2026 key dates
Sunday 28 June: entries open
Sunday 16 August: entries close
Friday, 23 October: Winners announced
2025 winners announced…
Queensland author, Mary Parker, won the 2025 award with her short story, "Make Believe".
Mary attended the OMSSA award presentation at the 2025 Headland Writers Festival in Tathra NSW to receive the prize. Mary’s story will be published in the next edition of Island Magazine @islandmagtas.
Lachlan Alexander was awarded Runner Up for his story, "Signal Loss", will be published on the Olga Masters Short Story Award site.
The 2025 Headland Writers Festival opening night was a blast - A great vibe, a full house and some truely awe inspiring performances.
Bruce Nash, one of this years judges and a local author, announced the winner and runner-up of this year’s Olga Masters Short Story Award and presented Mary with a beautiful bouquet of Buckajo Flowers.
After a warm Welcome to Country from Aunty Glenda Dixon and the award presentation, the incomparable Omar Musa and renowned American cellist and composer Mariel Roberts Musa delighted the crowds with spoken word and music. Omar's electrifying performance had the audience spellbound.
Omar Musa - an author, visual artist and poet from Queanbeyan - was also a panelist during the 2025 Headland Writers Festival literary sessions.
Photo right: 2025 Olga Masters Short Story Award winner, Mary Parker receiving the award from local author and Award judge, Bruce Nash. All photos by Marcus Ward Curran@marcuswardcurran
Local Elder Aunty Glenda Dixon offers a Welcome to Country for the Headland Writers Festival
Bruce Nash provides commentary on the Olga Masters Short Story Award entries
Bruce Nash
Bruce Nash presents the winners award to Queeensland author Mary Parker.
2025 OMSSA winner Mary Parker
The crowd at the Tathra Hotel.
2025 OMSSA winner Mary Parker
South East Arts Board Member, Karen Wright
Denise Ferris - South East Arts Chair of the Board - opens the Headland Writers Festival
Denise Ferris opens the Festival to a wrapped crowd
Performance artist and Poet Omar Musa and renowned American cellist and composer Mariel Roberts Musa delighted the crowds with spoken word and music.
Omar Musa and Mariel Roberts Musa perform original works
Omar Musa and Mariel Roberts Musa
South East Arts board member Silas Dunstan with South East Arts Staff Kate Bradbury and Jo Naughton
A man with black hair and glasses smiling, holding a wine glass in one hand, adjusting his glasses with the other, standing near a microphone.
Candelo Books provided pop up bookstores at the festival venues.
Many people have said to me, “What a pity you had such a big family to raise. Think of the novels and the short stories and the poems you never had time to write because of that.”
And I looked at my children and I said, “These are my poems, these are my stories.”
~ OLGA MASTERS
