Biscuit Short Story Competition 2008
- First Prize
- Sian Hughes (United Kingdom) for The Beach Hut. Sian has opted to have her collection published by Biscuit and to receive 75 books. The Beach Hut was published by Biscuit Publishing in spring 2009.
- Second Prize
- Steve Wade (Ireland) for The Homecoming. Steve wins a Writer's Retreat/Holiday for one week in Talbot House, Flanders, plus £200 travel expenses.
- Third Prize
- Emily Klingenberg (Canada) for Continental Drift. She wins a £200 cash prize.
The following Highly Commended Runners-up each win £25. They are listed in no particular order:
- Joanne Riccioni (Australia)
- The Moment in the Draughty Church at Smokefall
- Deborah R Fossey (Jersey)
- The Suitcase
- Jon Dixon (United Kingdom)
- The Crumpled Card
- Amy Bell (United Kingdom)
- The Priestess and I
- Jo Cannon (United Kingdom)
- Eye of the Storm
- Keith Amos (United Kingdom)
- Whose Trio Sonata?
- Sarah Hilary (United Kingdom)
- On the Line
Judge's Comments
521 short stories were entered and there were no disqualifications. Twenty-five countries were represented, making this a truly global competition. The Biscuit reading team read every short story, discussed, deliberated, argued, fought tooth and claw, then handed me a long-list of fifty. I read all of the fifty, enjoyed every reading moment, then struggled to get them down to a final ten. So much good writing, so much talent.
I returned to the stories and my notes again and again, and each time I returned I changed the order. Eventually I set them aside and took a two-week break. Then at long last I made my decision, choosing the stories that came first to mind when I reviewed the whole. A bit like deciding which puppy you want from the litter; you don't choose it, it chooses you. Second and third were there nipping at the heels of the first (watch it, Lister - you are overworking the metaphor).
I applaud all of our entrants. It's so good to know the creative blood and the passion still flows through the veins of poetry and short fiction. If you didn't make the cut, please take heart and keep on writing the words. There were certainly no lost causes, all of your stories and poems were good. Some just needed strengthening, a wee bit more editing, a tweak here and there. Or a different judge. And that's all I'm saying.
Brian Lister
