| ||
| ||
Competition
Winners 2006
All of the judges' comments will appear in full in the forthcoming anthology showcasing all of the above Top Ten Winning stories. Here are some extracted comments "…a
sharp and often disquieting view of contemporary life and the issues that press
upon and challenge our perceived identities…entries came from around the
world and the stories themselves are set in many locations. Collectively they
scratch away at surface appearances and deal with desire and guilt, loss and survival,
mistaken assumptions, brutality, fears, hopes and dreams….work by writers
we should keep a close eye on…display a control of language and a mastery
of the craft." Good
writers observe the everyday. With something small and ordinary, an old shoe maybe,
they allow themselves to be stupidly amazed, to just stand and gape, as Raymond
Carver put it. Then they write, making something extraordinary out of that old
shoe. Equally they take the extraordinary and make that into something everyday.
It’s called skill. We judges are miners. We sometimes have to take a pick-axe
and dig around for evidence of skill. Here though, the top three stories glowed
with it and the winning story was just there, lying on the surface; a jewel. No
digging required. "Reading
the ten short-listed stories was an enjoyable experience, and On New Street
definitely earns its first place. The story is stark and understated: flawless
prose, with lines as polished as poetry. Deliverance impressed with its
film-noir edge and poignant gestures to what passes for intimacy in the modern
age. It's a story that lingers long in the mind, like after-images imprinted on
your eyelids after the flickering dark of a cinema. The Greek Girl conveys
a life while never leaving the physical space in which the narrator works, and
from this confined position, reaches out towards the world arena." "Leshy Darko provides a strong opening, and the tale describes a boyhood incident set in a Canadian small town landscape (shades of Alice Munro stories). The story is well paced and controlled, although it was generally felt that the Leshy Darko character could have benefited from further development. However, the story is not 'about' Leshy Darko. Bird Flu deals with a current and scary issue; using as its device birds personified, in a satirical take on the Establishment's obtuse approach to a global problem. Dealing in Dreams intimately observes a changing inner society. Two societies even. It reveals the hopes and delusions of newly arrived immigrants and a host society beset by old instincts. The A*t of Interpretation addresses the vexing question - that battle scarred scenario - "What is art?" And makes a gallant attempt at 'telling by showing' through a formation of ducks swimming in a lake. Whether or not it answers the question might depend on if you see nothing more than ducks swimming, or a shape of ducks. There's a clue in the title. Gypsies revisits an age-old crime against humanity, and since the subject matter is still with us on this very day, it shames the whole world in which we live. "Every society gets the government it deserves." We all therefore carry the shame of ethnic cleansing. My Tale is of a Cock… is in the traditions of comedy short story writing, and it is good to see that tradition being upheld and written so well. The opening is strong while the title is considerably stronger, in a cheeky sort of way! The plot and style is maybe a tad out of step with the contemporary literary landscape, but that's as may be. It's enjoyable nevertheless. A story to make you smile, and who could seriously scowl at that?" Smile, dammit, smile! Hearty Congratulations go to Ann Newbegin who scoops the first prize of £1,000 and a publishing contract. Sally Zigmond - 2005 winner - has just completed her novella "Chasing Angels" and that will be published in the autumn. Details on the website soon. We also congratulate Wes Lee who receives £250 and Kate Simpkins who receives £100. And we applaud and congratulate the "Magnificent Seven" writers all of whose stories are Highly Commended and will appear in the forthcoming winners' anthology and CD. All ten winners will receive three copies each. We
also applaud all of the writers that entered the competition but whose work did
not make the "Top Ten". Writing is not a precise art, and neither is
judging! Please click
here and read what Prof Jay Boyer says about the
struggle to win. Jay says it far better than anyone ever did.
2005 Winners: click here for details of the top ten winners of the 2005 competition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||
| ||