THERE is a fine tradition of literary writing and talent in Greater Shepparton, and it all began with a gentleman by the name of Joseph Furphy, who wrote under the pseudonym, Tom Collins almost 150 years ago.
Working for twenty years alongside his brother, John at the famous foundry, Joseph spent his evenings writing into the night. In 1903, he published, Such is Life, a novel that would go on to be one of the country’s pioneering literary works.
In 1992, The Furphy Literary Awards was established in honour of Joseph Furphy and in its quest “to promote and extend the tradition of storytelling,” it has become one of the most prestigious (and lucrative) awards of its type in the country.
This year’s Furphy Literary Awards ceremony, open short story competition, was held at the Shepparton Art Museum on Saturday, July 23 and the Junior and Youth poetry and short story award winners were announced on Sunday July 24 at the Shepparton library.
The Adviser would like to join the community in forwarding a hearty congratulations to the following winners:
2022 Furphy Literary Award winners
Open Short Story
1st Cate Kennedy, Art and Life
2nd Lisa Moule, The Game
3rd Natalie Vella, Winter is for Regret
2022 Furphy Literary Award winners
Junior Poetry
1st Riley Wooster, A Sea of White
2nd Milo Rose, Ode to my Mandarin Tree
3rd Milo Rose, When I saw the Monet
Junior Short Story
1st Lila Plunkett, Colour
2nd Lila Plunkett, The Cough
3rd Miriam Ford, A Light in the Darkness
Youth Poetry
1st Dorothy Lune, Intergenerational rot-out kitchen
2nd Layla O’Callaghan, Our Pastime
3rd Casey Clark, Take Me to a Place
Youth Short Story
1st Layla O’Callaghan, The Taliban
2nd Erin Hicks, Stars and Skies
3rd Martha McKellar, Teenage Cage
