Short Story Competition 2023/24
The Creative Arts Short Story competition is organised by Maggie Bardsley, Jo Jackson and Alison Richards of ‘Writers on the Edge’.
The 2023/24 short story competition is now closed to entries. The results will be announced in March 2024. The writers of long and short listed stories will be informed in he new year. This website will be updated accordingly.
Prizes
Wenlock Olympian Society gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the three best stories as chosen by the competition judge. Cash prizes will also be awarded thus:
Gold – £150
Silver – £50
Bronze – £25
Contact
info@wenlock-olympian-society.org.uk
Terms and Conditions
Please read the full Terms and Conditions before submitting your entry. These can be found here: ‘Terms & Conditions‘
Entry Form
The online entry form will be available here on 4th September 2023: 2023 Short Story Entry Form
2022/23 Short Story Competition
Gold medal – Light by Steven Arnold
Emma said: “The gorgeous prose and the emotional connection I had to the protagonist was incredibly unexpected, and a real privilege to read. This writer is hugely talented and I would love to read more of their work.”
Steve writes “As a result of my passion for the outdoors and wild places, I live with my wife and three young children on the windswept island of South Ronaldsay, one of the Orkney Islands. I was born and raised in rural Australia before setting out on a backpacking adventure at age 27. This adventure took me through South East Asia and eventually to Nepal and Everest Basecamp. From there I flew to London where I met Amy, my wife. City life was fine for a few years before the call of wild Scottish islands was too strong. We have lived in Orkney for the last five years where I have worked as a Head Teacher. I now support all schools across the county with inclusion and support for learning. Writing is constant source of creative expression and escape and the Orkney landscape provides a most excellent muse.”
Silver medal – Clearing the Dead Wood by Cate Sweeney
Emma said: “I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I had read it, and think this would be a wonderful opening to a whole novel as the protagonist is incredibly relatable. I loved it.”
Cate has been writing fiction since getting the bug at junior school when her stories were often read out in class – the most memorable being ‘Help!Help!Help!’ involving a mother and daughter trapped on a non-stop escalator in a department store. She’s had plays performed and a novel, Selfish Jean, published by Macmillan New Writing and trained as a counsellor in between. She now lives and works in Ludlow, with husband and no dog, as yet, renovating a house, whilst attempting to finish ‘Mascara Nights’ -a novel she started in lockdown, but now can’t find time to finish. She hopes this silver medal win will Help Help Help motivate her again.
Bronze medal – Ghost Writer by Colin Brzezicki
Emma said: “I thought the story within a story to be wonderfully refreshing and I adored the setting and feel to the narrative.”
Colin Brezicki was born in Scotland, grew up in Canada and returned to the UK to attend university and begin his teaching career. He taught English and directed plays in England and then Canada, and on retirement began writing fiction. He’s published two novels, and his short stories have won awards in Canada, the US and UK. He’s honoured to have won a Wenlock Bronze for “Ghost Writer”, a story that he feels kind of wrote itself, as stories do. He lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Many congratulations to the medallists and thank you to everyone who entered this year’s competition and helped to make it a success.
The three stories can be downloaded by visiting the links below:
Gold medal – Light by Steven Arnold