Word nerds: Australia's top Scrabble players battle for world title shot

Australia's top Scrabble players threw their best tiles on to the board as they competed to become national champion and secure a spot in the world championships. The 2023 event was held at Windy Hill bistro over the Easter weekend, with champions past and present vying for the Australian title. “We have a very high quality of players [here],” says Carol Johnsen, the secretary of the World English-Language Scrabble Players Association and organiser of the event. In fact 18 of Australia’s top 20 players flew in from all around the country, along with two international competitors from New Zealand and Spain.