SBS is proud to announce the release of in partnership with publisher Hardie Grant Books.
The 240-page anthology features the works of the top 30 writers from the SBS 2020 Emerging Writers' Competition.
Entrants to the 2020 competition were invited to share stories of growing up in diverse Australia. SBS received over 2000 entries. The top submissions cover family, food, heartbreak and love though a diverse lens. From tales of schoolyard bullying, to cultural displacement, hilarious lost-in-translation moments and special connections with beloved grandparents.
Highly commended prize winner Nakul Legha talks of his childhood fascination with radio shock jocks in his bitingly humorous piece 'The Wise Men on the Wireless'.
"These were confident, articulate men who knew everything there was to know about being Australian. About being an Aussie battler. An Aussie father. An Aussie patriot. They spoke English and somehow managed to do it without a thick Indian accent. Most impressively, they were always right," he writes.
Karla Hart's 'The Crying Song' is an unforgettable depiction of Indigenous grief rituals, while Hugh Jorgensen's 'Lion Lies', about being made to perform a lion dance as an 11-year-old to the backdrop of Pauline Hanson's rise in Queensland, is as tender as it is funny. And Sita Walker spins a spellbinding tale of devotion across generations with 'Love in the Time of Grandmother'.
, the winner of the 2020 competition, has her story 'Medium Beige' featured in the anthology. It's been the icing on the cake for an incredible year since she discovered she'd taken out the top prize of $5000.
"I was shocked to discover I'd won, I had not anticipated nor expected it. I was also deeply humbled, knowing that this competition drew forth so many underrepresented voices with their own beautiful and important stories to share."
Now, she's about to become a published writer. "I'm super excited," she says. "This will be the first piece of writing I've had published by a major publisher."
"I think it's plain to see that there is a sea of stories out there, each with a special truth waiting to be revealed,'' she adds.
Roots: Home is who we are Source: Hardie Grant
won a highly commended prize in the 2020 Emerging Writers' Competition for her story 'Red Plastic Chairs', which the 2020 judges described as "technically brilliant".
"An hilarious and skilfully crafted insight into Australian-Vietnamese life through the motif of the plastic stool. Word perfect and moving," said 2020 judge Melissa Lucashenko.
"Such a memorable and expertly written invitation into a Vietnamese-Australian history and family," agreed fellow judge Benjamin Law.
Duong, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who works as a data analyst and writes in her spare time, says that working with an editor and being published was a great experience for her.
"No one had seen that piece before I submitted it. So, I think getting that feedback from editors has actually been really useful.
"You're forced to see [the story] from a different perspective."
Duong also encourages other emerging writers to read widely. In reading the stories of other people she says, "Even if there are similarities, there's going to be something that you want to write for yourself."
is on sale July 28. The featured writers include: Alana Hicks, Nadia Johansen, Amy Duong, Nakul Legha, Karla Hart, Sita Walker, Jason Phu, Trent Wallace, Tania Ogier, Miranda Jakich, Bon-Wai Chou, Prateeti Sabhlok, Amer Etri, Cher Coad, Sam Price, Rosie Ofori Ward, Lal Perera, Monikka Eliah, Serpil Senelmis, Margarita D'heureux, Maha Sidaoui, Kaye Cooper, Esmé James, Naeun Kim, Jackie Bailey, Michael Sun, Caitlyn Davies-Plummer, Hugh Jorgensen, Dianne Ussher, and Courtney Theseira.
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SBS wants to hear your story...because there's a writer in all of us. Submit your story of 1000-2000 words that speaks to the beauty and/or challenges of being Between Two Worlds in diverse Australia and you could win up to $5000 and kickstart your career. Entries are open from August 16-September 16. Go to for more information about the 2021 SBS Emerging Writers' Competition and register to enter.
Listen to the SBS Emerging Writers' competition podcast, The New Writer’s Room, in the , , , , or wherever you listen to podcasts.
MORE ABOUT THE 2021 SBS EMERGING WRITERS' COMPETITION
SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition Terms and Conditions 2022
