Essay Competition 2020
Growlife Medical Essay Competition 2020
Stories of Families
Congratulations to our 2020 Winning Entries
2020 has seen entries of raw emotion, and demonstrate the incredibly diverse experiences of being in a family. Thank you to all who entered, and congratulations to the winning essays:
- RJ Miles - Motherhood Reimagined
- Reuben Bristed - Celebrating the Diversity of Families
- Kristiana Darling - What makes a family?
Winning Entry by a School Aged Student Category
About the Annual Growlife Medical Essay Competition
A world where uncertainty, fear and nationalism prosper is a world that sows the seeds of division and exclusion. In 2020 our world has changed in ways we never dreamed only months ago. Growlife Medical
seeks to foster a discussion of how diverse families contribute to the fabric of our community. We want to celebrate all the ways we are different, and how our differences make us stronger as a community. We want to hear stories of how your family is unique.
Many pop culture families lack dimension, and reflect a norm that we rarely see in real life. The reality of families is that they have fingerprints as unique as those on our hands. History, chance, and life circumstance shape our families in ways we never expected.
This year, we are timing the essay competition to coincide with Book Week, and adding a prize for a school age student. This resonates with us because:
“Each year since 1945 the CBCA has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. During this time schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. Classroom teachers, teacher librarians and public librarians create colourful displays, develop activities, run competitions and tell stories relating to a theme to highlight the importance of reading.”
This celebration of stories, reading and story telling is so important to our children understanding and becoming part of our shared culture. Telling stories of inclusion and celebrating diversity can help them imagine a better world; one which our children will ultimately build. We would like to hear stories from families of all different type: new families, blended families, broken families, rainbow families, singles families, and families who have borne a loss. We want to hear stories of crazy, happy and quirky families. We want to hear your diverse experiences, and make this a celebration of positivity, modern families, nurturing and resilience.
We will be shortlisting and publishing your stories throughout the year, with the winning entries announced at the end of book week on Thursday 22 October 2020. In a nod to helping our hospitality industry, and spending time with family, the prizes are vouchers to a restaurant of your choice in Brisbane.
1st Prize is $150, 2nd is $100 and 3rd is $50.
The best story by a school aged student prize is a $100 voucher to Avid Reader
or Where the Wild Things Are Bookshop
in West End.
Ready to start writing? Your story must be less than 2,000 words, original, never before published, and submitted with the entry form to sherwood@growmedical.com.au. See the full terms and conditions on the entry form.
We look forward to reading and publishing your stories. Best of luck!
Ready to start writing? Your story must be less than 2,000 words, original, never before published, and submitted with the entry form to sherwood@growmedical.com.au. See the full terms and conditions on the entry form.
We look forward to reading and publishing your stories. Best of luck!
Read the winning Essay from 2019
- The Privilege of Fatherhood