Western Downs Words Out West competition winners announced

Budding Western Downs storytellers have been unveiled as the winners of the Words Out West Short Story Competition in the lead up to the final stretch of the literary festival.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED: The region‘s outstanding storytellers have been unveiled with Western Downs Regional Council announcing the winners of its Words Out West Short Story Competition. Picture: WDRC

Three engaging local storytellers have been recognised as winners in the Words Out West short story competition in the lead up to the premier writing festival.

Toowoomba resident Bernadette Whisson took out top place for her piece The Rhythm of Small Things, as part of the competition aimed at celebrating budding writers.

Runner up was awarded to Boondooma woman Lisa Shannon for her piece All the little things and third place was awarded to Tara local Ashley Collard for her piece Peace in Endings.

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Councillor Kaye Maguire said the competition was about encouraging people to put pen to paper and uncovering fantastic local and regional talent.

“[The event] is a novel approach to storytelling, offering various opportunities to inspire and ignite the storyteller in all of us,” Cr Maguire said.

“The short story competition offered a chance for people to write a short fictional story which is no longer than 3,000 words, based around the theme The Little Things.”

Dalby Herald infographic.

First place was awarded $500 and a ticket to the sold out Writer’s Retreat at Jimbour House, with runner up receiving $300 and third place $150.

Bernadette Whisson said she was surprised and excited to receive first place and a ticket to the Words Out West Writers Retreat.

“I write from time to time for my own pleasure and I sometimes enter a competition or two, and I do a lot of journaling,” Mrs Whisson said.

“When I heard about the competition, I tried to create the possibility of a short story using my journaling and my observations of nature, people, buildings – the things in life you'd normally overlook.”

Words Out West: Western Downs Readers & Writers Fest will take place from 11 to 14 March, 2021, with four days of events, presentations, and workshops.

Presenters include Jay Laga’aia, Frances Whiting, Nick Earls, Anita Heiss and plenty more.

To book tickets to Words Out West, head here. 

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Originally published as Western Downs Words Out West competition winners announced