Winner
15 October 2007
Greg and I read a quite exceptional set of short story entries to the first Sepulchre 1000-word competition last week. We cut them down to a shortlist of about twelve then a shorter list of six.
Those six stories were then handed to an independent judge who was able to read them all fresh. She made the final decision, which - as it happens - coincided with our gut feeling.
If you would like to read the winner, click this link. You will also find a link in the right nav.
While we are on the subject of competitions, some people say they shouldn't happen, that books and stories - and works of art, for example - shouldn't be judged one against another.
On the other hand, competitions get people reading and writing. They are a strong motivating force for both authors and interested readers. Should you be interested, here is another competition link:
HappenStance is a poetry publisher, but we believe short stories and poems have a lot in common — more in common, for example, than novels and short fiction. We'd like to publish more of them and encourage people to write them. Last year we published a lovely chapbook of winners' stories. We plan to do the same again this year.
The web address for this prize is:
http://www.happenstancepress.co.uk/Story.htm
More information on a whole list of prizes can be found on this excellent aggregator:
http://www.theshortstory.org.uk/news/
Our winner - Sid Cumberland - is rewarded with a free resident's ticket to the second Chichester Writing Festival from 9-11 November. As it turns out, Sid had already booked, so I guess he's won a refund!
The Chichester Writing Festival - like this website and its predecessor www.mosselabyrinth.co.uk - is focused on the craft of writing. Sid will be one of the core audience of 40 students who attend all panel discussions over the course of three days, plus the 'An audience with' interviews, open to the general public, where I will be talking to Marian Keyes, Sarah Waters, Joanne Harris and Jacqueline Wilson.
Tickets for these events are available from West Dean College.
Plus, in this busy, busy month, 31 October will see the launch of Sepulchre ...
