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helena 🍉

@hlnpnts

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🥣 Mother Salad out with @uwapublishing

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i don't know how it happened but a quick post to acknowledge the incredible month i have had where i was awarded the Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection at the @qldliteraryawards. the whole @briswritersfest was an absolute blur and it still does not feel real.

i am absolutely not deluded enough to think that this means more than it does, as i want to acknowledge the fantastic artists who were not nominated for this award alongside the always specific and elusive tastes of judging panels, but i am ever grateful that in this particular moment in time and in the eyes of a select group of people, my work has been regarded with a great deal of value. i was thrilled to meet and stand alongside writers and friends who ive only known from afar, and starstruck to be sharing a stage with talent i can only hope to measure up to some day.

it is an astonishing privilege to have the people at @uwapublishing not only decide to publish me but then to champion me by submitting my work to awards such as this. ever grateful for your support. a huge thanks to all those who have read this collection and those who've reached out with well wishes. and i, of course, want to acknowledge the support from my own family! especially to my mum who inspired this collection and who flew up to brisbane with me for a short week of mum and daughter bonding! it is an immense honour to make my parents proud in this way!!

📸 big thank you to @gillianhagenus and @svetlanasterlin for capturing me receiving this award and letting me use your piccies 🌟💙🫵 by @hlnpnts

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2 days ago

Congratulations to UWA Publishing authors Julianne Negri and Helena Pantsis on being named winners in the 2026 Queensland Literary Awards!

Julianne Negri has won the Young Adult Book Award, supported by The University of Queensland, for her young adult verse novel The Belly of a Wolf.

Judges’ Comments:
Immersive and evocative, this coming-of-age verse novel follows fifteen-year-old Red as she navigates the sudden death of her best friend, Wolf. Negri masterfully weaves a classic fairy tale, high school heartbreak and indie rock into an unforgettable and extraordinary work of literature.

Helena Pantsis has won the Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection for Mother Salad.

Judges’ Comments:
From the opening story, ‘Cottonmouth’, Mother Salad stands out as a masterful collection, skilfully deploying its surreal elements while also revealing the rich inner worlds of its characters. Helena Pantsis is a remarkable talent with an excellent command of narrative voice and a brilliant imagination.

Find out more: https://bwf.org.au/queensland-literary-awards/2026-winners

@waywardfancy
@hlnpnts
@uniofqld
@qldliteraryawards

#qlas26 #QLDLiteraryAwards #qlas26winner by @hlnpnts

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10 days ago

What are the future of Australian literature thinking about? We asked six new exciting young voices what keeps them inspired and writing. Featuring: @munira.com.au, @loki_liddle, @hopeloveday, @hlnpnts, @oscarrevelins and @maithreewrites.

🔗 Head to the link in bio to read more! by @hlnpnts

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25 days ago

recently did a lil interview with UWAP intern Naomi Becker, who asked me some super thoughtful questions about my process and the inspiration behind my latest collection with the press. link in bio if you are at all interested! i always love to yap a bit about my work 🗣️🗣️🗣️ by @hlnpnts

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a month ago

didnt manage to get any pics of actually reading but it was a pleasure to perform at @wheelercentre's The Next Big Thing in partnership with @emergingwriters on Monday and it was a brilliant time. it was such a fantastic lineup, and i often have to pinch myself when i get to rub shoulders with so many talented people like that. a big thanks to the Wheeler Centre team and those at EWF for letting me be involved 💙💚🫰🤓📸 by @hlnpnts

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a month ago

i will be appearing as part of the lineup for The Next Big Thing with the @wheelercentre as part of the @emergingwriters festival for 2026, reading a story from my collection 'Mother Salad'!! im so excited to hear the other readers and am hyped to be involved. be sure to check out ewf's awesome program for this year. booking link in bio!! be there!!! 🤓🫵💙📖 by @hlnpnts

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2 months ago

readying to drop some of these bad boys off to be sold at @emergingwriters closing night lit fair! if you're planning to be there and you are interested keep an eye out for the bright blue! otherwise i have a few extra that i am happy to sign and post for anyone looking to snag a copy 🌟💙🎣💚 also some pics of my boy (model) marty giving you an idea of the kind of introspectiveness this reading offers (& yes he reads with his nose he is part scent hound 🐶🐾🦴) by @hlnpnts

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2 months ago

a poem in the latest cordite i wrote about Laika the dog. a bit of a full circle moment to be read by @maxinebeneba when Foreign Soil was one of the collections that got me back into writing again - if I could tell my teen self that the author of the book I was reading then would someday read something by me id flip!!! a big thanks to @maxinebeneba and @roguedyke for letting me be part of a mad lineup 🫡🌟🫰🌸🥹🎈go check it out now‼️🫵😡 by @hlnpnts

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2 months ago

some snaps from @q.lit.fest's 2026 festival as part of the panel A Life Worth Telling. loved chatting with these folks and a very engaged audience about character building, writing processes, and putting yourself into your work. a brilliant festival all 'round!!

credit to photographer Teague Leigh for these crisp pics 📸 by @hlnpnts

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2 months ago

super cool to see Mother Salad among @readingsbooks' recommended short story collections - an absolute stellar lineup! feeling like a little fish in a big pond of some very talented names 📚🔖📖🤓🫰check out the rest of the list in their latest blog post by @hlnpnts

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3 months ago

i am thrilled and baffled and honoured to have Mother Salad shortlisted for the Steele Rudd Award as part of the @qldliteraryawards. it is always a privilege to be read by others, and even more so to be acknowledged aloud, so i have a lot of gratitude to have been shortlisted with these other phenomenal works and for the kind words of the judges. i am also, as always, grateful to those at @uwapublishing for their hard work in making this collection real and readable and shortlist-able 💙💚💙🤪‼️ by @hlnpnts

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3 months ago

Congratulations to UWA Publishing authors Julianne Negri and Helena Pantsis who have been shortlisted in the Queensland Literary Awards.

Julianne Negri's verse novel, The Belly of a Wolf, has been shortlisted in the Young Adult category. The judges' commented: "After the death of her best friend, Red is emerging from the belly of her grief and learning how to live again. Through lyrical verse and allegory, Negri’s mesmerising and rhythmic tale captivates in emotion, style and form. A powerful, haunting and universally resonant tale of loss, love, music and friendship."

Helena Pantsis' short story collection, Mother Salad, has been shortlisted for the Steele Rudd Award for a short story collection (Biennial Award). The judges' commented: "Mother Salad is an exhilarating collection with flashes of the macabre: in these stories, people are often different from who they initially seem to be. Showing a flair for experimentation, Helena Pantsis offers a fresh perspective on transformation, loss and relationship dynamics."

The winners of the awards will be announced at the Queensland Literary Awards ceremony as part of the Brisbane Writers Festival on 8 October 2026.

#QLA2026 #TheBellyofaWolf #JulianneNegri #MotherSalad #HelenaPantsis #uwapublishing by @hlnpnts

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3 months ago