Hungerford Longlisting 2024

I’ve been chugging away with my writing for five years now. My current complex manuscript is requiring draft after draft and while I find it difficult, it is also incredibly rewarding to see things falling into place – except when they don’t and I have to do it all over again, but then eventually I’ll be even more satisfied – if I’m not weeping because it’s still not good enough! Exaggeration but you get the drift.

Despite this joy (?!) in the process, it is nonetheless completely delightful to get external validation by being longlisted for the second time in the wonderful City of Fremantle Hungerford Award! It’s like getting a very very nice performance review from a respected boss!

Some of you may remember the first time this happened, in 2022. That was for my Young Adult manuscript ‘Treehearts’ about a seventeen year old trying to save a corridor of urban bushland while trying not to fall in love with a Deaf boy who didn’t date hearing girls. This 2024 nomination is for ‘Nowhere, Everywhere’ – another YA, this one about a boy dealing with grief and guilt while living on a holiday island with a dark history. It’s set on Wadjemup/Rottnest Island and I drew on memories, both mine and my brothers’, while writing Jack’s story.

I dearly hope this manuscript progresses further in the competition and ultimately finds a publisher. It’s a little bit funny even in the sad moments. My young adult son (and a dear Lit teacher friend) honoured me by whipping through the final draft in under 24 hours – so maybe it’s got something? That speedy reading felt like high praise indeed!

Anyway, whatever happens when the shortlist comes out later this month, I’ll still be here at my desk, wrestling with plot developments, and sentences that don’t sound the way I want them to, and characters who take themselves to places I hadn’t expected. I’ll still have my inspiring writer group friends, craft books to read and time to page slowly through novels. I’ll still be doing bookish things of all kinds and really, if that girl who loved nothing more than reading all through her childhood could see herself now, she’d be very content indeed.

It’s truly wonderful that such awards as the Hungerford exist. In these times that seem increasing lean for writers, they provide much needed encouragement and opportunity. Molly Schmidt and her wonderful Salt River Road were such deserved winners in 2022 and I have loved watching her success. To be even on the same list as Molly and others, both last time and this time, is really very delightful indeed.

For those of you beavering away with your own creative endeavours, I hope this week brings you all the time you’d like to do so! And to everyone, much love, and thanks, always, for reading 🙂