The Confidence 2 Anthology will be launched on 21 September 2024. Writers, poets and actors will gather at the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre to bring the Confidence 2 Book Launch – Finding New Voices to life. See and hear outstanding local writers like competition winner Helen Booth, Kym Tyzack and Caitlyn Mahony tell their stories and be enchanted by readings by Leone Gabrielle, Shoshanna Rockman, Evi Ruhle, Zofia Kuypers and Rylan Rafferty visiting from Los Angeles. Rylan is a filmmaker as well as a writer and you can enjoy her zany video Mop Walks into a Bar as well as hearing her read live. The Confidence 2 Book Launch will be opened by Geelong Regional Libraries Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Vanessa Schernickau and hosted by Minds Shine Bright’s Founder, Amanda Scotney. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Geelong Regional Libraries to launch Confidence 2.
Actors will read a selection of international and interstate pieces and Steve Fendt and Alexandra Svoboda, (Confidence 2022 writers) are joining us too. Alexandra’s story about women’s football will have us cheering in the aisles. There will be readings by longlisted writers Coral Reeve and Maha Sidaoui, an open mic session (contact us to read) and some words from Geelong Writers too.
Following afternoon tea our distinguished panel featuring author Kgshak Akec, theatremaker Christine Davey, filmmaker Katrina Mathers and poet Jennifer Harrison will discuss the importance of building confidence in creative communities.
Copies of Confidence 2 Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2024 can be purchased with your ticket at the special event price of $25, at the event or from bookshops from 21 September.
If you are looking forward to a literary day out in Geelong get your tickets here.
Contact us if you would like to read at the open mic as places are strictly limited.
Minds Shine Bright Certificates of Recognition 2024
As part of the celebrations of the Confidence 2 Launch we are announcing the final round of Awards, the Minds Shine Bright Certificates of Recognition and gifts. The Certificates of Recognition are awarded to pieces that really shone in some way. They may have been extraordinarily inspiring or very strong in one of our judging criteria or they may have been written by new writers taking their first steps and showing tremendous potential.
1. Brenda North, short story Annie, Somerset, Tasmania
2. anon, short story, South Australia
3. Gabby Bloyd, poem A Rosebud of Confidence Battle Ground, Indiana, US
4. Samantha Gould, poem, Familiar Acquaintance, Mitcham, Victoria
5. Laura J. Fitzwilson, 2000 Watt Light Bulb, Victoria
6. Karen Lee Mills, poem, From the Stairwell Echuca, Victoria
7. Bela Trezise, poem Cicada Shells, Earlwood, New South Wales
8. Makan Wang, short story How Santa used quantum theory to invent Christmas, Turramurra, New South Wales
9.  Angela Purvis, poem The Reluctant Gift Goodwood, South Australia
10. Makayla Brindle, poem, A Mourning Dove Makes a Symphony, Virginia, US
11-15 tbc (we will add to this list as we hear back from recipients)
The Anthology Collective
We are half-way through our workshops with the Anthology Collective from Schizy Inc and we are busy gathering stories, poems and scripts from the Anthology Collective writers — the building blocks of a community anthology by talented creative writers with diverse mental health.
Light and Shadow Judges Update
It will take us most of September and October to complete a full assessment each of the entries of the Light and Shadow Writing Competition. So it will be later in October or early November before we decide on the Longlist and start contacting all writers.
The scope and variety of interpretations of the Light and Shadow theme are impressive.
Places – The Places we Live, Love and Leave
A new Minds Shine Bright writing competition is opening soon and it marks the start of a new Minds Shine Bright anthology series called Places. We are increasing our entry fee to $15 to align them with base pricing for other competitions so that we can keep offering a big prize pool, paying all of our published writers and continuing to support writers and the arts. Our Confidence themed writing competition will be back again in 2026.
Mind Shine Bright’s new international creative writing competition, The Places we Live, Love and Leave will open in September and close on 31 May 2025
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