Chaudhary wins 2021 Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

Camilla Chaudhary has won the 2021 Australian Book Review (ABR) Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for her story ‘The Enemy Asyndeton’.

Chosen from a shortlist of three announced in July, Chaudhary receives $6000. Lauren Sarazen was placed second for her story ‘There Are No Stars Here, Either’, and John Richards was placed third for his story ‘A Fall From Grace’.

The 2021 Jolley Prize judges Gregory Day, Melinda Harvey, and Elizabeth Tan said, ‘In “The Enemy, Asyndeton”, Elizabeth is godmother to teenaged Julia, but actually it’s Julia’s younger sister, Asha, with whom Elizabeth feels the greater bond. One conversation ignites a peculiar obsession in Elizabeth, awakening her hitherto tepid godmotherly instincts.

‘“The Enemy, Asyndeton” is a delightful, nimble story; the characters bristle with life, and the dialogue is crisply rendered. The author deftly prevents Asha’s precocity from sliding into tweeness, and, although it becomes increasingly apparent that Elizabeth is making a little too much of Asha’s “seething inner brilliance”, the author depicts Elizabeth’s predicament with warmth, understanding, and humour.’

The three shortlisted stories will appear in the August issue of ABR.

Last year’s winner was Mykaela Saunders for ‘River Story’.

Category: Awards Local news