I'm thrilled to announce that my story 'Black Wax', from my forthcoming collection 'Hard Place Rock', was shortlisted in the Australian Book Review's 2023 Elizabeth Jolley Short Prize, placing third. (Read the official release for the award here.)

The story and the awards ceremony

Getting the Dodgers onto the ABR homepage: mission accomplished. Photo credit: JaimieKourt.com 

'Black Wax' tells of an innovative no-budget record producer in Chicago who meets an unlikely secretary and his greatest inspiration in one stroke. It was called "the short story at its entertaining best" by prize judge Maria Takolander. Which both made my day and everything worth it.

To read my story, subscribe online to the Australian Book Review, or purchase the 2023 August issue of the print magazine here.

Huge congratulations to Rowan Heath for their winning story 'The Mannequin', as well as to Uzma Aslam Khan for her story ‘Our Own Fantastic’, which placed second. It was an honor to be published alongside you guys and fun peeking out at you from the face grid on Zoom.

Thank you so much to the judges Gregory Day, Jennifer Mills, and Maria Takolander for sparking to my story, as well as to Peter, Amy, Georgie and Grace for their editorial and recording work on the story.

Listen to the shortlisted story

Listen? Yep, you read that right. I read aloud my story 'Black Wax' as part of the award festivities, and you can listen to it on the Australian Book Review podcast (subscribe via iTunes, Google, or Spotify). If you're impatient, you can instantly download the podcast episode as an .mp3 file (31.5 MB) to your present computer or device by clicking here. (Be advised: clicking will initiate download.)

Rest assured, no Chicago accent is attempted. (If this is disappointing to you, may I suggest Bill Swerski.)