Now in its 16th consecutive year, this year’s Young Writers' Competition called for students across the Northern Beaches to submit a short creative piece featuring the hero word ‘change’.
More than 400 entries were received, with guest author judges narrowing them down to just twenty-four finalists from kindergarten through to Year 12.
Winners’ awards were officially presented by Mayor Sue Heins and author judges at a special presentation at the Northern Beaches Council Chambers on Sunday 3 August.
Kindergarten - Year 2, judged by author Debra Tidball
Winner: Mia Bennett for The Nervous Ice-Cream
Runner Up: Christopher Bai for Diary of a Chick
Highly Commended: Josh Asigno for Sam and the Snowy Portal Adventure
Highly Commended: Joey Shen for Invasion
Years 3 – 4, judged by author Nick Long
Winner: Georgia Greenwell for The Drop of Life
Runner Up: Rose Hastie for Emeralds and Diamonds
Highly Commended: Laura Holden for 2 Homes
Highly Commended: Mia Jones for Stella and Scales
Years 5 - 6, judged by author Nat Amore
Winner: Maya Gaffney by Are You Listening?
Runner Up: Emma Kate Cooper for Crumpet’s Little Story
Highly Commended: Abigail McCabe for The Destination
Highly Commended: Kiana O’Farrell for The Clockmaker’s Change
Years 7 – 8, judged by author Yvette Poshoglian
Winner: Moana Chujo for Silent Strings
Runner Up: Jeana Shen for The Currency of Memory
Highly Commended: Eugene Lin for Memories of the Sand
Highly Commended: Evelyn Christopher for Elsie
Years 9 - 10, judged by author Pip Harry
Winner: Alice Surace for The Tides of Change
Runner Up: Zoe Mason for Typing…
Highly Commended: Noah Gonçalves Ferreira for Moonlight Beneath the Sun
Highly Commended: Lok Tin Samuel Shen for Procedural
Years 11 – 12, judged by author Harry Cook
Winner: Maya Reed for Nine Years
Runner Up: Xenia Beck for Just a Notebook
Highly Commended: Annika Mills for Fragments of a Fractured Mind
Highly Commended: Rosanna Robertson for Route 835
All 24 finalists’ stories feature in the 2025 Young Writers’ Competition eBook ‘Change’. available to download
Thank you to all the students who entered this year’s competition!
For those interested in entering next year, our finalists have offered the following advice:
'Try your best and be confident' - Josh
'Be unique, write about something topical to raise awareness about. Be passionate about what you write about.' - Alice
We look forward to seeing what wonderful stories next year’s competition brings!
For further information, please visit our 2025 Young Writers' Competition page.
Enquiries: 8495 5028 or libraryprograms@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au