Mornington Peninsula Shire and Peninsula Writers’ Club present the third year of the Mayor’s Short Story Awards and invite local emerging writers to enter the Awards.

The Awards aim to encourage and support Mornington Peninsula writers of all abilities, celebrate our diverse talent, and showcase local stories and voices.

The judging panel comprising notable authors Garry Disher, Else Fitzgerald, Monica Dux, Sam-Ellen Bound and Coral Vass will read through the entries before a shortlist will be revealed on 24 August. Winners and highly commended writers will be presented their prizes at an Award Ceremony at the Peninsula Community Theatre on Thursday 

Award categories and prizes:

• 8 – 12 years judged by author Coral Vass
  500-word limit / short creative fiction only
  $500 prize and bookstore voucher

• 13 – 17 years judged by Samantha-Ellen Bound
  1000-word limit / short creative fiction only
  $500 prize and bookstore voucher

• 18+ years judged by Garry Disher, Monica Dux and Else Fitzgerald
  2,000-word limit / short creative fiction only
  $1,000 prize, bookstore voucher and two-week Police Point Artist Residency

Mornington Peninsula Shire is proudly funding the prize money and the residency at Police Point, while bookstore vouchers have been generously donated by local businesses Antipodes Gallery and Bookshop, Farrells Bookshop, Petersen’s Bookstore and Rosebud Book Barn.