Nonbinary

Finding the real ‘me’ in the mirror

Growing up, I was always taken to the boys’ section in clothing stores. But boys’ clothes seemed to hide who I really was.
Culture

The unique culture clash of being Fijian-Indian-Australian

I had assumed that in India, the mother country, I would finally feel as if I truly belonged. But again I faced gatekeepers weighing up the authenticity of my...
Top 5 entrants

Meet the winners of the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022

Five winners have been chosen from the 2022 SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition. Find out more about their stories and what inspires them.
Judges' comments

Tessa Piper wins SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022

Tessa Piper, a 37-year-old public servant from Melbourne, takes out the $5000 first prize for her entry, described by judges Alice Pung and Christos Tsiolkas as ...
2022 shortlist

Top entries selected for 2022 SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition anthology

The collection, which will be published in 2023 by Hardie Grant, will feature the work of emerging writers from across Australia.
Interview

Tessa Piper's winning entry was 20 years in the making

“It was important to me that the story communicated strength and hope – that even those with the heaviest of secrets can go on to do wonderful things.”
Relationships

How to talk about falling in platonic love

There are good friends, so-so friends and those you’ll love for a season. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across one who makes you feel like a poached egg that’s...

SBS Emerging Writers' Competition

Entries for the SBS Emerging Writers' Competition 2022 are now closed. Stay tuned for the winners annoucement in November. 

 

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Judges' comments

Tessa Piper wins SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022

Tessa Piper, a 37-year-old public servant from Melbourne, takes out the $5000 first prize for her entry, described by judges Alice Pung and Christos Tsiolkas as “a...
Top 5 entrants

Meet the winners of the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022

Five winners have been chosen from the 2022 SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition. Find out more about their stories and what inspires them.
Interview

Tessa Piper's winning entry was 20 years in the making

“It was important to me that the story communicated strength and hope – that even those with the heaviest of secrets can go on to do wonderful things.”
2022 shortlist

Top entries selected for 2022 SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition anthology

The collection, which will be published in 2023 by Hardie Grant, will feature the work of emerging writers from across Australia.
Emerging Writers

Meet the judges of the 2022 SBS Emerging Writers' Competition

We are thrilled to announce our EWC judges for 2022, Christos Tsiolkas and Alice Pung.
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Read the winning stories

Read the five prize-winning stories from the SBS Emerging Writers' competition as judged by Alice Pung and Christos Tsiolkas. All entrants submitted a memoir story on the topic of Emergence. 

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'The Usual'

SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022 Winner: Tessa Piper

This is Tessa Piper’s winning entry, ‘The Usual’.
'Cabbage'

SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022 Runner-Up: Monikka Eliah

This is Monikka Eliah’s runner-up entry, ‘Cabbage’.
'The Lanyard is my Superpower'

SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022 Highly Commended: Alexander Burton

This is Alexander Burton’s joint highly commended entry, ‘The Lanyard is my Superpower’.
'Call and Response'

SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022 Highly Commended: Gemma Tamock

This is Gemma Tamock’s joint highly commended entry, ‘Call and Response’.
'Cicada'

SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022 Highly Commended: Sidney Norris

This is Sidney Norris’ joint highly commended entry, ‘Cicada’.
2022 shortlist

Top entries selected for 2022 SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition anthology

The collection, which will be published in 2023 by Hardie Grant, will feature the work of emerging writers from across Australia.
Judges' comments

Tessa Piper wins SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022

Tessa Piper, a 37-year-old public servant from Melbourne, takes out the $5000 first prize for her entry, described by judges Alice Pung and Christos Tsiolkas as ...
More

Culture & Society

Your stories. Your words.

Would you like to write for SBS Voices? Send us an email at voices@sbs.com.au 

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Culture

The unique culture clash of being Fijian-Indian-Australian

I had assumed that in India, the mother country, I would finally feel as if I truly belonged. But again I faced gatekeepers weighing up the authenticity of my Indian...
Culture

I’m the Greek-Australian teacher who tried to shrink his name

Part of me feels I should take pride in my long last name and ask students to say it in full. A wise colleague said, “If kids can remember Harry Potter characters...
Culture

I am a ‘milk mother’ to my nephew

Letting another mother nurse your child takes a lot of trust, and I’m grateful for my sister-in-law’s enthusiasm. We’re more invested in each other’s children...
AUSTRALIA UNCOVERED

I loved my job as a trauma cleaner

The physicality of the work was intense, but it was such a privilege to be allowed into someone’s home. You feel powerful being able to help.
Culture

When becoming heir to the family means renouncing your female identity

In the remote mountains of Greece, I came across one of the few remaining “sworn virgins” – the daughters who took an oath of celibacy decades ago and now live as...
Culture

Why I wrote a travel book for women on the joys of journeying

Saying yes to travel is an act of saying yes to life. It is a way of taking up space, of saying: this world also belongs to me.
24 Oct 2022 - 10:36am

As a kid, I was bullied out of horseriding

I am still one of the few people of colour at horse events, but I never feel out of place or excluded anymore.
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More dispatches from Voices

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23 Nov 2022

Limbo

A young Syrian musician and other refugees await the answers to their requests for asylum on a remote Scottish island.
23 Nov 2022

Stolen: Catching the Art Thieves

The first-hand stories of Europe's most daring art heists, in which Turners, Rembrandts, and Munch's The Scream are stolen.
Judges' comments

Tessa Piper wins SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022

Tessa Piper, a 37-year-old public servant from Melbourne, takes out the $5000 first prize for her entry, described by judges Alice Pung and Christos Tsiolkas as “a compelling story of family dysfunction that was both raw and powerful”.
Meet the winners Read the winning entry Full coverage Now in its third year, the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition is an initiative from SBS Voices designed to uncover bold new voices that reflect the diversity of contemporary Australia. A...
Trans Awareness

I now feel so comfortable in my skin

As a seven-year-old, I was putting socks down my stubbies and weeing backwards on the toilet. My family thought it was a phase, but it never was.
Our identities are constantly evolving and changing – whether it be in our jobs, our family roles or how we express our gender. Trans-masculine performer Zac Callaghan explores the universality of transitioning in their one-person show “Qu...
Interview

Tessa Piper's winning entry was 20 years in the making

“It was important to me that the story communicated strength and hope – that even those with the heaviest of secrets can go on to do wonderful things.”
Meet the winners Read the winning entry Full coverage Some stories are pieced together over years, reworked dozens of times. Others burst forth in a heady rush, appearing fully formed on the page. For the winner of this year’s Emerging Wri...
16 Nov 2022

Beatriz at Dinner

Holistic healer Beatriz receives an invitation to stay for a business dinner after her car breaks down. She soon finds herself in an escalating war of words with a ruthless real estate mogul who cares more about money than people.
16 Nov 2022

Kids Raising Kids

At a one-of-a-kind high school for teen parents in Canberra, students must navigate a complex system and overcome many challenges to make it to graduation and a new future.
'Call and Response'

SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022 Highly Commended: Gemma Tamock

This is Gemma Tamock’s joint highly commended entry, ‘Call and Response’.
My mother often said, “Never marry a man who can’t dance.” I feel that this advice would have been easier for me to take if I had not had the six-foot frame of a South Sea Islander. Latinos, and those drawn to salsa dancing in Australia, t...
'The Lanyard is my Superpower'

SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022 Highly Commended: Alexander Burton

This is Alexander Burton’s joint highly commended entry, ‘The Lanyard is my Superpower’.
A lanyard is a long cord worn around the neck. It sways with whistles, keys and ID cards. A man in a lanyard has a job. And that job usually won’t include working with his hands. It means he isn’t lazy, desperate or a bogan. Growing up, I ...
'Cicada'

SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2022 Highly Commended: Sidney Norris

This is Sidney Norris’ joint highly commended entry, ‘Cicada’.
There was a period of time when my mother lived at this caravan park with Teddy, the Jack Russell Terrier I grew up with. You drove in straight off some two-lane country road to a herd of discoloured trailers and demountables on the bank o...