Telling Australian Furphys

SHORT STORIES... Australia's premier short story competition, the Furphy Literary Award is now open. This year's first prize winner will receive $15,000, a La Trobe University Residency and publication in The Furphy Anthology 2025. Last year winners from left, first place Kathryn Lomer, third place Paulette Gittins and second place Jane Downing. Photo: Supplied

The Furphy Literary Award short story competition now open

THE call of the written words can sing in the hearts of the young and old alike. Whether it is crafting prose or poetry, everyone has a story to tell. To honour the idea that everyone has a story in them, Australia’s premier short story competition, the Furphy Literary Award (FLA) is now open.

The theme of this year’s FLA is Australian life in all its diversity. The award has a great history in Greater Shepparton, now in its sixth year as a national competition, the FLA continues to build a reputation of quality. The award-winning Furphy Anthology includes the top 16 stories of the year and is published in hardback by Hardie Grant.

This year’s judges are Anson Cameron, Margaret Hickey, Stephanie Holt, John Kerr, Thornton McCamish and John Harms.

“Judging the Furphy Literary Award has become part of the rhythm of our year. It’s always great to get those first batches of stories and then, once the short list is decided, to start the conversations which reveal the winners. Last year, the short-listed stories were of such a consistently high standard those conversations took some time! We look forward to getting into the entries for the 2025 award,” said Mr Harms.

FLA is named in honour of Australian writer Joseph Furphy, who wrote the classic, Such is Life in 1903 under the pen name Tom Collins.

“We are now five years into this national open award and our annual anthology is hard proof that there are so many great stories out there. We know people love the short story form and it really has been a pleasure to see so many people enter.

SHORT STORIES… Australia’s premier short story competition, the Furphy Literary Award is now open. This year’s first prize winner will receive $15,000, a La Trobe University Residency and publication in The Furphy Anthology 2025. Last year winners from left, first place Kathryn Lomer, third place Paulette Gittins and second place Jane Downing. Photo: Supplied

“In our first five years, we’ve had over 3,000 stories submitted and we know that there are more coming. Good luck to those entering this year’s award and we can’t wait to read them,” said Adam Furphy, a great, great, grandnephew of Joseph Furphy and Co-Director of The Furphy Foundation.

Theme: Australian life in all its diversity

Maximum Length: 5,000 words

Entry Deadline: 30 April, 2025

First Prize: $15,000, a La Trobe University Residency and publication in The Furphy Anthology 2025

Second Prize: $3,000

Third Prize: $2,000

The open competition closes on Wednesday, April 30. Following the judging a shortlist is announced in June, and a gala winners’ award ceremony is held in late July at the Shepparton Art Museum in Shepparton. The junior competition opens on Saturday, March 1.

For more information and to enter visit www.furphyliteraryaward.com.au.