Entries impress in writing and photography competitions

November 08, 2006

Judges of this year's Services UNE photography and short story competitions were so impressed with the quality of the entries they awarded an extra prize.

Communications student Rebecca Lally picked up first and second prize in the short story competition with her stories "Endued Unto That Element" and "Breeding Harness", causing competition sponsor United Campus Bookshops to award prizes down to fourth place, instead of the customary third.

Judge Wendy James, whose novel Out of the Silence won this year's Ned Kelly Award for best first crime novel, said Ms Lally was a "writer of great promise".

"These competitions are so important for young writers," Ms James said, noting that her own writing career had begun with winning a competition at university.

"There was an impressive range of stories to deal with and the quality was commendable," Ms James said. "Choosing winners was difficult."

Ms Lally said it felt "pretty awesome" to win, especially since this was the first writing competition she had entered.

She said, "I write a lot about younger people and the sort of things people come up against growing up: addictions, social evils."

Third prize in the writing competition went to Helen Machalias for "The Way Home" and fourth prize went to Jason Green for "The Tenement".

In the photography competition, first and second prize went to Emma Rowles for her photographs of street scenes in China. Third prize went to Kelley Atkinson for "Will You", depicting a young boy brandishing a toy gun. Theodore Maczi won the People's Choice Award for his photograph, "Ducks in the Water".

Services UNE CEO Sue Paini said she was delighted with the level of interest in this year's competitions.

"It's pleasing to report that we received a record number of entries this year," she said. "This clearly indicates the support and demand for these competitions."

Ms Paini also took the opportunity to thank United Campus Bookshops and The Armidale Express for their continued sponsorship of the competitions.

"Without our sponsors these competitions could not exist," she said.

For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photograph is available to accompany this story.

Pictured: Third prize winner Kelley Atkinson with her photograph "Will You".

Posted by Leon Braun at November 8, 2006 03:34 PM