ART AND CULTURE
Georges River Youth Literature Award This year we launched the Georges River Youth Literature Award (GRYLA), an annual creative writing short story competition that aims to capture the aspirations and experiences of young people in Years 7-12 who live, study or play in the Georges River area. Entrants were given a quote by Miles Franklin and an image of a girl standing on a train platform as stimulus for their story. Each entry was awarded marks based on four criteria: originality, language, structure, and integration of the writing stimulus, with one winner and one runner-up being selected. Through the judging process, we were able to select one winner and one runner-up.
Winner: Pay Grade by Robin Bedward (Year 10)
Runner-up: The Gift of Life by Athena Jiang (Year 10)
Pay Grade After five years of being away from "The Firm", Gurney finds himself pursuing his target, a young woman in her early twenties who had seen something she shouldn't have. As we weave through the crowd of a metropolis train station with the protagonist, Mike Gurney, we learn more about his character with each step and sip of cocoa he takes and question if somebody really can change who they are.
Gift of Life In 2018, Angela Jane Mitchell made a decision that would change her life forever. Angela ignored the "MIND THE GAP" warning screaming at her from the edge of the platform, and determinedly stepped in front of an oncoming train. Incredibly, through strength and determination, Angela survived and now learns how to come to terms with her past. This heartfelt short story is about choices, hope, and second chances.
Thank you to all entrants for their participation and congratulations to the winner and runner-up! To read the winning stories, visit georgesriverreads.blog
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