And the winners are . . .
1st Paper Leaves – Antonia Maxwell
2nd Breath – Phil Arnold
3rd Caffeine Dreams – Vincent Wood
Congratulations to all three writers, the final decision was very close. Here’s what Caroline Jaine had to say about it:
This was a very difficult decision, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories. Flash fiction is such an inspiring and fitting genre for our times. Although many of the stories were worthy of praise, Paper Leaves stood out for me as the overall winner. The writer seemed entirely at ease with writing in this short form – there was no attempt to pack too much in, either in terms of content or vocabulary – a common mistake. Paper Leaves felt like a delicate gesture, and yet a surprisingly disturbing one – the loss of a tree, which moved me deeply. It wasn’t quite what I expected to find in such a short piece, and there lies the writer’s skill and strength.
Take a few minutes to read each story, they’re worth it. Thanks to all who entered the competition, we’ll do something like this again next year. But don’t forget our full-length short story comp starts on December 1st . . .
Previously the process of judging had produced this shortlist:
Breath
Breeze
Caffeine Dreams
Missing
Paper Leaves
Stage Notes
And the long list:
Breath
Breeze
Caffeine Dreams
Maze
Missing
Paper Leaves
Singing The Antiphons
Stage Notes
The Arms Of Angels
The Courtesy Of Question Marks
The Exterminator
The Interview
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