The GSV is pleased to announce details of its 2025 Writing Prize competition.
Details of the 2025 competition will be announced early 2025
Sponsored by
Purpose of the Prize
- to encourage the writing of family history
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to provide an opportunity for recognition and publication
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to publish the winner in the GSV's Ancestor journal as an example of quality family history writing
Eligibility
The competition is open to GSV members and all members of GSV Member Societies. Individuals may submit only one entry.
Members of the Ancestor Editorial Team, the judges, GSV staff and the winner of the previous year's prize are not eligible to enter.
The Prize
We are very pleased to announce that Ancestry™ is again generously sponsoring the competition with a first prize of a 12-month subscription to their Worldwide Membership plus a DNA test kit. A prize of a 6-month subscription to Ancestry Worldwide Membership for the runner-up may also be offered at the discretion of the judges.
Announcement and Publication
The winner will be announced at the GSV's Annual General Meeting in October and the winning article will be published in the December 2025 issue of Ancestor.
At the judges’ discretion, a runner-up may be selected.
At the Ancestor Editorial Team’s discretion, one or more of the submitted entries may be published in subsequent editions.
Conditions of Entry
The article should:
- have a family history/genealogy theme
- be the original work of one author (entries co-authored by two or more individuals will not be accepted)
- not have been previously published in any format, or be under consideration or accepted by any other publication
- be between 1200 and 2400 words (not including title, image captions, endnotes and sources)
- contain appropriate citations of sources
In accordance with Ancestor publishing policy, articles of historical fiction will not be accepted.
Accompanying images are desirable but are not part of the judging criteria. Up to four high resolution images (minimum 300 dpi) may be submitted. Images must be in the public domain, or the author's own, or have the owner's permission to publish. Images taken from the internet are often unsuitable for print reproduction and may not be out of copyright.
Before you enter the GSV Writing Prize
We recommend you read the Ancestor Guidelines for Authors at https://www.gsv.org.au/guidelines-authors, and "Tips for writing an article", Ancestor, volume 35, June 2020 pp26-27.
Entrants are reminded that articles should be targeted to the Ancestor readership.
Judging
The winning article will be that which, in the opinion of the judges, is the most:
- interesting
- well written
- thoroughly researched and appropriately referenced
Entries will be judged anonymously by a panel consisting of:
- three members of the Ancestor Editorial Team
- the President (or a past or present member of Council nominated by the President, who is not a member of the Ancestor Editorial Team or the Writers Circle)
- one other judge who is not a member of the Ancestor Editorial Team, the GSV Council, or the GSV Writers Circle
The judges reserve the right not to award the prize if the entries are not considered to be of sufficient merit, or there are insufficient entries.
The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
How to enter
Please click here for entry form
Submit your article as a Word document, together with your entry form by email to writingprize@gsv.org.au
- OR on a USB stick to the front desk at the GSV (retain a copy as USBs will not be returned).
- Hard copy will not be accepted except by prior arrangement (contact GSV on +61 3 9662 4455)
- Use a plain font, e.g. Times New Roman or Calibri, 12 point.
- Number your pages and include the article title in the header.
- Do not put your name on the pages of the article.
- If submitting images, send them in separate jpg or tiff files scanned at 300 dpi. Do not include images in the text.
- In your article, include the title and, if images are submitted, the image number and caption for each image.
Before submitting your entry, please ensure that you have:
- read and complied with the conditions of entry
- filled in the competition entry form
- checked your article word length
- numbered the pages and put the title in the header
- checked that your name does not appear in the article
- Scanned any images being submitted at 300 dpi, and saved them as separate jpg or tiff files
- ensured that any images submitted are sent separately as jpg or tiff files scanned at 300 dpi
- included the title of your article, image number and caption for each image submitted
- obtained permission to use any images that are not your own or in the public domain.
Closing Date
The closing date is 4.00 pm on Friday 22 August 2025 and articles received after this time will not be considered.
Judges’ report 2024 GSV writing prize
The judging panel of the 2024 Writing Prize consisted of Dr Cheryl Griffin FRHSV, as guest judge, Ms Joy Roy FGSV, as President’s nominee, and three members of the Ancestor Editorial Team, Alison Dennison, Emma Hegarty and Tina Hocking. The competition was administered by Sue Blackwood, who received all the entries and sent them on anonymously to the judges.
The panel met on 7 September to select a short list, and on 21 September to select the winner and runner-up.
Entries
Fifteen eligible entries were received, of which six were shortlisted. Two entrants were members of affiliated societies, and the remainder were GSV members.
The panel was pleased, not only with the number of entries, but with the high standard across most. The majority adopted a consistent approach to referencing but there is always room for improvement. Important details such as the name of the holding institution, title, catalogue or series number, or record type were sometimes missing. References did not always match the text or were not specific enough, and unsubstantiated claims were a concern in some entries.
The entries covered a range of topics, such as deception, duty, bigamy, convicts, disappearance, perseverance, war experience, madness, migration, connection to place, a family object, and a quest or research journey. In particular, the judges noted a strong focus on women’s stories and on Victoria.
In subject matter and writing style, all entries were targeted toward the interests of Ancestor readers.
Winner and Runner-up
The winning story is ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace’, by Sue Reid.
Sue’s surprise discovery of her great-grandmother’s first marriage led to an investigation into the events leading up to this controversial match. With a strong opening, starting with the most dramatic part of the story, this article unveils a complex tale, involving many players from well-connected families. The action crosses generational and geographic boundaries, but the story flows well, ensuring the reader is not confused or overwhelmed by the detail. This is a well-researched piece that draws on a variety of sources and holds the reader’s interest to the end.
The runner-up is ‘The sisters, the suitor and an old story’, by Angela Rutherford.
From the opening paragraph, the reader is drawn in with the promise of an account of a violent crime that took place in Melbourne 175 years ago. A story of unrequited love, madness, and suicide is pieced together from inquest and newspaper reports, some of it in graphic detail. Brief quotes inserted within the text and the occasional short, sharp sentence between paragraphs are used effectively. A concluding epilogue follows up on what became of the main characters. This entry is a thorough account of a shocking event in colonial Melbourne.
Recommendations for authors
Better entries stand out because they tell a story rather than simply record and report on research. Articles involving a mystery, an unusual event, a quest or a journey of discovery grab the reader’s attention, for example, an investigation into the accuracy of a story handed down in a family. A good title and a strong opening help to draw the reader in. A litany of facts can interfere with the narrative. Carefully selected quotes can enhance the story but should not dominate the piece. Paraphrase longer quotes and weave them into your narrative. Be selective about what additional information you include. Don’t go overboard with peripheral details that do not advance or enhance the story and stick with the characters integral to the story. A well-written article will leave the reader intrigued and hoping for more. Always proofread before submitting your entry. Reading the piece out loud or asking someone else to check or read it to you will help identify areas that need work. Finally, the judges stress the importance of carefully reading the terms and conditions before entering any writing competition.
From the Ancestor Editorial Team
We thank historian Dr Cheryl Griffin for again being willing to act as our Guest Judge and for participating so helpfully in the assessment process. We also thank Ms Joy Roy for continuing to represent the GSV President in the judging team, also for contributing her considerable knowledge of family history and editing.
Thank you to our sponsors, Ancestry™ for their generous donation of this year’s prizes.
Finally, to all the entrants, we thank you for your efforts and wish you success in continuing the important work of documenting your family history. The Ancestor Editorial Team hopes that more GSV members will consider taking part in next year’s Writing Prize competition.
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Winners of the GSV Writing Prize
The Prize was first awarded in 2013
2013 Kath McKay: Finding Shakespeare in family research
2014 Anne Cavanagh: Elizabeth and the doctor elope: the story of Elizabeth Ware
2015 Marilyn Fordred: Every photo tells a story
2016 Emma Hegarty: Finding Mary Jane
2017 Helen Pearce: Thomas Owen: the skeleton in the family’s closet
2018 Helen Pearce: Daniel Elphinstone: his son’s secret exposed
2019 Louise Wilson: Masters of the road
2020 Brian Reid: ‘Tom were the naughty lad’
2021 Susan Wight: The mystery of the extra Booth Hodgetts
2022 Ian Penrose: Finding Emma: a story of my Lutheran ancestor
2023 Anne Prince: The ancestor box
2024 Sue Reid: Speak now or forever hold your peace
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