Whether it's professionally or recreationally, writing allows us to tell stories in a way that surprise, challenge and entertain others, and help us navigate the world around us.
Initiatives that recognise emerging writers often provide a doorway to getting unheard voices published, and it's this very sentiment that underpins The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers.
Launched by Australian publisher Hachette in 2015, the competition is open to unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction, with $10,000 in prize money up for grabs, along with a mentorship.
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This year, GP Susannah Begbie won The Richell Prize for her eloquent piece of fiction titled When Trees Fall Without Warning.
If you're on the lookout for some new writers or musings to read, feel inspired by the people who made The Richell Prize 2022 shortlist.
Susannah Begbie — When Trees Fall Without Warning (WINNER)
A GP who has always had a passion for writing, Susannah says that hearing she had won was "unbelievable" when she got the phone call.
"It was almost like, 'Are you sure you've rung the right person?" Begbie tells Refinery29 Australia. "It was so beyond my expectations.
"Two months ago, I was nowhere near getting the manuscript noticed. Now, I'm well on the way to getting it published."
Eva Lomski — Place Setting
Hairdresser: What style?
— Eva Lomski (@EvaLomski) November 3, 2022
Me: Don’t f* with me style. pic.twitter.com/Zt3BJ7ZKBY
Eva Lomski's piece of work Place Setting is a short story collection "using the idea of what determines a sense of place to connect a disparate series of characters".
Lisa Nan Joo — The Medusa
An emerging writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, Lisa Nan Joo has penned The Medusa, a novel that "combines a dark mystery with a contemporary thread".
Hajer Al-awsi — Zainab’s Not Home
Hajer Al-awsi is a writer, actress and founder of the 'Iraqi Diaspora Creatives Network', an Instagram page showcasing Iraqi creatives across the globe.
Anne Myers — The Little Ones
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The writer and nurse lives on Dja Dja Wurrung country in the Macedon Ranges, Victoria. The Little Ones is a moving memoir on miscarriage, grief and mothering.
Kate Harris — Wake
Kate Harris is a writer of fiction, non-fiction and theatre, and Wake is a powerful, character-driven novel that looks at trauma.
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