Jeanette Mrozinski (photo by Erin Lewis) 

The judges – Georgina Arnott (Editor and CEO of ABR), Theodore Ell (2021 Calibre Prize winner), and Geordie Williamson (writer-publisher and Deputy Chair of ABR) – chose ‘Eucharist’ from a field of 648 entries from twenty-six countries. Here is their comment on Jeanette Mrozinski’s essay:

‘Eucharist’, an essay of breathtaking emotional power and moral force, conveys a woman’s quest to obtain an anti-viral drug within seventy-two hours of being raped to avert the risk of contracting HIV. As the crucial minutes tick away and our protagonist rushes to yet another pharmacy, we observe the grim realities of America’s health system for those facing hard choices around unaffordable, unattainable pharmaceuticals. The essay depicts ordinary, everyday distress in today’s America. Mrozinski’s narrating voice is authentic and natural, both withholding – to create suspense – and punishingly self-aware, her turn of phrase rich in feeling and irony.

‘Eucharist’ appears on page 34. On learning of her win, Jeanette Mrozinski told Advances:

Often, the working-class stories that make it into our literature are treated as outsider art, their value appraised by their shocking degrees of desperation and humiliation that, for millions, is simply the chronic dramatic tension of everyday survival. Our world is increasingly ruled by autocrats and oligarchs. We face interconnected democratic, economic, and environmental crises that transcend international borders, threatening to make life harder for us all. In this desperate hour, I am truly honoured to be selected as the first American to win the Calibre Essay Prize, and so deeply heartened to know that ABR readers are engaging with this story of individual and collective action. It’s this belief in radical empathy and care for one another, often with downstream effects we’ll never know, that bring me hope in the dark. Thank you so much for reading my essay.

This year’s runner-up is ‘The Chirp/The Scream’, by Melbourne writer Natasha Sholl. Remarkably and unprecedentedly, this is the second successive year in which Ms Sholl has been placed second. She receives $3,000 from ABR. ‘The Chirp/The Scream’ will appear in the June issue. The third prize goes to Adelaide writer Robin Boord, whose essay is titled ‘Consolation of Clouds’. It will appear in the July issue. Ms Boor receives $2,000.

In addition to the three winning essays, nine others were shortlisted. All of them are listed on our website, where the judges’ full report also appears. The judges have also commended ‘The Art and Atrocity of Disaster Scenarios – A Family Tale’ by Canberra writer Andra Putnis.

We are grateful to founding Patrons Peter McLennan and Mary-Ruth Sindrey. Magnificent supporters of ABR for two decades, they have once again funded the Calibre Essay Prize in 2025.

Peter Rose Editorial Cadetship

The ABR Board and incoming Editor Georgina Arnott are delighted to announce a new editorial Cadetship to honour Peter Rose’s extraordinary contribution to the training of publishing professionals. The Peter Rose Editorial Cadetship will secure this salubrious tradition of mentorship at ABR.

During his twenty-four years at ABR, Rose has trained and encouraged countless editors, many of whom have gone on to senior positions in publishing and journalism, sometimes at ABR, and all of whom continue to make invaluable contributions to our print culture.

The Peter Rose Editorial Cadetship will offer an aspiring editor a rich and multi-faceted experience, one that will equip them for a successful career. Over the course of twelve months, the cadet will receive extensive training in all facets of magazine publishing and the principles of editing in a supportive and collegial environment. This will be the tenth Cadetship in ABR’s history.

It is with regret – and not a little alarm – that Advances has observed that such opportunities are ever vanishing in the sector. While many people now receive tertiary training in publishing and editing, few get the chance to implement their knowledge.  

ABR offers cadets high-quality editorial instruction, an introduction to a vast range of publishing tasks and platforms, experience in a lean, entrepreneurial organisation, and a strong grounding in Australia’s literary heritage and its diverse contemporary cultures.

For information about the upcoming Cadetship, visit the Peter Rose Editorial Cadetship page within Prizes & Programs on the ABR website. Our hope is that we will be able to advertise the Cadetship in coming months – and repeat it in coming years.

Please consider supporting this important program, which honours Peter Rose’s achievements and will help to enable the next generation of editors to take up his mantle. Information on giving can be found on the Peter Rose Editorial Cadetship page on our website. With your help, we will make this an annual fixture.

Australia Reads campaign

With days to go before the federal election, we hope that you will consider supporting the Australia Reads campaign launched last month by a coalition of Australia’s authors, publishers, booksellers, and librarians to urge candidates to ‘back books’. You can repost Australia Reads social media posts across all the major platforms – as ABR has done. 

With literacy rates plunging, cost pressures on publishing and libraries mounting, and AI disrupting the small income share of many authors, Australia Reads calls for government policies and investment to support books and reading.

The Australia Reads campaigns has ABR’s full support. Whomever wins the election, we hope they recognise the value that books and reading bring us as a society. Books are not just an industry; they make our culture and set its course.