Written by Associate Professor Helen Marshall and Professor Kim Wilkins from UQ, alongside Associate Professor Lisa Bennett, Story Thinking and the Real World Applications of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing (Bloomsbury, 2025) has been awarded both the Aurealis Convener's Award for Excellence and the Ditmar Award - William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review.
The Ditmar Award was presented at a national ceremony last night, marking the latest recognition for the book’s impact within Australia’s speculative fiction community.
The awards acknowledge the monograph’s contribution to critical and theoretical discourse on speculative fiction, particularly its development of the “Story Thinking” methodology. The work highlights how science fiction and fantasy writing can be applied to real-world contexts, bridging creative practice and scholarly research.
Dr Marshall said the recognition reflects the growing importance of interdisciplinary approaches to storytelling and research.
“This work brings together creative practitioners and scholars to explore how speculative storytelling can shape the way we understand and engage with the world,” she said.
The achievement is also a point of pride for UQ’s School of Communication and Arts, where the project drew on contributions from both academic staff and the School’s Higher Degree by Research (HDR) community.
The awards highlight the strength of UQ’s research in creative writing and its leadership in advancing new approaches to literary studies and practice.
