Published on 05 June 2026
We are excited to announce the winning and shortlisted entries from this year’s Short Story Competition here at Upper Hutt Libraries.
Every year, the diversity and variety of storytelling, genres, and ideas brought to life show us why creative writing matters.
Across all age groups, our talented local writers move and inspire us, open doors and invite us into new worlds.
Deciding on the finalists is always a tough task. With over 120 entries received this year, our judging team was kept very busy in the lead-up to the Short Story Awards events on Friday, 5 June 2026.
Congratulations to all writers: you let your imagination and creativity soar – thank you for sharing your writing. We look forward to reading from you again next year!
Keep an eye on our website and follow us on Facebook for details about our annual Poetry Competition opening soon.
Let's make some noise for this year's shortlisted and winning writers!
See all finalists below and enjoy homegrown writing at its best.
Winners
First place: Lights by Rachel Astruc Second place: El Sonido del Cambio (The Sound of Change) by Sandra Fogliani Third place: Politika by Paul Archbald
Shortlist
The Recall Department by Jackie McCullough Her Photographer's Inheritance by Philip Luke Across the Bridge by Neil Pates Frampton '73 by Colin Phillips Noho Marae by Ali Banks Conscription by Lee Bowden Storyteller by Nicholas Cottrell
Read the entries (teens and adults)(PDF, 680KB).
First place: The People of the Bonsai by Eloise Vaatstra Second place: A Man Designated Nobody by Conner Marshall Third place: The Price of Forgetting by Sophia Cameron
A Car, a Torch, a Death by Rhea Wilson Truth or Dare by Katy De Reus Dear Diary by Hazel Middleton Buck's Journey by Ethan McErlain The Weight of Truth by Heba Eldho A Photo by Kailani Kiefer Luna and Her Secret by Shriya Raghunandan
Read the entries(PDF, 680KB).
First place: The Secret Forest by Akira Raghav Second place: Rainy Day by Norah Hauwaho Third place: A Boy Who Loves His Ice Cream by Yusuf Hassham
The Magic Crystal Adventure by Hevin Varghese Eldho
Read the entries(PDF, 1MB).
First place: The Troll Bakery by Nidhyathi de Silva Second place: The Blue Blooms by Lucy Tregaskis Third place: Lost in the Smoke by Vida Kyle
Monday by Luna Rama The Imagine Story by Maverick Clark The Dream by Poorvi Pandey The Cookie Shop by Nayeli Daldeniya Pearl the Dolphin Girl by Jocelyn Liang That Escalated Quickly by Marcus Saker A Mystery in a Holiday by Mia Skaria