‘Chapter One’ is the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) publication pathway for emerging writers. The prize is open to authors who have written a poetry collection, literary novel, short story collection, or a hybrid work that crosses genre boundaries. The AAWP is delighted to provide this publication pathway for emerging writers.
The judging process relies on the generous support of established writers within the AAWP. In this inaugural year, the exceptional quality of submissions placed the judges in an unenviable position. Thank you to all writers who submitted their work for consideration. Submissions were received locally and internationally. We welcomed submissions from existing members of the AAWP and were thrilled to accept submissions from new members.
The inaugural winner of the ‘Chapter One’ prize is Luke Johnson for his submission: Stories from an Other Place. Luke will receive a written appraisal of his work from an established literary author within the AAWP, together with a letter of recommendation to the University of Western Australia Publishing (UWAP). This ‘tick of approval’ will see Luke’s manuscript assessed without delay. Luke will, effectively, leap to the top of the submissions pile. In addition, Luke receives a $500 cash prize and fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP (November 2015), where he is invited to read from his work.
We are thrilled to fast track Luke’s writing journey. Please join us in warmly congratulating Luke.
We look forward to receiving your submissions for the 2016 ‘Chapter One’ prize. As the competition was very tightly contested, we encourage submission in consecutive years.
We look forward to seeing you all at the AAWP conference (Melbourne 2015). Details here:
Luke Johnson— Author bio:
Luke Johnson’s stories have appeared in such places as Overland, Island, HEAT, Mascara Literary Review, The Lifted Brow, Going Down Swinging and TEXT, as well as being listed for such awards as the Josephine Ulrick Prize and Elizabeth Jolley Prize. He has written for The Age, The Drum and Australian Book Review, and has had scholarly research accepted for publication in such journals as Texas Studies in Literature and Language. He teaches Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong and University of Technology Sydney, where he completed a PhD in Creative Writing and Psychoanalytic Literary Theory in 2013.
