Pen a winning short story for the 2025 Furphy Literary Award

This year’s judging panel consists of Anson Cameron, Margaret Hickey, Stephanie Holt, John Kerr, Thorton McCamish and John Harms.

“Judging the Furphy Literary Award has become part of the rhythm of our year,” Mr Harms said.

“It’s always great to get those first batches of stories and then, once the short list is decided, to start the conversations which reveal the winners.

“Last year, the short-listed stories were of such a consistently high standard those conversations took some time.

“We look forward to getting into the entries for the 2025 award.”

The award, named after Australian writer Joseph Furphy, who wrote the classic Such is Life under the pen name Tom Collins, is also named for the Australian soldiers in World War I who congregated at the back of Furphy water carts, manufactured by Joseph’s brother John, trading rumours and stories, known as ‘furphies’.

Joseph’s great-great-grandnephew and co-director of The Furphy Foundation, Adam Furphy, said he wished all the entrants luck.

“We are now five years into this national open award and our annual anthology is hard proof that there are so many great stories out there,” he said.

“We know people love the short story form, and it really has been a pleasure to see so many people enter.

“In our first five years we’ve had over 3000 stories submitted, and we know that there are more coming.”

If you’re ready to let the words flow, your short story must be no more than 5000 words and follow the theme.

First prize is $15,000 and a La Trobe University residency, second prize is $3000 and third prize is $2000, with all winners plus another 13 entrants being published in The Furphy Anthology 2025.

The competition is free to enter, and open from February 1 until April 30.

Following the judging, a shortlist will be announced in June, with a gala winners’ award ceremony held in late July at the Shepparton Art Museum.

For more information, go to furphyliteraryaward.com.au