Competition Details and Results

2025 Winning Stories – Open

Congratulations to our winners in the Open Section of the NZSA Northland 2025 Short Story Competition.

1st Place (Open, 2025): Michael Botur, One Week to Live
2nd Place (Open, 2025): Anna Granger, The Celebration
3rd Place (Open, 2025): Emma Harris, The One That Got Away

2025 Winning Stories – SCHOOL (High School)

Congratulations to our winners in the High School Section of the NZSA Northland 2025 Short Story Competition.

1st Place (High Schools, 2025): She Painted Over It, Milly Leong, Home School
2nd Place (High Schools, 2025): I Had Watched, Brooke Chambers, Otamatea Christian School

2025 Winning Stories – SCHOOL (Years 7 & 8)

Congratulations to our winners in the Year 7 & 8 Section of the NZSA Northland 2025 Short Story Competition.

1st Place (Years 7 & 8, 2025): She Got Away, Rachel Tan, Huanui College
2nd Place (Years 7 & 8, 2025): Not A Disaster After All, Holly McIntyre, Springbank School
3rd Place (Years 7 & 8, 2025): White Feathers at Parihaka, Israel Wright, Harvest Christian School

2025 Open Competition Details and Entry Form

Open Competition Details and Entry Form

2025 High School Competition Details and Entry Form

High School Competition Details
High School Entry Form

2025 Year 7 & 8 Competition Details and Entry Form

Year 7 & 8 Competition Details
Year 7 & 8 Entry Form

2024 Winning Stories – OPEN

Congratulations to our winners in the Open Section of the NZSA Northland 2024 Short Story Competition.

1st Place (Open, 2024): Gail Varga, Pista’s Hands
2nd Place (Open, 2024): Chris Griffiths, Fridolin
3rd Place (Open, 2024): Tracie Lark, The Vending Machine

2024 Winning Stories – SCHOOL (Years 7 & 8)

1st Place (Y7&8, 2024): Fay Stirling, Springbank School, Jumping to Conclusions
2nd Place (Y7&8, 2024): Sidhesh, Springbank School, The Futsal Tournament
3rd Place (Y7&8, 2024): Charlotte Gooch, Matakohe School, Looming

2024 Winning Stories – SCHOOL (High School)

1st Place (High Schools, 2004): Eliana Richling, The Makeshift Graveyard
2nd Place (High Schools, 2004): Samantha Nickolson, The Fading Shadows of Yesterday
3rd Place (High Schools, 2004): Hannah Farrant, The Boy in the Garret

2024 Open Competition Details and Entry Form

Open Cometition Details
Open Entry Form

Send entry forms to editline@xtra.co.nz

2024 High School Competition Details and Entry Form

High School Competition Details
High School Entry Form

Send entry forms to jowarren@actrix.co.nz or editline@xtra.co.nz

2024 Year 7 & 8 Competition Details and Entry Form

Year 7 & 8 Competition Details
Year 7 & 8 Entry Form

Send entry forms to jowarren@actrix.co.nz or editline@xtra.co.nz

2023 Winning Stories – OPEN (Theme “Journeys”)

Congratulations to our winners in the Open Section of the NZSA Northland 2023 Short Story Competition.

1st Place (Open, 2023): Kate Shaw, Out of Time
2nd Place & Top Northlander (Open, 2023): Michael Botur, Weedling
3rd Place (Open, 2023): Jeff Taylor, King of the Road

Highly Commended (Open, 2023): Toni Daly, The Parenting Index 

Highly Commended (Open, 2023): Sun Lyoung Kim, Pride and Prejudice

2023 Winning Stories – SCHOOL (High School)

Congratulations to our winners in the High Schools sections, and our sincere thanks to all schools and students who shared their inspiring and entertaining stories with us.

1st Place (High Schools, 2023): Amber Lorigan, Unimaginable
2nd Place (High Schools, 2023): Emma Philips, Ruawai College, A Serendipitous Meeting Between Two Former Classmates in a Coffee Shop
3rd Place (High Schools, 2023): Zac Browne, Home School, Death’s Siren

2023 Winning Stories – SCHOOL (Years 7&8)

Congratulations to our winners in the Year 7 and 8 section, and our sincere thanks to all schools and students who shared their inspiring and entertaining stories with us.

1st Place (Y7&8, 2023): Ava Rintoul McCready, Aropohue School, A View out the Classroom Window
2nd Place (Y7&8, 2023): Ava Rintoul McCready, Aropohue School, A Typical Morning in the Pen
3rd= Place (Y7&8, 2023): Pearl Foote, Home School, Paprika
3rd= Place (Y7&8, 2023): Charlotte Robinson-Gooch, Matakohe School, The Hues of Twilight

2022 Winning Stories -OPEN

1st Place & Top Northlander (2022): Eddie Williams, Lost on the River
2nd Place (2022): Anissa Ljanta, The Shimmer Lines
3rd place (2022): Karen Phillips, Loess / Loss

2022 Winning Stories – SCHOOL (High School)

1st Place (High School, 2022): Emily Taylor, Whangarei Girls High School, The Secrets of Persephone
2nd Place (High School, 2022): Olivia Cook, Huanui College, Calm before the Storm
3rd Place (High School, 2022): Esme McInnes, Huanui College, Ruined

2022 Winning Stories – SCHOOL (Years 7&8)

1st Place (Y7&8, 2022): Keira Piper, Aropohue School, My Marae
2nd Place (Y7&8, 2022): Vanessa Richards, Raurimu Avenue School, Hide and Seek
3rd Place Equal (Y7&8, 2022): Jade Marris, Parua Bay School, The Little Kiwi, Cosmo
3rd Place Equal (Y7&8, 2022): Zaniah Reynolds, Parua Bay School, Regret

2021 Winning Stories

1st Place: Trish Palmer, With All My Heart, Wakefield.
2nd Place: Anna Mahoney, String of Pearls, Upper Hutt.
3rd Place: Kayleen Hazlehurst, Among the Cotton Tails, Warkworth.
Top Northland Story: Viv Hamlin, Through a Glass Darkly, Whangarei.