Rise Up! Regional Writers Rise Short Story Competition
Celebrating stories that rise from everywhere!
The 2025 Rise Up! Short Story Competition Awards Ceremony, held as part of the Regional Writers Rise Festival, brought together writers, readers, and community members to honour the remarkable storytelling emerging from regional and remote Victoria. Born from the belief that powerful stories don’t just come from the centres of power, but rise from kitchens, classrooms, paddocks, train stations, everywhere, this year’s competition invited writers to explore the theme of compassion in all its forms. The response was extraordinary.
At the ceremony, we recognised the outstanding prize winners, along with a host of Honourable Mentions and Special Mentions whose work reflected originality, emotional resonance, and authentic, distinctive voices. Stories that explored kindness, courage, grief, community, and connection, each reminding us why stories matter.
These are the winners of this year’s Rise Up! Short Story Competition.
First place goes to Lachy Alexander (right) for ‘Untranslatable’. Lachy has won $500, a 12-month membership to Writers Victoria, and publication in Paper Road Magazine.
Second place goes to Jennie Del Mastro (left) for ‘Uniform’. Jennie has won $350, a 12-month membership to Writers Victoria, and publication in Paper Road Magazine.
Third place goes to Erin Johnson (centre) for ‘She is Movement’. Erin has won $150, a 12-month membership to Writers Victoria, and publication in Paper Road Magazine.
A huge congratulations to our winners, and thank you to everyone who entered and shared their stories.
Click the button below to read the winning stories now:
Honourable & Special Mentions:
- HM: ‘The Ring Theory’ – Larissa Patton
- HM: ‘Another Hello’ – Connor Sabre
- HM: ‘A Place Like This’ – Karen Howie Casey
- HM: ‘Stale Biscuits’ – Charmaine Reader
- HM: ‘Compression’ – Mitchell Noel Kelly
- HM: ‘Dreams Don’t Come To Life’ – Jack Wu
- HM: ‘The Bells’ – Cindy Tomamichel
- HM: ‘Fifteen Fragments of Life Blood’ – Nadia Rhook
- SM: ‘A Change in the Weather’ – Hannah Rose
- SM: ‘Be Gentle’ – Lucinda Young
We are proud to share that all Honourable Mentions (HM) will be published in a dedicated upcoming issue of Paper Road Magazine, with the prize-winning stories featured first, in a special festival edition. Our two Special Mention (SM) recipients have been offered one-on-one mentoring to further develop their stories, with the possibility of publication with Paper Road Magazine after the mentoring process is complete. We can’t wait to see where their writing journeys lead next.
This competition, funded by Federation University Australia in partnership with Paper Road Magazine and Writers Victoria, continues to amplify the diverse voices of our region, offering fresh perspectives and stories that challenge, comfort, and connect.
Thank you to everyone who shared their words. We can’t wait to see what you write next.
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