Piper wins 2022 SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition

Tessa Piper, a 37-year-old public servant from Melbourne, has won this year’s SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition, worth $5000.

Piper’s winning story ‘The Usual’ was selected by judges Alice Pung and Christos Tsiolkas from a shortlist of 30 entries which all responded to this year’s theme of ’emergence’.

‘The Usual’ was described by the judges as ‘a compelling story of family dysfunction that was both raw and powerful’. ‘Some scenes gave us the heebie-jeebies, some scenes made our hearts beat faster, and some left us in shock and awe. This is a story full of urgent vitality, artistically rendered in a truly affecting way that is without artifice.’

Of her win, Piper said: ‘Up until now, I hadn’t allowed myself to think of my writing as more than just files on my computer, something I did for fun and occasionally shared with family and friends,” she says. “But if I’m honest with myself, having people read and connect with my writing is a dream I’d never allowed myself to engage with properly until now.’

Assyrian-Australian writer Monikka Eliah was awarded the runner-up prize ($3000) for her piece ‘Cabbage’. The judges also chose three highly commended entries, each receiving $1000: Gemma Tamock for ‘Call and Response’, Alexander Burton for ‘The Lanyard is my Superpower’ and Sidney Norris for ‘Cicada’.

The 30 shortlisted entries from this year’s competition will be considered for inclusion in an official anthology to be published by Hardie Grant in 2023.

Category: Awards Local news