litlinks 2022

A creative writing competition for ACT school students and their teachers

Year 9 & 10 Category, 2022

Image: Year 9 & 10 students checking a story on a laptop.

The judges initially found the collection of student writings submitted in the Year 9 & 10 category to be bleak and gloomy, with the occasional story presenting a spark of hope. Perhaps this reflects the COVID-affected lives we have all lived through during the last two to three years.

However, the mechanics of the students’ writings are of a high standard. The selection of words, sentence construction, paragraphing and punctuation enabled the writers to produce stories that for the most part were engaging and interesting. A little more attention to plot development could be a focus area for emerging writers.

Click on the images and links below to explore the winners in the Years 9 & 10 Category:

Click here to read Plastic Smiles by Charlie Stockings
Click here to read Louis by Ruby O’Hara-Dewhurst
Click here to read Fate Will Find a Way by Ellie Magee
Click here to read The Birth of the Droplet by Callum Clarke

Winners:

Shortlisted Awards:

  • Alysia Anderson, Lyneham High School – Monotone
  • Judy Chung, Amaroo School – A love unheard and unfated
  • Lucinda Ferguson, Erindale College – Messiah
  • Shanaa Srimanobhavan, Marist College – Looped

LitLinks Achievement Awards:

  • Bridget Armitage, Daramalan College – Untitled
  • Amy Brooks, Alfred Deakin High School – A Nameless Squid
  • Isaak Brown, Calwell High School – Warehouse
  • Matilda Charlton, University of Canberra High School Kaleen – The Price We Must Pay
  • Calum Davis, Kingsford Smith School – Tiresome War
  • Alanah Deck, Mt Stromlo High School – Rebuilding
  • Ben Dunlop, Wanniassa School – The Bunker
  • Mark Hammond, Amaroo School – Delirium
  • Ben Hancock, Mt Stromlo High School – An Immortal Fool
  • Lauren Jensen, Amaroo School – Hotdogs
  • Sally Johns, Calwell High School – Hearts for Leo
  • Jasmine Kukulka, Lanyon High School – Acting Villain
  • Gaia La Penna, Mt Stromlo High School – The Spitting Image of My Weathered Grave
  • Muhammad Mansuri, Burgmann Anglican School – A Little Red Box
  • Ashton Martin, Mt Stromlo High School – I’ll See You Tomorrow
  • Hester McDonald, Amaroo School – The Red Tie
  • Alexa Norris, Mt Stromlo High School – Crow’s Blight
  • Lacey O’Brien, Mt Stromlo High School – Gone in a Flash
  • Natasha Perkovic, Lanyon High School – The Wolf Watched
  • Matheesha Rajapakse, Marist College – Ghosting
  • Diego Ruta, Radford College – The Reading Lesson
  • Eugenia Sawczak, Alfred Deakin High School – Not Again
  • Isabelle Smith, Amaroo School – Innocent
  • Nissi-Michelle Ssentamu, Canberra Girls Grammar School – Sharp as a Diamond
  • Mary Vella, Daramalan College – George’s Epilogue
  • Emily Wang, Radford College – Move On

Judges

ACTATE thanks the year 9 and 10 category judges, Janet Rickwood and Dennis Flannery, for their time and expertise.

Janet and Dennis are both English teachers, ACTATE life members, and former ACTATE presidents and school principals.