2024 NEW ENGLAND THUNDERBOLT PRIZE
The Thunderbolt Prize is a prestigious, nationally recognised, literary award for crime writers resident in Australia. Includes major prizes and a youth category for writers under 18yrs.
Our thanks to all the writers who submitted their work and gratitude to our wonderful judges who had the challenging job of finding winners from so many excellent entries.
A HUGE thank you to our amazing sponsors, who with their support, make it possible for the NEWC to continue to run this nationally recognised literary competitions.
A HUGE thank you to our amazing sponsors, who with their support, make it possible for the NEWC to continue to run this nationally recognised literary competitions.
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Click on the links to find out more about this year's winning authors, read their submissions and the judges' reports and bios. Enjoy!
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All entries were judged anonymously and the New England Award and Emerging Author Awards were chosen based on final commendations across all categories.
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Fiction
Proudly sponsored by Armidale Central Rotary
Non-Fiction
Poetry
Proudly sponsored by School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at the UNE
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The New England Award
The best entry in any category by a resident of New England , NSW. Proudly sponsored by Golden Orb Creative
Emerging Authors Award (over 18 years)
The best entry in any category by a new, unpublished writer "Remains" by Greg Tuchin
Proudly sponsored by Armidale Central Rotary
Youth Award (Under 18 years)
The best entry in any category by writers aged under 18. Proudly sponsored by ArtsNational Armidale
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Fiction
Non-Fiction
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Poetry
Youth
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Jane is a writer of prose and poetry. Her work has been published around Australia including in Griffith Review, Big Issue, Antipodes, Westerly, Island, Overland, Meanjin, Cordite and Best Australian Poems.
She has placed in a number of competitions. In 2016 she was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, won the Booranga Short Story Prize in 2020 and 2022, in 2021 the [untitled] Short Story Competition, in 2023 the AAALS (American Association of Australasian Literary Studies) Fiction Award, and in 2024 came 2nd in the Furphy Literary Award. Jane has a Doctor of Creative Arts degree, the creative component of which, ‘The Sultan’s Daughter,’ was released by Obiter Publishing in 2020. |
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Marie Low has been a journalist and communications advisor for more than 30 years. She has worked at daily and community newspapers from Cairns to New South Wales, was a political media advisor and worked as a communications consultant.
She has won a number of awards for both writing and photography. Marie and her family made a tree change to regional New South Wales 15 years ago and she is now half of the creative agency Two Cats Creative, based in Gunnedah, as well as working in communications for local government. She writes short stories and has recently finished her first novel The Mango Daily. |
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Crime writing gives Roger the opportunity to draw upon the years when he ‘met the fools that a young fool meets’ (Jackson Browne) and dark aspects of various occupations, including sailor, soldier, marketer, barrister and TAFE teacher.
Roger writes poetry, fiction, textbooks, nonfiction, monologues and plays (co-written with James Balian). Nest of Skunks and Mum, Me and the I.E.D, are available from Australian Plays Transform: home of Australian playscripts. https://apt.org.au/ |
His poetry prizes include the Bruce Dawe, WB Yeats, Banjo Paterson Contemporary, Lane Cove and Woorilla awards, as well as the 2019 and 2023 Thunderbolt Prize. His fiction prizes include the Sandra Harvey Crime, Boroondara, Henry Lawson, E J Brady and Marjorie Barnard short story awards. In 2023 his story ‘Endangered’ came in the final 10 of the International Fish Short Story Prize.
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Jypsi grew up in Guyra, a small town in the New England. She has done various tertiary study, including a Bachelor of Criminology. However, art and writing are her lifelong passions.
When she isn't looking after her family, she is creating something. Currently, she is working on a paranormal suspense novel. You can follow her progress at - jypsibennett.com.au She currently resides in Llangothlin with her husband and children. |
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As the son of a police photographer, Greg Tuchin grew up listening his father’s stories. He turned to writing when he saw a crowd of people admiring his dad’s photographs at the Police and Justice Museum.
He previously worked in radio and television as a copywriter and used that background to create the podcast My Father’s Crimes, which has listeners in over fifty different countries around the world. He is a surfer, skier, sailor and adventurer, who lives on the beautiful south coast of NSW with his wife and two adult sons, who are never going to leave home. |
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Asher is a 14-year-old living in Sydney, NSW. Asher has been an avid reader since primary school, with his Kindle always close to hand. He has a strong interest in a diverse range of genres, with a focus on historical fiction and crime.
When not deep in a book, Asher enjoys playing water polo and coaching the younger players. He is a proud member of his local Surf Lifesaving Club, conducting patrols on weekends and supporting the Nippers program as a water safety officer. |