litlinks 2025

A creative writing competition for ACT school students and their teachers

Viviane Gerardu Award, 2025

Viviane Gerardu presenting to colleagues

The Viviane Gerardu Writing Encouragement Award commemorates Viviane Gerardu, a member of the ACTATE community who passed away in 2020. The award honours her contribution to the teaching of English in the ACT and her championing of young writers.

2025 Viviane Gerardu Award Winner

Nothing, No One

by Phoebe MacDonald-Smith,
Melba Copland Secondary School

Image: An old woman stands in the entry to a quaint bed and breakfast hotel. She gives a slightly unnerving smile. This image was edited using AI tools.

A chilling and suspenseful story that makes excellent use of the ‘harmless old lady’ trope.

The tension is well built, and the repeated phrase ‘Nothing, No One’ is noteworthy, though could be used to greater effect.

With some refinement, including, sharpening word choice, and balancing sensory imagery, this piece shows great potential in the suspense/thriller writing genre, and that is why we were unanimous in deciding it receive the Viviane Gerardu Writing Encouragement Award.

Remembering Viviane

Viviane Gerardu was an inspirational teacher who made a difference in the lives of her students and her colleagues.

Viviane presented regularly at ACTATE professional learning events and at national conferences. Teachers always left her workshops with practical strategies and interesting resources to use with their students. She developed the Language for Understanding Across the Curriculum (LUAC) resources and presented workshops to ACT teachers from all learning areas. She has also been published widely through books such as the English Quest series and articles in  ACTATE’s journal, Activate.