2013 Short Story Winners!
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1st Prize
On the Bench Gill Blow Tommy is in an old people’s home, but in his mind it’s half time in a football match. He sits on the bench to wait out it out and thinks about his mum and dad. Margaret is already sitting on the beach, she is in shock as her mother has just died in the home. She knows Tommy and is aware of him sitting near her. She is thinking about her mother, about the name of a butterfly she sees nearby and looks into her mother’s handbag. When she starts to cry, Tommy rummages in his pocket and produces some sheets of toilet paper for her to wipe her eyes. The buzzing in his ears tells him the whistle has gone for the second half and he tells Margaret she will have to get off the bench now. Lovely sense of dislocation in time and place in Tommy’s real and remembered world suffuses this story, compared with the focus of Margaret on her immediate sadness. The interaction between the two, and their reaction to the world around, the heat of the day, the nearby motorbike rider and his girlfriend, all feel in very sharp focus. There’s a tenderness, an understanding, a humour that’s very appealing too. 2nd Prize Descendence Jude Norton Young girl overhears argument in kitchen between her grandmother and man and his daughter. He is accusing grandmother’s son of making his daughter pregnant, she is crying. Grandmother defends her son and humiliates the girl and the pair leave. Her son, Uncle Tommy, joins the girl and hears some of the conversation and laughs with her about it. He confesses he did go with the girl, and many others – as his niece well knows. They talk about why they both feel so unloved by their grandmother, who only cares about her public reputation, and that this propels him to find love with girls. The ending is a punch in the stomach. The writing is smooth, the description of rural (American) farm home very clear and evocative, the different voices of the protagonists give authentic life to their characters. The story is full of life and colour – with a dark thread running through. 3rd Prize In Sha'Allah Margaret Skea Ayisha is alone on the roof at home as she is no longer able to go to school, by (Afghan) Taliban decree. She is with a devoted dog, her constant companion since she found him badly hurt on the night her pregnant mother was killed in a bomb blast. Her friend walks past on the way to school, he indicates he will see her later to share the school lessons. Her feelings about the Taliban, about her father, about God are bound up in her new situation – at the age of ten she now has to become woman. Her uncle orders her to explode a bomb in the path of some US soldiers. She does so, but does not kill them. The carnage of war, revenge and religion through the eyes of a child – a very powerful combination only slightly marred by an ending which doesn’t carry quite the impact it could and some grammatical mistakes (ie too many commas). |
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Short Story Shortlist
On the Bench - Gill Blow
See winners.
The Girl in the Doorway - Jane Cammack
Grandmother with secrets, she welcomes and bonds with her little known grandson who has asbergers. Scare at the end as he falls out of tree, but survives. Slightly convoluted explanation of painting/title gets in way of central relationship which is nicely done.
Grandad's Big Day Out - Joanna Campbell
Young boy at his grandfather’s funeral/ as his baby brother is born. Terrific writing, word play and humour. Could not quite understand why such a perceptive lad hadn’t understood that grandfather was dead.
Letti - Christopher Holt
Incredibly inventive, energetic use of language for a (Australian) tale of rejection of newcomer to a street/community. Descriptions include invented words like gwinnied (verb) and puddle (adjective) as the new neighbour is hounded out. A bit short and exhausting.
The Truth and the Beauty of the Supporting Role - Cath Humphris
Woman is forced into disguise and hiding, accompanied by secret service officer. Is it real or an ‘acting’ part as the title suggests? I couldn’t quite work it out, which spoiled an otherwise intriguing idea.
Descendence - Jude Norton
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The Spit and Swear Promise - Ceri Lowe-Petraske
Nice title, parents pretend to be best mates with their recently dead neighbour in order to clear her house. I liked the ‘homespun’ tone with deceptive double meaning especially in Pa’s responses to police, but I wasn’t sure the ending quite worked.
In Sha'Allah - Margaret Skea
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Get out of Here - Lytton Smith
This has a very authentic young narrator’s voice, who is embarrassed by her father’s strange antics in burying electrical goods in the garden. Good use of language, heightening the emotional impact but the action is a bit jumpy and hard to follow at times.
Freefall - Eve Vamvas
Irish Father Brian stops people committing suicide and one of his ‘clients’ becomes a regular visitor. Good sense of tension, and skilful characterisation of the two men – will Frank finally do it or not – and Brian himself feeling put upon – I couldn’t tell if the ending was of the visits or Frank himself.
See winners.
The Girl in the Doorway - Jane Cammack
Grandmother with secrets, she welcomes and bonds with her little known grandson who has asbergers. Scare at the end as he falls out of tree, but survives. Slightly convoluted explanation of painting/title gets in way of central relationship which is nicely done.
Grandad's Big Day Out - Joanna Campbell
Young boy at his grandfather’s funeral/ as his baby brother is born. Terrific writing, word play and humour. Could not quite understand why such a perceptive lad hadn’t understood that grandfather was dead.
Letti - Christopher Holt
Incredibly inventive, energetic use of language for a (Australian) tale of rejection of newcomer to a street/community. Descriptions include invented words like gwinnied (verb) and puddle (adjective) as the new neighbour is hounded out. A bit short and exhausting.
The Truth and the Beauty of the Supporting Role - Cath Humphris
Woman is forced into disguise and hiding, accompanied by secret service officer. Is it real or an ‘acting’ part as the title suggests? I couldn’t quite work it out, which spoiled an otherwise intriguing idea.
Descendence - Jude Norton
See winners.
The Spit and Swear Promise - Ceri Lowe-Petraske
Nice title, parents pretend to be best mates with their recently dead neighbour in order to clear her house. I liked the ‘homespun’ tone with deceptive double meaning especially in Pa’s responses to police, but I wasn’t sure the ending quite worked.
In Sha'Allah - Margaret Skea
See winners.
Get out of Here - Lytton Smith
This has a very authentic young narrator’s voice, who is embarrassed by her father’s strange antics in burying electrical goods in the garden. Good use of language, heightening the emotional impact but the action is a bit jumpy and hard to follow at times.
Freefall - Eve Vamvas
Irish Father Brian stops people committing suicide and one of his ‘clients’ becomes a regular visitor. Good sense of tension, and skilful characterisation of the two men – will Frank finally do it or not – and Brian himself feeling put upon – I couldn’t tell if the ending was of the visits or Frank himself.
Longlist
Walls - Melanie Amri
The fragrant Forest - Juno Baker
This is the Way things Are - Lucy Bignall
On the Bench - Gill Blow
God in a Small Boys' head - D. R. D Bruton
The Girl in the Doorway - Jane Cammack
Grandad's Big Day Out - Joanna Campbell
Switched off - Shirley Golden
Letti - Christopher Holt
The Truth and the Beauty of the Supporting Role - Cath Humphris
The Spit and Swear Promise - Ceri Lowe-Petraske
The Wind's Will - Andy Mihov
Suspension - Nina Milton
Descendence - Jude Norton
In Sha'Allah - Margaret Skea
Get out of Here - Lytton Smith
Old Jamaican Rum Chocolate - Aline Tayar
Freefall - Eve Vamvas
Fractured - Melanie Whipman
What the Peat Held - Iris Woodford
The fragrant Forest - Juno Baker
This is the Way things Are - Lucy Bignall
On the Bench - Gill Blow
God in a Small Boys' head - D. R. D Bruton
The Girl in the Doorway - Jane Cammack
Grandad's Big Day Out - Joanna Campbell
Switched off - Shirley Golden
Letti - Christopher Holt
The Truth and the Beauty of the Supporting Role - Cath Humphris
The Spit and Swear Promise - Ceri Lowe-Petraske
The Wind's Will - Andy Mihov
Suspension - Nina Milton
Descendence - Jude Norton
In Sha'Allah - Margaret Skea
Get out of Here - Lytton Smith
Old Jamaican Rum Chocolate - Aline Tayar
Freefall - Eve Vamvas
Fractured - Melanie Whipman
What the Peat Held - Iris Woodford