RESULTS!!

The Alice Award, National Writing Competition & Members Book Awards

These awards were presented at our Gala Luncheon, held at The Women’s Club, Sydney, on Wednesday 9 November 2022.

Huge congratulations to all the winners, highly commended, commended, shortlisted and everyone who entered their works.

If anyone present would like a copy of any of the photos, please email Rita.

The Alice Award

Biennially, and jointly, the Societies of Women Writers throughout Australia recognise an Australian woman who has made a distinguished, long-term contribution to Australian literature with The Alice Award, a perpetual statuette and certificate of recognition. The statuette, designed by Alan Ingham, is based on Henry Lawson’s The Drover’s Wife. The award was named after Alice Booth, a retired teacher, writer and philanthropist, who gave the Society of Women Writers NSW a 50th birthday gift, a bank book with $100 in it. The inaugural award was made to Eleanor Dark in 1979. Since that year, the list of awardees reads like a who’s who of Australian women writers.

New South Wales was this year’s host and we were excited that, of the five phenomenal women nominated for the 2022 Alice Award, our nominee, Jackie French won this coveted award. Jackie was not able to attend but recorded her acceptance speech.

Jackie French – author, historian, ecologist and champion of wombats and the natural environment. Jackie has written more than 200 books for all ages and across genres, and is recognised in Australia and internationally.

A passionate advocate for childhood literacy, Jackie works tirelessly to defend the right of every child to learn, regardless of difficulties they may face or their background.

Videos made by nominees for The Alice and Jackie’s acceptance speech video are available on this website under Opportunities/Alice Award – click here.

National Writing Competition

We are delighted to announce the winners of the National Writing Competition 2022. Congratulations to the authors and thank you to our judges.

Short Story Fiction – judged by Jenny Strachan

Winner – Alexandra Dunn ♦ Violet

Highly commended – Paulette Gittins ♦ Forget it Jake

Commended – Julie Howard ♦ Recipes for Sisters and Wives

Short Story Non-fiction – judged by Paula McLean

Winner - Carmel Bendon ♦ Birds of a Feather

Highly commended - Judy Rowley ♦ The Only Way

Commended - Gwen Wilson ♦ Loving in the Shadow of Tito

Poetry – judged by Eileen Chong

Members Book Awards

We are delighted to announce the winners of the Members Book Awards 2022. Congratulations to the authors and thank you to our judges.

Fiction – judged by Margaret Wick

Winner - Kelly Van Nelson ♦ The Pinstripe Prisoner

Highly commended - Susan Steggall ♦ The Heritage You Leave Behind

Highly commended - Maureene Fries ♦ Stones, Bones and Hollyhocks

Commended - Helen Lyne ♦ Love, Disappointment and Other Joys of Life

Non-fiction – judged by Sybil Jack

Winner - Christine Sykes ♦ Gough and Me

Highly commended – Valerie Clifford ♦ Fijian Shadows

Highly commended – Jan Conway ♦ Skimming the Surface – Expats in Kiribati

Commended - Kate Forsyth & Belinda Murrell ♦ Searching For Charlotte

Poetry – judged by Carmel Bendon

Winner - Pip Griffin ♦ Virginia and Katherine, the Secret Diaries

Highly commended - Anne Casey ♦ the light we cannot see

Highly commended - Colleen Keating ♦ Olive Muriel Pink. Her radical and idealistic life. A poetic journey

Commended - Denise O’Hagan ♦ The Beating Heart