so many highlights: the generous and helpful feedback provided on your piece, the workshop, in which you learn from and meet with some of the brightest young minds in the country, and the sense of community and warmth at the awards night, which was simply exhilarating. I implore all young writers to try their hand at entering this prize – you truly do have nothing to lose, and so much tremendous opportunity to gain.

– Louise Jaques, 2016 shortlisted writer

If you’ve got a burning question about the Prize, or just want some advice on your entry, we’ve got the perfect solution. The 2018 Scribe Prize Live Q&A will be hosted online on Thursday 2 August, where staff from Scribe Publications and Express Media will be on hand to answer all your questions in real time. You’ll have access to the expertise editors David Golding and Myfaw Jones and be able to get some insight into how the prize works and what we’re looking for from submissions.

Get your questions ready and RSVP to the Q&A now.

Briohny Doyle is a Melbourne-based writer and academic. Her debut novel, The Island Will Sink, is the critically acclaimed first book published by literary quarterly The Lifted Brow.Adult Fantasy, her first book of nonfiction was published in Australia, the UK and USA in 2017 through Scribe Publications and has drawn comparisons with Ariel Levy and Maggie Nelson. Briohny’s criticism, short fiction and poetry has appeared in The Sunday Times, The Lifted Brow, The Age, Overland, Going Down Swinging and Meanjin, among others, and she has performed her work at the Sydney Festival and at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. In 2017, Briohny was an Endeavour post doctoral fellow and visiting scholar at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is currently a lecturer in the Writing and Literature group at Deakin University.

Tresa LeClerc is a casual lecturer in Media and Communication at RMIT University. Her research explores the ethics of writing the lives of Others. She co-curates the Unlecture in the Present Tense Literary Talks Series. Her short story ‘American Riviera,’ was published as part of the book 9 Slices. Her creative work has appeared in Wild Tongue zine and Essay Daily, and her academic writing has appeared in Writing in Practice Journal of Creative Writing Research. Photo by Yaron Meron.
The Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers is presented in partnership with Scribe Publications, and presented at Word For Word National Non-Fiction Festival 2018..