West Footscray Factory Fire (an apocalypse)

Winner of the 2019 Grace Marion Wilson Emerging Writers Competition, creative non-fiction category. Judge's comments: "The poetic language in this entry is like a force of nature. I was impressed by the rhythm of it, how the writer moves from the backyard to a global vision to an impassioned call to arms about environmental degradation. The sense of place and history are beautifully evocative while being layered with a good dose of despair. Along with technique, I was looking for writing that takes artistic risks and manages a gut-punch, and this delivers."