Successful writers are named
Well, our judge Fiona Cooper has completed her deliberations and selected her winners for April.Our £100 first prize winner is R S Ahthion, of Aylesbury, England, with the story Different Day, Different Person, of which Fiona said: “A great story, utterly convincing and, despite the subject matter, humorous and absolutely matter of fact in its journey through the surreality of the entire situation. Excellent.”Our runner up, taking the £25 prize, was a writer from Ireland. Susan Lanigan, of Bray, in County Wicklow, entered Dead Money, of which Fiona said in highly commending the work: “Wonderful run down the rat alleys of poverty and along the edges of reality. The reader is right inside the frightened and frightening mindset from the word go.”
The third placed writer is based in Wales. Where Welsh Limestone Faces Were, by David Rhys Medlicott in Gilwern, prompted Fiona to say: “A complex idea well executed in the confines of a short story. Well textured prose, and excellent use of simile and metaphor, without being contrived.”
Our shortlist for April’s competition was a strong one and those just missing out on the top three places (and taking in seven countries) were:
Jeff Taylor, Hamilton, New Zealand
Shane O’Reilly, Foxrock, Ireland
Louise Beech, Hessle, England
Christina Murphy, Huntington, England
Sophie Coulombeau, London, England
Lilliane Parkinson, Auckland, New Zealand
Eyglo Daoa Karlsdottir, Sweden
Kieran Ryan, Hong Kong
Michael Hodder, Carleton, New Zealand
Dorothy-Jane Daniels, St Ives, New South Wales, Australia
Tony Tysoe, Girona, Spain
Paul Robson, Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia.
Well done to you all.
John Dean