NEWS
RONAN AHL – 2022 YOUNG AUSTRALIAN WRITER OF THE YEAR
SHORT STORY TAKES OUT A MAJOR WRITING AWARD
Even from the very beginnings of human civilisation , we knew there was something deeply profound about the power of words . Words direct us , words command us , words enlighten us , inspire us , and open our eyes to our world . They allow us to share our thoughts and emotions , fears , and aspirations with others , and above all , they enable us to tell a story – the stories upon which our entire civilisation is built . The power contained in writing , and the message which pours out from underneath an author ’ s pen , are the tools which have defined the modern world .
Last year , I had the pleasure of being able to immerse myself in this world through Scotch . It began with a submission to the Collegian Writing Competition .
As I sat , pondering what to write about , I hoped that my writing might send a message – to provoke thought , in any readers . And so I penned a short story called A Funny Thing , drawing inspiration from the style of one of the most recognisable novels , The Catcher in the Rye , by J . D . Salinger .
I wrote about a young character – incredibly talented and smart – who hails from a humble , impoverished upbringing but who inevitably succeeds in transferring his talents to the stockmarket . But rather than success , this character symbolised the importance of never forgetting one ’ s own roots , nor one ’ s own family even in the face of fame and riches . It considered the societal hierarchy and the barriers it creates .
I was fortunate enough to be shortlisted and published in the Oz Kids in Print magazine shortly after my submission to the competition , and later in the year was honoured to be named the BIC 2022 Young Australian Writer of the Year .
The award ceremony , held at the Pullman Hotel , offered me a chance to converse with other incredibly talented writers , artists and poets . Over the course of dinner , the winners of the 2022 Australian Young Writers ’ and Artists ’ Awards were announced , in a wonderful celebration of the young talent in the arts in Australia . A range of speakers delivered speeches encouraging the uptake of art throughout our lifetimes . It was a rewarding and humbling experience . Here is an excerpt from the start of my piece , A Funny Thing : It was a funny thing , I thought , the way they always sat – the office people , that is . They sat very upright , with those ties snapped around their neck and their shirt pressed to perfection – every last wrinkle ironed out to the sharp collar . Eyes darting around , as if any second someone was going to jump out and steal their promotion . And their watches – don ’ t even get me started on that . Every half a second , they were checking their gold trimmed watches . Then they ’ d pull out their leather briefcases , and documents – once they ’ d had a sip of their sparkling water , of course . It was always sparkling .
RONAN AHL – YEAR 12
34 Great Scot Issue 168 – May 2023