A Kenmore State High School student earned first place in the senior short story category of Queensland’s longest-running literary competition, gaining recognition as one of the state’s top young writers.
A Tradition of Literary Excellence
The Independent Education Union – Queensland and Northern Territory (IEU-QNT) and English Teachers’ Association of Queensland (ETAQ) presented the award at their Literary Competition at the Queensland Multicultural Centre in Brisbane. Now in its 66th year, the competition stands as Queensland’s oldest continuing writing event.
More than 1,500 entries were submitted across poetry, short story and non-fiction from both state and non-government schools. Organisers said the 2025 submissions showed consistently high standards of creativity and effort from students statewide.
Recognition for Young Talent
Kenmore State High School’s success came through Year 11 student Manling Sun, who won the Years 11–12 short story category with her work The Hidden Fires of Australia. Judges said the story used an extended metaphor of fire to explore the issue of domestic violence in suburban life.
They noted the piece began with an image of a picture-perfect street before shifting to reflections on how the most dangerous fires are not bushfires but those “quietly thriving” behind closed doors in homes. The story was praised for its maturity, evocative imagery and ability to raise awareness of an urgent social issue.
Achievements Across Queensland
Other winners came from schools across the state, including students from Cannon Hill, Peregian Springs, Mackay, Bundaberg and Ormiston.
Each first-place recipient read their work aloud at the awards evening, giving the audience a chance to hear the stories in the writers’ own voices.
Supporting Student Creativity
Winners received certificates and book prizes donated by Penguin Random House Australia. The evening also featured award-winning author Brian Falkner, who shared lessons from his career and encouraged students to keep developing their storytelling skills.
The competition was originally created to promote freedom of expression and support young people’s literary growth. Organisers described the 2025 entries as diverse, imaginative and reflective of the strong writing culture in Queensland schools.
Published 15-August-2025
