The Joe O

"Ribbons" is a beautifully observed story about a girl, Tosca, caught between childhood and adolescence, and trying to cope with the demands of home, friendship and peer pressure. As the events of a school sports day are recounted, her background of family bereavement slowly becomes clearer, and is finally focussed through Tosca's difficult relationship with her mother. The treatment is unsentimental, laid-back, often amusing, with a gift for natural dialogue and the creation of memorable scenes.

In short, I think "Ribbons" is one of the most accomplished stories to have been entered for the prize in many years!

There are four others that deserve an encouraging mention:
"Letting Go" by Mary O’Byrne
"Sleepwalkers of the Spider Room" by Mary Lynn DeSilva
"The Old Chap" by Jean Allen
"A River of Dreams Flows from my Mouth" by Cathryn Moffat

The Joe O’Sullivan Writers Prize is sponsored by the Australian Irish Heritage Association, which is based in Subiaco, Perth . The prize was originally named “The Catalpa Writers Prize”. It was started as a living commemoration of those who died in the Great Irish Famine 1846- 1851. The Catalpa Prize was re-named the Joe O’Sullivan Writers Prize in 2005; Joe O’Sullivan was the founder of the Australian Irish Heritage Association and an active member until his death in 2004.

The winner is awarded a trophy, and a cash prize of $1000.00. Any profits are donated to aid agencies, to help relieve hunger.

Rules of entry

v Winning entries may be published in the Association’s magazine The Journal and its website. The prize money will be deemed to include a fee for publication. Copyright remains with the author.

v Entries must be the entrant’s original work, not previously published, broadcast or awarded a literary prize.

v Work submitted must be a copy of the original work (the original should be retained by the entrant). Entries will not be returned.

v The work must be in ENGLISH. The Macquarie Dictionary is the spelling standard

v The work must be typed, double spaced, on one side only of A4 with 2cm margins.

v Each page is to be numbered, bear the title of the entry and be stapled together at the top left – hand corner only. The real name of the entrant must NOT appear on the manuscript.

v A PEN NAME MUST BE USED.

v A completed entry form must accompany each entry.

v The Judges’ decision will be final. Any attempt to communicate with a Judge will result in disqualification.

v There is no limit to the number of entries, but each one must be accompanied by a fee of $10, which will be donated in its entirely to a charity.

v Entries should be posted to

Writers' Prize

Australian Irish Heritage Association

PO Box 1583

Subiaco WA 6904

v Late entries will not be considered.

v The competition is only open to residents of Western Australia.

v Competitors wishing a list of prize winners should enclose a stamped, self – addressed envelope, or visit our web site at www.irishheritage.net.