Rise Up! Regional Writers Rise Short Story Competition
Winners Special Issue
Welcome to this special issue dedicated to the winners of the 2025 Rise Up! Regional Writers Rise Short Story Competition, an integral part of the Regional Writers Rise Festival. This annual competition celebrates the richness of diverse voices and aims to amplify the experiences, perspectives, and creativity of our regional writing community. It serves as a beacon for storytellers who have something powerful to say and a unique way of saying it. This year’s competition invited storytellers from across regional and remote Victoria to explore and reflect on the festival’s theme: compassion.
We are proud to share the winning entries in this special issue that captured the heart and soul of regional life, stories that resonated with empathy, kindness, and the power of human connection. Each one is a testament to the talent and heart of our local storytellers.
First place goes to Lachlan Alexander for ‘Untranslatable’. Lachy has won $500, a 12-month membership to Writers Victoria, and publication in Paper Road Magazine.
Second place goes to Jennie Del Mastro for ‘Uniform’. Jennie has won $350, a 12-month membership to Writers Victoria, and publication in Paper Road Magazine.
Third place goes to Erin Johnson for ‘She is Movement’. Erin has won $150, a 12-month membership to Writers Victoria, and publication in Paper Road Magazine.
Honourable and Special Mentions will be featured in a forthcoming publication, so stay tuned as we continue to showcase more of the incredible talent from this year’s competition.
We invite you to read, reflect, and rise with these voices.
Our artist, Jasmyne Tzitziras, has created a beautiful image of three pink flowers to encapsulate the festival theme of compassion, and it offers the perfect introduction to the winning entries, which you can read below.
Untranslatable
Lachlan Alexander — First Prize Winner
‘My daughter used to help me out. Betty was her favourite. Contemplated telling her. She lives in the city now. Call her sometimes.’
Uniform
Jennie Del Mastro — Second Prize Winner
‘Say nothing personal, Amy told herself, sluicing her hands. Nothing negative. Nothing appearance-related. The soap gripped her skin, refusing to be washed away. Nothing nagging. Nothing trying to sound young. Basically, nothing.’
She is Movement
Erin Johnson — Third Prize Winner
‘Her mass impacts and shifts the space around her. Bending time. Creating a gravitational force that pulls objects, mostly people, into her orbit. They spend their time, feel better for it, and are then flung off, returning to their regular course.’
Paper Road Magazine 