Phone It In Competition

The Winners

The winning entry in the 2020 National Phone It In Competition is Jocelyn Saunders for her piece,  'Only In My Mind'. Jocelyn receives a $200 book voucher.

Thanks to all those who took part in the People's Choice poll. Tamzin Ward Kucurs  whose story ‘Second Wife ‘ received 383 votes and the voter chosen at random is Jevin Sunil. Both Tamzin and Jevin receive book vouchers valued at $25. Congratulations.

You can listen to all six finalists in this year's competition, here.

To keep informed about other opportunities and events at Spineless Wonders, sign up to our blog and newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you are aged 15 to 18 years, you are invited to write, record and submit a microlit piece to the Phone It In competition which is being held this year as part of #LitFest2444. Entry is free and you can enter as an individual or group. 

  • In 2020 everything has changed, and so has our  #Litfest2044 storybombing event. The competition and presentation of winning entries is now being held via our website. This revised, online version of the competition is now open to anyone residing in Australia aged 15 to 18 years. 

What is Phone It In?

Phone It In is a storybombing activity offered by Spineless Wonders in collaboration with #Litfest2444.

Phone It In gives you the chance to write, record and submit a piece of microlit on the theme of SOUND. If we like your recording, you’ll go in the running to win a $200 book voucher! Phone It In is free to any person aged between 15 and 18 years.

What if I need help?

We have got you covered! Spineless Wonders' Alex Wegman has provided some warm up writing activities and story prompts to get you writing. And Little Fictions actor, Alex Neal has some great tips on how to prepare your text for recording and your audio story for submission. Entries close May 31, so jump into the student area now and get ready to Phone It In!

How do I enter Phone It In?

The theme of this years competition is SOUND. Once you have written your 200 words microlit piece and recorded it, all you need to do is upload the audio file. Your submission should be no longer than 2 minutes in duration. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2020. Entries can only be made via this link.

Info & resources


 

What is Microlit?

Microlit, short for micro-literature, straddles the border between flash fiction and prose poetry. Typically less than 200 words, microlit pieces are evocative and immersive, bite-sized and addictive, and that’s the form Spineless Wonders has been championing across their storybombing activities for the past decade.

The art of microlit pieces is that it offers meaningful insights into character, plot development and theme despite its brief nature. Sometimes it is what is left out of microlit - what it implies or points to - that is as important as what is actually written. A microlit piece may be only one or two paragraphs long but they are often so rich with meaning that they linger in the mind and invite return visits.


Short Australian stories - everywhere

Spineless Wonders has been championing the microlit format across Australia for the past decade. 

Since 2011, Spineless Wonders has hosted the joanne burns Microlit Award – an annual themed microlit competition named after one of Australia’s foremost experimental poets. 

Its concise form makes microlit also ideal for introducing the general public to contemporary Australian literature. That's why we use microlit in our #storybombing activities such as Pavement Pages, StoryPhones, StoryLounges, StoryPostcards and Microflix.

Microlit are also a great form for artists from all kinds of disciplines to respond to and interpret. That's why we have established Microflix, a film award and festival devoted entirely to the adaptation of microlit from page to screen. Composers love to improvise from these short pieces, and improv actors love to use microlit as a springboard into new scenes and stories. 

You can find examples of all these, and more, here on the Spineless Wonders website.


 

What is #LitFest2444?

Launched in 2015 #LitFest2444 is a unique annual festival which aims to inspire and encourage the creativity of high school students. During the event experienced writers present their revolutionary ways and unique methods of storytelling. Participants will explore both traditional and digital mediums, and learn new and exciting techniques needed to help assist their creative ambitions and aspirations.

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 #Litfest2444 has been cancelled, and this #storybombing event has now moved online.

Which audio stories will be voted the best of #LitFest2444?


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