Australian Book Review is delighted to announce that Eliza Robertson has won the 2017 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘Pheidippides’. Author David Malouf announced Eliza Robertson as the overall winner at a ceremony at Potts Point Bookshop, Sydney. Dominic Amerena placed second for his story ‘The Leaching Layer’ and Lauren Aimee Curtis came third for her story ‘Butter’. Subscribers can read all three shortlisted stories in the August 2017 Fiction issue. We would like to congratulate all three shortlisted entrants and thank all those who entered their stories
This year the prestigious ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize attracted almost 1,200 entries from forty-two countries. The 2017 Jolley Prize is worth a total of $12,500, with a first prize of $7,000 and supplementary prizes of $2,000 and $1,000.
The judges also commended three stories – ‘Contributory Negligence’ by Stevi-Lee Alver (New South Wales), ‘The Man I Should Have Married’ by Catherine Chidgey (New Zealand), and ‘The Fog Harvester’ by Marie Gethins (Ireland). The commended authors each receive $850 and their stories will appear in ABR in coming months.
The 2017 Jolley Prize was judged by ABR Deputy Editor Amy Baillieu, and authors Ellen van Neerven and Chris Flynn. Click here for more information about the judges.
About the 2017 Jolley Prize shortlisted authors
Eliza Robertson studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia, where she received the Man Booker Scholarship. In 2013, she won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and was shortlisted for the Journey Prize and CBC Short Story Prize. Her début story collection, Wallflowers, was shortlisted for the East Anglia Book Award and selected as a New York Times editor’s choice. Her first novel, Demi-Gods, comes out with Penguin Canada and Bloomsbury in late 2017.
Dominic Amerena is a writer, editor, and researcher from Melbourne. His work has appeared in The Australian, The Age, Overland, The Lifted Brow, Meanjin, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, and Vice. His short story ‘Help Me Harden My Heart’ was commended in the 2016 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize.
Lauren Aimee Curtis lives in Sydney where she is a PhD candidate at the University of Technology. Her work has appeared in Catapult, The Atlas Review, The Lifted Brow, Cordite Poetry Review, The Canary Press, and elsewhere. In 2014, she was runner-up in the Overland Story Wine Prize. She is currently writing a novella.
The 2017 Jolley Prize longlist
‘Contributory Negligence’ by Stevi-Lee Alver (NSW) - Commended
‘The Leaching Layer’ by Dominic Amerena (Vic.) - Shortlisted
‘Dreams of a Common Language’ by Jessica Au (Vic.)
‘A Real Man’ by Kate Blandford (US)
‘The Man I Should Have Married’ by Catherine Chidgey (NZ) - Commended
‘Thin Girls’ by Diana Clarke (US)
‘Butter’ by Lauren Aimee Curtis (NSW) - Shortlisted
‘Treading Water’ by Julie Galvin (NSW)
‘The Fog Harvester’ by Marie Gethins (Ireland) - Commended
‘A New Life’ by Anthony Lawrence (Vic.)
‘The Dark Road Home’ by Gabrielle Leago (Vic.)
‘Starry Night’ by Cara Marks (UK)
‘The Dark Ages’ by Margaret Mulvihill (UK)
‘Hinterhaus’ by S.J Norman (NSW)
‘Clementine of the Future’ by Emily O'Grady (Qld)
‘Pheidippides’ by Eliza Robertson (UK) - Winner
‘The Cry Room’ by Gaele Sobott (NSW)
‘Depths Exceeded’ by Jessica White (Qld)
Please read our list of Frequently Asked Questions before contacting us with a question about the Jolley Prize.
You may be interested in reading the shortlisted stories from previous years. More information about all our past winners is available here, along with links to their stories.
ABR gratefully acknowledges Mr Ian Dickson's generous support for the Jolley Prize.