the 2020 rachel funari prize for fiction: the winners

We are thrilled to announce that the winner of the 2020 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction is Emily White for their story Swampy.

Emily receives a $1000 cash prize, a 12-month membership to Writers Victoria, a 12-month digital membership to Kill Your Darlings, and a collection of books courtesy of our sponsors.

The 2020 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction was judged by Lip’s editorial team as well as our panel of esteemed judges, including Rae White, Eleni Hale and Jennifer Down.

Judges’ praise for Swampy:

“The unique and immediately engaging archival formatting of this story effortlessly, humorously and poignantly carries the narrative and social critiques of sexism, transphobia and intersexism. This piece is, quite frankly, extraordinary.” – Rae White

“Formally inventive and a joy to read, Swampy is both poignant and very funny. The epistolary style is a clever and fitting device, allowing the author to skewer sexism, homophobia, transphobia—and the perils of mob mentality.” – Jennifer Down

“Swampy uses extraordinary imagery and tightly wound language. Just brilliant.” – Eleni Hale

Second place was awarded to Vicky Daddo for her story Baby Season and third place was awarded to Maude Davey for her story Touch Starve. Hollen Singleton’s story, Earth House was Highly Commended.

Winning stories and author Q&As will be published on our website in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!

About the 2020 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction

This year marks the Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction’s eighth year. Writers were invited to submit previously unpublished and unperformed fiction up to 2000 words that engaged with the theme ‘future’. The competition was open to all women and non-binary writers.

The prize is held in honour of Lip’s late founding editor, Rachel Funari, in recognition of her contribution to the arts.

The 2020 prize is proudly supported by Affirm Press, Pan Macmillan Australia, Fremantle Press, Kill Your Darlings, Scribe Publications, Writers Victoria, Writing NSW and the Emerging Writers’ Festival.