For the first half of spring term, The Spark has been running a queer writing competition in which entrants were set to work on pieces that reflect the experiences of our community. We have cast eyes over magnificent commentaries on the queer condition, perambulated wonderful prose and pondered near-perfect poetry. We have enjoyed each entry.
However, the winner must take it all - all, in this case, being campus-wide acclaim and a brand-new copy of ‘Pageboy’ by Elliot Page! Without further ado, please welcome to The Spark’s imaginary stage Tilly Healing-Perry, author of ‘When Asked to Talk About Love’. The piece is a scintillation across a bygone bliss, reliant wholly on a beautiful mind and a damaged heart. It reads like a tragedy without death, and this portrayed figurative demise is one worthy of publication and reward.
The Spark would also like to recognise a runner-up: awarding pole position was an extremely close and difficult decision to make. So, congratulations also to Hannah Tan, author of ‘My Yearning, Melancholic Heart’. This baby anthology is pensive and insightful, introducing something new with a familiar twist. Firm semantics meet experience in this stylistic and charismatic collection.
As promised, The Spark will also be publishing three ‘highly commended’ pieces that made it through to the last round of our decision-making, these being ‘Ted Lasso: Football’s Coming Out’, ‘Without Her, Who Was I?’ and ‘The Fear and Joy of Loving Her’. These were excellent examples in a range of literary genres, all in their own right brilliantly queer and creative.
Editor’s notes on the highly commended (also published online):
‘Ted Lasso: Football’s Coming Out’ (Anonymous). Conversational and nuanced, this is excellent transactional writing. Benignly reminiscent and warmly hopeful, readers should have a tissue to hand...
‘Without Her, Who Was I?’ (Amelie de Casagrande). A compelling sea of metaphor and unrequited sentiment. Blissful to explore and troubling to understand. The beginnings of something brilliant.
‘The Fear and Joy of Loving Her’ (S. Preet). Replete with nuance and melancholic rumination, this is a story that ought not be told. But it will be, and this is a delicately relatable effort.
A huge thank you to everyone that participated in The Spark’s very first creative writing competition. Never has it been more significant that the queer experience is platformed during LGBTQIA+ History Month, of all the months in the year. Every entry has been appreciated and enjoyed, and our editorial team would encourage anyone to join us - whether or not you entered! There is no initial application process at The Spark, joining counts towards your RED Award, looks beyond excellent on a CV - and you’ll connect with people who you may not have even seen on campus before!
We meet weekly in Lounge Room One, Whiteknights Campus, at 10am-12pm every Thursday. Media training is mandatory and provided by The Spark’s external consultant. See you there!
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