Writing Competition Information
2025 Competition OPEN NOW
The E.M. Fletcher Writing Award is an annual short story writing competition on a family history / genealogy theme. The competition is judged to select the best short story between 1500 - 2000 words. The genre of writing is not limited, and the broad theme allows plenty of scope for creativity.
The competition opens on 15th February and closes on 15th July each year.
Entries for the best short story of 1500 - 2000 words on a family history or genealogy theme will be in contention to win prizes proudly sponsored by Family History ACT:
$1,000 first prize - the E.M. Fletcher Award
$500 runner-up prize: and
$100 the Rosemary McKenzie Award (a prize for Family History ACT members)
Each year, a panel of three judges is convened. Two judges are customarily drawn from within the FHACT membership, and one is an external judge.
Click here to read more about this year's competition judging panel.
Click here to read more about the previous competition's judging panels.
The winning and short-listed entries are published in the December edition of Family History ACT’s journal The Ancestral Searcher.
Entries from the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 competitions are also published in a book series Every Family has a Story. If you’ve thought about writing your family story, these books could be the place to start for inspiration and motivation. Look out for the 2024 volume of Every Family has a Story coming this year. Copies of the books are available to purchase through our bookshop.
Read an extract from previous winning entries:
2024 Winner: Jo Callaghan - Gorn
2023 Winner: Glynis Cummins - Standing on New Ground
2022 Winner: Beverley Richardson - I am Not In-Sane
2021 Winner: Denise Newton - The Bitterness of their Woe
2020 Winner: David Wintrip – A Lamb’s Tale
2019 Winner: Kathryn Coughran – All at Sea
Enquiries about the E.M. Fletcher Writing Award should be directed to here.
