You feel your heart being pulled in many directions, stretched until thin and taut. Maybe it’s toward some grand transformation of society, driven by rage at injustice and stagnation. Or perhaps, a more humble ambition. But as the breath escapes your lungs, you realise that some destinations are forever unattainable – unrequited love, shattered dreams, lost journeys. Maybe the end is just the beginning.
Welcome to DESTINATION, the 2021 Honi Soit Writing Competition. We have cash prizes available for two categories: non-fiction and fiction. Submit here: https://form.jotform.com/211210369060038
NON-FICTION: Pieces can be up to 1200 words, and must be of an opinion genre with a clear argument. Consider what avenues and destinations we are heading towards, on scales large and small, and whether we need to change course. We want you to convince, challenge and provoke us.
FICTION: Pieces can be up to 2000 words or 40 lines (depending on medium). You can write in any style, including but not limited to prose and poetry. Be imaginative with your piece – the more creative, the better. Feel free to interpret the theme as broadly as you wish, while maintaining a thematic link.
PRIZE MONEY: In each category:
First place — $1000, Second place — $500, Third place — $250, People’s choice — $50
SUBMISSIONS: Entries are open NOW and will close on Sunday 18 July 11:59pm. To submit your piece, fill out this form: https://form.jotform.com/211210369060038. Winners and top-placing entries will be published in a future edition of Honi.
JUDGES: Catriona Menzies-Pike (non-fiction) and Vanessa Berry (fiction).
Catriona Menzies-Pike is the editor of the Sydney Review of Books, Australia’s leading online literary journal. Her essays and critical work have appeared in the Sydney Review of Books, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Australian Book Review, the Griffith Review and many other outlets. Her first book, The Long Run, was published in 2016. She was among the first staff for the Digital Cultures program at the University of Sydney, and was also a former academic in the Department of English.
Vanessa Berry is a writer and artist who works with history, memory and archives. She is the author of Gentle and Fierce, an essay collection about human and animal interrelationships, and Mirror Sydney, a collection of essays and hand-drawn maps that investigate the city’s marginal places and undercurrents, based on the popular blog Mirror Sydney. Her visual arts work has been exhibited at galleries such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, National Gallery of Australia, and the Museum of Sydney.
ELIGIBILITY: You can submit one work per category (two pieces maximum). You must be a USyd student to enter.
AWARDS NIGHT: An award presentation evening will be held in Semester 2 to present the winners of the Writing Competition. More info to come. All are welcome for a night of drinks, nibbles, entertainment and celebration!