30 September 2022

Announcing the 2022 Winners of The Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers

participants at the 2019 prize day laughing and smiling
Shortlisted writers at the 2019 prize day. Photo by Connor Tomas O’Brien.

Express Media and Hachette Australia are delighted to announce the 2022 Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers was awarded to Grey Clisby de la Piedad, S.D Munawara and, Sammi Wu.

This year, in our sixteenth year the final winners were selected from a shortlist of 15 incredible young writers, and chosen by the 2022 Mentor, Zana Frailion, and Hachette Australia judges.

Zana had this to say about the 2022 winners:

‘I absolutely adored Claylike, by Grey Clisby de la Piedad. This is a story with a voice so strong that it remained with me long after reading, and with imagery so fresh and vibrant that it still flashes through my mind at random times, even now, weeks after reading. I have told so many of my friends and colleagues about this piece, and can not wait for the wide world to have the opportunity to read it, and experience it for themselves. Mental Funerals by S.D Munawara is an extraordinary piece of writing. With a simplicity of style that defies the depth of topic, Munawara writes about family loyalties, death, trauma, love, frustration, confusion, guilt and power in a way that is never overwrought or didactic. It is a fiercely, and powerfully honest piece of writing. Munawara has an exceptional gift in bringing us, the reader into their world, in a remarkably assured and mature way. I loved the originality of Art Class by Sammi Wu. The apparent ease of writing, and the wonderful interjection of dialogue among the narrative, gives this piece a wonderfully individual voice. In 342 words, Wu created a scene so wrought with emotion and the angst of youth that I was left wanting to see more and more of this character. To discover the next chapter in their lives. And the ending, those final 8 words, are the perfect finish to this piece. Poetry is often about leaving readers hanging on the cusp of knowing, and Wu does so perfectly.’

You will be able to read these winning pieces on our website in the next few weeks! 

But for now congratulations to:

NONFICTION: ‘Mental Funerals’ by S.D Munawara (VIC)

FICTION: ‘Claylike’ by Grey Clisby de la Piedad (VIC)

POETRY: ‘Art Class’, by Sammi Wu (VIC)

Each winner receives $500 courtesy of Hachette Australia, publication of their work on the Express Media website, a book pack of YA titles courtesy of Hachette Australia, as well as their names and an acknowledgement printed in Voiceworks, Australia’s premier youth literary journal.

The prize was announced and presented in a special event at the National Young Writers Festival on Friday 30th September, 2022.

For all media enquiries, please contact Jes Layton | info@expressmedia.org.au

 

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