STORY ONE:
The Hope Prize is an international short fiction competition – judged in 2024 by Dame Quentin Bryce, Julia Gillard and Tony Birch, among others – and all proceeds from the sale of its anthology are donated to a worthy organisation, this time Beyond Blue. Hope and resilience and bravery are themes, and the collection offers an eclectic range of stories, showcasing Australian authors amid their international counterparts. The standard is very high, with the bar set by the
opening story, from Nigerian writer and queer liberation activist Ani Kayode Somtochukwu. "The Sorrow and the Pity" speculates on two teenage Igbo boys, survivors of the Biafran War, who face separation just as they discover their love for one another. It’s beautiful, cadenced, not a word out of place, and the hope is tenuous, suspended ethereally above darkness and violence. Mercifully, you won’t find a shred of unearned uplift or “toxic positivity” in this volume, and lovers or writers of short fiction should snap up a copy.
Quote: Prize-winning and highly commended stories from the 2024 Hope Prize, with judges including Dame Quentin Bryce, Dr Tony Birch and Julia Gillard.
‘Tomorrow There Will Be Sun is more than just a book, it is hope in your hands.’ Julia Gillard
The Hope Prize is one of the world’s leading short story competitions, and this collection of winning and shortlisted stories will delight, move and inspire you. From two lovers in Nigeria navigating uncertain futures; a homeless man in Melbourne holding fast to his dignity against the backdrop of an indifferent city; a former prisoner stepping back into the world; and a mother in Ireland who is unknowingly whisper-close to her long-lost son, these stories grapple with issues that define our time – mental health, poverty, war – in a way that feels both intimate and urgent.
In Tomorrow There Will Be Sun some of the world’s most promising literary voices remind us that no matter the challenges we face, through the strength of the human spirit and the power of connection, we can move through darkness and into the light. In a tapestry of unique perspectives, this engrossing and entertaining collection is a balm for the soul.
Hope isn't passive. It’s something we create, together. And in these pages, you’ll find hope well and truly alive, waiting for you to carry it forward.
All royalties from the anthology support Beyond Blue, Australia's leading mental health charity.
