Year
2018
Category
Print/Text: Feature Writing Short
Leisa Scott received strong and supportive responses from readers moved by the way she captured Holly Warland’s funny and self-assured personality, her great love story, and her right to choose when she no longer wanted to live. Since Scott’s piece was published, Holly, who has muscular dystrophy, has made a film about why she believes Queensland needs assisted dying laws—and why the young and chronically ill should have a voice in the debate. Holly’s video was shown at a Dying with Dignity campaign forum held at Queensland Parliament in June, although she was too weak to attend.
Leisa Scott began her career as a cadet with The Courier-Mail in 1984, with stints at The Sun-Herald and News Limited’s Melbourne bureau and The Australian. In 2005, she became a founding writer for Qweekend. She was the 2014 Queensland Journalist of the Year. This is her first Walkley.
Judges’ comments:
“This is a beautifully written, superbly structured story that is deeply moving but never sentimental. A fine example of magazine feature writing that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it.”