Brisbane author Shelly Kelly has been announced as the winner of the prestigious Short Story category at the 2025 Banjo Paterson Writing Awards.

Ms Kelly’s story, ‘Kumori and the Day of a Thousand Feelings’, was one of more than 300 entries submitted for the 2025 Banjo Paterson Writing Awards. The story gives a deep insight into a neurodivergent world with originality and powerful expression.

Ms Kelly and the other winners were announced on Saturday, August 2, at the Hotel Canobolas ballroom as part of the Orange Readers and Writers Festival.

Orange Mayor Tony Mileto presented the awards and thanked everyone who entered the competition, commenting on the high quality of submissions.

“The judges had a difficult task given the high quality of entries and increased number of entries from around Australia in this year’s competition,” Cr Mileto said.

“This shows how the awards have grown in popularity in their 34-year history and pays tribute to the enduring legacy of Banjo Paterson’s works.”

The Contemporary Poetry Award was won by David Judge, from Bendigo in Victoria, for his poem ‘Soul Search’ about a range of reflections about moving away and coming back to a long-departed rural home.

Mr Judge has also recently launched his poetry anthology titled ‘A Sense of Place – A Septuagenarian’s Recollection in Rhyme’.

The ABC Radio Children’s Award was won by local resident Ebony Inman for the short story ‘The Coward’s Peace’. A deeply moving story about war that explains why a military man is tried for cowardice with evocative language and literary skill.

Second and third prizes were both won by James Davies of Sydney for his poem ‘Glitchwood’ about a technology-driven fake, and the poem ‘Dandelion in the Wind’ featuring an alternative view of a plant.

The winning entries can be viewed on the Central West Libraries’ website.

The annual Banjo Paterson Writing awards were established in 1991 to honour Andrew “Banjo” Paterson, a great Australian writer and favourite son of Orange. The competition aims to encourage short story or poetry writing with Australian content.