The Hawkeye Publishing team and our esteemed judges are thrilled to reveal the longlist for the 2025 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize!

This year, we received an astonishing 192 entries, showcasing an incredible range of storytelling talent. After careful deliberation, 22 outstanding manuscripts have been selected for the longlist. Our judges were truly impressed by the high calibre of writing and the diversity of voices in this year’s competition. 

Despite a period of uncertainty following the collapse of distribution giant Booktopia Publisher Services in July, 2024 closed out as a boon year for the independent trade publisher, with a total of 13 title releases, a shiny new distribution deal, and two of its debut authors ranking on bookshop bestseller lists.

Hawkeye Publishing is thrilled to announce that our very own Carolyn Martinez, director and passionate advocate for Australian literature, has been nominated for the esteemed Johnno Award for the third time.  

Hawkeye is delighted to announce the winners for the 2024 Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Competition!

Anne Freeman has created a powerful and authentic tale in her novel Me That You See, which takes readers on a wild and unpredictable journey through the busy streets of Melbourne and into the realm of adult entertainment services.

Hawkeye is thrilled to announce the shortlist for the 2024 Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Competition!

Big Music swept me up from the very first page, taking me back to my own memories of university life in Brisbane. The blend of academic politics, musical genius, and raw human conflict is so vividly drawn that it’s impossible not to get transported into the heady world of music. It’s a must-read for anyone who’s experienced the beautiful mess that is university life, especially if Brisbane has ever been a part of your journey.

Hawkeye is excited to announce the longlist for the 2024 Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Competition!

In the Secret Place by Gary Crew is a coming-of-age novel that follows Ben Gardner on a journey of resilience and self-discovery. Jess Griffiths from the South Australian English Teachers' Association has written the following review, highlighting that the novel’s “ideas and themes are universal to teens”.

Gary Crew’s novel In the Secret Place follows protagonist, Ben Gardner, in a coming-of-age narrative. Crew has established Ben as a loner; he eats lunch by himself, finds himself at odds with the formidable group ‘The six’ and feels abandoned by his mother who has left the family home and taken his younger sister with her.

There is a level of mystery about an injury Ben has sustained to his foot which enables Crew to keep the attention of the reader by heightening the mystery and adds a layer to the story. As the narrative progresses, Ben finds a ‘secret place’ that enables him to test his skills and resilience which is concurrent with him finding new friend, Sonya, and an unlikely friend in Roddy ‘Noddy’ Williams known around town for always wearing a blue beanie. Crew establishes the friendships with gentleness and authenticity and his exploration of the perceptions we have of people and in turn how much, or little, they think of us is nicely considered.

The narrative takes a sharp turn about three quarters of the way through which was a bit unexpected but reflective of life and how fast things can change. Crew’s novel explores themes of friendships, self-development, family, growing up, and how people experience the world. The text is easy to read and fairly well paced.

Whilst the book would probably lend itself more to male readers, the ideas and themes are universal to teens. This text would be suitable for readers years 9 -11.

Reviewed by Jess Griffiths from the South Australian English Teachers’ Association