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.

Winners and shortlists

Let’s make some noise for this year’s shortlisted and winning writers!

Adults

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 & Adults

Teens (ages 12 – 17)

Winners

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

Shortlist

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

Children (ages 5 – 7)

Winners

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

Shortlist

The Magic Crystal Adventure by Hevin Varghese Eldho

Children (ages 8 – 11)

Winners

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

Shortlist

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

Read the entries – Children

Source: Upper Hutt Libraries

06/06/26