Conneely’s work is among other Sutherland Shire Literary Competition winners to have their work published online, enabling residents to read the top entries without needing to venture outside.
Hosted by Sutherland Shire, this year's competition attracted in excess of 400 entries from around Australia, with local entrants representing about 27 percent of the overall total.
Mayor of Sutherland Shire Steve Simpson said all entrants had submitted literary works that were of very high quality and all should be congratulated, adding:
“Everyone is a winner in some way, because even those who may not have received a prize have gained valuable experiences by challenging their creative skillsets and tried their hand at participating in a competition which draws competitors from across the country.”
In its third year, and faced with a Covid-19 environment, it was decided to share the winning entries online so the community could have an opportunity to read from home some of the creative works submitted.
National competitions such as this are often widely advertised via strategic flyer printing campaigns and media outlets to help attract entries.
Winning entries came from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. They also included local winners from Kurnell, Sutherland, Caringbah, Gymea Bay, Como and Cronulla.