Dayeon Seo’s essay about the plight of modern migration,Liminal Spaces:Between Domestic and International Students,‘Permanently Temporary’ Residents Forever in Limbo,and Adam Gottschalk call to climate action,Careering,were named as runners-up.
Guest judgeTara June Winch,the Miles Franklin Award-winning author ofThe Yield,said Benson’s essay was a pertinent meditation on the gatekeeping of language.
“A writer that can draw from the past to talk about the present,and hold hope for the future in measured arguments is a skilled craftsman,” Winch said.
Benson said he had long been fascinated with learning languages and drew on his experience of living in Taiwan and studying Chinese for his essay.
“You never feel your nationality as much as when you’re overseas. Constantly introducing myself as Australian made me think about the strangeness of Australian English:I like it as much as anybody,but it’s stranded between the UK and the US,without authority or prestige,” he said.
Eliza Hoh,17,who this year finished year 12 at St George Girls High School,won the 14-18 age category (up to 800 words) with her essay that celebrates public libraries,Can I Please Borrow A Million Dollars?