OBSERVER: Sisters In Crime
Dr Sandra Thom-Jones, the winner of Sisters in Crime’s 32nd Scarlet Stiletto Awards first prize ($2000 plus the trophy), was always told that “autistic people can’t write fiction because we’re not imaginative or creative”.
Thom-Jones, who had previously won several awards in the national women’s short story competition, has well and truly proved those nay-sayers wrong with her latest story, Der Hölle Rache.
“I’m still shaking,” she said. “Winning prizes in the 2023 Scarlet Stilettos was instrumental in convincing me that I could write crime stories people wanted to read, and motivated me to start work on my first novel. I was excited to make the shortlist again this year, but never dreamt I would actually win the coveted shoe.
“I write stories with quirky, and often neurodivergent, characters who don’t see the world like everyone else does. The characters in my stories share my passion for justice and equity, although I use a keyboard to vent my frustration where [in my story] Alice used a gun.”
The ACU’s former Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research Impact, Dr Thom-Jones is said to have ‘both academic clout and creative verve’. Her books, Growing into Autism (Melbourne University Press, 2022), Autistics in Academia (Cambridge University Press, 2025) and Autistics at Work (Melbourne University Press, 2022) have been well-received and brought new levels of understanding to autism and the challenges of neurodiversity.
Dr Thom-Jones is furthering her intellectual enquiry by undertaking a second doctorate – this time exploring the experiences of autistic parents.
Dr Thom-Jones was one of 31 shortlisted authors honoured at this year’s gala dinner at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. Scarlet was the prescribed dress code and, while the authors and their pals might be dedicated to crime and intricacies of law-breaking, they nearly all obeyed.
This year, 231 short stories competed for $13,050 in prize money. Over the lifetime of the awards, 5077 stories have been entered with 34 Scarlet Stiletto trophy and category winners going on to have books published.
Award-winning Sydney author, Dinuka McKenzie, presented the awards after discussing her life in crime with host, Melbourne award-winning author, Amanda Hampson, creator of the popular Tea Ladies series.
Emerita Professor Christina Lee, a double-shoe winner who coordinated the final judging session, said in her report that the range and variety of stories were outstanding.
sistersincrime.org.au
Cheryl Threadgold
Pictured: Shortlisted winners of Sisters in Crime 32nd Scarlet Stiletto Awards. Winning author Dr Sandra Thom-Jones is front row, second from left.