In a celebration of Queensland’s rich literary past and its promising future, a talented young writer from Kelvin Grove State College was honoured among the state’s next generation of storytellers at the 66th annual IEU-QNT & ETAQ Literary Competition awards ceremony.
Honouring the Next Chapter
The Queensland Multicultural Centre was filled with excitement on Wednesday evening, 6 August, as winning students were recognised for their outstanding creative efforts. Among those honoured was Kelvin Grove State College’s own Amaia Benedek Escauriaza, who secured first place in the Years 7 and 8 category for her outstanding short story.
Like the other first-place recipients, Amaia had the opportunity to read her powerful piece to an attentive audience of family, teachers, and peers. All award recipients were presented with certificates and book prizes generously supplied by event sponsor Penguin Random House Australia. The attendees also enjoyed an engaging lecture from Brian Falkner, an award-winning international author and writing coach, who shared insights from his career.
A 66-Year Tradition of Talent
The competition is a significant event in Queensland’s educational and literary calendar. English Teachers’ Association of Queensland President Carley Elliott noted that this year’s event continues a 66-year tradition, making it the oldest continuing writing competition in the state.
She stated that with over 1,500 submissions of poetry, short stories, and non-fiction prose, the quality of entries from all schools was remarkably high. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke added that the competition provides an excellent chance for students to sharpen their writing skills and creativity. He said the union’s founders established the contest to encourage literary development and freedom of expression, and that judges were impressed with the exceptional and diverse talent submitted from across Queensland.
Writers from Across the State Recognised
While the local spotlight shone on Amaia’s achievement, the awards also recognised gifted writers from across the state. In the senior categories, Manling Sun of Kenmore State High School won for her short story, while Zeta Vayanos from Cannon Hill Anglican College was awarded for her poem.
A special mention went to Derrick Chen of Ormiston College, who achieved a remarkable double win in the Years 5 and 6 category for both his short story and his poem, showcasing the incredible abilities of even the youngest writers in the competition.
Published Date 12-August-2025
