Lomer wins 2024 Furphy Literary Award

Kathryn Lomer has won the $15,000 first prize in the 2024 Furphy Literary Award for the short story ‘Nothing about Kissing’.

Lomer is a poet, YA author and novelist from Hobart. One judge described her winning story as ‘a meet-cute story for grown-ups’.

Jane Downing took second place in the competition for ‘Are You There, Margaret? It’s Me, God’ and was awarded $3000, while Paulette Gittins took third place for ‘Should’ve, Could’ve, Would’ve’, receiving $2000.

The 16 shortlisted stories will be collected in The Furphy Anthology 2024, which will be published by Hardie Grant Books in November.

Originally established in 1993 as the Joseph Furphy Commemorative Literary Prize, which was open to Goulburn Valley residents, the award was relaunched as a national prize in 2020. It is administered by the Furphy family in Victoria.

The 2024 Furphy Literary Award was judged by Anson Cameron, John Harms, Margaret Hickey, Stephanie Holt, John Kerr and Thornton McCamish. The winners were announced at the Shepparton Art Museum in Shepparton, Victoria, on 27 July.

Last year’s winner was Jen Rewell for ‘Away to Me’. More information about the award is on the Furphy website.

Pictured: Kathryn Lomer

Category: Awards Local news