Armadale Young Writers Award 2024 winners announced

The City of Armadale hosted its awards ceremony for the 2024 Young Writers Awards on Friday 6 September 2024.

This is the 14th year of the Armadale Young Writers Awards, which nurtures, encourages and recognises the creative writing of young people in years 3-12 who reside or attend school in the City. This year saw 136 entries, across our five categories.

Mayor Ruth Butterfield and author Julia Lawrinson handed out the awards in front of the esteemed judges, Principals and teachers from local schools, and the students’ proud families.

Mayor Ruth Butterfield said: “It is important to nurture and support our young creative writing talent, and the Young Writers Award is always a wonderful opportunity to showcase this talent to the community. Thank you to all our amazing young writers for submitting an entry, and congratulations to all those winners and placegetters. I encourage you all to keep writing and sharing your stories.”

This year’s winners are:

Category: Years 3 & 4         

1st       Tanvika Shyju Nair                 Slow Sails of Sadness

2nd      Sesandi Thebuwana               Ice-cream by the Sea

3rd       Serah Paul                              Creativity

Category: Years 5 & 6         

1st       Andrea Elizabeth Renju          Mourning Ripple

2nd      Harvey Lumia                         Master of the Frost Pack

3rd       Audrey Bolton                        Betrayal

Category: Years 7 & 8

1st       Leo Ford                                  The Vixen

2nd      Matilda Hewson                      Never Truly Gone

3rd       Laura Carpenter                      Am I Ready Yet?

Category: Years 9 & 10

1st       Saskia Sullivan                       Joey Boy

2nd      Kavin Sanjeevkumar               A Thing With Feathers           

3rd       Alexander Veldman               The Collector

Category: Years 11 & 12

1st       Fola Ogunleye                        Intertwined

2nd      Olamide Folarin                      My Sister

3rd       Fracheska Dulay                     Louis                                      

Best Overall Winner

Leo Ford                                             The Vixen

Prizes included cash and book vouchers. Winners also received a trophy and certificate. The Overall Winner had their name engraved on the Perpetual Armadale Young Writers Awards Trophy. The winning stories have been compiled into an anthology which will be available for loan from the City of Armadale Libraries, and for viewing on the library website from 9 September.

Entry forms for the 2025 competition will be available in May 2025.