In 2003, Barry Young, with generous financial support from The Rotary Club of Albury Hume, spearheaded a writing competition tailored for year 7 & 8 students attending Albury and Wodonga Secondary Schools. This initiative seamlessly aligned with International Rotary's mission to eradicate illiteracy globally. Moreover, it addressed the growing concern of federal and state governments regarding the declining reading and writing habits among children, attributed to the rising popularity of email, internet, text messages, and online games.
The competition, centered around crafting short stories not exceeding 1500 words, aimed to achieve two primary objectives:
1. Foster a positive opportunity for young school students to elevate their literacy learning and skills, emphasizing the pivotal role of literacy within our community.
2. Cultivate and encourage the inspirational growth of literary creativity, laying the foundation for the celebration of our regional literary talent.
Since its inception in 2003, the River of Stories initiative has evolved into a remarkable success, extending its reach to students in Years 3 to 12. As we approach the 21st anniversary this year, the River of Stories has truly traversed an impressive journey, leaving an indelible mark on the literary landscape of our region.
The River of Stories has been incorporated into the City of Albury’s writing festival Write Around the Murray which is run annually in September.
Short Story Competition
Categories: Years 3-4 & 5-6
Word limit
Years 3-4: 500
Years 5-6: 1000
Years 5-6: 1000
Prizes in each category
Winner: $50 & $300 for school library
Runners-up (x2): $25 voucher
Runners-up (x2): $25 voucher
Categories: Years 7-8, 9-10 & 11-12
Word limit
Years 7-8: 1000
Years 9-10 and 11-12: 1500
Years 9-10 and 11-12: 1500
Prizes in each category
Winner: $100 & $300 for school library
Runners-up (x2): $50 voucher
Runners-up (x2): $50 voucher
Poetry Competition
Categories: Years 3-4 & 5-6
Prizes in each category
Winner: $50 & $300 for school library
Runners-up (x2): $25 voucher
Runners-up (x2): $25 voucher
Categories: Years 7-8, 9-10 & 11-12
Prizes in each category
Winner: $100 & $300 for school library
Runners-up (x2): $50 voucher
Runners-up (x2): $50 voucher
No word limits in the poetry division.