Best Australian Yarn: Top 50 long list

Read the Top 50 stories here.

Writers from around the country embraced the Best Australian Yarn competition, submitting a staggering 4700 entries, and now we can reveal the Top 50 long list.

Since entries closed in May, a panel of judges has read every short story submitted, whittling them down over a number of rounds to come up with a list that encompasses all aspects of Australian life.

There are stories of love and loss, of aspiration and adventure, of a kamikaze kookaburra and a wartime secret.

The Best Australian Yarn, which is run by The West Australian in partnership with Minderoo Foundation, was launched in February and allowed professional and amateur short story writers to compete for a $50,000 prize pool, the richest in the world.

Those in the Top 50 now have the opportunity to win the $30,000 major prize. Nine other finalists shortlisted for the overall prize will receive $1000 each, the top WA entrant $4000, the best Australian regional entry $3000 and the best youth entry $2000.

The prize jury is chaired by the editor in chief of The West Australian, Anthony De Ceglie, and includes Minderoo Foundation co-founder Nicola Forrest, author Robert Drewe and publishers Terri-ann White and Rachel Bin Salleh.