Meet the Judges of the Human Rights Essay Prize 2025

June 9, 2025

The Portside Review Human Rights Essay Prize was created to recognise powerful, original writing that explores the complex and lived realities of human rights, from justice and freedom to identity, resistance, memory, and belonging.

Now in its second year, the Prize offers AUD $10,000 for first place, AUD $5,000 for second, and publication for 10 shortlisted essays in a special edition of Portside Review, a literary journal dedicated to voices from across the Indian Ocean and beyond.

This year, we’re proud to introduce the three judges who will read, reflect, and select the winning entries, each of them a writer, educator, and advocate in their own right.

Kirsten Han

Kirsten is a Singaporean journalist, editor, and activist. She is the managing editor of Mekong Review and runs We, The Citizens, a newsletter covering Singapore from a rights-based perspective. In 2024, she won the inaugural Human Rights Essay Prize for her essay Singapore Will Always Be At War, and this year returns to the Prize as a judge.

“The importance of human rights can be felt in every aspect of our lives; there are so many ways we can talk about it and reflect on the ways that it affects us and the societies we live in. I’m really looking forward to reading all the entries and learning from diverse voices!”

John Ryan

John is a literary educator and cultural critic. With a background in secondary English teaching and advocacy for LGBTIQ+ rights, his work explores the intersections between language, education, and social justice. He has held academic roles and published widely on literature, identity, and pedagogy.

“I look forward to reading and learning about the important human rights issues and experiences that face us in these precarious times. I know I will be heartened by the spirit of activism for humanity in all its aspects and the welfare of the planet that this essay competition encourages and values.”

Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes

Yirga is a poet, writer, and human rights scholar originally from Lalibela, Ethiopia. Now based in Perth, he is Director of the Centre for Human Rights Education at Curtin University. His creative and academic work explores African knowledge systems, decolonisation, and the politics of language and belonging. In 2024, he was awarded the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award for his bilingual memoir የተስፋ ፈተና / Trials of Hope.

“I am excited to read essays that speak truth to power, show reverence to life and to nature, and honour the struggle of those who are trying to make this world a better place for all. I encourage voices and perspectives that sit at the margins, those that define and expand human rights beyond the usual laws and frameworks.”

Together, they bring a diversity of perspective, lived experience, and intellectual rigour to the judging process, and we’re honoured to have them on board.

The Portside Review Human Rights Essay Prize is funded by Centre for Stories’ Founder’s Circle and Centre for Stories’ esteemed donors Baden Offord, Christopher MacFarlane and John Ryan.

Submissions for the 2025 Prize are open until 8 July. To learn more or submit your essay, visit portsidereview.com.