Established in 2014 by Well Thumbed Books in Cobargo, the Olga Master Short Story Award is named in honour of one of Australia’s most recognised and awarded female writers. Olga Masters was born and raised on the far south coast of New South Wales.
In 2026, the Olga Masters Short Story Award invited entries short stories between 2000 to 4000 words on the theme of life in rural Australia. This year, myself and author Michael Winkler selected 4 stories from 134 entries as the short-list:
Three Millimetres – Michelle Bertram
Bounce – Jodie Haid
Back to Feltan Lane – Sandra Barnett
I love Paris, I Love Eden – Gizelle Regan
I was pleased to be able to announce and launch a publication with the four shortlisted and award-winning writers of the Olga Masters Short Story Award at the opening night of the Headland Writers Festival. As the Director of the South Coast Writers Centre, which is in its 32nd year serving writers in the same coastal region where Olga Masters lived and wrote, I can attest to the fact that awards and small publications like these are essential spaces for the development of new, local writing, and I encourage you all to support these writers by buying and reading these wonderful short stories.
Director Sarah Nicholson with winner Gizelle Regan
Along with Michael, I would like to offer my thanks to Kate Bradbury and the competition conveners South East Arts, and to the Headland Writers Festival as our event hosts. The Award is funded by the Masters Family, and on behalf of the competition organisers and judges I would like to extend our deep thanks to them for their ongoing support for the Award.
The winners of the 2026 Olga Masters Short Story Award are:
Runner up - Michelle Bertram for “Three Millimetres,”
And the winner - Gizelle Regan for “I love Paris ... I love Eden”
Speech by Dr Sarah Nicholson for Olga Masters Short Story Award announcement at Headland Writers Festival, Tathra.