MINCA's Writing Competition about the environment of Magnetic Island
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2025's theme: "Write where you are"

MINCA thanks and congratulates all entrants to our second Environmental Writing Competition. Many thanks also to Maureen Alsop for organising the competition and to Nicolette Wong for judging the entries. 


The winners were announced on 14 September at Claude's Block at the conclusion of the third of the Winter Walks 2025.  We were treated to Liz Downes reading her winning entry (see photo below) about waiting on Magnetic Island in 1983 for the results of the proposed Franklin Dam decision.   It was wonderfully evocative both of the beauty of Magnetic Island and of a time when another beautiful place was under threat.  

The entries were:

Winner            “A Distant Victory” by Liz Downes (click here to read)
Second prize  “the burning question” by Isabella Eichler-Onus (click here​ to read)
Third prize      “Ashes” by Peter Jackson (click here​ to read)
 
Commended
“F(Y?)RE” by Karen Conrad   (click here​ to read)
“Beach haiku” by Liz Downes   (click here​ to read)
“EPHEMERA” by participants at the Ephemera Art Trail 2025  (click here​ to read)
“Breathing with the Ocean” by Tarquin Moon  (click here​ to read)
“My Wild Backyard: Life Beyond the Verandah” by Julie Spencer  (click here​ to read)
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​Click here for the full compendium 

Nicolette's final comments: 
“It is an honour to serve as a judge for the 2nd MINCA Environmental Writing Competition. The prose, poetry, and hybrid pieces submitted interweave personal memories, collective consciousness, and ecological awareness, conjuring up voices and visions that are at once intimate and fiery. I’d like to thank the writers for sharing their evocative work with us, and I’m grateful to Maureen Alsop for inviting me to read these marvellous entries.”