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The Whitsundays Writers Festival has revealed the latest results from the 2026 Whitsundays Literary Heart Awards, with national fields now narrowed across the Short Story and Poetry competitions.
From 94 short story entries submitted by writers across Australia, 20 Open Age stories have been selected for the longlist, while six young writers have progressed to the Under 18 shortlist.
The Poetry Prize has also reached its final stage, with 10 poems selected from 74 entries following a 28-poem longlist.
Together, the results demonstrate the growing national reach of the Heart Awards, with entries spanning Australia and showcasing a remarkable diversity of genres, voices, styles and perspectives.
The short story field explored themes including family, grief, identity, belonging, mental health, rural life, class, artificial intelligence and moral ambiguity. Judges were also impressed by experimentation with form, including diaries, letters, records, courtroom documents, second-person narration and nonlinear structures.
The poetry shortlist similarly reflects the breadth of contemporary Australian poetry, encompassing intimate personal work, observations of place and memory, humour, nature and relationships, alongside more experimental approaches to form and voice.
“To attract fields of this quality from across Australia is a significant milestone for a regional literary festival,” said Festival Director Richard Evans.
“The Heart Awards are creating a space for Australian writers to be discovered and celebrated, while bringing new stories and new voices into the Whitsundays.”
Explore the Heart Awards finalists
Short Story – Open Age Longlist
Twenty stories have progressed to the next stage of judging.
Short Story – Under 18 Shortlist
Six emerging young writers are now in contention for the Under 18 awards.
Poetry Prize – Shortlist
Ten poems remain in contention for the $1,000 first prize and $500 runner-up prize.
Winners announced at the festival
The winners and runners-up across the Poetry Prize and Short Story Award Open Age and Under 18 divisions will be announced at the Whitsundays Literary Heart Awards ceremony at 12:45pm on Sunday 13 September at the Whitsunday Marine Club, Cannonvale.
The ceremony will include interviews with winning writers and short readings from selected works.
The Awards form part of the 2026 Whitsundays Writers Festival, a full day celebrating Australian writing, regional voices and readers. The program features multi-award-winning author Rachel Armstrong as the From the Heart keynote, author panels and Stories by the Sea — a free community celebration featuring more than 20 regional authors, book swaps, live music, children's activities and a community BBQ.
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