Express Media and Scribe Publications are pleased to announce the shortlist for The 2018 Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers.

Now in its sixth year, the prize is a unique development award to foster long-form nonfiction work from talented writers aged 30 and under.

In 2018, entries from all over Australia covered areas of nonfiction including memoir, journalism, biography, essay and creative nonfiction.

‘This year’s submissions covered a wide range of topics including the #metoo movement, pain and trauma, body and identity politics, indigeneity, and environmental issues. We explored relationships between lovers, friends and families, and travelled around Australia and into pockets of Bosnia, Brazil and India. The nine shortlisted writers have each highlighted the amazing talent, insight and empathy of young writers in Australia today. This is a strong shortlist, and I know readers will be seeing more intelligent and exciting work from each of these young writers in the future,’ said Bethany Atkinson-Quinton, Creative Producer of Express Media.

The 2018 Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers shortlist is:

Madison Griffiths – Her Body as in an Empty Space
Vito Rinaldi – The Jumper
Zowie Douglas-Kinghorn – The Invisible Sea
Georgia Mill – The Body in Line
Jessie Berry-Porter – If I Were To Draw A Line Between Bodies It Would Look Like This
Adalya Nash Hussein – Reading
Courtney McMahon – On Gender and the Colour Blue
Georgia Phillips – Holocene: A Short Story
Ana Maria Gomides – What luck, what a fucking curse: on looking and being looked at in my light skin

‘Interrogations of the body and its limits, of corporate power, and of the state of existing in-between – gender, race and homelands, were a few of the themes that resonated strongly through this year’s outstanding bunch of submissions. We are delighted with the shortlist and look forward to reading more from these excellent young writers,’ said Myfanwy Jones, Editor and Project Manager at Scribe.

All shortlisted writers have the opportunity to attend a skills-development masterclass with award-winning nonfiction writers Briohny Doyle and Tresa LeClerc, and will receive detailed feedback from the judging panel and a book pack from Scribe.

The 2018 shortlist was selected with an anonymous judging process by Inez Trambas (Editorial Committee of Voiceworks), Shu-Ling Chua (Editorial Committee Voiceworks 2016 to 2017, writer for Feminartsy, Peril Magazine and Meanjin), Myfanwy Jones (Project Manager, Scribe and author of Parlour Games for Modern Families and Leap); and Bethany Atkinson-Quinton (Creative Producer, Express Media).

The winner will be selected by Scribe and announced during the opening night of The Word For Word National Non-Fiction Festival on Friday 16th November at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre.

The winner will receive a cash prize of $3,000 and an editorial mentorship with Scribe to develop their work.

For more information on The Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers, visit expressmedia.wpengine.com/programs/the-scribe-nonfiction-prize/