The Mayors' Short Story
Challenge
Alexandrina Council, City of Victor Harbor and the District Council of Yankalilla have been running the Mayors’ Short Story Challenge since 2010 and we invite your school and students to join the Challenge again this year.
The creative writing “Challenge” is held during term two each year for school aged children, from reception to year 10 and each school is invited to participate.
For each years ‘Challenge':
There are six group categories:
- Reception - Year 2 Category
- Year 3 - Year 4 Category
- Year 5 - Year 7 Category
- Year 8 - Year 10 Category
- Special Options Students - Primary level (Reception to Year 6)
- Special Options Students - High School level (Year 7 to 10)
The winner from each section will receive a $50 gift voucher with the overall winner for each Council receiving a $50 gift voucher. The winning school in each Council District receives $1000.
Winners will be announced at a joint regional presentation.
We look forward to receiving your schools’ entries each year.
Challenge Details
The Challenge opens at the beginning of Term 2 and closes on Friday 11th June 2027.
Entry is open to all registered school aged children (Reception to Year 10) in the City of Victor Harbor, Alexandrina Council and District Council of Yankalilla.
Mayors' Short Story Challenge Information
Entries must be submitted to your schools Council area library by 5pm on Friday 11th June 2027.
2026 Mayors' Short Story Challenge Results
Mayors’ Short Story Challenge 2026 is an annual partnership between Alexandrina Council, City of Victor Harbor and the District Council of Yankalilla. The Challenge is about encouraging school children to let their imaginations run wild and share stories through creative writing.
The winners of the 2026 Mayors’ Short Story Challenge were announced at a celebration held at the Victor Harbor Library on September 3rd 2026.
District Council of Yankalilla’s over-all winner:
Jaxon Williams, Myponga Primary School student with his story ‘The competition I was never supposed to win’
District Council of Yankalilla’s Shortlisted and Section winners were:
Years Reception – 2 Category
Shortlisted students:
- Poppy Walker, Year 2, Yankalilla Area School, ‘The Wishing Tree’
- Scout Weigl, Year 2, Yankalilla Area School, 'The Three Little Cats'
- Aliana McCallum, Year 2, Yankalilla Area School, 'The Three Hot Hotdogs'
- Livia Royans, Year 1, Rapid Bay Primary School, 'The Very Hungry Bird'
Category Winner: Poppy Walker, Year Two, Yankalilla Area School, ‘The Wishing Tree’
Years 3 – 4 Category
Shortlisted students:
- Paisley Lane, Year 4, Rapid Bay Primary School, 'Max goes wild'
- Elsie-Jean Mottillo, Year 4, Yankalilla Area School, 'The 'bravest' of ghostly cats'
- Max Royans, Year 4, Rapid Bay Primary School, 'Championship Day'
- Emmy McArdle, Year 3, Rapid Bay Primary School, 'Cute Puppy'
Category Winner: Emmy McArdle, Year 3, Rapid Bay Primary School, 'Cute Puppy'
Years 5 – 7 Category
Shortlisted students:
- Jonah Geschmay, Year 6, Yankailla Area School, 'The Day the Library Went Quiet'
- Edwina Crawley, Year 6, Myponga Primary School, 'Where The Pages Whisper'
- Ella McGowan, Year 5, Myponga Primary School, 'The Toxic Flower'
- Jaxon Williams, Year 6, Myponga Primary School, 'The competition I was never supposed to win'
Category Winner: Jaxon Williams, Year 6, Myponga Primary School, 'The competition I was never supposed to win'
Years 8 – 10 Category
Shortlisted students:
- Sophia Anderson, Year 8, Yankalilla Area School, 'A quiet earth'
- Riley Pope, Year 8, Yankalilla Area School, 'THE BIG FISH'
Category Winner: Sophia Anderson, Year 8, Yankalilla Area School, 'A quiet earth'
Special Options Category
Shortlisted students:
- Ryder Aquilina, Year 2, Myponga Primary School, 'Bob the Snow Man'
- Cruz Stevens, Year 6, Myponga Primary School, 'Jeff and his lost parents'
- Christopher Nemeth, Year 6, Myponga Primary School, 'Room 13 Part 2'
- George Boquin, Year 6, Myponga Primary School, 'Villager vs Pillager'
Category Winner: Cruz Stevens, Year 6, Myponga Primary School, 'Jeff and his lost parents'
The Yankalilla Library would like to thank our local judges, teachers, students and parents for supporting the program.
Contact Information
Alexandrina Libraries - Karen Barrett on 8555 7000
Victor Harbor Public Library - Gabbie Nottle or Lisa Manhire on 8551 0730
Yankalilla Library – Ali Barnes on 8558 2043
Past Winners & Short Listed Stories
2026 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2026 Booklet
2025 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2025 Booklet
2024 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2024 Booklet
2023 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2023 Booklet
2022 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2022 Booklet
2021 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2021 Booklet
2020 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2020 Booklet
2019 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2019 Booklet
(9546 kb)
2018 Winners and shortlisted stories: MSSC 2018 Booklet(13079 kb)