The Grieve Project
Heavy, weighing me down…
What if I let the grief-stone go…
Grief isolates. Storytelling brings people back into connection.
Storytelling is an act of survival, an act of memory, of love, and an act of community. Storytelling about loss and grief is catharsis, reaffirming our belonging to the world.
We invite writers, storytellers and community nationwide to participate in the 2026 Grieve Project. We welcome different creative forms such as prose, poetry, and multimedia formats such as film, audio, graphic storytelling, and visual imagery. If we haven’t got it listed, please contact us to discuss.
The Grieve Project culminates in the publication of the Grieve anthology, capturing the diverse voices and experiences of grief and loss. Multimedia entries are featured online in the Grieve Gallery.
Lament, a community gathering of art, story and music to share stories of grief and loss will be hosted in the Hunter region and streamed online in late August
2026 Award Winners
Hunter Writers’ Centre is delighted to announce the award winners for the 2026 Grieve Project. These works will be published in the annual anthology and online gallery released in September.
Grieve Volume 13 is now available for pre-order.
Winners will be announced daily during September. Check back daily.
| Award | Artist | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palliative Care NSW - Curators Award | Joanna Wouterszs | The Circle is complete | Prose |
| Chris Morley Memorial Award for Creative Use of Non-standard Terminology | Deborah Ratliff | Kevin | Prose |
| Lake Macquarie Memorial Park Award | Gina Preece | Ashes | Poetry |
| Newcastle Memorial Park Award | Angharad Lodwick | Everdearest Britt | Photo |
| Robert Miller In Memoriam Award | S.E. Street | The sun disappearing | Poetry |
| Stuart Robinson In Memoriam Award | Amelia Ross | Sound bar | Poetry |
| Valerie Joy Banks In Memoriam Award | Carmel Macdonald Grahame | Sister time | Poetry |
| Valerie Joy Banks Honorary In Memoriam Award | Tracy McNally | Tripod | Poetry |
| Gloria Bland In Memoriam Award | Stephanie Holt | On Securing a plot in the Fryerstown Cemetery | Poetry |
2026 Curators Reflection
It has been both a pleasure and a humbling experience to curate the 2026 Grieve Project. The entries encompassed a wide range of experiences of grief and loss, regret and hope. They spoke of the loss of a parent, children, siblings, animals, culture, identity, land and environment. They expressed grief for lost opportunities, and time, and places. Each of these entries is an act of generosity; a willingness to communicate deeply-felt emotions and responses. We thank every entrant for their vulnerability and openness in entrusting these things to us.
The two Curators, Kylie Mirmohamadi and Jodi Vial, and Associate Curator Katarina Lindstrom, have collaborated electronically over a series of meetings to curate their final shortlist from many hundreds of entries. We read each piece individually before convening for discussion and then the collation of the list. We were committed throughout the process to ensuring that a wide and representative range of subject matter was included, across prose, poetry, visual arts, music, and multimedia. Our aim was to emerge with a list that was both artistically strong and emotionally resonant, and which encompassed diverse perspectives and voices.
We are all deeply grateful for the opportunity to be involved in The Grieve Project, an initiative which holds space for so many to express and share their experiences and stories in creative and accessible ways.
This curatorial process has been an intense and, at times, emotional experience. The curation of The Grieve Project was work that involved challenges, meaningful connections, and the slow work of honouring other people’s stories. It was a privilege to sit down and read the hundreds of entries, over the course of some weeks, and to engage in important discussions about the final iteration of the project’s shortlist.
There were so many stories, of loss and grief, but also of love. We were surprised to find ourselves, in the early stages of reading, hopeful and uplifted despite the heavy subject matter we were navigating. Perhaps that is because, ultimately, love was at the centre of each story we read. There is something life-affirming in the outpouring of love that is represented by the hundreds of entries in The Grieve Project this year. The resolution, again and again, to turn to art in suffering, to seek to transform suffering into art.
We only mourn the loss of someone or something—a child, a parent, a sibling, a pet, even the constant presence of place, wild things, and our natural environment—when we have loved those things. This is not a project about grief, or loss, even though both of those deeply felt emotions are explored and beautifully expressed by the shortlisted entries. It is, beyond anything else, a project about love. It tells us that love is everywhere, that life in all its forms is to be treasured, and in today’s world that is a message that bears repeating.
– Jodi Vial, Kylie Mirmohamadi, and Katarina Lindstrom.
Grieve Volume 13 is a collection of stories, poems, and reflections that bear witness to the profound, complex, and layered nature of grief and loss.
Submission Information
2026 Awards
Sponsored Awards
$2,000 – National Association of Loss and Grief Award
$400 – Curators Choice, sponsored by Palliative Care NSW
$500 – Chris Morley Memorial Award for the Creative Use of Non-standard Terminology
$400 – All About Grief Award for a work that explores the loss of a child
$200 – Newcastle Memorial Park Award
$200 – Lake Macquarie Memorial Park Award
$250 – Members Award
$250 – Directors Choice
In Memoriam Awards
$200, awarded to a piece that speaks to feminine empowerment.
In memory of Valery Joy Banks, a woman of strength.
$200, awarded to a piece of poetry that deals with the loss and grief relating to the death of a partner.
In memory of Robert Miller, much loved husband of David Terelinck, who always supported David’s passion for poetry.
$100, awarded to a piece reflecting humour, stoicism and fierce independence despite the circumstances.
In memory of my grandmother, Gloria Bland, determined, independent and fun until the end.
$100, awarded to a piece that could either be humorous or honours a special male figure (uncle, brother, son, sibling…)
In loving memory of Stuart Robinson (1976-2023) — forever missed.
About
The Grieve Project is a national storytelling initiative that shares stories of loss and grief in all its forms. Grieve invites all Australians—from experienced writers to those simply needing a place to tell their story—to explore grief through poetry, short stories and multi-media.
Each year, we publish a collection of selected works that speak to the layered and complex nature of grief. These stories are raw, brave, and human. They go beyond responses to death—grappling with lost potential, unrealised futures, strained relationships, and memories left behind. Some pieces challenge the silence that surrounds certain types of grief, giving voice to experiences that are often overlooked, marginalised or dismissed.
The Grieve Project creates a space where honesty, diversity, and vulnerability are welcome. It offers connection and reminds us that while grief is deeply individual experience, it also reflects our shared human experience.
The Grieve Project is intentionally positioned at the intersection of craft and community. It began as a writing competition and now welcomes stories in many forms—written, spoken, visual, and digital. We value the art and craft of storytelling and equally recognise the power of personal stories to connect, heal, and reflect the depth of human experience. We welcome submissions from people of all backgrounds—seasoned writers and artists, as well as those with less experience. For written submissions, which make up the bulk of the Grieve Project, editorial support is provided.
Key Information
IMPORTANT: Please read the Terms and Conditions, and Frequently Asked Questions before you submit.
Who can enter: Australian citizens or residents 18 years or older.
When to enter: The 2026 Grieve Project is open for entries from Saturday 14 February 2026, until 8 pm (AEST) Sunday 26 April 2025.
Submitted works can include: Prose, photography, visual art, film, audio, graphic storytelling and visual imagery, according to the following guidelines.
- Prose: The word limit for prose submission is 500 words.
- Poetry: The line limit for poetry is 38 lines.
- Image/Artwork: Submitted as a single file .pdf, .png, .jpeg, .jpg, .tiff, .tif files. An entry comprised of a series of images or artwork will be judged as a single coherent entry
- Video: Up to 5 minutes of example video submitted as .mp4 or .mov
Audio: Up to 5 mins of example audio submitted as .mp3
Entry fees:
$25.85 ($23.50 + GST) for non-members
$22 ($20 + GST) for members
One work = one entry = one entry fee.
Up to 10 entries can be entered in one submission form.
Confirmation of submission: You will receive a confirmation email with an overview of your submission form. If you have not received this, please check your spam folder, and if you have still not received it, email us at contact@hunterwriterscentre.org
All writers and storytellers whose work is selected for publication in the anthology and online gallery will receive a $50 publishing fee for each work in recognition of their contribution, and a copy of The Grieve Project anthology. Vol. 13.
Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with all the Grieve offerings and opportunities.
To see work from previous years, consider purchasing a past Grieve anthology or visit the 2025 Grieve Gallery online
Timeline
Submissions Open — Saturday 14 February 2026
Submissions Close — Sunday 26 April 2026
Selection Announcement — Late June 2026
Lament — 29 August 2026
Judging Process
The Grieve Project uses a two-stage selection and award process.
Stage One: An independent curatorial team reviews all eligible submissions and selects a curated body of work that reflects the depth, breadth, and diversity of grief in its many forms. These works are published in the Grieve anthology and online gallery.
Stage Two: The curated selection is then provided to Sponsors and In-Memoriam donors, who select the recipients of the awards they have funded.
All awards are selected from the curated body of work.
Selected Works
Hunter Writers’ Centre is delighted to announce the selected works for the 2026 Grieve Project. These works will be published in the annual anthology and online gallery, launched in August as part of Grief Awareness Month.
Grieve Volume 13 is now available for pre-order.
| Artist | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Unity Akashvani | In the living room the week after | Poetry |
| Richard James Allen | The limits of regret | Poetry |
| Janice Baker | Another chance | Prose |
| Sarah Barker | Working title | Poetry |
| Sarah Barker | How to carry grief | Photozine |
| Sarah Barker | Next of kin | Poetry |
| Sarah Barker | End. Of. Story. | Video |
| Gillian Berry | Lost | Poetry |
| K.M.J. Brann | Last stop | Prose |
| Lachlan Buller | Pneumatic internal mail | Poetry |
| Julie Butler | The thirty-year echo | Poetry |
| Kay Cairns | The words not spoken | Prose |
| Donna M Cameron | The gully | Poetry |
| Heather Cameron | The day of her funeral | Poetry |
| Anne M Carson | Your soft husks | Poetry |
| Mikaela Castledine | Manifest | Poetry |
| EJ Clarence | glass eels (i) and (ii) from the Centennial Park sequences | Poetry |
| Eva Collins | Preparations | Poetry |
| Angela Costi | little things | Poetry |
| Danielle Creenaune | In a way I try to live my life by these small words | Artist Book |
| Lyn Dickens | Pelagic | Prose |
| Stefan Dubczuk | Scar | Poetry |
| Jessica Elsea | More of me than you | Prose |
| Jane L Ferro | Anniversary | Prose |
| Elspeth Findlay | Birdwatching with mother | Poetry |
| Michelle Fitzgerald | Pink milkshakes | Prose |
| Michelle Fitzgerald | Disconnected | Prose |
| Ela Fornalska | That was the weirdest photograph I've ever been to | Poetry |
| Dianne Gardner | Feathers on the wind | Poetry |
| Alexandra Geneve | Aurelian | Prose |
| Lorraine Gibson | A bleak season | Poetry |
| Rod Goodbun | Dreaming with the dead | Prose |
| Kailum Graves | The planet where grief has gravity | Prose |
| Jodie Haid | When I was a boy | Prose |
| Tiffany Hastie | Bury me with a zoo | Prose |
| Zee Heart | like an unwrapped lollipop | Prose |
| Katherine Heneghan | My memory plays tricks on me | Poetry |
| Stephanie Holt | On securing a plot in the Fryerstown Cemetery | Poetry |
| Stephanie Holt | Shadowboxing | Poetry |
| Stephen House | thrown | Poetry |
| Helga Jermy | Shadow light | Poetry |
| Linda Judge | no greater pain | Poetry |
| Linda Judge | homecare | Poetry |
| Jennie Keenan | Room 108 | Prose |
| Susanne Kennedy | Wollomi—Cape Woolamai | Poetry |
| Lillace Kenta | The loud sound of dying | Prose |
| Natalie Kikken | Body of tears | Photography |
| KJC Lapsley | The viewing | Prose |
| Kathryn Latimer | Sam Mandalas | Video |
| Donna Lea | Shadow grief | Prose |
| Michael Leibowitz | Fugitive flesh | Poetry |
| Lynsey Lew | Nature for my nurturer | Photography |
| Angharad Lodwick | Everdearest Britt | Photography |
| Frances Lovell | So, how are you? | Poetry |
| Carmel Macdonald Grahame | Afternoon vigil | Poetry |
| Carmel Macdonald Grahame | Sister time | Poetry |
| Hemat Malak | How long before my children fear me? | Poetry |
| Ros Marsden | Packing up the last parent | Poetry |
| Kate Maxwell | Believe | Prose |
| Fiona Mcdonald | life cycle - the tangibility of time & memory | Sculpture |
| Tracy McNally | Tripod | Poetry |
| Gaye McPhie | Mother/Stranger | Poetry |
| Elspeth Murphy | In memoriam | Poetry |
| Bindu Narula | Doona day | Prose |
| Amelia O'Connor | Flight | Prose |
| Tracy Peacock | Reaching for the wind phone | Prose |
| Gina Preece | Ashes | Poetry |
| Deb Pugh | Behind my lids | Prose |
| Deborah Ratliff | Kevin | Prose |
| Annie Reid | The Visit | Poetry |
| Amelie Ritchie | Cyanotypes | Poetry |
| Barry Rosenberg | I dreamed | Prose |
| Amelia Ross | Sound bar | Poetry |
| Robyn Rowland | Lost | Poetry |
| Richenda Rudman | Letters from my mother | Poetry |
| Brenda Saunders | Dark tourism | Poetry |
| Rosie Schriever | On the step | Poetry |
| Anthony Sevil | Solace | Sculpture |
| Erin Shiel | Dinner in Barberino | Prose |
| Kathy Shortland-Jones | Never not | Poetry |
| Jo Skinner | A season of hope | Prose |
| Jo Skinner | A beginning that ends | Prose |
| Rachel Smith | Substitute love | Poetry |
| S.E. Street | The sun disappearing | Poetry |
| Tilley & Daniel J. Townsend | Without It | Audio |
| Emily Thompson | Carbon filters | Prose |
| Lucie Thorne | Golden girl | Audio |
| Oormila V. Prahlad | Preparing her children | Poetry |
| Craig White | 33 years | Poetry |
| Karen Whitelaw | With you | Prose |
| Joanna Woutersz | The circle is complete | Prose |
| Beth Yahp | Spilling my father's guts 1-5 | Artwork |
| Leah Zimmerman | Good girls are thin | Poetry |
Introducing the Curators
Kylie Mirmohamadi
Kylie Mirmohamadi is a writer and academic from Melbourne/Naarm, who has been widely published in the academic sector.
Her first novel, Diving, Falling, was published by Scribe in 2024 and was listed as a best book of 2024 by Guardian Australia, The Saturday Paper, The Australian, In Review, and Good Reading Magazine. Her next novel is due out with Scribe in 2027.
Her personal essays have appeared in Island Magazine Online, The Big Issue, and Sydney Review of Books.
She has a PhD in History and is currently an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in English and Creative Writing at La Trobe University.
Jodi Vial
Dr Jodi Vial writes across the forms of poetry, short fiction and creative non-fiction, with a focus on the intersection of literature, landscape and history. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, having produced a work of creative non-fiction that engages with women’s archival voices in her hometown of Newcastle / Mulubinba. Her research focuses on an expanded notion of the archive, from landscape and the built environment to the container of the human body.
She has been published by Spineless Wonders, Recent Work Press and Papatuanuku Press and her short story cycle, Lives of Girls and Women, resides in the University of Newcastle’s permanent art collection. Jodi lives and writes on the unceded lands of the Awabakal and Worimi people.
Associate Curator - Katarina Lindstrom
Katarina Lindstrom is an emerging writer based in the Hunter.
A lifelong reader, Katarina worked as a high school English teacher for 30 years, bringing extensive experience in reading and supporting writing. She joined Hunter Writers’ Centre in 2024. Having travelled and worked across diverse communities, she brings a broad perspective to her writing practice.
The Associate Curator role is an opportunity offered by Hunter Writers' Centre for emerging writers to work alongside industry professional to review, select, and curate diverse works.
Thank you to our 2026 Sponsors
Storytelling brings people back into connection.
The Grieve Project is made possible thanks to the support of organisations and individuals who believe in the power of storytelling to reflect, witness, and connect. Each year, we invite community organisations, service providers, and individuals to sponsor a prize or dedicate an In Memoriam Award. These sponsorships play a vital role in recognising contributors, increasing participation, and ensuring that stories of grief and loss have a place in the cultural conversation.
Foundation Partner
National Association for Loss and Grief
Since 2014, the National Association for Loss and Grief (NALAG) has been a cornerstone supporter of the Grieve Project. Their longstanding commitment has enabled Grieve to provide a platform for stories that honour the human experience of grief and healing. We acknowledge and thank NALAG for their vital role in the life of the project.
Partners
Sponsors
